Crystal soil aka orbies?

[HappyHazmat88]

Hi all, so I have a question regarding crystal soil or basically orbies.... Is it possible to use them for a grow? I mean in my head it seems like it would be a complicated cross breed between soil and hydroponic... Like does it hold nutrients.. how often to water...how does the roots hold in the "soil"...do you have to remove the plant for a dry period, if so can the "soil" be reused... I'm fairly new and I'm already experimenting with different things, but this caught my attention when I read it's used to grow plants in space . But before I go out and buy anything I'd like to hear if anyone has tried it or has heard anything?

 

[013]

Water crystals are plant polymers…. never played with them but I can tell you removing a plant from its home is not going to be pretty, that’s gonna dial up the stress and slow down the plant. I‘m sure in reality you just wait for crystals to dry out - right?

Yeah soil & hydro don‘t mix well but that’s why they made coco coir to fill that niche, technically speaking coco is soiless and drain to waste hydro. But hey anything is possible… Bluter and the Hilarious Hempsters here grow killer crops in nothing but perlite and nutes its called hempy or dutch buckets

Since nutes are dissolved in water I’m assuming crystals would pick up some of the nutes…. we are all tuned in tho…run with it and let us know how it goes

 

[Stoned Ape]

I tried it for cuttings once. Failed hard. At least they look cool though.

 

[jokerlola]

I got fascinated with "Plant Gel"a few years ago for decorative house plants. I would ad food coloring and had various house plants in clear vases and they looked cool. You had to use a plant food added to the water like Schultz or Miracle Grow. You basically keep topping off the plant gel with water with the plant food in it as the gel (crystals) dry out.

I've experimented with rooting cannabis cuttings in plant gel but have never been successful. I also put a cannabis plant with good roots from a cloner in a vase of plant get but the plant just died. The roots just couldn't seem to get water from them or something.

Years ago they used to sell a tomato plant kit where you grew a tomato plant in a mylar bag filled with plant gel. You hung the bag on a nail on a fence or somewhere. I never tried it but I wanted to. It must not have worked because I don't see it sold anywhere anymore.

 

[HappyHazmat88]

Water crystals are plant polymers…. never played with them but I can tell you removing a plant from its home is not going to be pretty, that’s gonna dial up the stress and slow down the plant. I‘m sure in reality you just wait for crystals to dry out - right?

Yeah soil & hydro don‘t mix well but that’s why they made coco coir to fill that niche, technically speaking coco is soiless and drain to waste hydro. But hey anything is possible… Bluter and the Hilarious Hempsters here grow killer crops in nothing but perlite and nutes its called hempy or dutch buckets

Since nutes are dissolved in water I’m assuming crystals would pick up some of the nutes…. we are all tuned in tho…run with it and let us know how it goes.

Ok awesome thank you. 013 as you know I'm going cheap and experimental with my small grow. So I have a few more seeds germinating and was contemplating trying each sprout in a different grow medium but all under the same conditions, but so far everyone says it will just kill it lol. So I will avoid those and give the babies a #fairchanceatlife

 

[HappyHazmat88]

I got fascinated with "Plant Gel"a few years ago for decorative house plants. I would ad food coloring and had various house plants in clear vases and they looked cool. You had to use a plant food added to the water like Schultz or Miracle Grow. You basically keep topping off the plant gel with water with the plant food in it as the gel (crystals) dry out.

I've experimented with rooting cannabis cuttings in plant gel but have never been successful. I also put a cannabis plant with good roots from a cloner in a vase of plant get but the plant just died. The roots just couldn't seem to get water from them or something.

Years ago they used to sell a tomato plant kit where you grew a tomato plant in a mylar bag filled with plant gel. You hung the bag on a nail on a fence or somewhere. I never tried it but I wanted to. It must not have worked because I don't see it sold anywhere anymore.

Thank you lol so basically if I want to kill any plant fast use plant gel. I'm honestly just trying different things to grow... So thanks for the personal insight. Most things online about them have basically been a smoke show, I couldn't really find any negative reviews of it.

 

[HappyHazmat88]

I tried it for cuttings once. Failed hard. At least they look cool though.

That's kind of the thought was colored orbies with a low black light for glow... Damn my artsy brain almost made me kill my plant XD

 

[Stoned Ape]

What if the gel or orbies were mixed with perlite. I think it's hard to grow in this stuff because of lack of oxygen around the root. Perlite might trap little bubbles and help out down in the root zone. I think an airstone would be a messy ordeal...

 

[HappyHazmat88]

What if the gel or orbies were mixed with perlite. I think it's hard to grow in this stuff because of lack of oxygen around the root. Perlite might trap little bubbles and help out down in the root zone. I think an airstone would be a messy ordeal

So just spit balling here.... What if the "orbies" or gel had a blend of perlite for spacing and was mixed with some sort of desert sand for succulents? As I know sand will hold water for a little while but sheds it fairly quick, but would also allow enough water to pass through to re moisten the gel and absorb nutrients(added) from water.

 

[jokerlola]

What if the gel or orbies were mixed with perlite. I think it's hard to grow in this stuff because of lack of oxygen around the root. Perlite might trap little bubbles and help out down in the root zone. I think an airstone would be a messy ordeal...

Idk. I’ve tried other plants like basil and mint and they died too. I think it’s works with plants like snake plants, aloe, and many decorative house plants but I’ve no t been able to make it work with more heavy feeders.

 

[Sueet]

Aloe is succulent, I wouldn't go betting on success there, they like it dry.

 

[jokerlola]

Aloe is succulent, I wouldn't go betting on success there, they like it dry.

I’ve never put an aloe plant in it but I’ve seen some in it on the net. I don’t know how well it would do. I have had a snake plant and pothos and a couple of other decorative house plants live in it and they seemed to do well or at least survive.

 

[Sueet]

Yea, pothos and wandering 'dude's can live in anything, or even nothing, lol - getting ready to do a huge purge of wandering things that have gone everywhere over the summer >.>