Children’s toy for plants? Plant-lover reveals SURPRISING tool for growing indoor plants - “That’s a great idea!”
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Many people enjoy living amongst lush, greenery. They give off such a peaceful and calming ambience in any room and being able to successfully grow one or two can feel rewarding! But growing and maintaining plants can be quite tricky… If you’re still experimenting with gardening, then you’re going to want to consider trying this hack!
Mayang’s indoor jungle. Image Credit: Daily Mail
One mum came across the ultimate trick that helped her indoor plants thrive and it’s all thanks to a popular children’s toy.
Mayang from Brisbane, Queensland, shared how she incorporated Orbeez, the small, water-absorbent balls for kids, into her gardening routine. The surprising tool helped maintain her mature hydroponic plants and grow cuttings.
The mum claimed that the $3 packets of water beads from Amazon not only stimulate root growth but also prevent it from rotting.
“I was doing water only but they all started to rot. Now they are happy which makes me happy,” she said.
She simply pours a packet of Orbeez straight into a container filled with water and waits for them to double in size, which can take up to four hours.
Once they are about the size of a blueberry or a small grape, she takes the water beads and places them into her pots, filling the plant containers halfway.
Then, she pours a tiny amount of water into each pot and lets the small jelly-like toys ‘perform their plant magic’. Easy-peasy!
According to Gardening Mentor, Orbeez are a great growing medium for plants stating: “Water beads are, perhaps, one of the most interesting growing mediums around. Made of a non-toxic super absorbent polymer, the beads eliminate the need for traditional soil.”
“Utilising these beads is simple. Sometimes referred to as hydrogel, water beads can support plants on their own.”
Kevin, the Organic Gardener behind the blog, also confirmed that Orbeez makes regular watering a thing of the past.
“Another huge advantage of using water beads in your pots is that they’re capable of lasting for a long time. Water beads provide slow moisture for your plants. They continue to release water to keep them hydrated.”
“You don’t have to worry about issues like erosion, which is common with traditional soil. As long as you keep the beads hydrated, they’ll continue to nourish your plants.”
Despite the great benefits, some fellow plant-lovers were concerned that the toys would be the perfect host for bacteria, eventually giving off an unpleasant odour.
Orbeez! Image Credit: Walmart; Pinterest
But Mayang insisted that she had not noticed a bad odour and her plants had been resting in the beads for three weeks.
She also revealed she has never had to top up the water level - with the beads maintaining it for her.
The mum’s plant hack left hundreds of users amazed, with many quick to comment on the brilliant idea.
“Great idea. Thank you. I just ordered some” one user shared.
“Interesting. The plants look very happy!” said another.
“That's a great idea! My daughter has some that haven't absorbed water yet so I might have to give this a go.” added a third.
Well, there you have it, folks! All you need to worry about now is keeping your grandkids or pets away from the brightly coloured water beads – they might get tempted to play with them!
What are your thoughts on this hack? Share it with us in the comments!
Can’t picture how to do this yourself for your plants? Watch the video below!
Video Credit: Easy Gardening
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