We recently went out of town, sending me into a mini panic concerning my garden. I’ve put in so much time and effort making sure it was watered daily, and cringed at the thought of returning to shriveled plants after a relaxing getaway. After some searching online, I devised a plan to ensure the fruits of my labor would be sustained in my absence.
Making use of discarded bottles, I developed an affordable irrigation system that would allow me to provide a continuous water supply to my plants, and visibly assess if they are properly hydrated. My garden is in direct sun majority of the day, which has potential to dry out plants quickly. With the incorporation of this simple solution, I’m now more confident in the eventual success of our garden.
How to do it
- Using empty water or wine bottles, puncher the top with 5 – 8 holes using a nail and hammer. Be sure to remove the lining from the inside of the cap so water will flow uninhibited.
- File bottles with water.
- Insert bottle into the soil toward the root of your plants, at least 6 inches from the base/root, as shown here:
The plants will slowly drain the water from the bottle as needed. When bottles are empty, you will know your plants are thirsty and need more water. I typically refill empty bottles at the start of the day after watering the garden. Some days the plants completely drain the bottles, and others, water remains.
If heading out of town, use large containers, or multiple bottles per bed/container. I was recently away from the house five days, and I returned to a watered garden. One tomato plant was dehydrated, which I will address with an additional bottle the next time we are away LW.
Leave your garden hydration tips in the comments, and let me know if the bottle irrigation solution works for you!