what is the force that moves water through the sponge

How can you put polymers to work in your garden? It is quite expensive but a little goes a long way. It eventually breaks down into harmless elements and is considered as such by the EPA. It is a particularly long-lasting, sophisticated, cross-linked acrylamide copolymer that works for five to 10 years, depending on the soil. Home gardeners will find that Broadleaf P4 Water Storing Granules is the most widely available polymer.

It doesn’t percolate down, it doesn’t evaporate up.

This is how polymers save water-you aren’t really giving the plants less water, it just lasts longer in the soil because it is entrapped. In all of these cases, water that formerly ran down through the soil-past the roots-or out of the bottom of the pot, was instead stored in the polymers, at least some of it. Some premium potting soils will soon contain polymers because their usefulness is well established. In pots, polymers retain water without impeding drainage. Home gardeners have discovered that plants that like more water than others, such as fuchsias, delphiniums and even roses, do better when planted with polymers because they have more water to draw upon, at least for a few years.Ĭontainer gardeners are the most excited however, because they don’t have to water nearly as often. He has found that they only have to water half as often as before on areas where polymers have been added to the soil. Public agencies, including Caltrans and a number of Southern California cities, have found that the survival rate of newly planted trees, shrubs and even lawns goes up considerably when polymers are added to the soil at planting time.Īt the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia, polymers are being used in the backfill that goes into the planting holes for trees and shrubs.īill Raymond, public works superintendent for the city of Cypress, reports similar results-better survival of new plants, faster initial growth and less water used. If you forget to irrigate, don’t water on time or water erratically, these little reservoirs are there for the roots to draw upon.

In the garden, this stored water is like an insurance policy, or water in the bank. Roots quickly find the polymers and actually grow into them. Add water and they swell up considerably (enough to pop a plant out of a pot if you use too much), and they store this water until the plant’s roots take it out.

What is the force that moves water through the sponge