Hi: Curry leaf trees like sandy soil, like citrus or cactus mix, and they do like it dry in the winter but not desert-like. My plant was inside in direct sun all winter (I live in FL and used the native soil BIG difference from potting soil, potting soil almost killed it!) I watered only when the top soil was dry, every 3 days or so. When I had to leave on vacation, I filled a couple of 2 liter soda bottles and stuck them neck down into the soil, and it percolated as the plant needed it. My pot was about 8 gals at the time. I'm not sure if the diaper thing is such a good idea because if it keeps the soil damp, you could get root rot. Better to use the gel for water loving tropicals IMHO.