Why did the old dirt not absorb water?
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Your potting mix needs to absorb water slowly. Your potting mix like the ground after a drought is so dry it is not open to water and rain runs off. A slow light application of moisture will start the re-absorption process. Spray your loosened potting mix just enough to leave droplets on the surface. Stir your potting mix well. Repeat these 2 steps and soon your potting mix will retain the water in a normal watering.
Always start with new soil meant for potted vegetable plants. Old soil harbors mites and fungus and also rinse the pot before adding new soil.
Submerge pot, filled with the soil, into a large bucket of water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent in it that comes just over top of pot. Leave until all bubbles disappear, actually leave for as long as you can, soil will be saturated. The detergent acts like a soil wetting agent, use biodegradable of course. Also purchase some water crystals and mix in the soil, they absorb many times their own weight in water and help retain moisture. Good idea also to mix 50/50 the soil you have with new soil, if you cannot do all new soil.
It needs an absorbent material like spagnum moss.
I always use peat moss, even with good potting soil. In pots that have been used I always replace at least half of the soil with new and also add the peat moss. If the plant that was in it last year that had problems I replace all the soil and clean the pot. I have good luck with this system. I also add sustained release fertilizer when I am mixing the soil. If the soil is real dry I make sure to moisten the soil as I add it to the pot before putting in the plant so I don't have to worry about putting so much water in once the plant is in the pot.