horticulture
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There's some weird water-Ball like things in my soil

Yeah :?
Since I brought my basil inside for the winter, I noticed today that there are all these little green balls that if I squeeze them, they pop.
It makes me abnormally squemish....

You ever have this in your soil? It is also in all of my soil??????

top_dollar_bread
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they could be water crystals or balls of (usually synthetic) slowly releasing fertilizers. what kind of soil are you using??
a image would help but lots of store bought soils contain these balls.

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rainbowgardener
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Water crystals (I.e, crystallized water) are of course ice, but some bagged potting soils contain polymers that hold water and give it back later. I haven't seen them, so I don't know if they fit this description. Bagged potting soils usually have perlite. When it's been moist for awhile it tends to swell up into little balls that will pop as you described, throwing off a tiny shower of water that was inside the ball. However the vermiculite starts off white and by the time it is swelled up like that is usually yellowish. Don't think they would be green unless you've got algae or something going on in the soil...

horticulture
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Now that I look closer at them they are in fact yellow. When I pop them the yellow part is more shell like than anything.

It is store bought mix. I don't remember what brand? So I am guessing you are right on it being vermiculite :?
I'll google it.

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rainbowgardener
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Yup! the little yellow balls that pop are perlite (I said vermiculite the first time, but I think that was a mistake). Perlite is also known as "sponge rock." Anyway, it's nothing gross and is not a problem...

top_dollar_bread
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rainbowgardener wrote:Yup! the little yellow balls that pop are perlite (I said vermiculite the first time, but I think that was a mistake). Perlite is also known as "sponge rock." Anyway, it's nothing gross and is not a problem...
they may be perlite but I don't think they are from the explanation...
again a image will help
if its perlite it will look like [url=https://plantpropagation.com/PlantPropagatePics/PerlitePot300.jpg]this[/url]
vermiculite like [url=https://geekgardener.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/substrat_vermiculite.jpg]this[/url]
lots of store bought uncertified potting soils contain slow releasing fertilizer balls that may contain a fertilizer or osmocote or nutracote.
if it looks like this
[url]https://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff24/missmle88/?action=view&current=weirdness02.jpg[/url]
then its a ball of fertilizer
hope this helped :wink:

horticulture
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You got it top dollar! it is the third pic with the fertilizer in your hand. It is neither vermiculite nor perlite. Altho now I know what the styrafoam type stuff is....perlite! And I have never seen anything like that vermiculite stuff :?

Thanks for narrowing it down exactly for me. It is kinda hard to get pics up when I have no digital camera. In fact, it makes me mad when people keep saying to put up pictures ( none of you guys so don't trip) Not everyone can afford stuff like that. Even if it cost at the lowest maybe $50...just cannot afford it :evil:

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rainbowgardener
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If you have more of your potting soil that hasn't been used, take a look at it. I still vote for the perlite, which as it comes is the roundish white pieces, but after it's been in moist soil for awhile and soaked up water, turns into little hollow yellow balls that pop easily...

Either way it's not a problem

horticulture
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I just checked out all my potting soil and all of it has those balls.
I managed to take a picture with my web-cam.
not excellent quality, but here 'ya go...

[img]https://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy252/fjames27/Snapshot_20091008_2.jpg[/img]

I think it is exactly what "top_dollar_bread" put up in his last picture.

https://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff24/missmle88/?action=view&current=weirdness02.jpg

top_dollar_bread
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yup,
now I'm pretty sure its not perlite or vermiculite...I personally don't like soils with those balls. you never know whats in ther and if your trying to go organic, I'm pretty sure ther is no need for those balls.
the image I posted was found on google, but I do find ball like these when I purchase uncertified plants from home depot or lowes.. I don't like them, but thats me

horticulture
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I'm not going for a completely organic garden. And the only reason I don't like these balls is because they make me really squeamish! I don't know why they just do......eeewwwwhhhuho

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rainbowgardener
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I agree, I was wrong... if that's what it looks like starting out, definitely not perlite. I had just never seen soil with fertilizer balls in it.

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It is Osmocote or some similar temperature release fertilizer. Certainly not organic... the ball is an micropored membrane that releases the fertilizer slowly...

Sometimes worms casings or slugs eggs can look like little balls, but I am sure of my first call here. Try compost; it is organic, slow release, and the biology is self replicating (so it keeps making fertilizer instead of running out...)

HG



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