You gave me the keys brother and quietly went on a two-week vacation. When we returned, it turned out that our favorite violets had withered. It turned out that my brother really watered them... But only on the last day before your arrival. Sound familiar?
As a result of much trial and error, several were selected good options"remote watering" indoor plants. In this article I will tell you how to do different types automatic watering, as well as their pros and cons. But first of all...
Also, some housewives (owners) wrap the top of the plant with a film or bag so that it loses less liquid.
True, this method is very controversial: it is a complete stress for the flower, and besides, the plant will not last long in such a cramped “greenhouse”. And if your pet’s leaves have fluff, “under the hood” they may even begin to rot.
Finally, upon returning home, it is strictly forbidden to simply tear the package off the flower: this, again, is stressful. First you need to make a small hole in it, then enlarge it... In general, the plant needs to be accustomed to clean air slowly and “from afar”, which is inconvenient.
Such an invention is needed in two cases: you will be absent for 2-3 weeks or longer, or you are so busy that you always forget to water your flowers and are afraid that they will begin to wither.
This automatic watering of flowers is good if your pets grow in pots with holes at the bottom.
Prepare a large basin that will fit all the pots. Pour some expanded clay inside ( construction material, similar to large ceramic peas). Water all the flowerpots and place them in a basin (remove the trays from each pot). Add expanded clay to the sides and pour water.
Important: the roots should not touch the water, so the pots should not be buried in expanded clay, but should stand on top.
If it seems to you that there is not enough water, cover the pots with an additional layer of damp moss on top. And besides, the holes in the bottoms of the pots should not be too large, otherwise the flowerpot will stretch excess water, and rotting may begin in the roots.
Disadvantages of this method:
Don't want to fool around with expanded clay? Buy a capillary mat. You can just as easily wet it with water and place pots on it. Place a layer of garden film under the mat.
Important: if a store offers you cheaper geotextiles, refuse - this is not environmentally friendly material, which can harm your delicate pets.
The cost of such mats is about 3 euros per meter (and the width can be different - from 100 to 200 cm).
Such methods can be used either individually or complemented with the above-mentioned common pallet system.
Important: with this type of watering, water is supplied to the flowers in very measured doses. And since all our pets have different “appetites,” it is important to check and adjust the method you have chosen for at least a week long before your vacation.
If you are away very often (let’s say, you are constantly sent on business trips), or simply forget about flowers because of business, buy a ready-made smart automatic watering system. We offer a video report about one of them. It's called "Smart Drop" and is designed for long-term use.
Here's what it looks like:
Today you will learn how you can make an automatic sprinkler with your own hands from discarded garbage and a plastic bottle. Now you can safely go on a long trip, as your favorite plants will be automatically watered with a homemade automatic waterer.
Saves water by 2-3 times compared to other irrigation methods.
Targeted irrigation supplies only the bushes of vegetable, fruit or ornamental crops with moisture - the weeds are left without recharge.
Autonomy. You can leave tender, freshly planted pepper or tomato seedlings unattended for a week without them drying out.
The soil does not harden or crust over, as with heavy watering.
Drops do not fall on the leaves. Eliminates the problem of plant burns hot weather and fungal diseases or rot with regular evening watering.
Water does not flow into puddles and does not fall on the paths between the beds.
Do-it-yourself drip irrigation from plastic bottles - an alternative to expensive systems drip irrigation. It is very simple and quick to do, especially if you have a sufficient amount of empty plastic containers and an hour of free time.
The bottom of the bottle (about 5 cm from the bottom) is cut off with scissors or a knife. At this time, it is better to screw the lid on, punch a hole, and only then cut off the bottom - it’s safer.
2-4 punctures with a diameter of no more than 0.3-0.5 mm are made in the neck or lid. The throughput capacity depends on the number of holes and their diameter.
The bottle is buried 3-4 cm near the stem. A piece of fabric or a piece of nylon tights is placed inside so that the hole does not become clogged with debris. They can be fixed at the very bottom - the water will remain clean all the time.
If desired, the container can be hung near the bushes by the neck or upside down. With this option, soil will not fall into the holes. Plus, it's easier to fill with water.
Very convenient when everything is attached to wooden slats: you just need to thread a strong wire into the bottles and use these “handles” to hang them on the crossbar.
Everything is done very simply. I tie a one and a half bottle with the bottom cut off from under the water to the trellis above each bush. I stick the system into the neck of the bottle and, using a wheel, regulate the force of the droplets flowing to the roots of my plants. Fertilizers are supplied very easily through the same system: I make a solution in a bucket, then pour it into bottles and through a dropper nutrients go straight to the roots.
As you can see from the photo, there is nothing complicated in my design.
The simplest option: one or more holes are made approximately 25 mm from the bottom required diameter, and filled plastic eggplants are placed near each plant.
You can make more holes and bury the bottle itself near the bush, which it should supply with moisture.
In this case, the container can be placed between several plants.
The lid is removable, and you can save yourself from debris using a nylon “bandage”.
To pour water, you will have to use a watering can.
Another variation of drip irrigation: only one hole is punched in the bottle, a rod made of ballpoint pen. The writing tip is first removed, and the remaining ink is washed out with alcohol. The rod is directed to the area to be watered and fixed with garden varnish or simply plasticine.
Or like this:
Tip: water not over mulch, but into cut-off plastic bottles to reduce moisture (from late blight).
There are special tips with holes on sale. They are screwed on instead of a cap, after which the bottles are turned upside down and placed near each plant. Changing the water is convenient and quick, no debris gets inside, and in general this irrigation system looks aesthetically pleasing.
Advice: During drip irrigation, you can add liquid fertilizers to the soil - they will also be used purposefully.
And one more method for caring for seedlings in vases or indoor flowers:
1. The bottom of one bottle is cut off, and a hole is made in it, equal in diameter to the lid of the second bottle.
2. Two cuts (or cuts) are made in the neck of the second vessel, the lid is screwed on, and the prepared bottom of the first bottle is threaded up.
3. The resulting structure is filled with water and quickly turned over onto a deep tray or oven tray. All pots with flowers or seedlings are placed there.
Water will flow out gradually as it is absorbed. For such watering, it is better to take small bottles so that they cannot accidentally tip over under their own weight.
The system can be improved at your discretion: equipped with hoses and a reservoir with a supply of water so that the container is filled independently, or additionally use droppers.
Drip irrigation: pros and cons
Unfortunately, this experiment did not reveal any advantages. Unless without financial investments.
(Added after vacation) After this experiment, I still had to save at least something from the plants. I simply placed the hose on the garden bed and left the faucet open so that the water flowed out a drop at a time or so per second. After 13 days, the soil in the garden bed was wet over an area of about 60 cm in diameter. I think at shallow depths the water spread even wider. The plants are alive. But my area under plants is very small and this was enough for me and here is a VIDEO:
Each of us has repeatedly had to leave our home for a long time. We have dachas, friends in other cities, a desire to travel abroad or to some resort sanatorium. Even a banal trip to nature with tents requires us to leave everything that is ours. household unattended. We can always take our beloved pets with us, but indoor plants... Not every one of us decides to take all our home flora with us to significant distances. Typically, such trips take place in the summer, when plants especially need moisture. Some flower lovers, upon returning home, are faced with the unpleasant phenomenon when their beautiful flowers turn out to be dry after a long absence of the owner. The answer here is obvious - until now you have not yet known a way to maintain the soil of your indoor plants in the proper soil moisture.
First, you will need a container for water; the volume of the container should depend on the number of days you are away and individual characteristics water consumption of the particular plant being served. That is, if you are leaving for two or three days and your plant is a flower of average whimsical level in terms of moisture consumption, then a small bottle will be more than enough.
And, accordingly, if you are leaving for two weeks or more, and plus your plant loves to drink, you will need a much larger bottle. You need to accurately calculate the amount of liquid in exactly the same volume as if you were at home and watered the flower at your usual rhythm. Prepare extra water just in case.
Now take an ordinary lace, it may be partly synthetic, but if it consists mainly of natural fibers, it will be good.
You can use fabric tape or soft rope for these purposes; here you can choose from what you have. Now you will need two weights.
It can be anything: dowels, self-tapping screws, screws, bolts, nuts, the main thing is that they are not very big size, but at the same time somewhat weighty. Next, you should fix the weights on both ends of the lace.
Wet one end thoroughly.
Take it out of the water and now soak the rest of the lace in the bottle.
The entire lace should be perfectly wet. Now move on to your indoor plant, place it on the floor.
Place the vessel with water nearby, on a raised platform relative to the flower, for example, on a chair, as shown in the photo.
Let’s make a reservation right away that it is not necessary to place the flower on the floor, the main thing is that the vessel with water is located at a level above the surface of the plant’s soil; the principle of communicating vessels works here. Water, like a stream, searches for a low spot and finds it in a pot with a plant. This should be clear to you. Now we fix one end of the lace in the soil.
The other end of the cord rests at the bottom of a vessel with water. The system is ready and functioning 100%.
Very often they plant on a loggia or insulated balcony, on a veranda or just in a room ornamental plants and even some are edible. Dill, onions or even tomatoes may well grow near the flowers. However, when large quantities indoor plantings or frequent absences, it is not always possible to provide the plants with timely watering, then various automatic systems. When you are at home, an automatic watering device is convenient because, once you fill it with water, you can forget about the need to moisten the soil in pots and trays for several days.
For the most part, indoor crops are organized because it requires small quantity water and constantly keeps the soil moist without flooding it. This option is especially convenient when you and your whole family are going on vacation and there will be no one to water the plants for several days. Before leaving, it is better to try the method several times under your own control.
First, let's consider the simplest option: buying finished system automatic watering For the most part, automated systems are equipped with a low-power pump with a filter, a bunch of long elastic tubes and droppers. Sometimes the kit includes a power supply with a timer that starts and turns off the pump at a strictly set time.
The main disadvantage is the electrics. During a long absence of the owners, the electricity in the house may be turned off more than once, and if the refrigerator starts working again after supplying current to the sockets, it is not a fact that the pump irrigation system will follow his example. You can, of course, choose a set without an electrical component, for example, actively advertised sets with ceramic porous drippers in the shape of cones, where water flows by gravity. However, such devices have their own “minus” - they become clogged very easily and stop supplying water to the ground. The same can be said about ceramic cones with membranes at the base that work as humidity indicators.
Let's talk about the latter in more detail, since they are also sold separately from kits, which implies use in homemade systems. So, in the wide part of the ceramic porous cone there is a plastic nozzle, inside of which there is a flexible membrane. A thin hose is connected to it, connecting the device with closely attached droppers. The moisture present in the soil presses through the pores onto the membrane, pressing the inlet of the hose. As soon as the soil dries, the pores are freed from water, the membrane opens the hole and irrigation begins through droppers inserted near the plants. But the capillaries of the cone easily become clogged, and one day the indicator may simply stop working.
There are relatively few autonomous devices for drip irrigation of domestic plants. We will name two options: glass spherical flasks with long narrow necks (aquaglobes) and double flower pots. The first type, after filling with water, is turned over and stuck with a dropper into the pot. While the soil is saturated with moisture, the vessel remains filled, but as soon as the soil dries out, the oxygen formed in it is immediately replaced by water from the flask. A variation of this device is soft plastic “syringes” that work on the same principle.
The second option consists of a regular pot with drainage holes in the bottom, through which special wicks made of microfiber or other fibers are passed that do not rot when exposed to moisture. The kit also includes a slightly larger, but similar shaped, water container into which a pot with soil poured in and flowers planted is placed. Through the filters, the moisture that has saturated them rises into the soil, saturating it in the immediate vicinity of the roots. The external tank has a transparent window in one of the walls, allowing you to see the water level.
The simplest home plants available to everyone - autonomous system from ordinary medical droppers. You need to buy one for each pot, and if the flowers grow in long trays, then one per plant. Next we take the big one plastic container 5 liters of water and make 2 holes in its neck through which we pass strong twine for hanging on the wall. If possible, you can simply place the bottle on a raised platform. Next, we cut another hole in the upper part of the container and lower the tubes of several systems into it in a bunch, and place the opposite ends in pots, removing the needles. Now you just need to turn the wheel to adjust the droppers.
The other method is no less simple, but for it you will need many trays with high walls. In each of them we place flower pot with drainage holes in the bottom, and there should still be room for a plastic bottle. Next, take 1.5 liter eggplants and cut 2 holes in the bottom of each, one near the very bottom, and the second a centimeter higher. We place the containers in trays and fill them with water, which will immediately begin to pour out until the level outside reaches top hole. This will ensure that water always flows into the drainage holes of the pot and moisturizes the soil until the bottle is empty.
Any homemade system should be adjusted so that the water does not flood the plants, but only oozes slightly; if there is an excess of moisture, the roots of the flowers may rot.
And finally, you can quickly make a simple, but less productive automatic capillary watering of indoor plants: irrigation using an external wick. To keep the soil around your indoor flowers moist all the time, you just need to place them next to each pot. plastic bottle with water and dip a twisted gauze strip or microfiber band into it. The other ends of such improvised wicks are laid on the soil near the stems of plants; you can even slightly drive them into the ground by sticking a peg directly on top of the bundle.
