∂an Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) How do you keep your potted plants watered while your away from home for more than a few days? Would prefer not to use a pump. I have found a few ideas online. A gravity feed from a bucket of water: http://buddygarden.c...ng4-332x500.jpg Water bottle with small holes in lid buried in soil: http://buddygarden.c...118-500x332.jpg Piece of cloth supplying water to dish under pot: Any recommendations? Cheers. Edited June 24, 2012 by kalika 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DELETED ACCOUNT Posted June 24, 2012 I've really struggled with this too, I travel quite a bit and sometimes my poor plants are left to fend for themselves for a couple of weeks... I've tried these plastic spikes that screw onto water bottles and release water over time: Unfortunately, I couldn't set them all properly, so they either let all the water go too quickly (empty bottles + dry soil when I got back), or didn't let enough water out (so were still full when I got back). I've since tried water-retaining crystals to dig into the soil, which has worked a little better, like these Hortico ones from Bunnings: But these are probably only good for a few days. I think your very best bet (besides getting help from someone to visit and water the plants for you!) is to set up a sprinkler or irrigation hose on a timer, which you could DIY if you're hardcore... I'd love to see other suggestions too! I really like the cloth idea, I'll definitely give it a go - I live in an apartment, so I can't set up an irrigation system on the balcony! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halcyon Daze Posted June 25, 2012 One thing that definitely helps is Mulch. Put as much mulch on top of the pot as possible. also if it is possible to re-pot you plants into much larger pots. Fill the voids with a clay soil rather than a sandy mix as the clay holds water a lot longer. There measures help but if no rain comes then they would eventually dry out. Maybe pay a neighbor 20 bucks to come water them for you? Oh and take caution with the watering crystals because if you add too much your soil will expand and erupt out of the top of the pot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghosty Posted June 25, 2012 lol, this takes me back to when i was a kid and once grow pot. all i did was take a drink bottle 1l size and dril hole in lid, thread a bit of cotton shoe-lace through the hole and stick the top into the pot. i had a thin layer of straw near the top of the pot to wick the water out evenly. this used to work for over 2 months. i mixed the water i filled it with, with mushroom compost and filtered it. system worked great for those "weedy" plants. might work for real plants too. i dont see why not. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted June 25, 2012 i don't think any of those systems work, my plants need a lot of water, far more than a wig or some small gravity setup can produce. if your plants are grown under very relaxed conditions, than a little bit of water will go a long way, but if you grow your plants under more intensive conditions, than you need a lot of water, and i high tek set up. maybe there are cheap systems around, i would like it very much to utelise an autamatic plant babysitter system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted June 25, 2012 i have researched the subject a bit... i would go for a very small pump, and link it to a digital timer, better would be to add a hygrometer to that. ohm inspired. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belching Posted June 25, 2012 Maybe pay a neighbor 20 bucks to come water them for you? As long as they don't get overhelpful and drown your cacti. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted June 25, 2012 As long as they don't get overhelpful and drown your cacti. and, as long as they don't get overhelpfull, and overfeed your koi, and kill them . good plant babysitters are hard to find, i think some people use color codes, with instructions, for those vacation watering helpers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
∂an Posted June 25, 2012 all i did was take a drink bottle 1l size and dril hole in lid, thread a bit of cotton shoe-lace through the hole and stick the top into the pot. i had a thin layer of straw near the top of the pot to wick the water out evenly. this used to work for over 2 months. i mixed the water i filled it with, with mushroom compost and filtered it. This is exactly what I am testing on the balcony at the moment. I first tried just a bottle with holes in the lid but the soil would block the holes and not much capillary action would occur. I think the cloth or shoe lace is a much better idea as it provides a clear pathway for the water to flow over. i have researched the subject a bit... i would go for a very small pump, and link it to a digital timer, better would be to add a hygrometer to that. ohm inspired. yeah that would be the ideal setup I guess. my plant collection is not too extensive at the moment, though, and I like the idea of trying to ghetto something from my recycling bin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bert&Ernie Posted June 25, 2012 Maybe some kind of gravity drip system.... that's what I'm looking at building for my green house as I always forget to water it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wameron36 Posted June 26, 2012 I will be going away for a few weeks soon so I've been wondering the exact same thing. I'll try and give a few of these ideas a go before then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
