If Your Houseplants Are Often Drying Out, Experts Say It’s Time You Start Using ‘Water Crystals'

Unlike humans, plants aren't dramatic when they desperately need something. A purple begonia will not grunt or groan when agitated. A burgundy-hued rubber plant will not roll its eyes when dehydrated. A bright yellow peace lily will not jump out of the pot whenever it needs more water. However, they turn dry and droopy, donning an unhappy color if they're stripped of hydration. Most plants are sensitive and require a consistent water supply to survive, thrive, and be happy. For gardeners who lack time to water their beloved plants, horticulturist Amy Enfield suggested “slow-release water-retaining crystals,” as per Real Simple.

What are water-storing crystals?

Much like the colorful kids’ jelly bead toy Orbeez, water-storing crystals are little bulbous chunks of man-made polymers designed to hold large amounts of water, explained Enfield, who works at Scotts Miracle-Gro. Known by names like “watering crystals,” “water retention granules,” “water beads,” and “hydro orbs,” water crystals are like tiny sponges that help with the proper integration of water in the soil by keeping the plants hydrated.

These crystals are made of the same material as bandages, wound dressings, sanitary diapers, and disposable baby nappies. “They are sometimes referred to as hydrogels and are normally made of polyacrylamide," Enfield revealed. "Before they've absorbed water, they are small, white granules that resemble sugar crystals.” Picture tiny crystalline water banks embedded in the soil, which makes your plants grow, quite similar to what coconut fibers do.

Are water crystals effective?

Enfield said yes. Not only do these crystals increase the water-holding capacity of your plants, but they also protect them from scorching sandstorms and prolonged periods of drought while making the soil more fertile. “They can even increase soil aeration from their repetitive expansion and contraction,” Enfield explained. While these squishy, slow-release water crystals sit in the dark garden bed, they subtly and gradually enhance the fertility of the soil, which makes the plants and flowers growing in it thrive and remain healthy.

Michelle Ryan from Western Sydney University explained in The Conversation that one sugar-crystal-sized water crystal binds the water-holding molecules in chains, which makes the crystal swell, creating a three-dimensional gel network up to 300 times its original size. This gluey network of molecules slowly disintegrates, releasing water little by little and wetting both the soil and the plant over 5 to 6 years. Experts at Gardening Know How described that these crystals can hold as much as 300 to 400 times their weight in liquid.

Where should gardeners use water crystals?

Enfield shared that water crystals are best used for indoor and outdoor container plantings, including hanging baskets, window boxes, raised beds, terraces, balconies, and in-ground gardens. Where you use them also determines how effective they will be in plant growth and soil quality. Well-draining soils, for example, get the best results from water crystals, in addition to garden beds with sandy, fast-draining soil versus heavy clay soils

Which plants benefit the most from water crystals?

According to Enfield, container-grown plants derive the most benefit from water crystals, mainly because these plants prefer consistently moist soil, are sensitive to drought stress, or have a high-water demand. This includes plants like ferns, impatiens, hydrangeas, petunias, and vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers. However, for other drought-tolerant or desert-adapted plants, like succulents, cacti, snake plant, or Mediterranean herbs like lavender or rosemary, the crystals might not be as effective, because consistently damp soil will threaten their roots for rotting or waterlogging.