Commercial Grade Super Absorbent Polymer Potassium Based Water Crystal (1 Pound)

I’ve been using this stuff since the 80’s, it really makes a difference and significantly reduces the amount of watering required. A little goes a long way so don’t overdo it. I typically will hydrate it first and mix it into the potting soil when planting in pots/containers. In sandy soil it may over time (years) work it’s way to the surface as it continually expands and shrinks. It worked great for roses when I lived near enough to the ocean to be growing in what may as well have been beach sand, no matter how much organic material I added.

In the past I've gotten water crystals for potted plants but now am using it in the garden. As I am now gardening in the woods with soil that is well-draining to the point where a full planting hole full of water is empty after 10 mins or less, I really needed something above and beyond compost and peat moss to retain moisture - most shade-loving plants like moist soil - so I've been using water crystals to help with that. These are quite different from the previous ones in that the crystals are much bigger so far fewer are needed per planting hole. What I particularly like about these is that they are potassium-based so will add that to the soil as they break down. This is a newly created garden so all the plants are going in this year, 2021 so I suppose I'll need to come back in three years or so to say how it has gone. But I expect these water crystals are going to help give the plants a good start in life without me standing over them with a hose all day. Good idea to take a few crystals and soak in water beforehand to get an idea of how much they expand so you can see how few you need per plant.

1) Holds lots of moisture.2) Work as described. It becomes a water source that helps the plant get through dry periods between rain.3) Woul definately buy again. But my garden is small and the polymer balls last a long time. It may be years before I need to buy more.I mixed it in with potting soil.The beads looked sooooo small so... I added some extra. Ok, a lot extra.First time it rained, my container overflowed. It was like the dirt was pushed up from the bottom of the planted. This was a 24" container filled to 4" below the rim. Now theres a big mound of dirt thats 6" over the top of the container and a lot of dirt overflowing the container.So...The beads asorb a LOT of water. I changed how I use them as follows:Put a tiny amount in a big jar, add water, wait a few hours. Put them in a collander to drain overnight. When transplanting, put these in a ring around the base of the plant. I put the balls in a 2" radius from the center of the plant about 6" deep.When the soil is "dry," the plant sits in a soil depression because the polymer balls shrink from losing water to keep the soil moist. Easy indication to water the plant. Great stuff.

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Used it our raised flowere beds. Had planted veggies and a few flowers. Gone on vacation for 10 days. Held enough water that the plants were fine even in hot weather. Also used in flower pots on porch and the flowers were fine.

This super absorber is the same used in diapers and any absorbent sanitary pad (neutralized cross-linked poly acrylic acid). Be sure to spread it evenly and use a back scratcher to work it below the surface in potted plants.

Living in the desert, these are essential to help my plants! Since these hold more water, I don't need to use as much. This is going to be on my reorder list! I just cannot say enough good things about these water crystals!!

In a hot climate with sandy soils that do not hold nutrients or irrigation water for plant usage, I've been using a range of expanding soil crystals products in my zone 10 garden for the past 5 years. When I saw this one, I was ecstatic as it looked healthier for edibles (potassium based) than the other types of "soil moist" crystals.But as others have commented, having used this one, this product does not last as long as the other brands/versions. When I have created a bucket of crystals (some crystal powder + water) in anticipation of a garden planting day, initially the crystals are well-formed and quite large. But if I do not use them up in that one day & let them sit in the bucket until I'm next able to plant, unlike the other types of products, these seem to lose their crystals and return to being simply water.Manufacturer needs to supply better, trustworthy info about how long they last in gardens: "up to 7 years" means anything from 1 week to 7 yrs. Not good enough when planting shrubs or trees, and seeking a long lasting crystal to help these plants over the hot summers.