Earthcare Water Crystals are a water retainer that, when incorporate into a soil or potting media, absorb and retain large quantities of water and water-soluble nutrients. Unlike most products that become hydrated Earthcare Water Crystals have the property of easily releasing the absorbed water and nutrients, thereby allowing the plant to have water and nutrients available at will.
An Earthcare Water Crystal is a range of super absorbent anionic polyacrylamide polymers. They are crossedlinked copolymers of acrylamide and acrylate that are water insoluble. These crystals have the ability to absorb up to 500 times their weight in water with 95% of this water and nutrient readily available for the plant to take it up when it is needed. The crystals are non toxic and have an effectiveness in the soil for up to 5 years.
Earthcare Water Crystals Benefits in Brief:
- Faster establishment -: water and nutrients are readily available when the
plant needs it to reduce transplant shock and aid in plant establishment. - Increased survival rate -: the crystal acts like a reservoir to retain water and
nutrients for extended periods between rain or irrigations. - Water saving -: there is a reduction of up to 50% in the amount of water
needed to be applied to the plants. - Labour cost saving -: water frequencies are reduced by up to 50%.
- Reduced leaching -: a cost saving in the order of 15% to 30% on fertiliser have been observed.
- Reduction in ground water contamination -: less nutrients are flushed into the ground water.
| Application Rates | |
|---|---|
| Tree Planting | 5grams per 5 litres of backfill mixed through the loose soil |
| Garden Beds | 25grams per sq. metre mixed through the soil bed |
| Pots & Containers | 10 grams per 10 litres of potting mix |
| Potting Mix | 750 grams per cubic metre of peat/bark based mix |
| Turf | 10-20 grams per sq. metre spread evenly over a prepared surface |
| Pre-Hydrated Crystal | 10 grams of crystals mixed into 1 litres of water |
| Pre-Hydrated Crystal | 100 grams of Crystals, 20ml Seasol (Commercial) mixed into 10 litres of water |