Gel?

[Elliesmummy]

i have seen some gel type stuff for holding water for plants,

does anyone know if this can be used for veg when you plant your seeds?

thanks

[sewer rat]

i have seen some gel type stuff for holding water for plants,

does anyone know if this can be used for veg when you plant your seeds?

thanks

If you sow your seeds in compost, either in cell trays or in pots, then there should be no need for the gel (swell-gel or similar I presume)
Fill your pots / trays / cell pax with your compost, place in a water tray and let the compost soak up water from underneath until the surface of the compost changes colour. Remove the chosen container from the water tray and sow your seeds. There should be no need for further watering at least until the seed has germinated. Then water from underneath again.
The gel to which you refer is generally designed to hold water in hanging baskets or pots through the summer months when plants are more mature and need a lot more water.

[BarleySugar]

The gel can be used for veg, the latest pack I bought suggested 1-2 scoops, (5-10g) could be put about 30cm down for each runner bean plant to help hold water. It also suggested using around tree and shrub roots.
I also use it for the veg I plant in containers, they suggest you only use it in the lower 2/3rds of the compost. In particular I am trying it out for my watercress, rather than standing in pots of water.
I was lucky, when I went to my local Notcutts they had 500g for £9.70ish, or 1kg for £9.32. I wondered if it was mispriced, but it went through OK. It should last me quite a while.

[Snadger]

I had problems using the gel with tomatoes one year. It kept the roots too wet when it was a cool start to the season and the roots rotted!

[snohare]

I tried putting carrot seeds into clear plastic tubs to see if they would still germinate this year, and so many germinated that I decided to plant them out in a proper tub with a (tiny) dab of gel to keep them going until they develop good roots . That was just last week though, so I don't know how well this will work. Some of the seeds in the gel did rot rather than germinate.
Don't use the same idea for beans though, they will simply rot ! (And give off an awful smell too, like something much much bigger died. )

[Victoria26]

Use it SPARINGLY!!! It goes a really long way! Its great but sometimes it can work a little too well and drown/ rot your plants.

[Alice]

Elliesmummy, if your planting seeds there should be no need for gel. Use compost which is nice and damp, NOT soaking wet, plant the seeds and put the seed tray / pot in a freezer bag and clip it closed. Wait until the seeds are germinated then remove from the poly bag. There is no need to water in that period as the compost surface will not dry out.
After that, if the tray looks dry before the seedlings are potted on, then do as Rat says. Stand the tray in a shallow tray of water til you see the damp appearing on the surface then lift and drain. No gel required.

[Two_Sheds]

I got some free gel one year, but didn't like it - gooey sticky oozy stuff like giant snail eggs.

For my hanging baskets I have nicked Christine's idea: shred up some old washing-up sponges and mix these into your compost. They hang onto a bit of water, but not so much that the roots rot.
Also, it's recycling something that would otherwise go to landfill.

[Elliesmummy]

Thanks everyone,
it's given me food for thought.

[la largartija]

I am going to have hanging baskets this year and I will try the shredded old sponge idea, but I can't help to wonder why are we as gardeners supporting something like gel. I would like to see improvements in gardening techniques, but I don't want to see gardening to become too expensive for for the average jane.