Anyone here use Hydrating Beads ?
I bought a pound or so 10 years ago and decided to use them this year.
I use a red wagon and 2 buckets one for a weed or two and the other had beads and trowel and gloves etc.

Long story short The wagon tipped over where the garden border meets the stone path.
Not to worry ,right?
About a cup spilled so I swept as much as I could into the garden and the lawn .
BAD idea. Two days of rain and the darned things swelled up to create a slimy mess on the walks and a slippery mess in the lawn.
It doesn't disappear just keeps swelling when it rains. I have no idea how to deal with this. I am OK with leaving it in the garden , but the grass is a accident waiting to happen.
Couple of photos

It almost looks like a really wet spring snow! You might have to try shoveling it up.

Thanks Lorik, It never seems to end. I shoveled off the stone but the grass is impossible to clear. I also believe there are more moisture crystals than I first thought.
I believe they exhaust in 6 months. Lets hope so.

What a mess! Be very careful walking around there.

Would Kitty Litter absorb any of it?

I always thought they said it lasted five years. Hope I'm wrong!

Arlene ,, mee tooooo. Kitty litter would have to be cleaned up also. If it gets wet the litter is justawful.

I may try to rake it from the grass to the garden.
That will be Thursday as tomorrow e have rain again. The stuff just keeps growing like an alien.

I had a full bag drop in the garden, at least there I was able to dig them in.

Try to bury it by a Japanese iris

or

ask your son-in-law to use a wet/dry vacuum and eliminate the problem.

I wish I had used the wet dry vac when the beads were still manageable.

Oh I don't mean to giggle but it is funny. Not if someone skips of course. But the part about growing like an alien....tee hee. I am going to treat my water crystal bag very carefully from now on.

Hmmm .. I'd cover it, let it dry out then take a shop wet/dry vac and see if you can vacuum up the beads or try to vacuum it up as is.

Nice suggestions everyone.
Judy, It sure is funny.The garden sparkles when the sun is out.

Lemonade from lemons!

Oh boy, Jo! That IS a big mess! When I first started using the crystals, I loaded up a hanging basket with them. OMG what a mess. It looked like THE BLOB from the old horror movies had showed up.

This is my first time back here in a long time....so nice to see Pirl and so many other old friends here!

OHHHH GAWD Louise. I can picture it clear as day.
The stuff never ends. Good thing it's not in the house.

Hi, Louise!

I had a few early incidents with those crystals and learned to rehydrate them before mixing in with the soil.

Just one coffee scoop to a jug of water, wait 30 minutes and they're ready to use. I keep it under my potting bench for easy access.

The best way to handle the crystals is to think of them as dynemite.

There HAS to be a medical clinical use formthese things...
Arthritis soak
Use for burn injury
Something!

I wonder if they would rehydrate my wrinkles......>How many coffee scoop fills to a soaking tub???

I spilled some on my front walkway years ago. I was still finding bits of "The Blob" a few years later. Each time I found one I scooped it up and tossed it into some groundcover. They take a long time to break down!

I used to soak disposable diapers in water ( clean of course ) in water and lay on the soil in pots l..figured it would leech out and if ok for baby..ok for plants..

But it didn't work that way..stayed hydrated in the wrapper

Before she knew about those crystals I have a friend who says she used to put clean baby diapers in bottom of her containers. She does not do it anymore and I have my doubts about drainage but I've learned to just smile and nod when I hear cuckoo garden advice. Because I'm sure some people think I'm cuckoo with my worm bin out back and seedlings in the living room.