Diapers for Gardening
(Source: King of Random on YouTube)
Diapers for Gardening
Diapers for gardening? Those are three words I never thought I would say in the same sentence. I just watched an amazing YouTube video on how you can use the inside fiber of a diaper to help you plants grow!
I’m a huge fan of anything surrounding the talk of gardening. If you’ve been a long time reader you’ve seen our Cinder Block Raised Garden Bed go viral last Spring. It’s already on the rise again this year! That idea started with my then 8 year old daughters love for gardening and me not wanting to mess up my yard.
As our love for gardening continues, we found this fascinating video from “The King of Random” on YouTube. Check it out:
Ah-mazing right?! Who would have thought you could use a diaper in your soil to help with watering?
Apparently the “gel” is a chemical absorbent called Sodium Polyacrylate. It can absorb over 200 to 300 times it’s own size in water, and hold it in a gooey gel form. Did you know that you can buy Sodium Polyacrylate
on Amazon? You can! I’m always amazed at the products I can find online especially when I have the hardest time trying to find them at my local stores.
I don’t have little ones in the house so diapers have not been in my house for a few years. I can remember using Pampers as my favorite because that was the brand I trusted to absorb the most and keep my baby dry overnight. If you love gardening and have extra diapers on hand, you may want to try this idea.
I also love the idea he has about creating a gel to put in the freezer for first aid use. We have done this type of homemade flexible alcohol water ice pack project with 2 cups of water, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol (or high proof vodka), 2 (quart size) zip lock baggies and optional food coloring if you want to tint it blue. These make amazing flexible ice packs. I really like the idea of trying out the diaper method too though. Since I’ve already purchased my Sodium Polyacrylate I may just try to make another one just to see the difference.
I would love to hear if you’ve already tried the diapers for gardening method he talks about. Leave a comment below and tell me how it worked for you.
Happy Gardening my friends. I can’t wait for the warm weather to get here.
Source information for Sodium Polyacrylate on Wikipedia.
I would think you might have an issue with the soil shrinking too much, affecting the stability of the soil and plant. If you are using a 50-50 soil & gel mixture, when the gel is half dry, you will have 75% of the previous mass in the pot. If you let it go totally dry, you’d be down to nearly 50%. That doesn’t seem like a good thing. It could be especially dangerous for taller plants.
I suppose that might be an advantage of leaving the cotton in, it would add a bit more mass. Or you’d have to go with more like 25% (or less) gel.
I used a baby diaper in a coconut planter so it would hold moisture and not dry out an hour later. It worked beautifully.
This is a great idea. I have outright bought the crystals and they are expensive. I love them. My only concern….Watch your pets. If they consume, when they start to dry up, it seems they could dehydrate a pet.
I enjoyed reading this information. I’d like to learn more.
I also, have “bladder control” products on hand. I can’t wait to try them, when I start my new garden this spring. Excited to see the results!
I wish you would put the “share” thing on so I could save this to my website.
We have share buttons at the top of the article.
When our grandson was in Iraq I used this to make neck coolers for him & his buddies. Now I’m making neck coolers for my great granddaughter’s softball team.
Will this work with children’s pull ups or swimmies?
I really like short cuts and money saving ideas so thanks
Loved the diaper segs.
I am left after my mother’s passing with a lot of “Prevail” bladder control pads. Are they filled with Sodium Polyacrylate?
Sorry to hear about your Mother’s passing Fleeta. 🙁 After a quick google search it appears the bladder control pads do have the sodium polyacrylate. I would try it. Let me know how it goes.
I wish the vlog was closed caption so I’d know what to mix, etc…you see, I’m deaf and I love gardening
I use nut shells. I save the mixed nuts I buy at Christmas. I mean the shells ! Then when I plant my garden, I put one on each side around the roots. It acts like a natural tiny cup of rain water reservoir.
Great idea