Soil for high humidity environment?

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I live in a very high humidity environment - average humidity around 75-80% - and am struggling to get my outdoor plants watered properly. The soil just stays wet so long...

My indoor trees are fine (AC = drier air), but many of my outdoor trees are showing signs of over watering: black spots at the tips of leaves, which eventually shrivel. At first I thought it was a fungal infection in a single plant, and treated it as such. But other plants are showing this too, even though I treated them with antifungals (both copper spray and a soil drench).

My bald Cypress sappling is just about the only unaffected of the lot..

So, assuming that the soil just isn't drying out enough (even if watering 1 or 2 days apart, in temperatures that would make northerners think of summer), what can I do to address this?

What soil mixes do those in high humidity places use for their trees (fuyu persimmon, Acer rubrum, American redbud, and Ceiba speciosa in particular)? Bonus points for suggestions that won't break the bank!

Thanks in advance,

PA
 
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BrianBay9

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I live in a very high humidity environment - average humidity around 75-80% - and am struggling to get my outdoor plants watered properly. The soil just stays wet so long...

My indoor trees are fine (AC = drier air), but many of my outdoor trees are showing signs of over watering: black spots at the tips of leaves, which eventually shrivel. At first I thought it was a fungal infection in a single plant, and treated it as such. But other plants are showing this too, even though I treated them with antifungals (both copper spray and a soil drench).

My bald Cypress sappling is just about the only unaffected of the lot..

So, assuming that the soil just isn't drying out enough (even if watering 1 or 2 days apart, in temperatures that would make northerners think of summer), what can I do to address this?

What soil mixes do those in high humidity places use for their trees (fuyu persimmon, Acer rubrum, American redbud, and Ceiba speciosa in particular)? Bonus points for suggestions that won't break the bank!

Thanks in advance,

PA

I'm in the fog belt in coastal California. We don't stay as humid as you all the time, but when the fog rolls in we get "clouded"....goes from 60% humidity to 100% humidity. I have most of my things in 100% inorganic media - mostly pumice and lava rock. Lately I've just been using 100% pumice. I also keep most of my trees in development in pond baskets. You have to fertilize at least once a week, but I don't worry about over watering at all.
 
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I'm in the fog belt in coastal California. We don't stay as humid as you all the time, but when the fog rolls in we get "clouded"....goes from 60% humidity to 100% humidity. I have most of my things in 100% inorganic media - mostly pumice and lava rock. Lately I've just been using 100% pumice. I also keep most of my trees in development in pond baskets. You have to fertilize at least once a week, but I don't worry about over watering at all.

Cool, thank you for the reply! Pumice seems promising! And pond baskets too, aesthetics aside. Do you find that you have to line the sides and bottom with screen, or does it hold in the pumice and lava rock by itself?
 

BrianBay9

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Cool, thank you for the reply! Pumice seems promising! And pond baskets too, aesthetics aside. Do you find that you have to line the sides and bottom with screen, or does it hold in the pumice and lava rock by itself?

No lining required if you get the right pond baskets. Something like this:

1588772954637.png


I can find them at hydroponics stores near me for around a buck a piece.
 
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Good to know. Thanks again for your help and patience with my endless, noobish questions!
 

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Bald cypress can grow in swamps so they can tolerate a wetter soil.

I would use a inorganic mix as suggested so that it drains and does not hold water.
I am not as humid as you are but I use an inorganic mix and I water my trees every day in the heat of the summer.
I adjust that timing in the cooler seasons (spring and fall) so that the soil doesnt stay super wet.
 
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Bald cypress can grow in swamps so they can tolerate a wetter soil.

I would use a inorganic mix as suggested so that it drains and does not hold water.
I am not as humid as you are but I use an inorganic mix and I water my trees every day in the heat of the summer.
I adjust that timing in the cooler seasons (spring and fall) so that the soil doesnt stay super wet.
Yeah, the fact that the Bald Cypress is unaffected is part of what makes me think is an over-watering problem...

I have just ordered a cubic foot (~28 liters, ~7.5 gallons) of pumice from buildasoil.com, and will repot when it gets here. Here's hoping my plants survive 2 re-pottings in a season!
 
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