North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Mark_Bugaieski@rlicorp.com]

This product was originally developed right here in Peoria, IL at the USDA
Ag Lab.  It was corn-based and completely safe (even edible).  I don't know
if I'd trust what Pampers may have added to it.  I do know some wholesale
nurseries use it as a slurry to dip roots into as they plant; but I've
never seen efficacy studies.

Mark

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 23:33:59 -0500
From: list@ginda.us
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] water absorbing gel
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <B512A280-4581-11D8-AC8B-00039312C3A0@ginda.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I've gotten free samples with mail-order bareroot strawberries I'd
bought.  All of my transplants survived, but maybe they would have
anyway.  The agri-gel has much smaller pieces than disposable diapers,
but diapers are cheaper, if you or a friend is using them anyway.  (A
whole pack of diapers was comparable to a little bottle last time I
looked.)

Ginda

On Jan 12, 2004, at 2:29 PM, Michael Glassford wrote:

> I haven't tried it, but Fedco carries a brand called Agri-gel in their
> 2004
> Trees catalog (page 23).
>
> Mike
>
>
> Mark Lee wrote:
>> I have been reading about the use of water absorbing polymer gels as
>> a way
>> of helping plants through drought conditions.  This material is
>> similar to
>> what goes into disposable diapers that makes them so absorbant.  We
>> get alot
>> of rain in Seattle except in the summer.  I would like to do an
>> experiment
>> this summer to see if adding these polymer gel crystals to the soil
>> will
>> help my raspberry plants get by with less watering during the dry
>> summer
>> months.
>>
>> I would be intersted in hearing about a good place to order water
>> absorbing
>> polymer gel, and about any experiences growing fruit with the help of
>> this
>> material.
>> -Mark Lee, Seattle