After reading about "rechargeable solid water" on Scarecrows Garden I thought I would have a look for it at my local garden centre. They sell a similar product called Solid Water Pouch, but at $5.50 for one pouch I thought that was a bit steep, especially when you can get 200g of the crystals for about the same price. So I bought the jar of crystals and will use this in my pot plants because I feel like I am fighting a losing battle trying to keep them alive, even with pots sitting in icecream containers trying to prolong the watering time.
I'm planning to re-pot my poor lemonade tree for over summer, (because I left it too long to decide on a spot to put it, so it will go into the ground after summer) and I will definitely be including these crystals into that potting mix.
About 6 teaspoons of crystals expanded to fill a 4L ice cream container.
I'm planning to re-pot my poor lemonade tree for over summer, (because I left it too long to decide on a spot to put it, so it will go into the ground after summer) and I will definitely be including these crystals into that potting mix.
About 6 teaspoons of crystals expanded to fill a 4L ice cream container.
10 comments:
if you don't mind me asking, what brand of water crystals are they?? I'm interested in buying some too after reading Scarecrow's post last week but am not sure what kind/brand to get....
Hi Ali, They are Richgrow, ezi-wet water storing crystals, includes grocote controlled release fertiliser, 200g.
They did have yates ones there as well but they were almost $10 and it was only 50g bigger. I did see bigger bags of what I thought were crystals (10kg bags for around $25, bargain) but one of the bags had a hole in it and it was more like kitty litter, still absorbent but not the crystals, so make sure it says crystals on the pack if that is what you are after.
thanks for that info :)
Hi,
I'm assuming you're on tank water? How are you coping with the lack of rain? We're finding it hard, because we're rationing ourselves in preparation for going onto tanks (getting used to it), and I'm wodnering how you're coping.
Daharja, no we are on mains water, I have a 5400L rainwater tank that I bought recently but it is still waiting to be connected to the gutters on the shed (must get around to that soon). Our water restrictions say that we are only allowed to water buy hand-held hose Saturday morning or Sat evening which usually get missed due to sleeping in or going out.
Since I pay for all my water I try to be a bit frugal with it. In the garden even though I am on half an acre, I have limited my veggie garden to a relatively small area (near a tap) and most of my pot plants are all in the same spot, to help with watering by hand.
I have also put a tub in the kitchen sink to catch all the water that gets used for rinsing dishes and hands, which then gets put onto the garden each day.
Oh, I figured you were on tanks as the photos you showed looked like you're in a country area.
Our plans are to go 100% tank water, hence the learning to cope on minimal water in preparation.
The crystals looked amazed, BTW - I saw them for sale at the sustainability expo here in Melbourne, but they *were* expensive, you're right. But perfect for house plants or similar if you went away on holidays.
BTW, we're on stage 3a restrictions at the moment - not fun. People seem to think that it's a temporary measure, but when I did the garden over for selling our house, we put in all drought tolerant natives and couch grass.
Ironically, since then we've had a flood of rain and everything is growing like crazy!
Climate change sure is freaking me out.
We are on level 3 water restrictions at the moment, I am in the process of getting more water tanks and having at least the garden run entirely on rainwater, but seeing there were no tanks when I bought the house and it is my first house (got to love those mortgage repayments) things have moved a bit slower than I had planned.
Any permanent "garden" plants I put in are either fruit trees or water wise plants. My front yard is mostly frangipanies and agapanthus and even they are struggling
For your consideration, David Murray, author of Successful Organic Gardening warns against the use of them. He states - "Water crystals are not crystals at all but fragments of desiccated polyacrylamide gel, with an unknown content of carcinogenic acrylamide monomer." He suggests alternatives of rice husks or vermiculite.
That is versatile stuff! I have seen those crystals sown into a cloth sausage shape. You soak them in water and wrap them round the back of your neck and the evaporation keeps you cool in hot Summers.
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