i dont know if anyones posted this before...or thought of it for that matter but i find it useful-hope you do too!
you know those expensive water retaining granules that you mix with your compost?
well.....instead of them try using wood pellet cat litter(unused!!!)we buy 30 litre sacks(size of a bag of compost)for £6 .
use it as you would the granules-saves a heap of money and when you empty the container after the growing season the wood adds to your compost !
kitty ;D
Not sure I understand water retention granules.
If they keep water in the granule, can the plant get it?
Does the compost dry out around the granule? Or does the granule release water into the compost, which then evaporates it into the air??
Or does it simply hold more water than the compost? So can we do away with the compost?
Do you see my problem, or is it just me?
What a good idea Kitty, thanks, think I'll give it a try. Have often looked at the water retaining granules but in the end thought, no I wont bother, they're too expensive. ;D
MM
Used the granules in the hanging baskets last year and found a big improvement in the plants. I often have to water twice a day and its still not enough so the granules really helped. Think I might trial some, half granules half cat litter. Does it matter what sort of litter ..Are they all wood pellet or can you get other stuff? I don't have a cat OH will think I've finally flipped. ;D
clayhithe-i havent got a clue how they work-i spose the little roots wiggle up to the granule and slurp..once they are full f water i expect its like a sponge-it can take no more water in...but,thinking about it.....does it suck the moisture out the compost?
hmmmmmm ??? but i have always had the impression that they arent very environmentally friendly-they look like they are made of something nasty-and wood pellets do the same job but better(i think so any way!)for anyone who doesn't need quite that amount(30 litres)share with a chum or there are 2.5 litre bags available-
val-you havent got a cat???
you dont know what you're missing!!!
anyway-yes-there are lots of varieties of cat litter-you want the wood pellets(not the crunchy clay sort or the paper pellets)they are a by product of the wood industry-they are the nicest smelling of cat litters(before..ahem!..use)and bio degradable...supermarket(kitty spits vehemently)arecheapest-pet ity or local pet shop
what the brand name of the cat litter you are using? quite fancy giving it a go :)
its
'mayfield'environmentally friendly woodbased cat litter-blooming great sack-last ages!
kitty ;D
Wilkos do it. Has anyone tried cat litter box liners as drip trays for seed trays? they work well and are chea[ too.
Wow this sounds great ;D what a Thrifty Cunning Kitty you are. ;DÂ I am assuming you mean perlite or vermiculite when referring to these granules? I use these quite allot with seeds and top dress as mulch. 8)
Thanks for sharing ;)
yes baggy, I've got several old cat litter trays I use for when I've put seedlings into individual pots. really great and much tougher than anything you can buy at garden centres. still have one for merlin of course ;D
MM
roy-i am indeed a thrifty cunning kitty! ;Dpurrr!
but no-not perlite or vermiculite-they are both reasonably cheap and aerate the soil in a pot
...these water retaining granules i am talking about are made of...what? ???i dunno-but they swell when water touches them and you mix them with your potting compost in hanging baskets and the like-i think one proprietory name is'swel-gel'..very expensive to my mind-and my clean cat litter is a much cheaper alternative..
baggi-i also use old cat trays to 'hold together' those soft papery bio pots-.
another thing i use-because we have quite a few cats, the 12 x pouch boxes as seed trays...cut down,with an old plastic bag underneath and an elastic band to hold it in place-they last long enough to get to the 'potting on stage
another top tip...use your cat as a feet warmer in bed in the winter months!our freddys ace at toasting toes! ;D
Quote from: kitty on April 12, 2005, 19:27:25
roy-i am indeed a thrifty cunning kitty! ;Dpurrr!
but no-not perlite or vermiculite-they are both reasonably cheap and aerate the soil in a pot.
And also retain moisture, just read this off a Google Link..."Essentially perlite and vermiculite are used in the horticultural industry because they both provide aeration and drainage, they can retain and hold substantial amounts of water and later release it as needed, they are sterile and free from diseases, they have a fairly neutral pH (especially perlite which is neutral), and they are readily available, non-toxic, safe to use, and relatively inexpensive."
I am still considering the alternative of wood cat litter ;)
No, I meant the plastic bag litter tray liners. Like shortened bin liners. You can srunch more into them and home made containers (recycled yog pots etc) seem to fit better as the liners do not have rigid sides. My cat won't warm my feet or sit on my lap. He's too stuck up.
baggy..we only have very common cats -very basic they are...lots of burping after a meal.....breaking wind in front of the vicar-that sort of thing-embarrassing really,but they swear they've learned these habits from my OH.....
i can believe it... :(
roy-i didn't know that-i thought verm. and perl, were just for aerating.....i put perlite in as well.....well,it cant hurt can it? :)
kitty
Hi Kitty, no can't have a cat, they make me itch and sneeze and my dog wouldn't approve one bit , she's already had one big black cat chase her....well it wouldn't run when she barked at it so she tried running towards it....she ran home faster... ;D
Kitty, don't get me wrong, my pedigree puss (rescued - I wanted a ginger) wears more catfood than he eats and is rather gaseous, but wouldn't deign to sit on your lap. Ooh noo, why grace the human with your presence when you can sit on telly or in their seat.
val-big black cat?
that sounds like our shop cat betty!she'll chase and eat any canine-and always wins! ;D
baggy
awww...he sounds a charmer! ;)
gaseous you say? :omaybe its just as well he wont sit on your knee!!!!!!!! ;D
Think in a conflict between cat and dog, my money is on the cat any day. Strange I was saying to OH if you left a cat to fend for itself it would and quickly turn wild, not so a dog.
Very true Val, a cat is unlikely to starve if left to fend for itself but when it comes to a conflict between a dog and a cat, the cat isn't always the winner. I know of two people who've had their cat killed by a dog and one of mine could so have easily been. Not by our dog I hasten to add.
Very sad when folk encourage and train their dogs to go after cats, when they can be such friends.
MM
Yes MM I have heard of one case but that was a greyhound and obviously they are trained to run after the chase. It was an ex track dog.It is sad when that happens its always someones pet. I was thinking of normal silly mutts like mine...no she's not silly she's just an old softy, she won't even chase the birds unless they are moving first. but does go mad at the squirrel.A cat stuck its head in the car door window...it was in the arm of a friend , she just looked out the other window as if to say I can't see you.
Ah bless her Val. We've also got a silly mutt but he will see off cats if they're in his and Merlin's garden but if they stopped, turned and faced him he wouldn't do anything, infact he probably would run in doors very quickly. ;D
But I know a doctor who had 2 of her cats killed by a neighbours lurcher and my OH, when he was in his teens, their family cat was killed by a Labrador cross. But I still believe that more often than not it's done to the owners.
MM
My lab/collie cross learned very quickly to be afraid, very afraid of my two cats - while they were wary of the dog when we first got her (rescued two years ago) they soon learned that one hiss or a peek of a claw and the dog would stay well clear. Now, the cats will saunter past the dog and pinch the water out of her bowl and she just stands there looking both bewildered and resigned!
I think with most dogs, if the cat runs the dog chases, if the cat stays still the dog will be wary.
Well I've bought the cat litter. Wood based Tesco's own premium. Will that one do? Its probably a lot more expensive than yours but certainly cheaper than the retaining gel if it works. Does it release the water if the soil is a bit dry?...I'm hoping so if not...err does anyone want any cat litter? ;D
that'll be fine val-i see that morrisons do a small bag for 1.69..it doesn't so much 'release ' the water as hold it there-put a drop of water on a pellet and see what happens-then you'll see how it'll work in your compost!
best of luck with i!
kitty ;D
Oh yes I'm with you, so it keeps the compost dampish. I haven't opened it yet I've yet to do the hanging baskets, but will get around to it hopefully this week.
yes-basically-if you use the wood stuff for its intended ahem!...use..in the tray-then when its ..erm...'wet' it dissolves into sawdust-but in the confines of compost in pots it should reatain most of its shape and be a sawdust shaped 'blob' full of moisture-of course-this cant be verified cos if you dig around in there you disturb it all so you dont know what shape it was!
anyway-it really works!and thats the main thing!
kitty :D
I'm all for trying...our summers are so dry I'll try anything to retain moisture.Sometimes 3 times a day isn't enough for the hanging baskets and the water butts quickly run dry. Just one thing I wonder if it can be used in the veggie pots. I think I'll have to have a read and see if it contains chemicals.Although I'm sure it said a natural product.
MM I've posted a pic on the pic gallery of our fierce beast ... ;D...about to run from a blackbird. Its not very clear...a photographer I ain't ;)
val-all the ones i've seen or used are organic-i dont think we want chemicals near our furry darlins bottys! ;D
but do check!
no reason to not use it in the veg patch...buy it in bulk tho! ;)
Well I don't have a veg patch no room but I do have loads of pots and grow the veg in there. So I'll check it out and see if I can use it in the pots. Thanks Kitty. I'll keep you posted on results. ;D