If you’re like me, you love a good a vacation. In fact, you’d probably say you live for vacation days. But then you’re faced with that age-old question – how are your plants going to live without you? You don’t want to hire someone just to look after your plants, and self-watering systems can be a little pricey.
That’s why we’re here to show you how to keep your garden green and flourishing so you can spend that money on souvenirs!
1. Simple Saucers
This is the oldest trick in the book when it comes to water conservation for your potted plants, especially if they’re outside. Try pouring some extra water into your saucer and your plant can soak up any extra. Make sure there’s a hole in the bottom of your pot, otherwise this DIY hack won’t work!
2. Creative DIY Irrigation
This clever DIY irrigation system is actually surprisingly simple – all you need is a plastic bottle. Seriously.
Take any plastic bottle and poke several small holes throughout. Then, plant your bottle almost fully in the soil, making sure to leave the neck and its opening above ground. As the soil dries, water will slowly be released into the soil, keeping your precious plants hydrated.
Before you rush off to your latest vacay, fill this bottle up with water and your plant will do the rest!
3. For All Your Smaller Plants
Using this DIY capillary irrigation system (science!) you can also make sure that all of your smaller potted plants are not going thirsty while you’re relaxing. All you need is a flexible straw or absorbent string, such as yarn, and a container of water. Bury the string or straw into your planter so that it can reach the roots of your plant and then attach the other end to the container of water.
Voila! You have just made yourself a simple capillary irrigation system. Impress your fellow gardeners with this easy hack!
4. Composting Correctly
We already covered some great composting tips, but seriously, composting can radically improve your plants’ health. To help your garden conserve water while you’re out, try adding some torn up pieces of egg cartons to your plant’s soil to help it retain water. This can be especially helpful for those plants that needs some extra water throughout the day!
Pro-tip: This method works especially well if you move this plant to a shadier spot.
5. Winning with Wine Bottles
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I know what you’re thinking – if I have empty wine bottles, aren’t I already winning? The answer: yes, but now you can actually recycle these beauties while giving your plants the drink they deserve! Take any screw-top wine bottle and poke a hole through the cap. Fill the bottle up with water and bury the neck upside-down into the soil. This irrigation system will slowly give your plants water as they need while also showing off your amazing taste in wines. Let’s be honest – it’s a win-win situation. Or should we say wine-wine situation?
Let us know in the comments about your favorite DIY hack!
