Friday, April 19, 2013

WATER: Preventing Thirsty Plants

I admit it.  There have been more than a few plants under my charge that have bit the dust from lack of the life-giving liquid.  In addition to terrariums, there are also other ways to make plants a little more self-sustaining.

Aqua Globes.  Or anything of the sort.  I got a couple for Christmas one year, and they work pretty well.  They come in a variety of sizes for different-sized plants, ranging from $10 to $25.  Basically all you do is fill them with water (which takes a little patience, as I always had to barely turn on the faucet and let it dribble down into the globe…), and stick them in the plant’s soil.  Depending on the plant’s thirst, I found the globes help with watering for two (or three?) weeks. 



DIY Self-Watering… Devices.  You can buy self-watering plants online for upwards of $200 (because they’re artsy?), but it’s super easy to make your own out of a 2-liter pop bottle.  Instructables.com has some pretty awesome (and easy to follow) steps to do said project.  

There are also other wick-watering DIY projects out there to try.  I once did one that involved braiding nylon stockings together, and stringing it from the bottom of the pot into a container that the pot sat on.  A word of advice: the material the wick is made of DOES matter.  The nylon absorbed way too much water, and I had a dead, drowned plant by the end.  I’m curious to see how cotton T-shirt material, like the tutorial uses, would work…   

Of course, the only downside of these self-watering devices is getting a little too comfortable with the convenience they provide.  Note from experience: Just because they help out for a little while doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for good.  I’ve had a few times where I’ll painstakingly fill an Aqua Globe, be all proud, set it in a plant, and forget about it for two months.  No wonder the plant ends up looking a little sad…

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