Garden Hydrogel

What is a hydrogel

Aqua or hydrogel is a substance capable of absorbing moisture and giving it back to plants. It is in the form of a powder or granules, which expand in volume upon contact with water and then resemble a transparent jelly. This substance is absolutely harmless to plants. Having completed the mission entrusted to it, it decomposes completely and at the same time does not harm the environment.

Do not confuse hydrogel with aqua primer, which is sold in the form of colored granules. After being saturated with moisture, it also turns into jelly-like balls, but it has exclusively decorative properties and is not suitable for growing crops. The aqua soil has a denser structure, which becomes an additional barrier for the roots.

The hydrogel looks like a small white crumb, which in dry form can be of different shapes. After absorbing water, it increases in size up to 300 times and becomes a jelly-like state.

Advantages and disadvantages of hydrogel for garden and vegetable garden

Benefits of Garden Hydrogel:

• Accelerates seed germination, provides faster seedling growth, increases productivity
• After being fed with liquid fertilizer, the granules then feed the plants for a long time.
• The soil, mixed with the hydrogel, has a looser structure, which improves the respiration of the plant root system
• The survival rate of seedlings in the soil with hydrogel is more than 95%

Hydrogel: photo

Disadvantages of Garden Hydrogel:

• Not suitable for germinating seeds with a hard leathery coat (beans, sweet peas)
• Long-term exposure to the sun creates mold on the hydrogel
• In a pure hydrogel, the plant is grown up to 2 years, and then the gel is changed

Ways to use hydrogel in the garden

There are several ways to use hydrogel in the garden:

• For germinating seeds. The gel that has absorbed water is crushed until smooth and placed in a transparent container 3 cm thick. The seeds are pressed into the prepared mass, and the container is tightened with a film. The film must be lifted every day to remove condensation.
• When growing seedlings. The dry gel is mixed with the soil (in a ratio of 1: 4) and the prepared mixture is placed in containers for seedlings. About 1 cm is left to the top. Then, as usual, sow seeds and water the soil.
• When planting seedlings in open ground. Dry gel granules are introduced into the soil, the dosage of which will depend on the planted culture.

Hydrogel in the garden: photo

The hydrogel remaining after germination is not discarded. In the garden, the hydrogel can be used for the soil mixture prepared for seedlings, or poured into the holes when planting young plants.

How does a hydrogel work?

Receiving moisture during watering or after rain, the hydrogel accumulates it. 1 g of dry matter can hold up to 300 ml of water. That is, even a rare rain will reduce the amount of watering.

As the roots evaporate and absorb moisture, the granules become smaller in size. And the new flow of water again leads to their increase. This cycle is repeated many times until the hydrogel loses its properties. You can use a hydrogel for a garden and a vegetable garden for 3-5 years.