Allotments 4 All

A strange occurence has occurred on me lottie.  A strange transparent jelly (just like the jelly you get at kids' birthday parties - but transparent) has appeared extensively on the surface of a recently dug over patch.
Has this anything to do with the fact that I dumped the contents of OH's old hanging baskets, grobags, troughs etc, a couple of weeks before ready for the worms to do the business.
Has anyone else been visited or is it a West Country extension of that crop circle thing?

did the hanging baskets contain some of the water retaining crystals, they're like jelly,  :)

Have checked with OH. Its most likely there were some water retaining capsules in there but.............. no jelly. Most strange........

Could be some kind of mould growth.  I believe there are some which do a convincing impression of ectoplasm. 

 ???
New one on me....
;D

I would say it is the water retaining crystals, they are like the stuff in disposable nappies, hit moisture and swell! :o
Have had it before in the past, when I didn't realise I had them in my compost, looks very weird! ;D

I have some of the same stuff on top of my 'Potatoes in Bags' - and I too used the contents of Growbags - I think the crystals must join together over time and move to the top...

Thanks, guys, seems like the water retainers take the rap for this one.
Anyone got any idea if it is ok to dig it in or should it be removed?
And if it needs to go, where does it go? Surely not the compost..........

I believe they're biodegradable

Spread it around may save you watering too much in the summer.
Good for the runner bean trench?

Thought I remembered a previous thread on this subject : http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/smf/index.php?topic=18732.msg193969#msg193969

If I remember correctly the water gell used for pots can last in the ground for up to 5 years?

Its not nessesarily water retaining gell. I lifted one of my rhubarb crowns to divide it yesterday and found a strange jelly like substance over the top of one of the buds. the bud seemed ok underneath (no decay) so couldnt explain the 'jelly' away as a biproduct of rotting or other decay.

GC,  the 'jelly' around rhubarb crowns is a sugary output from the plant itself & normal.  The water retaining gel phenomenon is clumps of gel where pots have been turned out.

Teresa. superb suggestion - the bean trench. If it ever dries out down here, thats where its gonna go......... thank you.

Ageing Rocker your welcome,
also a mulch of grass cuttings or anything help conserve moisture in the soil for them, found out this year when we went on holiday.
Runners did not suffer at all.

Quote from: teresa on November 29, 2006, 23:20:43
If I remember correctly the water gell used for pots can last in the ground for up to 5 years?

I have  load of this stuff that came with my new lawn turf. I used it but had to remove it. I now have a pile of the stuff all swelled up and ready to use, somewhere. I have dug some into an area i replanted, but that was back before all this rain arrived. I could do the same else where but it seems daft adding something to make wet soil even wetter!

Interesting.
My mother in law phoned during the summer saying her lawn was covered in the stuff. I thought that poor drainage was the cause.
Last year & this year an area, which is not used, on one of my allotments was covered in it. I thought that it was exuding from an overhanging female ash. I had a rethink - could be a poor drainage phenomena?