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Home Gardeners

Advice for all your growing needs...

Here you can find all the information required for home grown plants.

Click on the links below to quickly jump to your item:

Hanging Baskets
Patio Pots
Window Boxes
Grow Bags
Houseplants & Conservatory Plants
Vegetable Plots & Runner Beans
Borders & Bedding
Shrub Planting
Tree Planting
Hedge Planting
Turf/Grass Laying

Hanging Baskets

With a highly populated amount of plants in a relatively small amount of growing media, competition for water and nutrients is high.

SwellGel helps to maintain adequate water supplies and drastically reduces watering frequencies whilst providing an environment for improved plant  growth.

Application

• Mix with compost at planting up stage – mix dry granules into bottom ¾ of basket compost or add to compost as a pre-mix.
• Water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

Rates

15-25cm (6-10in) diameter ....... 1-2 scoops
30-40cm (12-16in) diameter ..... 3-4 scoops
45-60cm (18-24in) diameter ..... 5-6 scoops
Or 1-2 scoops for every 10 litres of compost

Already planted hanging baskets:

• Make a number of holes in the compost and add SwellGel as directed in the rates above.
• Place ½ scoop measures of SwellGel into each hole.

1 scoop = approx 5g

Top Tip

Put circle of plastic approx 12” diameter in bottom of basket next to moss/liner, pierce with a few holes. Add the 1 pint of gel then add compost as per the rate above to ¾ fill the basket, plant up as required and top basket with compost containing no SwellGel (as plants do not need it here).

After a few weeks the plants will have grown into the gel reservoir and the plants will colonise the gel. Watering frequencies will be greatly reduced and water retention will be ultimately increased.

Patio Pots

With a highly populated amount of plants in a relatively small amount of growing media, competition for water and nutrients is high.

SwellGel helps to maintain adequate water supplies and drastically reduces watering frequencies whilst providing an environment for improved plant growth.

Application

• Fill the tub ¾ full of compost and mix SwellGel granules into compost (see rates below).
• Top up the tub with untreated compost.
• Water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

The plant roots will automatically grow down into the moist compost and make full use of the water reservoirs. Watering frequencies will be greatly reduced and water retention will be ultimately increased.

Rates

15-25cm (6-10in) diameter ....... 1-2 scoops
30-40cm (12-16in) diameter ..... 3-4 scoops
45-60cm (18-24in) diameter ..... 5-6 scoops
Or 1-2 scoops for every 10 litres of compost

Already planted pots and containers:

• Make a number of holes in the compost (you can use a pencil or garden cane) and add SwellGel as directed in the rates above.
• Place ½ scoop measures of SwellGel into each hole.

1 scoop = approx 5g

Top Tip

For terracotta pots an inner lining of plastic around the sides can help reduce evaporation through the pot walls

Window Boxes

With a highly populated amount of plants in a relatively small amount of growing media, competition for water and nutrients is high.

SwellGel helps to maintain adequate water supplies and drastically reduces watering frequencies whilst providing an environment for improved plant growth.

Application

• Fill the window box ¾ full of compost and mix appropriate amount of dry SwellGel into compost (see rates below).
• Top up the tub with untreated compost.
• Water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

The plant roots will automatically grow down into the moist compost and make full use of the water reservoirs. Watering frequencies will be greatly reduced and water retention will be ultimately increased.

Rates

Per 30cm (12in) in length ....... 2 scoops
Or 1-2 scoops for every 10 litres of compost

1 scoop = approx 5g

Grow Bags

By incorporating SwellGel granules into grow bags water retention is greatly improved as grow bags are notorious for drying out, thus helping to keep fruits from splitting such as cucumbers and tomatoes.

Application

• Cut out holes for plant stations and before planting mix 2-3 scoops of dry SwellGel into soil around each planting station ensuring as good a blend as possible.

• Water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

1 scoop = approx 5g

Houseplants and Conservatory Plants

SwellGel helps maintain adequate water supplies and drastically reduces watering frequencies whilst providing an environment for improved plant growth. Furthermore, by reducing the necessary watering frequency SwellGel ensures that houseplants require less watering and can therefore be left unattended for certain periods of time i.e. holidays etc.

Application

• Incorporate dry SwellGel granules into the compost at a rate of ¼ scoop per litre of compost and re-pot the plants into the new improved mix.
• Water well to fully charge the SwellGel granules.
• Where re-potting is not possible use a pencil or garden cane to make evenly distributed holes throughout the compost and sprinkle dry SwellGel granules into each hole using table below as a guide.
• Cover holes with compost.
• Water well, twice, at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

The plant roots will automatically grow down into the moist compost and make full use of the water reservoirs. Watering frequencies will be greatly reduced and water retention will be ultimately increased.

Rates

Pot size (diameter)
15-20cm ....... 1-2 scoops ....... 4 holes
30-40cm ....... 3-4 scoops ....... 6 holes
45-60cm ....... 5-6 scoops ....... 8 holes
Or 1-2 scoops for every 10 litres of compost

Already planted pots and containers:

• Make a number of holes in the compost (you can use a pencil or garden cane) and add SwellGel as directed in the rates above.
• Place ½ scoop measures of SwellGel into each hole.

1 scoop = approx 5g

Vegetable Plots & Runner Beans

Application

For season long benefit:

Treat the whole vegetable plot at a rate of up to 100g/m² of dry SwellGel (approx 15-20 scoops) and incorporate into the top 20cm prior to planting, this will ensure plenty of moisture is held at the root zone.

To assist germination and early growth:

Incorporate 2 scoops of dry SwellGel per metre run of seed drill and gently work into top 5cm of soil. This will aid germination and help prevent soil capping.

To assist transplant establishment:

For bare root transplants such as cabbages/strawberries simply make a planting hole and mix ½ scoop of dry SwellGel into each planting station. This will help to reduce transplant shock.

Runner Beans:

Excavate a trench and half fill with desired mix (e.g. compost, manure) then sprinkle 1 scoop of dry SwellGel onto the surface for each plant/cane and mix well. Back fill the trench and repeat as above.

This will ensure thorough incorporation within the root zone helping to keep a good air content and ample supplies of water available to the plant.

1 scoop = approx 5g

In all cases water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

Borders & Bedding

Flower beds

Application

For large exposed beds sprinkle up to 100g/m² of dry SwellGel (approx 15-20 scoops) and incorporate into the top 20cm prior to planting, this will ensure plenty of moisture is held at the root zone.

Alternatively simply make a planting hole and mix ½ scoop of dry SwellGel into each planting station.

1 scoop = approx 5g

In both cases after planting water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge SwellGel granules.

Shrub Planting

Planting shrubs

Application

For container grown plants, excavate a planting hole double the size of the root ball and incorporate dry SwellGel granules thoroughly into backfill mix.

Rates

Container size
Up to 5 Litres .... 1 scoop (5g) ........ 20 x 20 x 20cm planting hole
Up to 10 Litres .. 2 scoops (10g) ... 25 x 25 x 25cm planting hole
Over 20 Litres ... 3 scoops (15g) ... 30 x 30 x 30cm planting hole

1 scoop = approx 5g

After planting water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge SwellGel granules.

Already established shrubs:

Place your garden fork about 15cm away from original planting position and push it into the ground as deep as it will go. Move backwards and forwards to create 4 holes around the root area. Repeat this process as many times as necessary (and maybe a second outer ring, if well established plants are to be treated). Pour ½ scoop of dry SwellGel granules down each hole followed by a small amount of water to wash the granules downward. Once all holes are treated apply sufficient water to ensure SwellGel granules are fully charged. Within a short period of time new plant roots will colonise the columns of SwellGel.

Tree Planting

Tree Planting

Application

Excavate a planting hole double the size of the root ball and incorporate dry SwellGel granules thoroughly into backfill mix.

Rates

Planting hole size
30cm x 30cm x30cm .... 5 scoops (25g)
45cm x 45cm x 30cm ... 12 scoops (60g)
45cm x 45cm x 45cm ... 18 scoops (90g)

1 scoop = approx 5g

After planting water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge SwellGel granules.

Already established trees:

Place your garden fork about 15cm away from original planting position and push it into the ground as deep as it will go. Move backwards and forwards to create 4 holes around the root area. Repeat this process as many times as necessary (and maybe a second outer ring, if well established plants are to be treated). Pour ½ scoop of dry SwellGel granules down each hole followed by a small amount of water to wash the granules downward. Once all holes are treated apply sufficient water to ensure SwellGel granules are fully charged. Within a short period of time new plant roots will colonise the columns of SwellGel.

Hedge Planting

Hedge planting

Young hedge plants usually come as whips or small transplants with little root systems. Often these plants are transplanted into areas where watering is not possible or practical. The incorporation of SwellGel into the planting hole/notch can make the difference between success or failure of the plants.

Application

Dig a notch and add 1 scoop (5g) of SwellGel dry granules per plant/whip. Back fill and water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge SwellGel granules.

Turf/Grass Laying

Laying turf in a garden

Turf has the inherent problem of drying out very quickly and therefore requires constant watering. By using SwellGel as part of your turf laying project the SwellGel granules will hold a large reservoir of water at the roots. After watering these reservoirs will be available to support and help the turf establish and grow.

Application - Turf

Prepare the top soil for the turf. Just before laying out the turf sprinkle 50–100g/m² onto the soil surface. Lay the turf as normal and water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

Continue to water as necessary.

Application - Grass Seed

Just before sowing the grass seed sprinkle 50–100g/m² onto the soil surface and work into the top 15/20cm of top soil. Rake the surface and sow the grass seed. Water well twice at 1 hour intervals to fully charge the SwellGel granules.

Continue to water as necessary.