Over watered accidentally? DON'T WORRY! The super soil automatically soaks it up and expands to become light and fluffy, saving your plants from drowning! The reason why it holds water so well is because of the water crystals inside. They can hold up to 500 times their weight in water! If you just want the crystals, pull open the lining of a diaper and pour out the crystals on a piece of paper. Fold and pour them into a cup or bowl. This gel can work on potted plants as well. As the gel expands and contracts it aerates the soil. Take a spoon and a knife and stick in in the soil and use it to gently pry open a hole in between the roots. Spoon a good amount of the gel in and close the hole, work the soil back together and do this around all the soil in the pot.
You also can preserve your fresh cut flowers by adding 2 TB of Sugar, 2 TB White Vinegar, and a 1/2 tsp of bleach to warm water and mix it. It will make a home made flower food and when you add the powder you will see it absorb the solution and slowly grow up to 60 times its size! Agitate the gel by pulling the plant up and down and mixing it around so that the gel looks like crushed ice. It looks cool and it slowly releases water as the flower needs it and it feeds it at the same time. |
Ordinary disposable diapers + water can create a gardening gel that is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and can cut the watering-time down by half!
You need: 1 new or gently used disposable diaper (I suggest new since the video didn't specify what "gently use" was) A little over 4 cups of water Pour the water into the diaper and wait a couple of seconds for the diaper to absorb it all. Pull the inner lining off, and pour the contents into the bowl. Add about 2-3 more cups of water and evenly mix it with your hands. Eventually you will end up with a fiber rich hydrogel! You may pack some into an air tight bag and freeze it overnight to make a re-useable ice pack! Food coloring can be used to change the color of the gel, but for gardening purposes it is suggested that you keep the gel clear, if you do keep the food coloring your plants will grow up to be funny colors. One adult sized diaper makes over 12 cups of gel! The small pieces of cotton wadding break down and mix right in. Grab some all purpose potting soil (any amount) and put it in a bowl. Mix an equal amount of hydrogel. Mix in the both of them with your hands until perfectly combined. This now super light and fluffy soil is ready to use! Use it to pot your plants, add water and now your plants can last twice as long! No need to water as often! Need to start seeds? Just dump them into a batch of the grow dough and give it a good mix, or just pour it over top of the soil! Water it, then put it in a place where you can set it and forget it. Over the course of a week your seeds should sprout and begin to grow without any extra effort or any extra water! |