Gadgets that water while you’re away
If you’re a forgetful waterer, or you need to keep your plants alive while you’re on holiday, there are plenty of cool gadgets and pots that’ll do the watering for you, writes KIRSTEN COLVIN
I’m a novice gardener and, I admit it, a lousy waterer. My balcony garden has seen many plants come and go over the years, and there have been many casualties, much to the amusement of my more able gardening friends. (I’ve yet to admit to one kind soul that the ‘unkillable’ aloe vera she gave me didn’t survive.) The only plant to last the distance is my big pot of chives. While this is a hardy crop that seems to thrive on neglect, I think the key is that it’s growing in a self-watering pot. Even if I forget to water it for a week, the water in the reservoir keeps it going.
If you’re a competent gardener, heading off on holiday may be the only time your plants need extra attention. Unless you have a neighbour or friend who can pop in every day to water your plants, you’ll need to find ways to keep them alive. My mum swears by putting her potted plants on an old towel in the bath with about 2cm of water. This works for pots that are easy to move and can cope with the lower light of most bathrooms, but other plants need individual watering solutions, maybe in the spot where they are already flourishing. There are lots of self-watering pots and cool gadgets for ‘good’ gardeners, as well as time-poor, neglectful ones like me.
SELF WATERING POTS
These days, there are myriad self-watering pots, troughs and planter boxes available. They all have some kind of water reservoir at the base, but the method by which the water gets to the plants varies. Many rely on the natural capillary action of potting medium to draw moisture up to the roots of the plants, and some have wicks that soak up the water from below.
If you’re looking at buying self-watering pots, consider how thirsty your plant is and the size of the pot’s water reservoir, so you can calculate whether the plant will remain happy and healthy between waterings. Obviously, larger pots have a bigger water reservoir that doesn’t need to be topped up as quickly as smaller ones. It’s also helpful if the pot has some kind of indicator on the outside, so you can easily see when you need to add more water.
When you are potting up a new plant, don’t rely on the water reservoir of a self-watering pot for the first couple of weeks. Water the plant from the top until the roots have become established.
WATER SPIKES
These come in all shapes and sizes, from practical-looking cones to decorative models that may even outshine the plant they’re sharing the pot with. The concept behind them is basic: make tiny openings in a container of some sort, tip it upside down, and insert it into the soil where it will drip until the water runs out.
There are plenty of DIY solutions for making your own water spikes. You could try making tiny holes in the lid of a plastic bottle (or a screw cap on a wine bottle) and upending it in the soil. These are not always aesthetically pleasing (although a wine bottle decorated with mosaics is a nice idea), and the water will run out in a day or two. The bought versions work on the same principle, but you pay more for adjustable, flexible features and systems that give your plants more uniform and controlled moisture over a longer period of time.
Simple models screw onto a standard plastic bottle, and even the cheapest ones allow you to adjust the flow rate. (If you are leaving it in place for a while, cut the bottom off the bottle for easy refilling.) Other models can be joined together so you can create a run of irrigation for pots feeding off the same water source.
Again, consider how much water your plants will need and for how long – and where they’re located. Some water spikes are fed from a receptacle of water placed alongside them – not a bad idea for a plant in a tricky spot that’s difficult to water.
Whatever your watering needs, you’re sure to find a solution here that will suit your potted plants and your budget.