Aquilegia 'Tequila Sunrise' is soooooo pretty! You'll love it! :) (I'm not enabling, since you have it already! LOL)

I'm in the same boat. Every bit of seed is going to be my last. Then Thursday bought the soil moist from Vesey's and couldn't help but order some asparagus peas, pansies, blushing susie thunbergia and dahlia's, even though there is not enough garden to plant all this stuff in.

Soil moist...from Veseys...

Instead of buying the expensive stuff from Vesey's or a local nursery...if you go to your local grocery store you can buy a jug of the same crystals in the cat litter section. They usually run about $9 for a 3 litre jug. I have used it for years in all my pots.

Brenda

Brenda - I didn't realize you could buy the crystals at grocery stores. I'll have to look for it here. Usually I just buy Soil Moist crystals at the nurseries. Marg

Thanks for the tip Brenda, too late for this order but I'm sure to need more than I've ordered. I mostly container garden anyways and last year the constant watering was a chore.

Brenda,
When using the crystals, how do you judge how much to add to the pots? How precise does this need to be?

Marg, you will notice a HUGE difference in price when you go to buy the cat litter crystals. Also, for anyone buying new shoes...the little packages that are in the boxes are also the same crystals. They are pretty small packages, but I keep and use them anyways.

I just throw a handful of crystals in as I mix the soil. No precise amount, too much or too little, as it isn't a fertilizer and won't burn or damage your plants. Just til there are 'enough' white crystals in the soil.

I guess it would be like asking your grandma for the family recipe...a little of this and a little of that.

I don't know if anyone has done any experimenting with the crystals to know the correct or ideal amount to add per litre of soil.

Brenda

I also have been using the crstals and I love them. I had a problem the first time I used them, I put them to close to the top of the soil and way to many and had what looked like clear jello all over the top of the soil. What a mess that was.

So I now have come up with the formula of about 1 tsp for a gal pot. AND I DON'T Mix it, I keep in in the bottom then add the soil. Seems that is where the roots are anyway.

There are several brands on the market and with a quick search I came up with this one
http://www.rambridge.com/info/magic2/maghow.html

I also found the pattern to make the neck coolies using these for ceeping cool in the summer.

Karyn

Here is a link that might be useful: water crystals

Thanks for the hints on how much of the crystals to use. I would probably have way over-done it. Will have to give it a try, especially for those smaller pots that seem to dry out constantly.