How long are the water retention crystals for hanging baskets etc.
effective? If I use the same compost next year will the crystals need
replacing?
TIA

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.

I do have a couple of baskets that have really just had a top dressing and
a little extra compost for the last 3 years now and still look great, but
those are full of convolvulus sabatius - I think they can cope with fairly
poor soil, and as they are perennial for me anyway, I don't really want
them getting any bigger than they are at the moment!

I agree putting new plants into stale old compost is unlikely to work.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

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.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

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.

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

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.)

No. Silica gel remains solid even when it has absorbed its full
complement of water.

This stuff dries down to a fraction of its size if you leave it out,
then when you add water it swells to clear jelly - about the consistency
of Chivtree's jelly cubes.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/