Isobel was playing with some water storage crystals and dreaming up creative things to do with them...and we ended up with a LOT of hydrated gel. So I've been creative myself and used it to pot up some cuttings.
I've used the gel before with cuttings and it does seem to work well, and faster for some reason. Its similar to striking cuttings in water, but the gel forms a structure that hold the cuttings, and so long as you don't totally drown them, it holds bubbles of air so the roots have some access to oxygen. More types of plants will tolerate striking in gel than will in water, and the gel prevents the water becoming stagnant so quickly. Place them in a sheltered place out of the sun, as you would other cuttings. If the container you use is clear you can see when roots appear, and when you need to water.
The gel, which comes as small crystals, is designed to be added to soil or potting mix to increase its water holding capacity.
These are the crystals we had, which come from ALDI, but Yates, Eden and Hortico have similar products sold at hardware and garden stores. Seasol sell a version that release Seasol to the plants. Don't try using the crystals from nappies or kitty litter because although they are also polymer hydrogels they are types that absorb and hold onto the water or wastes, whereas the garden products make the water available back to the soil or plant.
You can also watch seeds grow in these gels which makes for another good educational experience if you have inquiring minds about, or to do just for fun. But obviously you will need to wrap or cover the container if the seeds are types that need dark to germinate.
No comments:
Post a Comment