Water retaining granules

[Snadger]

Ok, I know I am going to get some flak for this idea but I intend giving it a try next year anyway!

My carrots I am lifting are a good size but a lot of them have split/burst! I did water through the drought but I have very free draining soil at lottie and I think the reason the carrots split is through the heavy rain that followed the drought.

I am going to try marking the carrot rows out and cutting a slit, filling it with compost with water retaining granules added that you get for hanging baskets incorporated into the compost. They are a water retaining polymer which can hold umpteen times there own weight in water allowing the plant to take it as it needs it!

I am also going to either cover with fleece or the fine mesh stuff (which is quite expensive but can be re-used) to try and combat carrot fly which was also a nuisance this season
. My best carrots this year are from a couple of rows I sowed late(after the drought) and covered with fleece

I am determined to grow clean, usable carrots thats all!

[Lesley Jay]

All that rain after the draught would cause your carrots to split. Are these water retaining granuals food safe?

[Shortie]

That's the stuff that when it rains tonnes, raises to the soil surface isn't it...?

I have two now flowerless pots in my front garden and when it rains hevily, it looks like some kind of really HUGE snails eggs or something. Eugh

[pickledtink]

Doesn't the whole square foot gardening premise involve making a third of your soil mix this stuff. Vermiculite isn't it? Or is this something different? The stuff he suggests must be OK for veg I guess. Just went and had a look. Here's the mix
1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.

I dunno if I could afford that combination but next year I'm definitely going to fork some of the latter two in with my compost and see how it helps retain the moisture. After an arrid Summer like we just had I need to do something.

[Snadger]

If you put a level teaspoon of the granules into a pint glass and fill it up with water it will absorb it all! Its like a jelly which allows the plant to take water from it but as you say as soon as it gets wet again it fills up with water.
As far as I know it is non toxic and is bio-degradeable!

If it is well mixed with compost it wont be so prominent!

Mixed with hanging basket compost, the council use it so they don't have to pay a man to water every day!

[Snadger]

Doesn't the whole square foot gardening premise involve making a third of your soil mix this stuff. Vermiculite isn't it? Or is this something different? The stuff he suggests must be OK for veg I guess. Just went and had a look. Here's the mix
1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.

I dunno if I could afford that combination but next year I'm definitely going to fork some of the latter two in with my compost and see how it helps retain the moisture. After an arrid Summer like we just had I need to do something.

No, its not vermiculite which as far as I know is a volcanic substance. It holds much more water than vermiculite or pearlite and is a polymer!

[pickledtink]

Oh right. What's it called then? Is it very expensive?

[Snadger]

Oh right. What's it called then? Is it very expensive?

I was watching some on ebay:-


Phostrogen Swellgel Water Storing Crystals 250g

For use in pots, baskets and containers - Reduces watering

Crystals swell to absorb 400 times their own weight in water . Throughout the season Sellgel absorbs and releases water many times

Crystals swell to absorb 400 times their own weight in water . Water is absorbed and released throughout the season as plants need it . Works all season

250g Carton

These sold for approx £3.00 inc P&P

There are other makers as well though!

[pickledtink]

400 times!
Well even a few packs would go a long way then.
Thanks. I'll maybe try this in one bed to see how it goes.

[Snadger]

400 times!
Well even a few packs would go a long way then.
Thanks. I'll maybe try this in one bed to see how it goes.

Just found an active listing:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WATER-STORING-...QQcmdZViewItem

[nick the grief]

the danger is it can hold that water in the winter when we get more rain & things aren't growing well so it could cause you problems.

Still, it's worth a try.

[Snadger]

the danger is it can hold that water in the winter when we get more rain & things aren't growing well so it could cause you problems.

Still, it's worth a try.

Could always grow rice through the winter!

[jlottie]

Hi Snadger

how deep are you going to put your granules? The reason I am asking is because carrots and other root veg put down a tap root to gain the moisture needed. My concern would be that they may be odd shaped or not grow as expected if the roots met the water retaining granules too soon. I will be very interested to find out how you get on though

I used a reservoir with water granules (a smaller pot in a plastic bag) in large pots for my tumbler tomatoes this year and it certainly helped with the watering.

jl

[Snadger]

Hi Snadger

how deep are you going to put your granules? The reason I am asking is because carrots and other root veg put down a tap root to gain the moisture needed. My concern would be that they may be odd shaped or not grow as expected if the roots met the water retaining granules too soon. I will be very interested to find out how you get on though

I used a reservoir with water granules (a smaller pot in a plastic bag) in large pots for my tumbler tomatoes this year and it certainly helped with the watering.

jl

If I open up a slit one spade deep and fill this with the compost mix (granules included) I would hope that by the time the roots had got to the bottom there would be residual ground water they could tap into...only a theory because I haven't tried it yet but any advice is appreciated!

I don't understand what you mean by 'if they met the water retaining granules too soon', surely they would take as much water as they needed and carry on heading down through the granule? The granules are the size of sugar granules when dry but I may even try grinding them down a bit when dry to make them spread out more in the compost?

Like the advert used to say 'Finer grains make finer flour' and hopefully finer carrots!

Everything is just at the design stage at present!

[eddie]

hi snadger used water granules in greenhouse this year seemed to do a good job i grow loads of stuff in containers granules reduced watering by about a third got really good results this year .never used it on open ground tho leave that to the elements except when windy which really dries the ground out can,t see the point of paying to use willy nilly when hosepipe will do the job