Digahole - A Division of the Resource Management Group, Inc.

P Allen Smith
http://www.pallensmith.com

Daily gardening tips
USING WATER RETENTATIVE POLYMERS

One of the most frustrating things for me about gardening in containers is that my plants dry out so quickly. Oh I can start out with a large container like this and that certainly helps, but when the summer heat rolls in and I put my containers out in full sun it seems like it is a constant battle just keeping the plants alive.

One of the ways that I've found to help keep the soil moist in my containers is to use these little granules. These are water retentive polymers. You see when they are dry they look like old fashioned ice cream salt but when they are wet they become soft, full of water and gelatinous. These granules have already expanded over 10 times their original size because they are holding the moisture.

They are great for plants that are confined to containers because as the plants need moisture they can draw from the water that is held in the granules. It acts like a water storage system.

These polymers are easy to use and little goes a long way. Just look how well all these annuals are doing in this container. You see I only use 2 tablespoons of polymer in a container this size. Another advantage is that I don't have to fertilize these plants as often because I won't flush all of the nutrients out of the soil by watering everyday.

I've even seen these polymers used in the planting of young trees by sprinkling some in the hole before planting. This is particularly helpful when it is difficult to water them.

Now if you're tired of seeing your flower pots dry out, you might try some of these water retentive polymers. They can make your life much easier.

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