Instead of soil, I have used crystal soil as the growing medium for this tabletop garden – Ocean Breeze.  Crystal soil makes good home decorations.  It involves no dirt, is pest free, and easy in maintenance.  And with food coloring, you can make the clear crystal soil beans in any color . . . → Read More: Tabletop Garden – Ocean Breeze]]>

Instead of soil, I have used crystal soil as the growing medium for this tabletop garden – Ocean Breeze.  Crystal soil makes good home decorations.  It involves no dirt, is pest free, and easy in maintenance.  And with food coloring, you can make the clear crystal soil beans in any color you want.

I have used many marbles and stones in different sizes and shapes for this tabletop garden.

I bought this pot of palm for HKD 20 (around USD 2.50), and there were like 10 small palm plants

Before potting the plant in the garden container with crystal soil, I first needed to wash away the dirt and clean the roots of the plant.   Check here to find out how to pot a plant with crystal soil.

I had to be extra careful when cleaning the roots of the nerve plants.  The roots were very thin and holding onto the soil pretty tight.  It took me quite some time and patience to free the roots from the dirt.

Want to make this tabletop garden? Check out the post – The Remake of Tabletop Garden – Ocean Breeze

Put a teaspoon of crystal soil into a container.

Add water and soak them for a few hours according to the instruction on the package. I always add more than enough water for I will . . . → Read More: How to Pot a Plant with Crystal Soil]]> Here, let me show you how to pot a plant with crystal soil (aka soil moist).

Put a teaspoon of crystal soil into a container.

Add water and soak them for a few hours according to the instruction on the package. I always add more than enough water for I will drain any excess water with a strainer afterwards. If you use clear crystal soil and want some color crystal beads, you can add food coloring now.

Pour the crystal soil into a strainer and drain off any excess water

Both of these crystal soil beads are fully saturated.  Their sizes are different because they are crystal soil of different brands.  I mixed the two to pot my plants here.

Wash away the soil and clean the roots of the plant. Trim off roots that are too long. Do this gently to avoid from damaging the roots.

Put crystal soil into a container and gently insert your plant into the crystal soil.

The plant on the left is not potted with crystal soil, but only water, another easy way for growing plants.  Check here to learn more about hydroculture.

Other Notes on Potting Plants with Crystal Soil

• The plant that is newly potted into the crystal soil may grow slowly at first, for it needs some time to adjust to the new environment.

• It is better to use fresh filtered or distilled water. The clearer and more purified the water, the more a crystal soil bead can absorb.

• Add fresh water whenever you see the crystal soil beads shrink to half its size. If all the water has not been absorbed by the crystal soil after an hour, it has been overwatered. Drain out the excess water to avoid it from developing any unpleasant odor.

• If the crystal soil looks dirty or smells bad, simply rinse them with tap water. Once they are clean and drained, they are ready for use again.

• If your plant needs food, you can add liquid fertilizer when you water your plant.

Back to the main page – What is Crystal Soil?

I have asked other gardeners . . . → Read More: Using Crystal Soil as Soil Additive]]> We simply add a small amount of crystal soil (aka soil moist) into the potting soil. In this case, the crystal soil is a soil additive for potted plants. Crystal soil functions as a water storage that retains moisture around the plant’s roots, constantly nourishes the plant with water.

I have asked other gardeners in different gardening forums, and it seems that the gardeners in the U.S. (and probably in other western countries as well) uses crystal soil only as a soil additive. Unlike what we have in Hong Kong, crystal soil is only in one color and shape – plain off-white, round beads.

While crystal soil is helpful in protecting plants from drought, there is a caveat, it seems. If the potting soil has been dried out to a certain point, the crystal soil beads in the container may actually compete with the roots and suck the remaining moisture out of the soil, making the situation even worse.

Back to the main page – What is Crystal Soil?

Crystal soil (a.k.a. soil moist) is water absorbent polymer beads, which can absorb and hold up to 80-150 times of its volume of water for a long period of time. As a reservoir, crystal soil stores water and releases the water whenever the plant needs it.

Crystal soil can be used . . . → Read More: What is Crystal Soil?]]>

Crystal soil (a.k.a. soil moist) is water absorbent polymer beads, which can absorb and hold up to 80-150 times of its volume of water for a long period of time. As a reservoir, crystal soil stores water and releases the water whenever the plant needs it.

Crystal soil can be used for potted plants, both indoor and outdoor. It is non-toxic, odor free, and environmentally safe. It appears that while gardeners around the world know crystal soil and use it as a soil additive for potted plants, only those in Asian countries use crystal soil alone as a beautiful growing medium in clear containers.

More Posts on Crystal Soil

Using Crystal Soil as Soil Additive
Using Crystal Soil as Growing Medium
How to Pot a Plant with Crystal Soil
Suitable Plants for Crystal Soil