Faux makeover for planter soil

Shah is not alone in his quandary — or his resolve. No wonder then that soil substitutes are the latest hit with housing societies, terrace gardeners and virtually everyone with a plant fetish. Available as pop clay pellets and rainbow jelly, the soil substitutes were launched in Mumbai a month ago.

Resembling caramel popcorn, the pop clay pellets are manufactured by blasting soil particles in a furnace at very high temperatures. ‘‘Plants in this pop clay require only water; no other maintenance is necessary. A spray of liquid fertiliser every 10 days is recommended. Dirty fingers, wet and breakable soils, hardened soils can be a thing of the past,’’ says Vijay Shah, proprietor of Ratanshi Agro-Hortitech Centre, the sole stockists for pop clay and rainbow jelly.

The pop clay pellets, imported from Germany, are lightweight, inert, Ph neutral and prevent the roots from rotting and forming excess acidity. They can be cleaned and reused for at least a decade, and are frost- and heat-resistant. They can also be mixed with compost and other soils.

‘‘I personally researched the pop clay for two years to determine they contain no extraneous materials,’’ says Vijay Shah. ‘‘They are free of UV radiation, bacteria, fungus, disease, weeds and pests. The capillary action is very good so excess water drains away and fresh oxygen can reach the roots.’’

While pop clay can be used in potted plants, terrace gardening, home gardens and landscapes, the rainbow jelly cubes are best of as plant bases in see-through containers. They are ideal for small indoor plants, particularly wheatgrass, and need to be watered once in five days. These cubes require no fertilisers and do not disintegrate when watered.

Sourced from Thailand and China, the seven-coloured cubes are finding use among colour therapists as well. The jelly crystals come in 10-gm sachets priced at Rs 50, while 10 litres of the pop clay costs Rs 250.