RE: watering question

I put the crystals in a gallon milk jug w/ the neck cut off and let them
hydrate in there and fluff up before mixing w/ the potting soil. Learned
that lesson the hard way - LOL



---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Donna " <justme@prairieinet.net>
Reply-To: gardenchat@hort.net
Date:  Tue, 26 Aug 2003 18:16:57 -0500

>Thanks Betsy! I could see my plants all over the ground and being in a
>thither over the mess :)
>
>I think I will try it next year. Even with all the rain we had here, the
>porch plants still need some additional water... cause I am too lazy to
>go out and move them when it rains... sometimes.
>
>Donna
>
>> 
>> 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.
>
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--
Pam Evans
Kemp TX/zone 8A



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