have you tried them? are they as good as they sound? any problems using them in potted tomato plants?
water retaining crystals
yes, I use them and they do help provide moisture to the roots. Be sure to add water to the crystals in a separate container BEFORE adding to the soil, otherwise you'll have them erupting to the top like a volcano. Have never used in potted tomatoes.
oh--thanks for the advice! do you use them in containers only? i was thinking that it is dry in texas in the summer and i have some elephant ears that are doing so well now with the constant rain but when it stops maybe the crystals would be good--only they are already planted so would i have to dig around them to add crystals or is it too late for that
plano - I used them last year in the ground for items like EE, Canna , Roses etc - my biggest mistake was putting them to close to the top of the topsoil...I have now learned to moisten prior to using and then to add them to the dirt at the bottom of the hole I am digging....
Heya--I garden in GA, so I understand the heat and dryness issue you have in Texas! And I use water retention crystals outside in the garden and in all my containers, indoors and out. It makes a big difference!
They should go in the soil at root level to avoid the eruption issue, and use them sparingly. In containers, it should reduce your watering needs to once a week.
If you want to add them to something that is already planted--be it in the garden or in a container--poke a hole about six inches deep, and drop in three crystals (you don't have to pre-soak them) then fill the hole back up. To give you an idea of how many holes to poke into a container, my lemon tree is in a 16 inch container and I poked four holes to add crystals, an inch or so in from the edge of the container.
In your garden, if you mulch and topdress or compost in the fall, that's a good time to add crystals. And them to the compost when you cover your garden beds, then put the mulch on top, and the crystals have the whole winter to work themselves down into the soil. You'll need to add more every couple of years; the crystals generally last about two years before disintegrating.
I just read an article about some recent research about this. The upshot is that they don't help, and that has been my experience too, so I'm not going to waste money on them anymore.
I've used the crystals when shipping. I use just a 1/4 tsp. wet with a little bit of dirt and there's no worries about too much or too little water.
that is an excellent idea!!
Ditto...
I've used hydration crystals (in my potted plants) for years in my hot spot areas...and for me...THEY WORK!
This message was edited May 28, 2009 9:49 PM
Great idea! Now I don't have to throw them out.
I especially find them useful in my baskets hung on the deck - you know the long trough style ones? I saw a marked difference using them last year for the first time...and with the coop prices on Daves I was able to buy a gallon bag full and I still have 1/2 the bag left this year to still use...
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that while hydrogels help extend the time needed for watering your plants, they compete with your growing media for moisture, and unless you keep your media properly hydrated, you're going to have bigger problems. Don't use them as a panacea for no watering; healthy growing media, properly hydrated, is just as important for your plants' health.
what does that mean-competes for moisture? i mean i know what competes for moisture means but ------is it that if you don't water often enough they will hold onto the little moisture that is left but make the plant unable to access it?
No, the plant's roots grow through the polymer granules and extract moisture, so your plants benefit. However, the polymer has much greater absorptive qualities than your media. Therefore, it will absorb water to its point of saturation before the media is "allowed" to have its share. Having absorbed to capacity, the polymer is very reluctant to give water back to the media. You could end up with the ironic circumstance of the polymer absorbing to its full capacity while the media dries up completely. That may be overstating the case somewhat, but I've seen it happen. Polymer granules are well suited to providing moisture to plant roots, but your media needs hydration on a regular basis, and that hydration does not come from the polymer. I'm not saying not to use them, but be judicious in your watering. I use the polymer as a highly efficient delivery system for nutrient, and treat the water retention qualities as a "Lucky Strike Extra".
Fertisorb, you are completely correct with your observation that the crystals compete with the growing medium for moisture. Planolinda, a good solution is to have a watering schedule. For example, in my pre-crystal days I watered twice a week indoors, and up to every day in full summer (ie, July, August). Since adding the crystals, I water once a week indoors with smaller plants, once every 10 days with larger ones, and currently, since summer is only beginning--have you had the insane rain that we've had?--only once a week outdoors. I expect that to increase to twice in full summer, though. But pick a day, and for myself I chose Sunday, to be your watering day. If it hasn't rained during the previous week, water on your watering day.
was asn avid believer in these crystals until last nite.
Had installed several perennials - with the crystals) around my mailbox the nite before and found them to look soo very bad the next day.
used mg garden soil too.
I dug them up and was horrified how dry everything was.
had some coir I had just hydrated and re-planted with 5 gallons of fresh coir.
LookingGood now.
so maybe i should consider using the crystals with the coir . . .
This message was edited Jun 3, 2009 11:18 AM
Coir has pretty good absorptive qualities on its own. Be sure the plants you grow in it with the polymer like a lot of moisture.
I like to soak my crystals BEFORE I add them, so everything starts out with enuff water to get by the first 24 house... and the crystals don't soak up the water before the roots even get a drink.