Keeping container plants watered can be a challenge, especially if you travel a lot or work long hours. Tammy Algood, a garden expert with the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, shares tips on keeping plants healthy if you'll be away. A homemade self-watering device (figure A) will care for your plants while you're on vacation. A thick piece of cotton cord placed in the drainage hole of a container will act as a wick and draw water from a reservoir such as a 1-gallon plastic milk jug. When you don't need the device, coil the cotton cord inside the saucer so it's out of sight. Before you plant the container, cut a piece of cord 2 1/2' to 3 1/2' long. Place one end through the drainage hole of the container, then fill the pot with a few inches of soil. The cord should be visible on the surface of the soil before you set the plant in place (figure B). Coil the cord around the top of the soil. Set the plant in place, and fill the pot with the remaining soil. When you're about to leave town, place the long end of the cord emerging from the drainage hole into a gallon jug filled with water. The cord will act as a wick to draw water from the jug. Another method--often used with miniature African violets--is to use a shorter piece of cord and set the plant on top of a reservoir (figure C). Both plant and reservoir can be placed in a larger decorative container so that the wick and reservoir are hidden. Check the reservoir at least once a month to see whether you need to add water. If you like, add fertilizer to the reservoir. Tammy calls strawberry jars "the gardener's nightmare" because they're difficult to water. To make the job easier, place a wire cylinder filled with gravel inside the pot (figure D). Fill the container with soil and plant as usual. When you water, place the hose directly into the cylinder. It will deliver water all the way to the bottom of the jar. Another method is to drill holes in a piece of PVC pipe and place it in the center of the pot before planting. A commercial version of the reservoir system described above is called the Plant Sitter (figure E). A reservoir holds water, and a wick in the form of a terra-cotta plug delivers it to the surface of the soil. Such a device will supply water to a container plant for 2 to 3 weeks.
GUESTS :
Tammy Algood
UT Agricultural Extension Service
5201 Marchant Drive
Nashville, TN 37211-5201
Phone: 615-834-5162
Fax: 615-832-0043
Email: Talgood1@utk.edu
Website: http://www.utextension.utk.edu
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