On 29/01/2012 01:15, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:

As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

Gel crystals have their place, but as with all things it is a bit of a
tradeoff. You could, for example, use gel crystals alone without soil -
they are just soaked in a nutrient-containing solution (I suppose you
could call it "jelly hydroponics"!), and the plant grows in that. The
main problem with that is one of stability - it's not called a gel for
nothing! Then, of course, as the plant absorbs water the gel medium
shrinks, exacerbating the stability problem.

As for lasting 2 months, I doubt it with any non-succulent plant. But
it all depends on how big the plant is and what its water requirement is.

It may be best to consider a hybrid solution to your problem, using a
watering system and gel crystals in the soil. Why? The gel will act as
a backup if the watering system fails for any reason. Usually, it's
forgetting to put new batteries in the controller, but sometimes the
electronics fail or the valve gets stuck.

Depending on where you are in Italy, you might like to consider one or
two succulent plants (cacti, agaves, aloes, crassula, kalanchoe, etc)
for the balcony as a sort of backup if anything happens to the plants
which aren't drought-resistant.

--

Jeff