On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 21:49:31 -0400, Pelvis Popcan
wrote:

I've done some searches on the web for polymer gel crystals - you
know, those crystals that you can either buy separately or by as a
"moisture control" or "smart soil" premix, that are supposed to absorb
100-1000 times their weight in water and make more water and nutrients
available to roots.

They sure are fun to watch. :-) I think the main (non-chemical
science) problems are that they don't make watering unnecessary, just
less frequent and they're kind of expensive for large-scale
application. I got some years ago, and now, reminded, might add to
selected new pottings to assess more carefully. But you still have to
remember to water things from time to time. It's a little like (in my
mind) fast-rise yeast. All my old recipes (and plant care experiences)
are with non-improved systems that I understand. However, I might just
re-pot a plant I keep neglecting to water regularly with added
cyrstals. That poor sucker can use any help it can get.