StrawberryPie auto from Fastbuds

I (pre-moistened) worked in 2.5 gallons of de-chlorinated tap water, with my fingers into this high-porosity soilless growing medium. This variant is very dry, and seems to reject water, until moistened(3cu ft compressed, Agro a5-hp from local nursery). Even after the 2.5 gallons of water was worked in (with no runoff), there was still a dry patch at the bottom of the pot.. I figured it would start to absorb from the wet medium on top, over time. It is now Day 10, and the moistened medium never needed to be watered since day 1. The medium is almost dry enough to be watered (see final picture). Maybe one or two more days. I will poke/scratch the soil daily, to ensure that I wait long enough, to not over-water.