Water reservoir for balcony boxes sheep wool felt

One of the material properties of sheep's wool is that, as a natural fiber, it is a quite excellent water reservoir. It can absorb about three and a half times its own weight in moisture, store it over a long period of time and release it evenly back into the environment. Sheep's wool - shown here in the form of wool felt made up in strips - is ideal as an insert for balcony boxes: it significantly improves the water balance of the substrate it contains and curbs water loss through evaporation. Because balcony boxes have a comparatively small soil volume, the substrate dries out quickly in warm and dry weather and is very difficult to rehydrate once it is really hard and dried out; if the boxes also hang at a slight angle on the balcony railing, the irrigation water may then run off completely without even penetrating the soil. The sheep's wool therefore also supports an even supply of nutrients to the plants: Only in moist substrate fertilizer dissolves and releases its ingredients.