Re: watering questio

Donna,
    The Soil Moist crystals that I use recommend a teaspoon for every 8" of
pot. I always hydrate them before I incorporate them into the soil. Some
packages do not say to do that though.
    When I worked for a garden center in TErre Haute Indiana, our company
got the flower box contract for downtown. A few days after the flowers were
planted I was walking by one of the planters and saw what looked like Ice
next to the flowers. (I was standing in front of a local bar) It turned out
that the guys had not hydrated the hydro crystals before planting and when
they did get water the crystals swelled and blew the flowers out of the
ground. What a mess!!!
    Also, this past spring, Colorado State University was running a
comparison study of straight potting soil(several brands were compared) with
soil amended with the hydro crystals. They read the package where it does
not recommend hydration first. After watering, the plants were nearly pushed
out of the pots if they were in the stiff plastic #1 containers OR the pots
bulged out if the pots were soft plastic #1. It was a mess.
    So beware!! At least with the initial mixing. I find the cryatals very
helpful since I work 10-12 hour days during the busy gardening season. They
often hold the plants for several days easrly on in the season. I have a
friend who does not have good luck with them though. I thnik she waters on
her schedule rather than the plants schedule though.

betsy
evergreen co
z4 50S this morning.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna " <justme@prairieinet.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 8:23 PM
Subject: RE: [CHAT] watering questio


> Not Auralie, but what ratio do you use Godi? My instructions are to put
> them in this plastic container that feeds the water into the soil, not
> add it to the soil. Might work better that way, and I still have them
> somewhere...
>
> And for those curious, the rain did not come here, but it was 96 degrees
> with a who knows how high heat index with the humidity... a temperature
> record high here today... no I am not happy. May have to water soon....
>
> Donna
>
>
> > Auralie,
> > Those hydro-crystals work well for me in pots. You have to be careful
> not
> > to
> > use too many, they expand tremendously. Follow instructions on the
> > container.
> > Once they absorb water they turn into jello-like pieces and keep
> moisture
> > in
> > the soil. I think they cut my watering in half.
> > Godi zone 7
> > Mt. Vernon VA
>
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