Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Victoria Clare contains these
words:
Dave Poole wrote in
:

The crystals will not be crystals after the first growing
season and in any case and will degrade as time goes on.



Actually I cleared out mine a couple of months ago and found that
they were nice firm clean jelly chunks, wobbly yet not sticky to
the
touch. As they mostly seemed to be in excellent nick, I grabbed
handfuls and shoved them in with the fresh compost, and so far my
baskets are flourishing (though I've only just put them out of the
greenhouse, so fingers crossed.

However, I'm sure that the crystals I used the year before last
just
became greenish runny sludge and had to be chucked - it probably
depends on the exact makeup of the crystals you are using.

These gel 'crystals' are expensive.

Find a delicatessen which receives chilled (not frozen) products.
The
gel is packed into pods like large strips of bubble-wrap, and
frozen,
then used to keep the contents of the boxes cool in transit. They
are
usually thrown away.

That's a brilliant suggestion! Tell me, is it the same stuff as the
silica gel used to keep water out of cameras and things in transit,
and for drying the inside of your gumboots? (Fly-fishers should take
note, too.)

--
Mike.