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water Dry Water-like Properties

Diablo

Diablo

I'm not sure where to post this question, since it's mostly just a question.

A while back I saw some kind of show about a gel that held more than ten times it's own weight in water. You'd place it next to your plant and it's keep the soil moist as needed for the plant.

My idea comes from something with similar properties. Diapers. Those things hold a lot of "water". I'm sure you're seen a baby come out of a pool with a diaper that is abnormally huge with the looks of an impending explosion.

My idea is to mix a small amount of the shredded up contents, unused of course, of a diaper. Maybe use 5% of the diaper to the entire soil mix. The idea is to help keep the soil moist and reduce the need for watering. I need a little room for a missed day of watering. Turns out our summer here is going to be much to hot for the plants.

Anyhow, just wondering how that sounds to you all.

Thanks for any input.
 
Instead of ripping diapers apart you can buy silica gel(often called water holding crystals). I use it in my hanging baskets all the time
 
You could also increase the organic content of the soil significantly.....organic material holds water like crazy.
 
I think sanitary napkins may have the same properties?

A good 4 or so inches of straw mulch would probanly work too, anything that would prevent moisture loss
 
Straw will help but its perfect breeding grounds for fungii and certain molds so you have to cultivate and aerate it often
 
Not sure about using diapers. I know they add all types of chemicals like a coating to keep them from catching on fire. I'm sure that stuff is probably not the best thing to put in your soil. I have used a powder in a hanging basket that makes a "gel" that holds a lot of water. Here is a link. Since it's made for the garden it may be a lot better to use.

CLICK HERE
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'll look up those gels/crystals/powders. If I do use them I'll be sure to let the plant start to show me it needs water before I water it again. I don't think there'll be much a problem, during July August the heat is brutal here. We can go over a week with 100+ temps easily and often do.

I was just thinking diaper material would be a clever/easy short cut. I didn't think about that fire retardant that is probably in it, good catch on that one.
 
Diablo said:
I was just thinking diaper material would be a clever/easy short cut. I didn't think about that fire retardant that is probably in it, good catch on that one.
Click to expand...

I was actually watching a show on discovery where guy that lost his child to a fire. He said he was exiting the house with his baby in arms and the diaper got a spark on it and the entire diaper went up in flames so fast he couldn't do anything. By the time he got out of the building it was too late. He was so outraged that he protested and got the manufacturers to add fire retardant coatings to all diapers. Sad story, but at least it had a good outcome.
 
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