Watersorb: anyone want to try this along with me?

my Dad taught me that gardeing existed. homecut flowers are always, 'de rigeur'
thanks~
:D

There are still some chrystal packs left in the co-op so I ordered some too! I hope they work out well in my garden pots! If so, the MGs will certainly benefit! :-)

I just got my Picotee MGs seeds today so i am soaking seeds and crystyal for tomorrow AM's planting madness...or, if the seeds swell VERY fast, tonites. I got some georgeous JMGs and cannot wait, wheres Dr Who when I need him!? lol...

Hi Gourd!
I put 3 pots out with the Nils 'hige" seeds i got from Onalees~ @ have 2 pots with the crystal/ fertilizer (LIGHT amount) mix and one with out. they are getting sun most of the day, i expect seedlings in the next 7 dasy, i hope will keep you posted. Saw a Ruby throuated hummingbird when i went out to water this morning~Great start for an Easter, huh?
peas
:Darren

Wow that is great, I havn't put any in the MGs yet. Darren, I think that all if not, most fo the Higes are Ipomoea purpureas (heart shaped leaves) and the others are I. nils with different shaped leaves and some can have variegated leaves. Keep a look out for the shape of your leaves and that will tell you what it could be.

And there is no hurry, but it is exciting to know that yours are in... thank you for any information you provide. It will be interesting. If the sun is really strong there, it will fade the leaves and could burn them, so, you may have to move them to a dappled shade area. The only ones that did not burn for me in Moreno Valley were the purpureas, so you may not have that problem, they are tougher than the I. nils.


Hope you had a great Easter..

A.

Hope your Easter was a GOOD on e aswel~i am used to singed leaves after may, and wilt. Hope the Sorb-Crystals eliminater that problem to a degree~!!!
TheMG's are on evry side and several corners of my place so we will see, plus some noe (the Hige) are mobile...all will be well in TIME. hey, Do we have a forum for Patience???LOL

Just put more watersorb crystals (with 10/10/10 fert. added to h20) out in a container with some MG seeds, along w/ three of the same in a container with none of the additives.
:D

Looks like you're well on your way with the experiment Well, it was too windy out here today, it would have been good if I had those water crystals in the raised garden.. It just blows too much sand and dust to be out there.

Hope those crystals are working, it will be interesting when we are all done.
A.

I'm still waiting to receive my order of crystals. :-/

I think she's not feeling too well, let me know if I can send you some in the meantime to get started .. I don't mind.

YES, DEFINITELYseeing better results, in containers for certain!
cheers
:Darren

I received my order and am already using them for pots and also the ground. I am trying to soak them in fertilizer water to see if that doesn't really give a boost to the plants! Very cool! I just hope that they don't develope mildew. Anyone have any long term experience with these crystals?

There are some links in the co-op from 2007 or 06 where people have been using these for at least three years, so maybe they can give some input... I don't remember where they all post, but will look tonight. I've got to leave for now.

fernman,
that's good to hear, I'll be soaking buckets full come Monday, we are filling the raised beds with topsoil and compost this weekend and have hauled 3 tons of it, but only fill almost two of the beds..

Crafts and Decorating: Polymer neck bands for Staying COOL: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/478880/

Xeriscape Gardening: Watersorb Crystals: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/823950/

Xeriscape Gardening: How do you all start your seeds (Blanket flower, etc.)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/420338/

ummmm.... you have to figure out the rest!!

~* Robin ☺

Okay, I goofed. I added some of the soaked crystals (w/liquid fertilizer) into a planter pot and it rained last night. I looked this morning and the crystals had gotten even bigger and were literally bubbling out of the soil they are mixed with! Sheesh!

Does anyone have a photo of what the crystals look like when completely full of water?

They should look like big spoonfuls of jello.. be sure to soak them for several hours or all day. At least some, just so you can see if you have to add more water, I left those first ones soaking for two days, before I could think of where to put them. You may have used too much, a tiny bit goes a long way..

1 crystal after @ three hours = about a teaspoon (heaping), I think you can break them up and push them in the soil deeper I did and my MGs are still happy. Picture 7-up jello.
darren

One note of caution when using polymer crystals: They have a higher rate of absorption than the surrounding soil/growing media. As such, unless you are careful, they will actually draw water from the soil and hold it to the detriment of your plant's roots. Don't use too much, and be sure to keep your soil uniformly hydrated. Otherwise, the polymer will dominate the media for available supplies of water. The polymer will EXTEND the time needed between watering, and roots will grow through the granules, thus taking out available water, but the polymer is NOT A SUBSTITUTE for keeping your media uniformly moist. If you treat the polymer as a substitute for proper watering, you're heading for trouble.

This is great information illiniguy.. that is exactly what we need to know and hopefully we can figure out how to use these . Thank you, we were all wondering about that same exact thing.

Another drawback of using straight polymer is that you probably should hydrate it prior to mixing them in the soil, since they swell to such a degree. If you don't, and you add too much to the container, it'll look like Vesuvius when you add water. Pre-hydrating does make for a somewhat messy mixture, but it should be done. After mixing with your media, be sure to give the media a watering, as well. It settles the media and equalizes the moisture between it and the polymer.

I`m hoping I can water my 4 gallon pots every other day instead of every day in this one spot. Time will tell. I`m getting ready to pot some things later this week. Karen

Here in mid-Missouri, we can usually get by with watering our containers and baskets every 2-3 days in the worst part of the summer.

Hi Karen, the Crystals should definitely help withthat. I am using mine to help prevent my "mid afternoonn droop" from the warm ~ no, HOT ~ sun i have. The difference so far is amazing, i am only watering every 2-3 days, and we are inthe 80's mostly, 1 day of the 90s. the plants just keep getting bigger. :)
I think Gourd has done us all a big favor introducing this into the MG forum, myself for sure ~these little rocks "rock"
darren

Thanks darren,
Hopefully these will help and we can sit and have a beer..lol I never drank when I was young, so now I have some time..lol

Hear. hear! lol...or is that here here. whichever, more time to enJOY the garden as well as work in it is a worhwhile goal ...and the fruit of the labor meant to be enjoyed and shared...bringing next years plans to bare!
;D

So True!

Still at least another month until I cane get my seedlings outside.

Don't feel bad Eglantyne, I still have not used my crystals on the mgs either, maybe they can go outside this week. If I don't collapse first..lol carrying them all in-out-in-out

Gourd, How cold is it there?? i Cannot believe that they are not outside. I almost feel guilty! Egantyne, please send some cold here. My AC will have to be on soon, lol, and that means higher power bills and that means less money for Gardening!!!
:D

Most of my MG babies are doing good,lost a few but one has tiny buds.It is 'Chocolate'
Darren,I bet your electric bill can be beaten by our heating bill.Not good news at all this apst season.

Its not too cold, it fluctuates so much, that I can't leave them out at night, last week we had some nights in the 30's, some in the 40's and now they are starting to kind of in the 50's for this week, so I'm taking them all outside and transplanting a little at a time into bigger pots. Then on top of this, I am in some sort of wind tunnel that hits every other day almost till May.

Eglantyne, great job on those chocolates..

I hear that, Gourd, my YARD has microclimates!!!, Seriously~! I have aHoney suckele that's the same as the ones up front and it almost dies back in winter (like my Passifloras always do) while the front ones turn red.
This Morning i had a Great wake up call~ I took not ONE step outside (foot had not touched the steps) and the left side of my hair was buzzed by a hummingbird who, upon landing in my honeysuckle (what's left of it, lol) turned at me & chirped like WHO are YOU and what are YOU doing in MY yard. I did not need Coffee foir a while, i tell you!
We have the fifties at night too, but the days are unpredictable, and usually windy as well.
Eglantyne, I wanted to have a fete this month~! my power bill was under 130.00 for the first time in a year!!! I have been trying to use my houseplant lites less, it seems to help. A little :) Gas is another thing entirely, I have to admit i am lucky there, and would gladly send some warmth if i had "the power"...hang tight, girl!!!!
:D

Yes, the hummers will go right thru your hair too.. one let my mother pick it up three years ago.. and one flew right into the window and got knocked out... I thought it was dead, but when I went to pick it up, it got up and looked at me like "I'm outta here".. they too look inside the window when they are out of food, like trying to tell me "hey, where's our food?"

I took everything outside yesterday and got one of those Tents that have walls, I can roll up the walls and they zip.. so I don't have to worry about the plants so much..

A.

Good plan, Gourd~ that'll hold the heat in as its needed ~some of mine are vining up ten inches, some are still only first set of leaves, those are in containers mostly. Outside my kitchen window, I should have some vines visible hopefluly in a month or so. hopefully some pictures then as well~right now i have a ButterflyIris and Guaras that are showing off :)
talk soon~!!!!
:D

OOh, I bet the butterflies love the Guaras.. I have some Iris and this double poppy blooming, white ones too, I think I pulled out several thinking they were weeds, the leaves look a lot like a weed to me.

I took my largest MG outside ,put it into the shade but it didn't like it at all.The temp was 65 - 70 F.

Brought it in after 2 hours and it recovered overnight.
The leaves feel nice and fuzzy again.

You know I used some candles inside this tent with my mgs in it and the candles did keep them warm.. maybe you can take them out just a couple of hours at a time.

You're doing great..!!

OK, You two(Gourd, Eglantyne) will hate me but i have my first flower this morning. will post wit a photo asap....Careful w/ the candles. Is the Tent area inside? Is it safe from wind??? i Use constantly day and nite, (my other addiction is aromatherapy) wanna be sure youa re safe, but I'm sure you are no foll, anyhoo!!!
Cheers
:darren
fernman

Thanks darren, and congratulations on your flower... will be waiting for a photo.

I've got the candles inside these 12 inch high glass sconces that are working well with that, and didn't light them up last night. I think it will start to get warmer here.

You guys need to let me know if you all need any seeds for any reason. I have several of the I. purpureas and don't have as many I. nils, but I can send you all some, at least a good variety to practice with..lol they are more of the common ones, but if you give me some time, I can send them out next week..