water polymers guerilla growers savior? (retaining moisture)

BACKCOUNTRY · Mar 28, 2007

Just so everyone knows, I have never premixed crystals with water before placing them in the holes, I never thought about the fact it may be necesary......but since I've been using them for quite a while with no problems, my 2c is that it is not essential.

Dignan · Mar 28, 2007

I would never presoak mine before hauling in and didn't mean to imply that.

And the "absorbing and overflowing" the rim warning was only for container grows really.

Rare Groove · Mar 29, 2007

I agree that no pre-soaking is necessary. I have however tried soaking some crystals in a nute solution before bringing them on site. The plots I put them in didn't end up any better or worse than the rest, so I definitely don't think that step is necessary.

Still curious about those Driwater gel blocks...

badmf · Mar 29, 2007

Best outcome is with mixing in a bucket on site. Blend evenly in soil in the areas "you" want, usually mids-bottom. Otherwise they are only in certain groups in the root area. I have seen dry polymer put into a hole and after planting, watering.... "push" the plant out of the hole completely! I know it will work both ways just offering another view. Dri-water is the same basic thing pre-mixed and packaged for household plants. I have forgotten how to "upload" pix ...lol it's been too long. I have some pix of it mixed, etc. Drop me a clue, thanks in advance!

BACKCOUNTRY · Mar 29, 2007

How about the flipside badmf? What happens when the pre-soaked crystals dry and shrink? You are left with empty spaces, which will colapse in and set you back to square one, just as if you didn't pre-mix.

I've never seen visable pushing up of the ground due to water crystals.

Dignan · Mar 29, 2007

I haven't seen it, either, BC... but the folks at the nursery warned me about it one day. They were specifically referring to plants in containers.

My personal opinion: if you're using such a large amount of polymers that it swell your soil visibly, you need to cut down on the amount.

One dry ounce of polymers will absorb 1.3-3 gallons of water. You wanna use them to get a plant through a possible dry spell, not to water your plants the entire season. Heh heh.

Dignan

BACKCOUNTRY · Mar 29, 2007

I personally wouldn't use them in small containers, and then only small ammounts in larger ones.

eugenegreen · Mar 29, 2007

BACKCOUNTRY said:
I personally wouldn't use them in small containers, and then only small ammounts in larger ones.

I concur with backcountry... They really aren't needed in containers...

badmf · Mar 30, 2007

Fellas who said containers? I am talking about the ground. And yes I do use an ample amount of polymer, works great. The polymer once mixed into the soil doesn't cause holes where it was although it does shrink some. I mix it thoughout the soil mix just like ferts. Don't get nervous about using it, I have accidently double filled and they loved the extra! I go by a little over 1/3rd mix total. I also recycle my "old" Oasis" cubes broken into bits and put into the mix.

New Grower · Mar 30, 2007

hi

I used "gardening" peat last year and the plants loved it! This product contains 95% peat +5% clay grist +the fertilizers (NPK 8-10-12) ..250 l peat compressed to "mini" size.

I'll use it this year again!

The herbs what I grew in peat has the same great taste than the soil grown budz!

Why says someone that this product is poisonous!?

oh: and naturally I should watered much rarely the peat grown plants than the soil grown ones. and grew much healthier!

so 110% benefit opposite the soil

Regards, NG

Dignan · Mar 30, 2007

eugenegreen said:
I concur with backcountry... They really aren't needed in containers...

I'm curious about how you guys arrived at that opinion.

I find them to be more useful in containers, actually. A hole in the ground can catch/store more rainwater than a 5-gallon container can. When I am forced on occasion to visit a site to water, I want that water to go as far as possible in serving the plants' needs.

This year I'm using 15- and 20-gallon tubs, but previously I've used 5-gals.

BACKCOUNTRY · Mar 31, 2007

eugenegreen said:
I concur with backcountry... They really aren't needed in containers...

This is actually what I said-

BACKCOUNTRY said:
I personally wouldn't use them in small containers, and then only small ammounts in larger ones.

I use alot of water crystals, as I stated earlier, like 3-5 times what the lable advises, but I grow in the ground. I would follow the directions for use in containers as directed.

Do you use more than the lable directions specify in your 5 gallon containers?

Guest · Mar 31, 2007

Dignan said:
I use them. My only reservation was that I'd heard they impart a plastic smell and taste to your buds. I noticed no such thing with my plants and have another friend who grew alongside me who reported the same.

Soak them before adding them to your pots, by the way, or they may push your soil right up out of the pots when they expand (depending on the volume of polymer crystals and the size of the pot, of course).

Polyacrylamides and other hydrogels don't get transported into your plant

Dignan · Mar 31, 2007

BACKCOUNTRY said:
This is actually what I said-

I use alot of water crystals, as I stated earlier, like 3-5 times what the lable advises, but I grow in the ground. I would follow the directions for use in containers as directed.

Ah, gotcha. My bad...

BACKCOUNTRY said:
Do you use more than the lable directions specify in your 5 gallon containers?

No, why? I've actually never had a problem with water crystals at all. I've never seen said "pushing up" phenomenon in my own experience.

I use about 1-2 teaspoons per 5-gallons soil. Each teaspoon of crystals will absorb about 1 cup of water, maximum, so my logic is that I'm allowing my plants up to 2 cups of reserve moisture should they need it.

Gelatinous- Greetings. We're all in agreement here so far about the plastic taste/smell thing. I think it was a guy named Breeder Steve several years ago who testified to the plastic taste online, and since he was fairly high-profile, I think his message spread far and wide. But I think the message was erroneous, as the experiences of many here will attest.

:joint:

Dig

BACKCOUNTRY · Mar 31, 2007

Dignan-I was just curious if you had experimented with using larger ammounts in a container, who knows, it may be a good thing. Again just curious

Dignan · Mar 31, 2007

I'd be curious too, primarily to see if the "pushing up" phenomenon has any validity.

One idea I've had (about containers or not)...
Polymers will absorb nutrients/fert solutions just like they will plain water/rainfall. It seems like if you visited your plants and gave them a strong feed when the crystals and the medium itself were relatively dry, the crystals and the medium would both absorb the nutrients/ferts... but the medium would release the nutrients much faster than the crystals, so then assuming regular waterings/rainfall after that point, every time the medium dried to the point where the moisture (nutrients/ferts) in the crystals was released, your plants would be fed a small amount. So it would be like a nice, organic time-release fert.

Might be useful for someone who grows in soilless media, peat or coir or something like that, perhaps on a patio or something. Or indoors, too, I suppose. :chin:

Not really applicable to me, because I don't give supplemental feeds during the season but prefer to pack it all into the soil in the form of organic amendments, but just an idea of how to take further advantage of the properties of polymer crystals.

DimeBag65 · Apr 2, 2007

for those of us who prefer not to dig large holes and mix in soil with the water polymers, how affective would digging or drilling around the plant and mixing almost straight water polymers into pockets for the roots to tap into be?

FlyinHawaiian- those driwater gels do look quite interesting might have to get some of those to try as well.

id prefer as little digging as possible and figured placing the polymers in pockets all around the plant as the roots tapped into those they could absorb all the moisture they would need.

any thought would be appreciated. Dime

Guest · Apr 2, 2007

dimebag only prob. i could see with that is roots hitting the waterpocket and rotting because of too much h2o and not enough oxygen. i'd mix it up as best as pssible whether doin it for the whole hole or doin it around the perimeter of the hole

badmf · Apr 3, 2007

Dime; I don't "like" diging either but I love egormous plants, so a sacrifice must be made or "You won't reap what you don't sow!" As I have mentioned "Driwater" is just polymer mixed and put into a tube. Only much more expensive than "you" putting it into a tube or... yourself. If you don't want to do much work, stick to containers, add soil, polymers, water thats it. But you are going to have to get out of your chair! lol
Gel; roots will not "rot" but be limited to only one or a few areas to seek h2o. The mix works better as you can add more and get better conservation.
Dig; if you only put a little bit in it won't "push" but if you max it then... I always advise maxing as why not? 1-2 teaspoons is way under what you want, premix it in a separate bucket and add 1/3rd or more but less than a half. If I can get my pix uploaded I'll show ya a 32 gallon can of mixed polymer, ready to go!

Dignan · Apr 3, 2007

Thanks, badmf. I'd love to see your photos.

I ran at that amount last year though and only had to water on two occasions, so I probably won't use any more crystals than I already do. But good to know it's an option if my locale/conditions change.

Dig

water polymers guerilla growers savior? (retaining moisture)

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