Healing Crystals (For the Garden)
Illustration by: Michelle Paul
Water absorbing crystals sound like something from a 5th grade science project, but they are a panacea for container gardeners and small space gardeners.These crystals are made up of gel polymer and are available in biodegradable cornstarch and in polyacrylamide, which takes 4-5 years to break down.
They start out the size of the dots on a dice, or smaller, and on contact with water, they grow to be about the size of the dice itself. They then slowly release their water stores, and create uniform moisture in the soil.
For finicky plants these crystals can mitigate the shock of the water/drought cycle (which is more dramatic in containers) and can minimize your watering amount. They also absorb fertilizers, and mitigate transplant shock. And, best of all, these crystals enable you to plant neighboring plants with differing water requirements in small spaces – a blessing for the urban gardener!
They are widely available form brands such as Soil Moist and Zeba Quench.
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