Flower pots on the windowsill or terrace are usually checked daily and watered as needed. During the holiday season, regular watering can become a problem. If you can't ask a nice neighbor for help, you can make your own irrigation system for your flower pots.
How to create a homemade flower pot irrigation?
Homemade flower pot irrigation can be created using water dispensers made from plastic bottles, a bucket with holes and hoses, or a water reservoir with two buckets and a cotton wick. These methods automatically provide your plants with water while you are away.
Watering systems for flower pots
During the holiday season, an automatic watering system for flower pots is a good solution. There are complete sets available from retailers or the option of building your own.
The commercial sets use a timer and a pump with which the water is pumped from a storage container or the water pipe into the plant pots. Depending on the quality of the product and the necessary accessories, costs of around 100 EUR can be expected.
Build your own irrigation system
There are various alternatives for such a system:
- Water dispenser plastic bottle
- Water from the bucket
- Water reservoir
Water dispenser plastic bottle
Remove the screw cap from the bottle and fill it with water. Then stick the bottle upside down into the soil of the flower pot to be watered. Since the bottle can be quite heavy, it is advisable to secure it. The bottle now permanently releases water into the potting soil. Of course it runs out of the drain hole. To avoid flooding, it is best to place the flower pot in a large container on top of a can or similar. The flower pot should not stand in the collecting water, the plant would suffer from the resulting waterlogging.
A bucket for holiday watering
Take a 10 or 5 liter bucket of water (it depends on how long you will be away) and drill some small holes in the bottom. Use adhesive tape to attach thin tubes to the holes that are long enough to supply the individual flower pots. Now insert terracotta balls with a point into the potting soil. Hang the bucket in an elevated place and lead the hoses to the individual balls. The water reaches the porous material of the ball via the hoses. The water penetrates into the potting soil through the top. Only as much water flows as the ball can hold.
Create a water reservoir for a plant
This requires two different sized buckets and a cotton wick. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the large bucket and insert the wick through. Fill the small bucket with water. Now place the large bucket on top of the small one; the wick should reach into the water. To prevent anything from tipping over, it is advisable to secure both buckets securely. Now place the flower pot to be watered in the large bucket. The piece of wick that extends into the interior of the large bucket is inserted through the bottom of the flower pot into the potting soil. The roots in the potting soil will gradually absorb the moisture from the wet wick.
