recommendations for irrigation

hey 👋 The problem must be due to the composition of your medium and its compaction after watering. You should be able to pour in 2 liters, or even a little more, without any retention on the surface. It's too late to change your medium, so here are a few tips to improve the one you're using, which I assume is potting soil: First, if you see a kind of crust on the surface, scrape it off and remove it: it prevents water and air from reaching your roots. Next, use a fork to gently rake the top few inches of soil. Avoid pulling up any roots that come to the surface, but don't worry if you pull up a few small ones. To aerate your substrate, press on the sides of your pot (if it's made of geotextile, this is very easy, but even plastic will do); you should see your substrate rise and crack in several places. Then, to prevent this from happening again: water gently, not 2 liters at once, turning your substrate all over. Avoid tap water if you can, as it is likely to be hard and will clog your soil again. Also consider adjusting the nutrients; if you are using minerals, switch to organic. And don't hesitate to repeat the above steps 😉