Watering plants when away

Discussion in 'Irrigation Installation & Maintenance' started by Daisy, Feb 29, 2012.

  1. Daisy

    Daisy New Member

    I have this problem every year when we go on a trip for a few days or longer. When we get home, some of our plants have wilted in the heat beyond coming back. We don't have an irrigation system. How can I prolong the moisture in the soil so the plants can withstand four or five days without our watering them? Is there a way?
     
  2. flowers39

    flowers39 New Member

    What a great question. I wish I knew the answer - I am always looking for ways to keep my flowers and veggie garden watered when I'm away. Right now we have our neighbors watering for us when we are out of town.
     
  3. Bill

    Bill New Member

    I am not sure if this will work, but I think I read something about a soda bottle trick. You fill the soda bottle with water and use it like one of those aqua globes. I can not remember how you put the bottle in the ground, though. Does anyone know anything about this trick?
     
  4. Digger 1

    Digger 1 New Member

    Isn't there some kind of time release system that can be used for watering? You might try creating some shade. If the plants are movable, try that or maybe putting something over or around them to block the sun a little.
     
  5. Elanor

    Elanor New Member

    I have heard of the water bottle things before, so I looked into it. There is this product you buy called The Plant Nanny: Add a Bottle, that you hook the liter bottle to. I found it on Amazon, so maybe you can research the product more.
     
  6. chickie

    chickie New Member

    Mulch your beds. Mulch helps hold in the moisture. Four days before you go away, water your beds well. Two days before you go away (or the day before is even better if you have time), add a layer of mulch about 2" deep, then water the beds well. Unless you are in a really dry or hot climate, this should keep things fine during your travel. If you're going to be gone more than a few days, it would be a good idea to get a friend or neighbor to come over and water again,
     
  7. Atalanta

    Atalanta New Member

    Mulch really is a great idea. We often use mulch and then one of my husband's relatives is often willing to come water our plants for us. Between the two, it works out well.
     
  8. Tess

    Tess New Member

    The soda bottle watering system works great. Several of my pet sitting clients used them and the plants always looked healthy. I think you can buy a stopper part at Lowes or Home Depot. You probably won't be able to find them, however, until more of the spring/summer yard items are put out.
     
  9. Daisy

    Daisy New Member

    Great watering ideas

    These are all great suggestions, and I think I'm going to try the water bottle idea plus the deep watering and mulching suggestion. We do have mulch already, and we have lots of shade, so those two things are in place already. I hate asking someone else to come over to do these tasks, but I do have a niece who is driving now and would love some gas money.
     
  10. chickie

    chickie New Member

    Don't those look ugly sitting in the middle of your flower gardens though? I have a bed out back that I could get away with this because it's quite thick at the back but there's no way I could hide them out front.
     
  11. landscapingcont

    landscapingcont New Member

    Very intelligent question i wish i have the answer of your question but no idea if you got the idea or ways to prolong the plants when you are away from home please share with us.
     
  12. jardinier

    jardinier New Member

    Plant Nanny... loll good idea !
     
  13. Livia

    Livia New Member

    For a more attractive version of the soda bottle trick, try "ollas." Google up the phrase "using ollas" and you should find both an urbanhomestead article with photo illustrations and a video tutorial on the topic.
    Another cool idea is to bury wood in your beds. Google up "hugelkultur" and you will find an array of short articles that explain this technique.
    A low-tech irrigation system with hoses works, too, if you can hire a plant sitter - I actually set multiple hoses off of multi-faucet faucet heads and typed up detailed instructions for the sitter to turn on the hoses - even to the point of how far to turn one faucet handle (from twelve o'clock to eight o'clock) so that a particular line didn't overspray the sidewalk.
     
  14. jhoncarter247

    jhoncarter247 Member

    Mulch really is a great idea. and the water bottle idea plus the deep watering and mulching suggestion.
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