How to Make Gel Soil
Plant gel, sold in bead or crystal form at garden and craft stores, is a low-maintenance alternative to traditional potting soil. The gel supplies water to plants as needed, relieving home gardeners from regularly watering their plants and preventing the common problem of overwatering. Certain brands of gel contain time-released nutrients to enrich plants in the absence of traditional fertilizer. Plant gel has decorative properties as well, since some home gardeners find the clear or colored beads more attractive than soil mediums. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Gel beads
- Large bowl
- Growing containers with drainage holes
- Liquid fertilizer
- Potting soil
Instructions
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1
Soak clay growing containers overnight to prevent the porous clay from absorbing moisture from the gel or soil.
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2
Fill a large bowl one-quarter of the way up with gel beads or crystals. Fill the rest of the bowl with water and add a drop of liquid fertilizer if the gel product is not already nutrient enriched.
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3
Wait two hours for the gel to expand. Fill a growing container with the gel, leaving one inch of space at the top. You can also mix the gel with any amount of traditional soil to add nutrients or to get more mileage out of the gel with minimal cost. To add gel to outdoor plants, poke five holes in the soil around the plants and fill them with gel. Cover the gel with soil and water thoroughly.
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4
Water the gel when it shrinks two inches. Fill the container to one inch below its height.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace the gel with fresh product every five years.
