HERB - this year's gardens and water

[Gaylin Walli]

Speaking of this year's drought-stricken areas, I have to relate
how my pots and garden faired during Pennsic: far better than
I hoped.

I had arranged to have some people stop by occasionally and
check on the plants (mostly new neighbors, who were told to
please please please pick tomatos and keep them). Apparently
no one did, but in all, I appear to have only lost one plant and
really only three total look like they've seriously suffered.

My cinnamon basil in a pot appears to have taken a good hit.
My licorice verbena had all the leaves fall off, but green growth
is coming from the stalk and base, indicating it will survive.
My only casualty is my stevia. Now, I suspect that these three
pots are suffering directly because of cold, rather than lack
of water. I say this because many of my green tomatos are the
same ones that were on the vine when I left for War. Night
temps must not have been warm enough for the plants. The
fruits are starting, but I've not had the deluge you'd expect
from 8 plants as tall as my waist.

Most of my potted plants make use of hyrdosource gel. Mixed
80/20 (potting medium/gel), the plants all seem to go much much
longer between waterings. I've not tried it in the ground yet
this year, but I plant to do so after the growing season is over.

For those of you who are interested in this approach, you may
want to look at the RealGoods website (this is the only place
I've found it so far online, though I've not looked terribly hard):

http://www.realgoods.com/products/indexOut.htm
(Outdoor living section, third graphic down on the left)

Watch Your Plants Flourish While
Watering Only Once A Week

Hydrosource will keep your landscape lush
even in the harshest conditions. This
water-absorbing polymer can store up to 400
times its weight, decreasing water usage and
extending the time between waterings. For
gardens and lawns use 2 to 20 pounds per 1,000
square feet. For potted plants use 1 to 2 ounces
per cubic foot of soil. Lasts eight years or
more. Completely safe, cross-linked
polyacrylamide decomposes into carbon
dioxide, water, and ammonium. USA.

The price is very nice, and the coverage is fantastic. You get a ton
of it in one package (looks small, expands out HUGE).

Cheers,

Jasmine
Iasmin de Cordoba, gwalli at infoengine.com
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