Summer is a tricky time for working balcony gardeners. In bright sunshine and sweaty temperatures, petunias, geraniums and the like suffer from drought stress every day. Instead of enjoying a leisurely evening on the balcony, you have to lug around heavy watering cans. This guide puts an end to that and explains how to water balcony plants automatically.
How can I automate the watering of my balcony plants?
To automate the watering of balcony plants, you can use upside-down plastic bottles with a clay cone attachment or use flower boxes and pots with integrated water storage. A self-made pipeline made of kitchen paper is suitable for vacation.
Simply give balcony plants the bottle - this is how it works
For the installation of sophisticated irrigation systems, the balcony usually lacks the necessary water and electricity connection or the tight budget does not support the investment. This does not mean that balcony plants have to thirst during the day when the gardener devotes himself to making a living. You can easily build an automatic water supply yourself using a thick-walled plastic bottle and a simple attachment. This is how it works:
- Fill PET bottle with water
- Turn a clay cone (€18.00 on Amazon) (e.g. from Blumat) onto the closure thread
- Place the bottle with irrigation cone upside down into the substrate
- Put a hole in the bottom of the bottle with a knitting needle
- If there is a risk of tipping, support the bottle with wooden skewers or bamboo sticks
The IRISO drip system has taken the water bottle idea further. An additional plastic tip, which is connected to the water bottle cone via a hose, regulates the flow at the push of a button. The tip can be individually adjusted to 11 flow rates, tailored to the water requirements of the respective balcony plant.
Integrated water storage – more flexibility when watering
Inverted plastic bottles for watering balcony plants are a thorn in the side of creative balcony gardeners. For an invisible, automatic water supply, flower boxes and pots with integrated water storage are very popular.
Most models have a double bottom as a cistern, soil-filled suction cones, overflow openings and a filler neck with a water level indicator. Thanks to this design, you can take care of the water supply when time allows and not because there is pressure. The advantage is that liquid fertilizer can also be easily administered via the filler neck.
Tip
In order to water balcony plants automatically while on vacation, it is not absolutely necessary to invest in a technically advanced irrigation system. The plants supply themselves with moisture for a short time via a self-made pipeline made of rolled kitchen paper that extends into a bucket of water.
