Europarts absorbent granules.

[AlysonJoy]

Well I hope I've done the right thing buying 2 bags of the stuff. I suppose time will tell. I have some Christmas cactus cuttings that need potting on soon and I will gauge how it goes with them as they are a plant I'm confident with.

[AlysonJoy]

OK after a couple of weeks use, I think this blend retains water or keeps the soil more moist. Has anyone had problems with it in this respect? I cant tell if its just a change in the weather making me water less, but I keep testing for dryness with my finger in the pot, and I'm thinking hmm that's not ready to water yet. Wondering if its a disadvantage at this time of year. But we have clay in our soil round here and that is moisture retentive so its not an unknown phenomenon.

[el48tel]

OK after a couple of weeks use, I think this blend retains water or keeps the soil more moist. Has anyone had problems with it in this respect? I cant tell if its just a change in the weather making me water less, but I keep testing for dryness with my finger in the pot, and I'm thinking hmm that's not ready to water yet. Wondering if its a disadvantage at this time of year. But we have clay in our soil round here and that is moisture retentive so its not an unknown phenomenon.

Ask yourself the question, "What's this stuff designed for?" (Clue is in the bag/box label) It's designed to absorb liquid spills from the workspace floor. It will hold water ... if it didn't .... it would contravene labelling legislation .... so it's going to be WET.

[Eric Williams]

I agree with el483tel, the granules absorb water, but it does not retain it long such as peat or soil will do. This is what our plants need. Another plus is the gaps etc between the granules allow air to circulate around the roots. In small pots in Summer, when the sun is hot the water will dissapear days. I have never lost a plant to rot all the years I have used these granules lol. ps some growers us granules only for growing.

[Chris L]

Ask yourself the question, "What's this stuff designed for?" (Clue is in the bag/box label) It's designed to absorb liquid spills from the workspace floor. It will hold water ... if it didn't .... it would contravene labelling legislation .... so it's going to be WET.

My thinking on cat litter is:

---that it acts as a help to capillary action when the plant pot is stood in water so that water gets to all the soil and not just the bottom part where the water level is [most useful for seed sowing where you want it to be wet all through].

---then as the soil dries out the cat litter is the last thing to dry out as it is soaking up excess water from the rest of the compost helping the organic matter to dry out quicker.

---as the cat litter is full of holes it allows air to circulate through the soil (if enough is used) when the soil is nearly dry or dry.

That thinking may or may not be correct of course.

[el48tel]

Ask yourself the question, "What's this stuff designed for?" (Clue is in the bag/box label) It's designed to absorb liquid spills from the workspace floor. It will hold water ... if it didn't .... it would contravene labelling legislation .... so it's going to be WET.

My thinking on cat litter is:

---that it acts as a help to capillary action when the plant pot is stood in water so that water gets to all the soil and not just the bottom part where the water level is [most useful for seed sowing where you want it to be wet all through].

---then as the soil dries out the cat litter is the last thing to dry out as it is soaking up excess water from the rest of the compost helping the organic matter to dry out quicker.

---as the cat litter is full of holes it allows air to circulate through the soil (if enough is used) when the soil is nearly dry or dry.

That thinking may or may not be correct of course.

Probably ....
Yes
Yes
Yes

[iann]

OK after a couple of weeks use, I think this blend retains water or keeps the soil more moist. Has anyone had problems with it in this respect? I cant tell if its just a change in the weather making me water less, but I keep testing for dryness with my finger in the pot, and I'm thinking hmm that's not ready to water yet. Wondering if its a disadvantage at this time of year. But we have clay in our soil round here and that is moisture retentive so its not an unknown phenomenon.

Ask yourself the question, "What's this stuff designed for?" (Clue is in the bag/box label) It's designed to absorb liquid spills from the workspace floor. It will hold water ... if it didn't .... it would contravene labelling legislation .... so it's going to be WET.

Precisely the opposite. Try it and you'll see that until the granules are literally floating they aren't very wet. They certainly absorb more water than perlite (which has a closed cell structure, so basically a bit of foam with air on the inside and water on the outside), but they also retain more air. The water goes inside (hissss!) and there is still air in the soil and on the outside of the granules. Lack of air is the big root killer, not a bit of humidity from some damp lump nearby.

Same rules obviously apply as with any soil, don't add more water to a pot than the plant can reasonably take up before becoming unhappy, adjust the mix so this works with your growing conditions, plants, pot sizes, watering frequency, etc. Compared to something like a grit or perlite mix, cat litter will give you a soil that is slightly moist for a longer period rather than soggy followed quickly by bone dry.

[MatDz]

[...] Compared to something like a grit or perlite mix, cat litter will give you a soil that is slightly moist for a longer period rather than soggy followed quickly by bone dry.

May I ask, is this beneficial for cacti & "other succulents"?

[el48tel]

OK after a couple of weeks use, I think this blend retains water or keeps the soil more moist. Has anyone had problems with it in this respect? I cant tell if its just a change in the weather making me water less, but I keep testing for dryness with my finger in the pot, and I'm thinking hmm that's not ready to water yet. Wondering if its a disadvantage at this time of year. But we have clay in our soil round here and that is moisture retentive so its not an unknown phenomenon.

Ask yourself the question, "What's this stuff designed for?" (Clue is in the bag/box label) It's designed to absorb liquid spills from the workspace floor. It will hold water ... if it didn't .... it would contravene labelling legislation .... so it's going to be WET.

Precisely the opposite. Try it and you'll see that until the granules are literally floating they aren't very wet. They certainly absorb more water than perlite (which has a closed cell structure, so basically a bit of foam with air on the inside and water on the outside), but they also retain more air. The water goes inside (hissss!) and there is still air in the soil and on the outside of the granules. Lack of air is the big root killer, not a bit of humidity from some damp lump nearby.

Same rules obviously apply as with any soil, don't add more water to a pot than the plant can reasonably take up before becoming unhappy, adjust the mix so this works with your growing conditions, plants, pot sizes, watering frequency, etc. Compared to something like a grit or perlite mix, cat litter will give you a soil that is slightly moist for a longer period rather than soggy followed quickly by bone dry.

If it fizzes and fills with water .... and releases the water .... it's wet? Surely. Or are there degrees of wetness?

[Eric Williams]

I bow to superior knowledge. I too have learned from this thread. Cheers