Crystal soil any good?

Hi All, I have put some of my cuttings in that crystal soil stuff and wondering if anyone else has tried it. One immediately obvious advantage is you can see the roots developing / or not as the case may be.

 

Is this the water absorbing gel that can be added to baskets etc to help against drying out? I would think there is less risk of rotting off but the gel doesn't contain any plant nutrient so would be interested to see how you get on.

 

Its called "Magic Soil" and it says that it can be used for cuttings etc. I have a few tester cuttings in it-Ivy as a control really as it can root just about anywhere, honeysuckle, clematis, lavender, hebe and woodruff. All these would root in just water I think (I have soft water so little or no lime).

I planted yesterday, the woodruff has dried up a bit but not too bad, honeysuckle and clematis still perky and the ivy is doing well, no sign of damage.

I have them in clear plastic glasses and it is transparent bluw gel so can see the roots if they start.

I hope it works as it is very inexpensive and specically says that plants take only the mpoisture they need so should help on the rot front. Will keep posting updates.

 

Quote from website which sells the stuff: "Magic soil is a crystal water absorbent polymer" so yes it's that water absorbing gel:thumb:

 

I use vermiculite in clear containers and it works great I have in the past used rooting gels but i'm not impressed with them.

 

Thank Walnut, wil try that too.

 

Isn't Vermiculite the stuff you put on top of seeds to help them germinate, and perlite the one for cuttings?

Both environmentally unfriendly though, IIRC

 

Vermiculite is a alumino-silicate clay mineral that is mined and heated to expand the particles. Itâ??s sterile, soaks up 3-4 times its volume in water, and attracts nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous.
Perlite, on the other hand, is a silicon-rich volcanic rock. Itâ??s also mined and heated to expand the particles. It will soak up some water but is mainly used to aerate and improve drainage in potting mixes.Both are interchangeable but I prefer the vermiculite because of its water holding capacity. Kirsten why are they environmentally unfriendly they are both natural products I suppose if your mining it and breathing it in all day it wouldn't do you any good but then again what substance in any concentration would.

 

Neither of them is pocket friendly I think. I have a large garden and have filled it mainly by propagation of cuttings etc. I have had some success just in water with a bit of soluble feed in it, but the cuttings can flop around a bit and a clumsy sod I have knoicked them over whilst working. The cuttings in the crystal soil are going a bit hit and miss. The Ivy which frankly takes anyway-even got a huge crop in the bark chippings under the kids slide is doing fine but everything else seems to be on the slippery slope to rotville. I will keep you all posted and get some pics of roots and stuff.

I will have to have a play around with this stuff making up a nutri-solution perhaps-the two major pluses keep me interested

ie you can see the roots clearly and the cuttings are kept stable.

 

"why are they environmentally unfriendly"

I was meaning the fact that they are a finite resource (maybe Perlite is infinite if it is a volcanic eruption by-product), have to be transported from "foreign places", and I believe there are some issues in some mines with Asbestos contamination (Vermiculite I suppose)

 

Well, the gel is bobbins, ivy has started rooting-but that could probably root in outer space, honeysuckle not well at all and not a speck of root growth, and everything else has just dried out.

Back to water for the time being.

 

Claire Ivy will root in the air, if you decide to use perlite or vermiculite in your containers put the whole thing in a plastic bag to prevent water loss from the cuttings leaves also reduce the number of leaves on the cuttings sometimes on large leaved cuttings I cut the leaves in half to prevent too much water loss,in other words create its own little microclimate, and don't put them in full sun.
Kristen any form of mining or quarrying is environmentally unfriendly but essential or we wouldn't be living our present lifestyles the problem lies in that a lot of it is done in third world countries were the populous is exploited and safety doesn't exist,look at the copper mines and indeed the asbestos mines (Russia at present produces the most probably without any legislation) it still has its uses some brake linings,fire suppresants etc so vermiculite and perlite are way down the list.

 

"Kristen any form of mining or quarrying is environmentally unfriendly but essential"

Well, yes I realise that, but its worth keeping in mind for things like Vermiculite and Perlite that if more environmentally friendly alternatives are available it then means they are not essential

I look at it from the mathematics. Take oil:

Oil usage in the world has been growing at 7% each year for ages (give or take a few years where OPEC ramped the price up).

At 7% growth per annum the amount we use will double in ten years.

And, in the next 10 years we will use more than the total that we have ever used before.

The same for the 10 years after that.

So to keep using Oil for 10 more years we have to discover more than we have ever discovered before.

Population is growing at 1%. Doesn't sound like a lot, but that means in 70 years it will double. 70 years isn't that long in human terms.

I don't know what the availbility of Vermiculite is, or at what rate its use is growing, but assuming its use is increasing then it is going to run out and I think we should be aware of that.

 

Kirsten it's going back in the ground albeit in a different form, on the subject of environmentally unfriendly you should be aware that usually find that people that go on about it are the worst offenders take driving around in cars for instance one of the biggest drains on resources and heavy on the pollution side nobody gives them up, Jonathon Porritt (green party) is a fine example to his cause drives around in a gas guzzler and jets everywhere hypocrite if ever the was one,at least my concience is clear on that score I cycle everywhere.

 

Yes I agree, and I've only recently started making a start. Changed cars about 3 years ago aiming to get from 25mpg to 50. Have only actually got to about 40 which was a disappointment. Changing again this year to try to get nearer to 75mpg.

We've cut our utility usage (CH oil, electricity and water) by 30% in each of the last two years, so 50%. Hoping to change central heating boiler to wood burner this year (but the Credit Crunch means that an attempt to re-mortgage to finance it was not successful). Government removing VAT on home renewables would be a step in the right direction, but.

We do a bit of grow-you-own too

But my mates don't seem to be interested, think it is governments problem to solve, think Boris is brilliant for repealing Ken's tax on Chelsea Tractors, and so on. Disappointing. But I shall keep evangelising as long as they keep inviting me to their houses!