Keeping outdoor potted plants watered

ThisIsWeird

I like the reservoir pots, and the ones you linked to, Emmia, look good too.

I'll pass it all on - thank you everyone. He's regularly come back to a completely 'dead' plant, which then comes back to life, so I fear he'll keep playing roulette :-(

mi-key

The irony of asking this given this weekends weather ! 

ThisIsWeird

mi-key said:

The irony of asking this given this weekends weather ! 

Ha-ha! I trust these reservoir pots will overflow at the base too, to mitigate against flooding?!

ThisIsWeird

Emmia said:

p00hsticks said:

ThisIsWeird said:

stuart45 said:

You can get self watering pots and planters. 
Has he asked you to go in every day to water them.😉

I'll look into that. So, these 'gel' things I recall aren't an option? Seems the simplest idea.

The 'gel things you recall' do indeed exist and work as you describe, but they need to be mixed in with the compost when you actually first pot the plants, so aren't suitable in the situation you describe.

Miracle-Gro Water Gel Retaining Crystals Plant Pots & Baskets 200g on OnBuy 

I tried the gel, the summer we first moved in to the current spot, and I found they just made the soil/compost in the pots quite lumpy and gross, and I've not used it again. These days I tend to plant my plants in a mix of coir compost with perlite and vermiculite - the vermiculite definitely helps with water retention, but not in a way that the roots get soggy. 

We've only got a patio, so all the plants are in pots, and I tend to use planters with inbuilt water reservoirs - I've got Artstone planters, and Elho Greenville's 

https://hortology.co.uk/collections/artstone-planters/products/bola-artstone-plant-pot-black 
https://www.elho.com/en/products/greenville-round/greenville-round-30cm-living-black/

The Elho pots come in a wider range of sizes and colours (mine are all black!) and they do other shapes with the same feature. The advantage of these is you can water either into the built in saucer, or into the top - and if there is too much water it will overflow so the plants don't get waterlogged, it is also possible to see if there is water in the saucer to work out if you need to top them up. 

The Artstone's are quite attractive, but are more difficult to monitor in terms of water levels, I end up having to pick them up to work out if there is any water in the reservoir, if the pot feels light, then it is time to give it a soaking!

Ah, I see what you mean. The Artstone will just fill up and become water logged in the rain?

Shame, 'cos I preferred it's smoother design. I wonder if a few drain holes can be drilled at its back, just above reservoir height?! 

Eldi_Dos

mi-key said:

The irony of asking this given this weekends weather ! 

It's lovely here, mower will be coming out once the Sunday noise curfew is past.

Emmia

ThisIsWeird said:

Emmia said:

p00hsticks said:

ThisIsWeird said:

stuart45 said:

You can get self watering pots and planters. 
Has he asked you to go in every day to water them.😉

I'll look into that. So, these 'gel' things I recall aren't an option? Seems the simplest idea.

The 'gel things you recall' do indeed exist and work as you describe, but they need to be mixed in with the compost when you actually first pot the plants, so aren't suitable in the situation you describe.

Miracle-Gro Water Gel Retaining Crystals Plant Pots & Baskets 200g on OnBuy 

I tried the gel, the summer we first moved in to the current spot, and I found they just made the soil/compost in the pots quite lumpy and gross, and I've not used it again. These days I tend to plant my plants in a mix of coir compost with perlite and vermiculite - the vermiculite definitely helps with water retention, but not in a way that the roots get soggy. 

We've only got a patio, so all the plants are in pots, and I tend to use planters with inbuilt water reservoirs - I've got Artstone planters, and Elho Greenville's 

https://hortology.co.uk/collections/artstone-planters/products/bola-artstone-plant-pot-black 
https://www.elho.com/en/products/greenville-round/greenville-round-30cm-living-black/

The Elho pots come in a wider range of sizes and colours (mine are all black!) and they do other shapes with the same feature. The advantage of these is you can water either into the built in saucer, or into the top - and if there is too much water it will overflow so the plants don't get waterlogged, it is also possible to see if there is water in the saucer to work out if you need to top them up. 

The Artstone's are quite attractive, but are more difficult to monitor in terms of water levels, I end up having to pick them up to work out if there is any water in the reservoir, if the pot feels light, then it is time to give it a soaking!

Ah, I see what you mean. The Artstone will just fill up and become water logged in the rain?

Shame, 'cos I preferred it's smoother design. I wonder if a few drain holes can be drilled at its back, just above reservoir height?! 

It's fine as long as you take the little plug out - but they are riskier in terms of under watering in my experience as they're more difficult to monitor by eye - I've got plants in them (salvias) which mind drying out less!

Ectophile

Emmia said:

I tried the gel, the summer we first moved in to the current spot, and I found they just made the soil/compost in the pots quite lumpy and gross, and I've not used it again. These days I tend to plant my plants in a mix of coir compost with perlite and vermiculite - the vermiculite definitely helps with water retention, but not in a way that the roots get soggy. 

You may have overdone it with the gel.  When it's dry, it's small white crystals.  When it's wet, it swells up into globs of jelly.  I use one of the little scoops per pot. I don't suppose the plants care if the compost is lumpy and gross so long as they have water.

greensalad

I'd go for the drip irrigation system but run from a bucket. The Gardena AquaBloom runs on solar and will water 20 plants. You'd need to fill the bucket up still, but at least it wouldn't have to be so regularly: https://www.gardena.com/uk/products/watering/holiday-watering/solar-powered-irrigation-aquabloom-set/967999001/

JohnB47

I agree with those who suggest setting the pots in a big container filled with water, so that the bottom, say, four inches of each pot is sitting in the water. Make sure the container is big enough to hold lots of water though. And if possible, move to a mainly shaded area, or at least a place where the plants are not in full sun all day.

I've done this loads of times, mainly for 1 week hols but sometimes for two. Works fine.

ThisIsWeird

greensalad said:

I'd go for the drip irrigation system but run from a bucket. The Gardena AquaBloom runs on solar and will water 20 plants. You'd need to fill the bucket up still, but at least it wouldn't have to be so regularly: https://www.gardena.com/uk/products/watering/holiday-watering/solar-powered-irrigation-aquabloom-set/967999001/

Nice, but faaaarrr too much hassle :-)