soaked hydroton

[cory_huck]

I was thinking of soaking hydroton in nutrient rich water for a few days then putting them into potted plant containers. Theoretically it should act as a slow release fert, right?
would that work?
you smellin what I'm steppin in here?

or the silica crystals...

 

[Nickbone]

I've used hydroton before in a hydro setup for tomatoes. It will work but you essentially would be doing a form of hydroponics. The stuff will dry out very quickly. Hours, not days. Another thing regarding hydroton is that it needs to be rinsed / washed thoroughly before use as the dust will cause a high ph.

I'd say give it a try if you are able to keep it moist several times a day.

 

[shigshwa]

Hydroton dries way too fast for it to even be called "slow-release"... Wet hydroton dries in like a few hours.