Has anyone ever used "Soil Moist" in any of their soil in any of their containers? I've started using it lately for many of my outdoor plants this last year mainly as a backup when there's a sudden heat wave that occurs before my watering habits can be adjusted. Seems to help quite a bit and I suspect the expansion/contraction of the polymer helps keep the soil from getting too compacted (just a guess).

http://www.soilmoist.com/

Phillip

I use it all the time in my liner pots. It helps keep them moist and not drying out in the AZ heat we have. I'm also the AZ State distributor for JRM Chemical..

It really seems promising. I would think that it also help keep a balanced moisture content by absorbing excess water that citrus wouldn't like and release it when it needs it. I'm also thinking that I"m probably applying it wrong. Right now I'm adding it to the bottom of my trench when I put a tree in, but to help keep the soil loose, I should probably mix it in with the backfill material also.

Phillip

When I purchase grapevines from back East , the bare root vines come packaged with the roots wrapped in a mix of shredded cedar and the hydration polymers very similar to soil moist. I believe that these polymers probably have been around perhaps 8 or 9 year, if not longer. - Millet (773-)

Don't they cause the opposite effect once the polymer breaks down? In other words, they become gummy, do not exchange water, and thus take up space in a soil that could be used for aeration or water. This was esp. critical in container soils. But I guess the key question is, if they always do this, approx. when does it start happening (since nothing last forever, in it's current state that is).

i remember watching a local news when i was a child in southern California. i move from there in 1992 so some time before that maybe late 80's well the news program was talking about new gels that can be mixed in the soil to help reduce the need for water during drought conditions. i would assume it is the same stuff or an improved version.