Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Are water-retaining polymer crystals safe for edibles?

Cecilia_MD7a · March 15, 2006

Can somebody give me a definitive answer to this question? I'm talking about the stuff sold under the name Soil Moist, but there are other brands. They're the same substance that is used in disposable diapers.

I add the crystals regularly to containers of ornamental plants, but have avoided using them for edibles. I'm thinking about planting a few extra tomatoes in large buckets this year, however, and was wondering whether I could use the crystals there, since containers seem to require constant watering. The label and website say that the stuff is non-toxic, but there's no mention of vegetable gardening.

March 15, 2006	#1
Cecilia_MD7a MAGTAG™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 400	Are water-retaining polymer crystals safe for edibles? Can somebody give me a definitive answer to this question? I'm talking about the stuff sold under the name Soil Moist, but there are other brands. They're the same substance that is used in disposable diapers. I add the crystals regularly to containers of ornamental plants, but have avoided using them for edibles. I'm thinking about planting a few extra tomatoes in large buckets this year, however, and was wondering whether I could use the crystals there, since containers seem to require constant watering. The label and website say that the stuff is non-toxic, but there's no mention of vegetable gardening.