When You Go Away, Your Plants Will Stay... Alive!
by Montreal Muriel in Living > Gardening
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When You Go Away, Your Plants Will Stay... Alive!
Keep your plants watered while you go away on vacation
Get the Stuff
You'll need:
1 - a bucket (or small waste bin) 5$
2 - 1/4 inch tubing. I got some drip irrigation tubing. It was the smallest & cheapest there. 13$ for more than I'll ever need
3 - as many of these as you need holes. They are rubber doughnuts with a grove on the outside. Get it the same diameter as your tubing. It will fit snugly and there won't be any leaks. Or messy silicone or epoxy to seal it. 4$
I was doing this last minute, so I went to Home Depot and probably spent more than I should have. But I want my balcony tomatoes to survive my 10 days away from home. And in this heat, they need to be watered almost every day...
1 - a bucket (or small waste bin) 5$
2 - 1/4 inch tubing. I got some drip irrigation tubing. It was the smallest & cheapest there. 13$ for more than I'll ever need
3 - as many of these as you need holes. They are rubber doughnuts with a grove on the outside. Get it the same diameter as your tubing. It will fit snugly and there won't be any leaks. Or messy silicone or epoxy to seal it. 4$
I was doing this last minute, so I went to Home Depot and probably spent more than I should have. But I want my balcony tomatoes to survive my 10 days away from home. And in this heat, they need to be watered almost every day...
Make Your Holes
Trace a straight line near the bottom of the bucket and parallel to the surface your gonna place it on.
Drill as many wholes as you need. I drilled them 1/4 inch, but had to make them bigger until the rubber doughnuts fit through the holes. Start small and then use a knife to make it bigger.
You want to keep the edges clean so the doughnuts are sung to the surface.
Drill as many wholes as you need. I drilled them 1/4 inch, but had to make them bigger until the rubber doughnuts fit through the holes. Start small and then use a knife to make it bigger.
You want to keep the edges clean so the doughnuts are sung to the surface.
Insert the Tubes
Cut the tubes a little longer then you think you'll need, and then cut them when you install you this do-hickey
Gently slide in the tubes until they are a quarter to half inch inside, they should fit very tightly into the doughnut. So don't push too fast.
Gently slide in the tubes until they are a quarter to half inch inside, they should fit very tightly into the doughnut. So don't push too fast.
Voila!
Install on a stable surface well above your plants, drop the tubes straight to the planters, don't let the tube sag.
Place some plastic wrap, tin foil or Plexiglas with a weight to keep the water from evaporating from the bucket, and to keep bugs and leaves from getting in.
Last step: Enjoy balcony tomatoes!!
Option step: decorate your bucket...
Install on a stable surface well above your plants, drop the tubes straight to the planters, don't let the tube sag.
Place some plastic wrap, tin foil or Plexiglas with a weight to keep the water from evaporating from the bucket, and to keep bugs and leaves from getting in.
Last step: Enjoy balcony tomatoes!!
Option step: decorate your bucket...
And to Test Drive..
Lesson n1: When posting an Instructable, always test your stuff first!!
When I set this up, the water came shooting out!
So I made a loop and clipped it almost closed with a clamp (office supplies)
Basically, I adjusted it to a drip...
I will probably repost the results when I get back from my vacation in September... so stay posted!!
When I set this up, the water came shooting out!
So I made a loop and clipped it almost closed with a clamp (office supplies)
Basically, I adjusted it to a drip...
I will probably repost the results when I get back from my vacation in September... so stay posted!!