Any advise on polymer crystals?

[mrhomegrown22]

Has anyone used polymer crystals before on outdoor ground soil? I Plan on using them, but unsure if I need a little of them or if I put a bunch of them they will store more water? Let me know what you did or heard please. Also I might put some in 5 gallon grow bags? Would like to know if I put a bunch would that store more water or destroy my plants? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank in advance.

 

[motherlode]

never used polymers before but IMO your gonna need something much bigger then 5 gal grow bags outdoors

 

[Genius Genetics]

just use a small hand full in each grow bag or a hand full a plant

i use them evey year on my outdoor crops both in pots and plants in the ground

they work great and can save the crop in a bad drought

you DON'T need much of it but don't worry about putting too many in, it wont hurt the plants,

make sure you mix them in well

hope this helps Bro

Peace G.G.

 

[mrhomegrown22]

Thanks guys all the infor helps out..CHEERS>>

 

[mrhomegrown22]

So if anyone is interested I was recommended quench polymer crystals made by zeba. I read tht they are 100% natural and don't effect how the bud tastes. Going with that..

 

[Genius Genetics]

yer they are good bro

it dont realy matter the brand tho, they all do the same thing

iv used alot of diff brands no real diff in the end product

 

[omerta]

I used about 1 Table spoon (overflowing) per 2x2x2 hole last year in a New England guerrilla set up, with great results. As Genius Genetics said, you can't use too much, just keep in mind that the amount you use will ultimately be determined by the drainage of your soil and average seasonal rainfall—don't want those girls to drown.

-Bud D

 

[crom]

Hmm What are your thoughts on using polymer crystals in Smart Pots outdoors?

Cheers,
Crom

 

[500lbs Guerilla]

Smart pots will dry out faster than plants in containers or in the ground, and the smaller the pot, the faster it will dry out. Polymer crystals can be a lifesaver if you don't see your plants regularly for longer than a few days.

 

[crom]

Smart pots will dry out faster than plants in containers or in the ground, and the smaller the pot, the faster it will dry out. Polymer crystals can be a lifesaver if you don't see your plants regularly for longer than a few days.

That is what I was figuring, but never ran SPs. Thanks for the info!

Cheers,
Crom

 

[500lbs Guerilla]

I just spoke with someone who had done some side by side comparisons with water crystals. He found he plants with polymers would wilt around the same time, but the process was much slower. There were wilted plants with plenty of wet gelatinous crystals still in his medium. His conclusion is that although water crystals can help, the help can be minimal because the plants will drink the water faster than the crystals can release it.

 

[crom]

I just spoke with someone who had done some side by side comparisons with water crystals. He found he plants with polymers would wilt around the same time, but the process was much slower. There were wilted plants with plenty of wet gelatinous crystals still in his medium. His conclusion is that although water crystals can help, the help can be minimal because the plants will drink the water faster than the crystals can release it.

Great info! Thanks for sharing. Was it a standard pot, or a smart pot type? I would think that the SPs would only accelerated the process that 500 is speaking of, yeah? I want to run SPs outside this summer and I'm thinking that they are going to dry out fast. What other options do we have as far as helping the medium (Advd SS mix #4 for me) stay moist longer? I would love to not have to run a drip line. I'm just worried about the medium running dry faster then I can rewater if I'm not home. Obviously I will need to dial in my waterings per strain/plant/environmental conditions... Wonder if I just ran straight coco instead of a mix plus some polymers for good measure if I can maximize moisture levels. Thoughts?

Cheers,
Crom

 

[below frigid]

I have used both polymers and Zeeba. The Zeeba worked better. Seemed like they could get to the water easier when they needed it. Zeeba is not a polymer and is much more enviroment friendly. My outdoor grow temps reach a 100 or more on most days during the summer months. A animal chewed through my drip once and this stuff saved me.

 

[crom]

What if you lined the bottom of the pot with pumice/leca/rock then added the polymer/zeeba then your medium with the polymer mixed in? Even distrubution throughout and at the bottom.

 

[budboy299]

This will sound almost too silly to post, but....

I tried these out and it seemed to work as good as anything. Cheap silica crystals from a pet store. It is used to absorb cat urine, but when the soil drys out it releases back into the soil and redrys up.

Grab a container of this....mix it into a gallon or 2 of soil and throw in a clone and have some fun. Easy test before summer :)