We'll I'm thinking about summer even though it is 60 one day and 35 the next ;-). I have a ton of pots I put out and I'm not around to water them during the week. I can't buy expensive self-watering planters like they have at gardeners.com, would be too expensive.
Any suggestions for a cheap way to make my existing pots more or less self-watering during the week? I think it is going to be a dry season.
Txs.
M.
cheap solution for self-watering planters
Pay a neighbour kid $10 to come give them a drink?
Sounds good to me. Do you put in those water-absorbing crystals that hold the water a bit?
Neighbor kid is 5...maybe in a few years...want to keep it organic so don't want to use the crystals. Saw these on amazon, but I'm dubious...plus did not want to even spend $5.50/per pot...
http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Globes-Glass-Plant-Watering/dp/B000FHAJ90/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IVVTHN13Y3ZSL&colid=XEF7AXIRRFJ7
M.
How about sticking plastic pop bottles lid end down in the soil? The heat of the day would cause condensation which would run down the bottle and into the soil...
Or double the pots, a smaller one in a solid larger one and water from the bottom.
My wife seems to always encourage a week long trip during growing season, so I have tried most of these suggestions over the years. My tomatoes and peppers in earthboxes seem to do ok if not watered for a week, but I wouldn't want it to go any longer than that. Other outdoor pots I often plunk into an 11"x22" seed starting tray filled with water or a bucket with several inches of water in it. I tried two liter pop bottles filled with water suspended upside down in a hanging basket, but it was a pain getting the hole drilled in the cap to let the water out just the right size. Hydrasorb or aqua crystals mixed in with the soil are helpful. Don't put in too many or the soil will heave when it gets wet. For seedlings, I just put their six packs into trays filled with about a half inch of water.
I almost went for the neighbor kid ploy this year, but finally decided they were too young, and used the above methods. 90% of the plants came through fine.
not pretty but here are the ones we made
http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm
I do what Don does - fill trays with water and put the pots in them. Also move the pots to shadier locations. I use the crystals - not for edibles though. And don't forget to mulch the pots! Makes a big difference.
Onewish, those are quite the happy looking plants you have there!
I do mulch my pots too, plus I think leaving the tray filled with water helps some if you leave on a sunday night.
M.
Use holy water.
LOL