Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Watering Plants While You're Away

Source:  lushome.com

Who doesn't love having pots overflowing with beautiful flowers?  Hanging plants and potted plants allow us to add some color to our yards with gorgeous blooms that are usually only found in more southern climes.


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But to get the look you want, you probably have to drop a pretty penny at your local garden center (unless you're one of the hardy few who has a green house and can grow them from seed).  One or two pots may not cost you too much, but if you have many pots and hanging planters, it can get costly.

Source:  bhg.com

So the last thing you want when you go on vacation is to come home to a bunch of dead flowers. While plants in the ground can generally survive a week or more without water because of their deep roots, potted plants rely on you to get water to them on a regular basis.

Source:  fluffyflowers.typepad.com

Today we tackle a few ways to keep your plants watered while you're gone so that you come back to beautiful, healthy, luscious flowers without needing to hire someone to come and water for you.



Install a Reservoir


Whether it's an empty 2 Liter pop bottle or a large bag, the idea here is to have a source of water on or near the plant that will slowly administer water while you're gone.

The idea is to have one or two small holes in your reservoir and let gravity provide the pressure to slowly administer the water to your plants.

Source:  bostonglobe.com


Source:  anativegarden.blogspot.com


Source:  Pinterest

Add Water Loving Materials


This next method works very well but needs to be done before your pots are planted.   Adding water absorbent materials to your pots lets you go much longer between waterings because the materials soak up the water then the roots of your plants suck the water out as they need it.  While there are commercially available water absorbent/slow-release materials available, you can easily make your own using the lining of diapers.  Some people even put an entire diaper at the bottom of their pots.


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Install A Watering System


If you already have a lawn irrigation system, you could simply move all your pots onto your lawn while you're gone so that they will get watered whenever the lawn does.  Another option is to add a dedicated watering system to your plants.  

There are many watering systems on the market with a wide range in prices, depending on how fancy you want to get.  

Source:  imageck.com


Source:  willsfamilyacres.com


Source:  bathurstirrigation.com

Get wise about watering and enjoy your beautiful flowers all summer long, no matter how many times you are gone.  

Source:  Michelle Schwake for Stafford Family Realtors

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