Are you wanting to use this for water retention? I have used ordinary water retaining gel crystals in dry ground and found it does help. I didn't mix it broadcast but just put it in the planting holes of susceptible plants. I couldn't test how long the effect lasts - it does break down eventually - because we moved house after about four years.

I have never heard of this before. Calcium Chloride is a desiccant, meaning that it draws water into itself and is used for drying things out. I would have thought that it would have drawn water away from the plants and so exasserbate the dryness of the soil.

That's certainly what Kontrol Krystals are for. Have you read about them being used in gardens? If so please could you quote the reference?

Using an organic mulch is best for water retention - lawn clippings, fallen leaves, pine needles, etc. Calcium Chloride is a salt compound. That's what we use to de-ice the sidewalks and roads in winter time. They use it at JFK to de-ice the jet liners and runways. Don't put this on your plants; it will burn them, especially young new plants trying to get established. The Calcium is OK for plants, but Chloride don't think so.

Calcium and Chloride are nutrients that plants can use. But the amounts to use safely (with regards to the plants) in the garden is very tricky business and best not attempted. The water retaining gel is not a salt but it made up of very long molecules called polymers. Examples are plastics and a natural one would be rubber. Looked up Kontrol Krystal and it absorbs moisture in other words a chemical dehumidifyer which is none other than CaCl. I use something akin to this in my gun safe to prevent rust.