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

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.

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

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.