Makeshift watering system when away on holiday?

dbrookf

Any good ideas for outside plants watering while away for a week please? Neighbours not available!

FabFifty

Cut the end off a plastic bottle/milk container (larger bottles are better), remove the lid and stick the neck of the bottle into the soil before filling with water. The water will slowly drain into the soil.

dbrookf

FabFifty said:

Cut the end off a plastic bottle/milk container (larger bottles are better), remove the lid and stick the neck of the bottle into the soil before filling with water. The water will slowly drain into the soil.

Won’t the water all come out at once?

flaneurs_lobster

dbrookf said:

FabFifty said:

Cut the end off a plastic bottle/milk container (larger bottles are better), remove the lid and stick the neck of the bottle into the soil before filling with water. The water will slowly drain into the soil.

Won’t the water all come out at once?

I do similar but make a hole in the lid (hot skewer or small drill). Not cutting the end off the bottle (or maybe a pinhole) will restrict flow too.

elsien

I borrowed a small child from further up the street who was happy to water every day for A bit of pocket money. Nothing like that an option?

Martin_the_Unjust

I’ve just bought one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DZXTS982?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 and so far I’ve been very impressed,

I’m using it to water my tomatoes and cucumber plants while I am away

Working_Mum

If I am going away I move my pots to the shady side of my patio so they need less water. Any that I can put a saucer underneath I do.

There is a Thread on here about watering in a drought - I suggested "wicking" on it yesterday.

Wicking Water Plants: The Ultimate Guide To Watering Your Plants | ShunCy

Wicking is definitely something I'll be accommodating into any pots I plant up in the future and for a new border I am creating in a very sunny part of my garden.

Have a lovely holiday!

((WM))

Farway

dbrookf said:

FabFifty said:

Cut the end off a plastic bottle/milk container (larger bottles are better), remove the lid and stick the neck of the bottle into the soil before filling with water. The water will slowly drain into the soil.

Won’t the water all come out at once?

Not if you bury the bottle halfway or more deep, then water will be at the roots and even when drained away it got where it was needed

I fill and refill if it drains quickly, eventually it will not drain and job is done

droopsnoot

I wondered about that sort of thing, too. I found these in the greenhouse last year, a tapered funnel that screws onto a standard (if there is such a thing) 500ml plastic drinks bottle: 



I haven't tried them yet. I don't know whether I'm supposed to put a hole in the bottle, or whether that would cause the water to run out too quickly. I guess I could try in a sacrificial pot, see what happens.

I did notice a "holiday watering system" in Lidl the other day when I was there. That seemed to be a container for water and a few lengths of narrow-bore pipe and some t-pieces. I've found some of the pipe in the greenhouse but again haven't tried it out, or even opened it out to see if it's usable - many of the things I've found in the greenhouse have been through so many hot / cold cycles that they disintegrate on touch.

BlondeHeadOn

I've used a big bowl or covered bucket of water and a handful of trainer laces, to set up capillary watering for plants when going on holiday.  Put the bucket or bowl (think washing-up bowl size) onto a shelf above the plants.  Move all plants to be together close enough lower than the bowl/bucket to be able to drape the trainer laces from the bottom of the bowl/bucket out and down to lay over the soil of the plants.  Fill the bowl/bucket to the brim with water.  The trainer laces will slowly drip the water onto the plants.

This works great for houseplants (bowl in draining board, plants in the sink), and in the greenhouse.  It also works for outdoor plants or even flowers beds, although you might need more ingenuity to make the set-up animal and bird proof.  

Oh, and you can use thin rope etc, instead of old trainer laces, I just had loads of old trainer laces handy!