Polymer Comments

Lu,

Thank you for sharing George's tips with us!

Tri-State Hosta Society had a very dynamic speaker, Kent Russell,  at our
fall meeting who is known in the Philadelphia/Bucks County, PA area for his
beautiful window box/container/small display areas for businesses.

When using polymers in pots and containers he found them useful due to the
constant care and watering that containers require but cautioned that when
using them, be aware that they swell the potting medium used and as they dry
out they shrink and can shrink away for the container leaving large gaps.  
This can then lead to water pouring out of them from around these gaps and
out the drainage holes in the bottom when they are watered.

Kent mentioned that while he finds the polymers a great addition to the soil
mixture used in container gardening, he uses them in moderation to avoid the
expansion/shrinkage situation.

One other tidbit I recall from visiting Kuk's Forest and chatting with Bob
about using polymers, was that he hydrates the granules with a fertilizer
mixture, like Miracle Grow or Peter's, and found this practice worked like a
kind of time release for the fertilizer.

Like most things I want to try 'some day', I haven't gotten around to trying  
any of this personally. With the water table up here in the Northeast so far
this Spring, this probably won't be the year I get around to it either!

Happy Spring!
Carol in CT z6/5
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