Using hydrogel for vegetables. Hydrogel for plants is a new assistant for seedlings. How to plant a plant in soil with hydrogel - step-by-step instructions

Growing and planting strawberries with hydrogel

Strawberry is a crop that is very responsive to the use of hydrogel. Primarily due to the fact that it is very demanding on soil moisture conditions. Lack of watering during the period of setting berries and their ripening leads to a significant decrease in yield. Overmoistening increases the risk of gray rot of fruits and powdery mildew.

The entire root system is concentrated in the surface layer of soil (10-15 cm), which quickly dries out even if there is no heat. In this case, it is impossible to comply with the recommended norms and watering regime. (Remember that in dry weather this is one watering every 10 days at a rate of about 10 liters per square meter before flowering, 20-25 liters during ripening of the berries). You have to water more often, which almost always leads to the development of fungal diseases (especially when irrigated with cold water by sprinkling).

If we add hydrogel immediately when planting a plantation:

• You can increase the intervals between waterings. This is important to prevent the development of gray mold and reduce the number of slugs.
• There will be no stagnation of moisture and waterlogging of the soil, which strawberries are afraid of (the hydrogel will absorb excess moisture, freeing up the aeration pores).
• Low consumption: a glass of swollen hydrogel under the bush, mixing by volume. The hydrogel works in the soil for about 5 years, which coincides with the life of the plantation.

The best time for planting strawberry seedlings is the end of July to mid-August. It can be planted in the fall, until the end of September (more precisely, it must be completed 15 days before the soil freezes). The application of gel improves the rooting of bushes and their development. Therefore, even with autumn planting, you will get the first harvest the next year. The size of the berries and the overall yield of the plantation will increase.

Time to go on vacation? Who will water the flowers?

More recently, those going on vacation had little choice. The most patient ones transferred indoor plants to wick watering or set up other ingenious “irrigation systems” from bottles and hoses. Some lucky ones left the keys with relatives or friends, in the hope that they would look after the plants in the absence of the owners... In fact, in the West, in indoor floriculture, hydrogel has long been used for such cases. It allows plants to calmly survive the lack of watering for 2-3 weeks.

Indoor floriculture, use of hydrogel

Your plants can be watered 5-6 times less often. You can leave and leave indoor flowers for 2-3 weeks without watering.

Even with constant care, the use of hydrogel increases the number of flowers, the duration of flowering, and improves the appearance of plants.

The hydrogel should be added to the soil when decorating offices and institutions where plant care is irregular and they suffer from drought.

How to use hydrogel

Apply dry or already swollen?

Everything is determined by objects. For application with seeds, indoor floriculture and growing seedlings (that is, in a limited volume), we recommend first allowing the preparation to swell in water. Otherwise, troubles may arise: plants crawling out of the pot when the polymer swells, bulging rows of seeds, etc.

The same applies to “fine” work in open ground (for strawberries, 1-2 year old seedlings, small flowers), it is better to saturate the preparation with water.

For swelling, pour water for at least an hour (the specific time is determined by temperature, chemical composition of water and modification of the hydrogel). You can pour it overnight, a day, a month - the hydrogel will not deteriorate.

When planting large seedlings, bushes and flowers, this is not significant. Mix the dry preparation with the soil throughout. For obvious reasons, do not pour locally onto the bottom of the hole.

If applied dry, it is necessary to ensure subsequent abundant watering. It’s better in two phases: re-watering after an hour and a half.

Can hydrogel be applied only when planting plants? Completely optional. You can apply it under already planted bushes, trees and flowers and it will work effectively. This can be done until the first autumn frosts. By the way, this method is also applicable for indoor plants growing in pots, boxes, and flowerpots.

How to apply gel under already planted trees, bushes, flowers?

You can apply it in the same way as granular fertilizers are often applied - locally. Under a bush or tree in the middle of the crown projection (closer to the periphery), punctures are made around the circumference to the depth of the turf horizon (15-20 cm) with a crowbar or pitchfork. The gel is evenly scattered into the holes, sprinkled with soil, and watered. It is advisable to re-water after 40-50 minutes.

How to apply gel to already planted indoor plants?

For example, you have a 5 liter pot, therefore you need to add about 5 grams. To do this, carefully make punctures over the entire area to the depth of the container (for example, with a sharpened pencil). Pour gel into the wells.

Don't forget that it increases in volume very much! Water. If some of the gel squeezes out onto the surface, it’s okay. Sprinkle it with 1-2 cm of soil, later the plant roots themselves will find these granules.

As soon as the roots grow into the gel (usually this takes 1.5-2 weeks), you can water 5-6 times less often.

How much hydrogel should be applied? For an average bush of gooseberries, currants, roses, peonies, you need to apply at least 50 grams in terms of dry preparation. Mix throughout. Indoor flowers, seedlings: a glass of swollen gel (which is about 1g of dry preparation) per liter of soil. Strawberries: a glass - two swollen gels per bush, mixing by volume.

Hydrogel for protecting the exposed root system during planting, transplanting and transportation.

This type of Evabeon® hydrogel forms a “jelly” when mixed with water. They can be used to cover exposed or exposed roots during transplantation. To do this, plant roots are dipped into it or the gel is applied using a spray bottle. This gel is also used for pelleting seeds.

Application of root gel during storage and transportation

The gel envelops the roots, forming a protective cover and prevents them from drying out. In this form, seedlings, seedlings, and plants selected for transplantation can be transported and stored for up to several days. Root protection with covering materials alone is not effective enough. It is simply unrealistic to cover the ENTIRE surface of the roots. This is possible with the help of hydrogel.

Application of root gel for seedlings

If you dip the roots in the gel before planting, the survival rate will improve significantly. Suitable for “repairing” collapsed clumps of seedlings.

When growing seedlings in glasses and boxes, the roots are distributed over the surface of the soil clod. Once removed from the container, they are open and unprotected. Therefore, after transplanting into the ground, the roots are especially vulnerable even with a slight lack of moisture. It is enough to dip such a lump in the “jelly” of the gel before planting it, and you will greatly speed up the survival rate of the plant and its resistance to adverse factors.

Application for open root system

When planting a bare-root plant in the soil, soil moisture is very important. Even slight drying is detrimental to the plant. Therefore, not only abundant watering is used, but also soil compaction to ensure closer contact of the roots with the ground. Because of this, stagnation of moisture occurs, leading to rotting of the roots.

The first two weeks after planting and replanting are very important - at this time the root system is being restored. The gel significantly improves the survival rate of plants, helping to maintain moisture in the roots, protecting them from drying out and ensuring rapid establishment.

About hydrogel for roots - in the video tutorial on planting seedlings:

How to use hydrogel to protect an exposed root system? How much and how is it added to the planting hole? What types of Evabeon® hydrogel are there? The video includes a coupon for a discount in the store. Watch all our lessons in the video section.

Hydrogel is an environmentally friendly polymer material that can retain moisture in huge quantities. So, 1 gram of hydrogel serves as a kind of reservoir for 200-400 grams of water! It is not surprising that hydrogel for plants has gained wide popularity: hydrogel is used for growing seedlings; hydrogel is good for sowing seeds with subsequent picking; When planting plants in open ground, hydrogel will also be appropriate.

And although the instructions on the package of hydrogel clearly state the methods of its preparation and recommendations for use, gardeners are often lost, asking questions: “ How to use hydrogel for seedlings?”, “How to dilute hydrogel for planting seedlings?”, “How to germinate seeds in hydrogel?”. We suggest we talk about everything in order.

How to dilute hydrogel for plants?

In its usual form, the hydrogel looks like small white-transparent granules, similar to sugar or gelatin. There are also larger balls, triangles, hydrogel pyramids; they come in different colors. But they are used, rather, for decoration, and not for “gardening” purposes.

Three liters of water will require 20 grams of hydrogel, but this may depend on the manufacturer. Leave it for 1-3 hours until completely swollen. The result is a jelly-like mass. If for adding when planting in holes, or mixing with soil for seedlings, the concentration of the resulting hydrogel does not play a key role, then when planting seeds in the hydrogel, you need to be more careful: the hydrogel should not float in water. If excess water is obvious, place the “jelly” in a sieve and let the water drain.

Not worth it dilute the hydrogel for future use - its surface will become weathered.

By the way, domestically produced hydrogel does not contain any nutritional additives, but it is also much cheaper than foreign analogues, which contain nutritional elements. But this can also be corrected if, instead of ordinary water for soaking, you take a solution of “Epin”, “Kornevin”, etc.

Hydrogel for plants: how to use?

Let's talk about three areas of application of this material:

- sowing seeds into hydrogel, with further diving

- hydrogel for seedlings - as an additive to soil or drainage

- hydrogel for plants living in a permanent place

Planting seeds in hydrogel

There are an incredible number of non-standard ways to plant seedlings: in sawdust, in eggshells, in peat tablets, in “snails”, “envelopes”. Feel free to add here planting seeds in hydrogel.

What's good about this method:

The unique properties of this polymer allow you not to worry about waterlogging or lack of moisture. The plant itself will take as much water as it needs.

Seed germination in hydrogel occurs much faster than in soil

During subsequent picking, there is no damage to the roots of the seedlings: the “jelly” easily gives us the young plant, while the root system turns out to be powerful, and small roots are not torn off

That's very beautiful. If you grow seeds in a transparent container, you can observe the entire process of the birth of new life from a seed. It looks like a real installation, and kids will definitely love it!

But it is worth paying attention to some nuances. Seeds with thick skin that like to lie down and think will find it difficult to hatch on the hydrogel.

Seeds in hydrogel: small and large

1)More or less large seeds can be sown directly on the hydrogel. Pour the prepared “jelly” into a container in a layer of about three centimeters. Place the seeds on top, then lightly press them into the hydrogel. But shallow - half a centimeter is enough. Next is the standard program: cover with film/lid, place in a warm place, at the first shoots, take it out into the light, remove the lid. You can dive both at the stage of cotyledon leaves and at the stage of the first true leaves, depending on how you are used to it.

2)small seeds, in principle, it can also be sown on hydrogel. But it often happens that tiny seeds of strawberries, physalis, and nightshade fall between the granules, making it difficult for them to germinate. In addition, the weathered film on the hydrogel, although small, will also prevent the sissies from hatching. To avoid failures, it is recommended to sow small seeds in the hydrogel:

-on gauze. That is, gauze for hydrogel, and seeds for gauze

On filter paper

On a light substrate - coconut, for example

In the future, we perform the same manipulations as with large seeds.

How to use hydrogel for planting seedlings?

Hydrogel for seedlings is good because it eliminates the need for frequent watering. 95% of the water contained in the granules is available to plants and is consumed gradually, as needed. There are two options for using hydrogel for seedlings:

- just mix seedling soil with hydrogel (1 part hydrogel to 4 parts soil) and plant the seedlings after picking as usual. If you do not pick seedlings, you can sow seeds in such “hydrogel” soil.

-place a layer of hydrogel on the bottom (as is done with sawdust) as drainage, which will take excess moisture from the ground and hold it securely. To do this, take a box without drainage holes, put a layer of hydrogel for seedlings up to 1.5 cm thick on the bottom. Fill the box to the top with prepared soil and plant seeds or seedlings. In this case, you can water the containers rarely, but abundantly, since we have a reliable buffer for retaining water in the form of a hydrogel. And the root system will develop not superficially, as happens with private watering, but deep, since the roots will strive for moisture retained by the hydrogel.

Seedlings in hydrogel easily tolerate transplantation, thanks to which you will get an earlier harvest.

Hydrogel for plants

When planting or replanting plants, it is recommended to add the prepared hydrogel directly into the holes, that is, purposefully. Approximately 3 liters of hydrogel are taken per 10 kg of soil, although this will largely depend on the composition of the soil itself and on the plant’s moisture requirements. It is possible to use hydrogel in the garden after using it as a substrate for seed germination - don’t throw it away! The hydrogel decomposes in the ground gradually - over five years, breaking down into safe substances (water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen). Thus, the hydrogel remains in the soil in the garden, “decreasing” by 20% per year.

Using hydrogel: options

- for transporting plants

- for moisture-loving indoor plants, hydrogel can easily replace soil

- instead of water - for rooting cuttings

- for bouquets of cut flowers.

As it turns out, hydrogel for plants is a very useful thing that makes life easier for a gardener. But remember: the hydrogel does not contain nutrients, so plants must still be fertilized. We wish you successful experiments!

Hydrogel is characterized by the fact that it can absorb moisture and retain it for quite a long time, due to which it is often used in indoor floriculture and for. Previously, this polymer compound was widely used in the agricultural industry, but now phytodesigners and flower growers have turned to it. Typically, plants can be grown either directly in the hydrogel or in soil mixed with this substance. The moisture that is absorbed by the hydrogel does not leak onto the tray and does not evaporate; in addition, it does not lose its original beneficial properties. So, today you will learn everything about hydrogel for plants - application, features, pros and cons. The article will also provide step-by-step instructions for using the polymer compound.

Hydrogel for plants - application

Hydrogel is a polymer that allows you to grow excellent seedlings. Typically, as plants develop, they receive all the nutrients they require. First of all, hydrogel is widely used for producing seedlings.

To get high-quality seedlings, the gardener has to face a number of difficulties. So, in order for the seedlings to turn out healthy and strong, you need not only good lighting and a properly prepared soil mixture, but also proper watering. Moisture is very useful for young seedlings, but in excess it can lead to rotting of the roots, which, in turn, will cause the subsequent death of the plants. To avoid all these troubles, you can use hydrogel, which has unique properties - it absorbs moisture and retains it for the full growth of grown crops.

Note! The hydrogel is used as a planting substrate (a kind of container with water) or as a special additive that retains moisture for prepared soil mixture.

The new product, which appeared on the domestic market relatively recently, has already managed to acquire numerous admirers. If you start using it for growing indoor flowers or seedlings, you will no longer worry about watering and feeding young seedlings. This is explained by the fact that polymer granules absorb not only water, but also fertilizers in liquid form, so that food is supplied as needed. It turns out that hydrogel is an ideal material that allows you to minimize plant care, as well as reduce stress during a traumatic transplant into the soil.

The material is sold in the form of small balls like beads. If you add water to these balls, they will swell, after which the polymer is ready for further use.

Advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogel

Despite their effectiveness and certain popularity, the described polymer granules have not yet become widespread. First of all, this is explained by their recent appearance on the domestic market and the fact that most buyers do not know about the advantages of the material. And so that you don’t have any doubts, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using hydrogel.

As for the advantages, these include:

• increased moisture absorption (granules absorb 300 times their own weight), allowing for a long time to maintain the level of substrate moisture required for plants;
• savings (to get 1 liter of base, only 1-1.6 g of dry granules is enough);
• earlier seed growth compared to traditional cultivation;
• preservation of all microelements present in the substrate (they are not washed out);
• high-quality aeration of seeds and roots.

However, there are also disadvantages that you also need to know about before buying a hydrogel.

1. You cannot grow crops in hydrogel whose seeds have a leathery shell (for example, sweet peas). In addition, when introducing seed into the hydrogel, you must take into account the individual characteristics of a particular crop.
2. It is also necessary to maintain the required temperature of the surface where the plants with hydrogel are located - this will prevent hypothermia of the seedlings.
3. Finally, granules should not be reused, even if manufacturers claim otherwise. The fact is that the already used hydrogel loses its absorbing properties, in addition, it becomes dark and wrinkles. Finally, bacteria can easily appear on the granules after contact with air. Therefore, the only thing this material is suitable for is use as a moisture-retaining additive for soil mixtures.

Note! Thanks to all the advantages and disadvantages of the material listed above, you will be able to objectively assess your own capabilities and the likelihood of obtaining healthy plants.

Prices for hydrogel

hydrogel for plants

Main uses of hydrogel

There are several ways to use polymer granules; let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Table. Methods of using hydrogel.

Note! Hydrogel is an environmentally friendly material that stimulates crop growth and has a positive effect on soil quality.

Video - How to germinate seeds with hydrogel

Features of growing in hydrogel

Today, hydrogel is sold in different colors, so a plant in it can easily turn into a decoration, a beautiful and original composition. The material is not very expensive, and if you consider that its consumption is insignificant, then we can assume that the bag will last for quite a long time.

Capacities. They must be transparent so that the granules of the material are clearly visible. The shape of the dishes does not matter at all, because when planting plants, the risk of damage to the roots is minimal. If the crop is small and grows in rosettes, then you can take a glass goblet for it, and if the plant is larger, then a vase will do.

How to prepare hydrogel. It is filled with purified distilled/settled water (about 300 ml per 1 g of material). More precise proportions should be indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Note! Plants that require frequent watering should not be grown this way. For example, epiphytes and succulents mostly store moisture in the root system and leaves, and therefore staying in a humid environment can cause rot.

Landing Features. The procedure is not much different from planting in ordinary soil. The container is filled with swollen granules, then a plant with pre-washed roots is placed there. If seeds are planted as seedlings, then the hydrogel must be crushed after swelling, as mentioned earlier. In a word, everything is quite simple. It is only necessary that the plants be in a strictly vertical position (and this can be difficult, since the material is very slippery).

How to care. Watering should be done six times less frequently than with traditional cultivation. The fact that the plants need to be watered can be understood by the slightly settled hydrogel (evidence of the loss of a large amount of moisture).

How to plant a plant in soil with hydrogel - step-by-step instructions

If you plant an indoor flower in such soil, it will make caring for it much easier. Moreover, the substance will help the flower quickly get used to new conditions.

First, mix the hydrogel with the prepared soil mixture. Approximate proportions are 2-3 grams of substance per 1 liter of soil.

After this, thoroughly mix the granules with the soil.

Pour the resulting mixture thoroughly so that it is saturated and the substance absorbs a sufficient amount of liquid. After this, you can proceed directly to planting plants.

Note! Polymer granules do not lose their original qualities for 3-6 years, which means they can be applied only once directly at the time of planting.

What crops are suitable for this?

If we talk about a mixture of substrate and hydrogel, then moisture-loving crops are more suitable for this, as well as those plants that are suitable for hydroponic cultivation. Among indoor plants, chlorophytum, spurge, ivy, crassula, Kalanchoe and others feel great in soil with polymer. And beautiful or Saintpaulias, after planting in such a substrate, will develop faster and bloom better.

As for caring for crops planted in soil with hydrogel, it is almost the same as during conventional cultivation. The only exception is watering - in this case it should not be too frequent.

How to sprout greens using hydrogel

According to doctors, daily consumption of greens helps maintain health and youth for many years. And it is quite obvious that freshly picked greens are the healthiest. In summer it is grown in garden beds, but in winter you can create a small “vegetable garden” on the windowsill.

Before you begin, prepare:

• seed;
• hydrogel;
• containers for sowing.

After preparing everything you need, proceed according to the instructions. For the convenience of site visitors, it is presented in table form.

Table. DIY greens in hydrogel.

The hydrogel, sold in the form of crystals of different sizes, which can swell very strongly in water and then retain moisture for a long time, gradually releasing it to the roots of plants, is a reliable assistant for flower growers, gardeners and gardeners.
(in the house, on the balcony, in the open ground) need watering much less often, develop better and suffer less from the heat.

Of course, plant lovers are only interested in high-quality and specialized hydrogel - intended specifically for agriculture, i.e. for environmentally safe and successful propagation of plants in indoor floriculture and home gardening. All these requirements are met by a modern hydrogel, produced taking into account the latest achievements of science and meeting strict standards, which have been certified. This high-quality, harmless hydrogel is used by plant lovers in many countries around the world and guarantees excellent long-term results when used correctly according to the included instructions.

Many flower growers and gardeners carry out work in the home and garden using hydrogel.

Hydrogel is not equally useful for all types of plants

It must be emphasized that of the large assortment of indoor plants, only moisture-loving species and herbaceous plants with soft leaves that do not tolerate prolonged drying out need to be added to the soil. They consume and evaporate large amounts of water, requiring frequent watering.
When transshipping such plants, the hydrogel added to the substrate showed excellent results. Houseplants planted with hydrogel needed watering noticeably less often, which is especially important when they are located on a glazed loggia in the hot summer.

Unlike moisture-loving plants, drought-resistant plants (epiphytes) with thorns and dense leaves do not need to regularly maintain substrate moisture - on the contrary, their roots easily rot because of this. Therefore, when sowing and planting such plants, there is no need to add hydrogel to their light, water-permeable substrate.

Practice has shown that when germinating seeds and growing seedlings, adding hydrogel to the substrate has not proven useful for all types of herbaceous plants used in the garden.

When sowing plant species that have very small seeds (, etc.) and plant species that suffer from even the slightest waterlogging of the soil (, etc.), adding hydrogel to the substrate greatly inhibits the development of seedlings. At the same time, small seedlings grow slowly and look depressed. Their thin, delicate roots are especially vulnerable to lack of air in the moist substrate, which dries out very slowly with the hydrogel. Therefore, in the moist environment created using hydrogel, small plants become even more vulnerable; they have a high risk of appearing.

There is no need to add hydrogel to the substrate during the first picking of small seedlings whose root system has not yet developed - it does not yet need and is even harmful the huge amount of moisture that accumulates the hydrogel surrounding the roots.

But when grown seedlings with a well-developed root system are planted in individual pots (or planted in flowerpots, planted in a permanent place in open ground), then in these cases the addition of hydrogel to the substrate for filling containers or to planting holes of flower beds and beds becomes very desirable! Numerous, actively growing roots are ready to consume the amount of moisture that the swollen hydrogel crystals constantly provide them.

When planting grown seedlings of ornamental plants in flowerpots and garden flowerpots (drainage holes in them are required), it is necessary to remember that at first, watering the seedlings should be very moderate until they are completely rooted there. That is why containers with planted seedlings must first be kept under a roof, so that in rainy weather the young plants do not become flooded.
The same “golden rule” applies here as with: overmoistening the substrate in pots with plants whose roots have not yet completely mastered the entire space of the pot is fraught with acidification of the soil. As a result, algae and algae appear in the pot, and the roots of the plants suffer from lack of air.

Therefore, when adding a hydrogel that retains a lot of moisture to the substrate, you need to be especially careful when watering container plants. Especially in cases where only 1-3 seedlings are planted in a large flowerpot. For example, this applies to ampelous petunias, when we plant only in the spring (see title photo). Already at the beginning of summer, such petunia grows strongly and blooms luxuriantly, and soon forms a powerful cascade of shoots with an abundance of flowers.

Adding hydrogel to the substrate is desirable when sowing garden seedlings, whose roots feel very comfortable in a constantly moist environment. The same applies to herbaceous plants with numerous and large leaves, grown from large seeds (, etc.), which grow well and fully bloom only with sufficient moisture. Their strong root system develops very actively and is able to quickly develop the surrounding space; strong roots absorb large amounts of water from the substrate. In these cases, the hydrogel added to the substrate has a very beneficial effect on the development of seedlings at any stage of their development.

Features of using hydrogel for potted plants

If you add dry hydrogel to the pot, which is required in minute quantities (and fractions of grams and grams are very difficult to accurately measure and distribute evenly), then after watering the planted plant there is a high risk of swelling of the soil in the container due to the highly swollen hydrogel. In this case, the hydrogel can greatly move or even dislodge the seedlings from the pot!

Therefore, when planting seedlings in containers, I use only swollen hydrogel, after soaking the dry crystals in water according to the instructions. I carefully mix the substrate with the swollen hydrogel in the recommended proportions so that it is evenly distributed throughout the pot and accessible to the entire root system of the planted plants.

In a pot with drainage holes, at the bottom of which drainage is placed, I pour the bottom layer of a mixture of substrate with swollen hydrogel. I calculate the thickness of this lower layer depending on the height of the root ball of the seedlings and the thickness of the upper layer. I place the required number of seedlings in the pot. I sprinkle the root ball of the seedlings on all sides with the same mixture of substrate and hydrogel, lightly compact it, and water it. Then I add a mixture of substrate and hydrogel almost to the level of the root collar.
Next, some kind of mulch is usually poured into the pot from above, right up to the root collar of the plants. In this case, the topmost mulch layer (mulch or substrate, if mulch is not added) should no longer contain hydrogel. After all, in the light, the hydrogel quickly dries and collapses, ceasing to perform its functions.

Features of using hydrogel for seedlings in open ground

When planting seedlings of flowers and vegetables in open ground, it is also advisable to prepare in advance a mixture of substrate with swollen hydrogel to fill the root system of the seedlings. This is the best option, ensuring uniform saturation of the roots of seedlings with moisture, as well as economical use of hydrogel. However, with a very large number of seedlings being planted and lack of time, this option is not always possible.

Another suitable option for adding hydrogel when planting seedlings is in a swollen form, which is added directly to the planting hole.
I pour hydrogel crystals into a bucket of water. After they swell, using a light plastic spoon with a long handle (from a kitchen set, it does not sink in a bucket of hydrogel), I gradually add the swollen hydrogel both to the bottom of the hole and on the sides - at the bottom of the root ball of the seedling installed in the hole. Then I fill the hole with garden soil and mulch the surface of the earth around the seedling.

The third option for adding hydrogel when planting seedlings is to add dry crystals to the planting hole. This option is the fastest, since it does not require any preparatory work, but it turned out to be less preferable.

Firstly, when applied dry, much more hydrogel is consumed than is required by the plants. Indeed, in field conditions it is unrealistic to measure grams and fractions of a gram of dry hydrogel. Therefore, when planting seedlings, crystals are added “by eye”. In this case, undesirable consequences are possible in the form of swelling of the soil due to too large a volume of hydrogel after swelling of the crystals.

Secondly, if you add dry hydrogel to the bottom of a shallow hole, then when it swells, it can significantly move and even displace the planted plant from the hole, as was already described above for seedlings in pots. Therefore, I do not add dry hydrogel directly to the bottom of the hole, but only lightly sprinkle it on the sides of the lower part of the root ball of the seedling placed in the hole, and then fill the hole with garden soil and lightly compact it.
But even in this case, for small holes there is a very high risk of swelling of the soil around the planted plants after the hydrogel swells. If this happens, it is necessary to immediately remove (above the soil surface and slightly below) the hydrogel that has come out after swelling and use it in another place, and add the required amount of soil to the plant and mulch it.

Planting and replanting garden plants using hydrogel

The use of hydrogel when planting and replanting garden plants allows them to undergo these procedures completely painlessly and quickly take root in a new place. After all, even when digging up a plant completely with a large lump of earth, some of the roots are inevitably damaged.

It is very useful to use hydrogel in cases where significant time passes between digging and planting a plant. It is especially desirable, and sometimes vital, to use a swollen hydrogel to protect the root system from drying out during long-term transportation and shipment of the dug up plant.

I would also like to draw the attention of gardeners to another important point concerning the lives of some garden inhabitants.
Considering the regular use of hydrogel in greenhouses and flower beds, which we mulch with large quantities of mowed lawn grass throughout the entire gardening season, I noticed that this significantly changes the structure of the soil and its nutritional value for plants for the better. As a result of the use of hydrogel and mulch, they multiply very actively in garden soil (and they further increase its fertility).
Under a layer of mulch, in loose, moist soil, they love to hide from the heat (they spend the winter there), which in the evenings go out hunting and destroy in the garden.
Therefore, I try not to dig up the soil and do not pull out the tops by the roots in flower beds and greenhouses, so as not to harm the beneficial inhabitants of the garden hiding in the soil. In the fall, I cut off the tops at ground level, and in the spring, the remains of almost rotted roots can be easily removed from the light soil.

Elena Yurievna Ziborova (Samara)

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Methods of growing seedlings have recently been improved, and many plant growers are trying to experiment. Today we will talk about another unusual method - growing seedlings in hydrogel.

A hydrogel is a polymer that actively absorbs water and at the same time increases in size tens of times. The hydrogel is a white powder consisting of small or large granules. One gram of hydrogel can absorb more than a glass of moisture. It also has a useful property for plant growing - it is able to transfer moisture to plant roots.

Features of the method of growing seedlings in hydrogel

The method of growing seedlings in hydrogel is suitable for cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkin crops (although almost any seedlings can be grown in it: cabbage, lettuce, peas, etc.).

Hydrogel can be purchased at all garden stores. To grow seedlings, you need to choose a hydrogel consisting of small granules. There are also large round granules, but they are not suitable for these purposes.

The hydrogel should be diluted in cold water in the proportion of 1 tablespoon of granules per 1 liter of water. Then the water should be mixed thoroughly. It is advisable to add some kind of complex fertilizer for seedlings to the resulting solution.

After 8-12 hours, the gel will completely absorb water, and a so-called “jelly” will form, which will serve as a soil substitute for seedlings.

Next, the hydrogel is transferred to a container for planting seedlings (for these purposes, you can use simple plastic cups or plastic containers). Vegetable seeds are sown on the surface of the gel in random order. Next, each seed is deepened into the hydrogel mass by 0.2-0.5 cm.

Containers with planted seedlings are covered with a plastic bag and placed in a warm place. In just a few days, shoots will appear.

Advantages of the method

The method of growing seedlings in hydrogel has a number of advantages:

• Well, first of all, it's beautiful. Containers with hydrogel and green shoots have a decorative appearance.
• Seedlings are easy to obtain without damaging the root.
• Seedlings planted in hydrogel are practically not susceptible to diseases such as blackleg.

Mistakes when planting seedlings in hydrogel

Incorrect dosage of water when diluting hydrogel

When properly diluted, the gel mass should be thick, with a jelly-like consistency. But you can’t overdry the hydrogel.

Incorrect seed planting depth

Large seeds deepen by 0.2-0.5 cm, no more. Small seeds are sown on the surface.