| Author | Content |
darius
So.Appalachian Mtns, VA
(Zone 5b)
May 08, 2008
02:51 AM Post #4922725
| Jill, Thanks for the article. I knew about Watersorb crystals... even bought some from a co-op here a while back. But they got packed away in a move and totally forgotten... until now. I can see what a boon they can be for uses other than just potted plants that dry out rapidly, especially when used for shipping plants, and transplanting seedlings. |
bluekat76
Ijamsville, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 08, 2008
04:43 AM Post #4922774
| Another great article Jill! I remember laughing so hard when I say my gardens with "jello" on top. Didn't hurt anything that year it just looked funny for a little while. I love the crystals in my containers though. I got them from the co-op too Darius.
-Kim |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 08, 2008
06:57 AM Post #4922887
| :-)
I just think they're a wonder. It's amazing to me that the rounded teaspoon of crystals in the photo at the top expanded to hold two and a half cups of water!
I ordered 50 pounds last year and split them with a friend, so I didn't need the co-op this year, either. LOL |
cathy4
St. Louis County, MO
(Zone 5a)
May 08, 2008
09:28 AM Post #4923358
| Here's another happy user. We had little rain last summer, but my potted plants did great. They are in the veggie garden this year and I'll be working them in around established plants when possible.
I used them on the garden at church that gets once a week watering, never more, and it looked great all summer. |
tcs1366
Itasca,IL&Lk Delton, WI
(Zone 5a)
May 08, 2008
12:02 PM Post #4924081
| Great article Jill.
funny thing... last year some spilled on my patio and after every rain, even this morning... i see this lil [sometimes BIG] mound of jello that has been pushed towards the foundation ... I pick some up, but obviously miss some, as the mount of jello is still there.
great stuff by the way... and love the idea of using it to ship plant, to keep the roots damp. |
cathy4
St. Louis County, MO
(Zone 5a)
May 08, 2008
12:13 PM Post #4924118
| If you have extra, they are used in Neck Coolers. Here is a link to the super simple directions: http://www.operationhomefront.org/Community/community_help_s...
Keep a few for youself and if you like, send some to the troops.
If you spill them on the floor in the kitchen, use the vacuum to pick them up, not the mop, lol. I learned this the hard way...
|
tcs1366
Itasca,IL&Lk Delton, WI
(Zone 5a)
May 08, 2008
12:18 PM Post #4924143
| >>not the mop, lol. I learned this the hard way..
ROFL -- i bet!!
I've seen those "Neck Ties" -- great idea, and a great cause too.
I've also seen the crystals used in dog beds to help keep the pooch cool on hot days. |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 08, 2008
12:56 PM Post #4924282
| Yes, the cool ties are great!
Bluekat, thanks again for letting me use the garden photos! :-) |
cathy4
St. Louis County, MO
(Zone 5a)
May 08, 2008
01:02 PM Post #4924307
| So all I have to do is dig the sewing machine out of the "office" and I can use up some of the 3 pounds I bought, waaaaay to much for my garden, what was I thinking? |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 08, 2008
07:14 PM Post #4925655
| You were thinking, "I won't need to buy these again for a couple of years."
:-) |
carrielamont
Milton, MA
(Zone 6a)
May 08, 2008
08:56 PM Post #4926163
| So what are X and Y that they break down into? Can I grind them in a blender (don't drink coffee at home)? I think I'm a convert. Thanks Jill, for a clear, informative article. |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 08, 2008
11:17 PM Post #4927044
| Yikes! Carrie, thank you. I'm not sure how that happened... "X and Y" were placeholders I was using in an earlier version of the article while I double checked what the websites said about the breakdown products (nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water)... somehow, that phrase got back into the text! I've corrected it. Thanks for spotting the problem!
I haven't tried using a blender to do the grinding, but I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work as long as you could get every bit of it rinsed out afterward (a blender, unlike a coffee grinder, is used wet... so any leftover powdered crystal would hydrate and maybe gummy things up). |
carrielamont
Milton, MA
(Zone 6a)
May 09, 2008
09:49 AM Post #4928203
| Oh, I thought it was part of the text! Seriously!
I think I get what you say about blenders - it's hard to understand how incredibly absorbent these little innocuous-looking moisture guys are. But imagine mixing some into your smoothie! |
cathy4
St. Louis County, MO
(Zone 5a)
May 09, 2008
09:52 AM Post #4928212
| NEW Weight Loss Discovery! 1/4 teaspoon and you are full all day. I'm kidding, do not eat these. |
carrielamont
Milton, MA
(Zone 6a)
May 09, 2008
10:27 AM Post #4928373
| Accidentally mixing some into your smoothie; having some end up in your smoothie by some horrible mistake. I was not clear enough for some, Cathy! (smirk.)  |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 09, 2008
11:05 AM Post #4928543
| You also really, really don't want to breathe this stuff into your lungs... that's probably a warning I should add when talking about the powdered polymer. |
carrielamont
Milton, MA
(Zone 6a)
May 09, 2008
12:42 PM Post #4928978
| Certainly no laughing matter. |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 09, 2008
01:17 PM Post #4929186
| For sure. I've added a comment about it to the article.
Thanks, everybody, for your input! I really love the interactive format of online publishing.
:-) |
crimsontsavo
Crossville, TN
(Zone 7a)
May 09, 2008
01:42 PM Post #4929269
| I must have this stuff.
I was using diaper guts from (clean) diapers boo was too big for, for my bonsai.
I wonder if walmart or lowes carries these. Hmm. |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 09, 2008
01:51 PM Post #4929293
| The stuff in diapers will work in a pinch (you can use clean diapers to line hanging baskets, too), but it breaks down quicker, so I think it's really only good for single season use. Lowe's should have the crystals, probably as "Soil Moist," but ordering from Watersorb.com is a lot more cost effective. |
crimsontsavo
Crossville, TN
(Zone 7a)
May 09, 2008
02:48 PM Post #4929528
| Ill check their website. Thanks!!! |
gardenwife
Newark, OH
(Zone 5b)
May 14, 2008
01:58 AM Post #4948825
| Great article, Jill -- thanks for posting about it. I found the co-op thread from 2007, albeit a little late, and then found this article.
This year, I'm doing more containers and I want to use WaterSorb in them and in the planting holes of the annuals I'm putting in the ground. They seem to have good prices for the amount you get. Like you say, they go a long way.
Have any of you used straight hydrated crystals for rooting cuttings? I read at one manufacturer's site that you can use them for that purpose. It sure would make it easier to monitor the root development! LOL |
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
May 14, 2008
07:44 AM Post #4949163
| I haven't done that yet but have heard about it.. I think there's even somebody marketing a combo with crystals and rooting hormone. |
gardenwife
Newark, OH
(Zone 5b)
May 14, 2008
11:03 AM Post #4949950
| Well, hey, I have Rootone and I'll give it a whirl. I have some fuchsia and impatiens I want to root, so they'll be my test subjects. |
