Often in life there are situations when we need to leave the house. For some, this is an annual vacation, for others, the type of activity is associated with regular and long business trips. What to do if you are also a big fan of indoor plants?
If you will not be at home for up to a week and the plants are not too moisture-loving, then it will be enough just to water your pets abundantly and choose a less lit place for them. Otherwise, you will have to take care of the automatic watering system.
There are various automatic watering devices that you can purchase in specialized stores. It is enough to understand their device and then it will not be difficult to make automatic watering for indoor plants with your own hands.
self-watering pots
These are pots consisting of two reservoirs, in one of which a plant is planted, in the other - water is poured. In the absence of classical watering, the plant gradually absorbs water from the second vessel. Manufacturers even equip such pots with water level indicators, with which it is easy to determine at what point the tank needs to be filled.
Wick automatic watering systems
As in the previous method, the pot consists of two containers, in one - the soil and its inhabitant, in the other - water.
We wrote about how to understand the variety of pumps for an automatic irrigation system in this.
Holes are made in the container with the plant and a material twisted into a bundle is passed through them - a “wick”, which connects the reservoir with water and the reservoir with the plant.
The basis for the "wick" is a fabric that can absorb liquid well - cotton, wool. Thanks to the “wick” that transfers moisture to the soil, the latter remains moist until the water in the second tank runs out.
Gravity
This system, in its principle, resembles a wick. The only difference is that in the gravitational method, the water tank is not part of the pot, but stands separately, and always above the level of the pot.
drip
There are various variations of devices for drip irrigation of indoor plants.
Systems connected to the central water supply
These systems are connected to the water supply, then a program for supplying water to the ground is set based on the needs of the plants.
Water tank systems
In apartments, drip irrigation systems are more often used with a container of water, from which tubes come out, connected at the other end to potted plants. In this case, the watering intensity is adjusted manually.
Ceramic flasks
The same system with a water tank, only at the end of the tube there is a ceramic cone.
Water enters under the pressure of the vessel when the soil dries out and manual adjustment is not required.
Cone manufacturers claim that ceramic tips are a kind of soil moisture sensor and assure buyers of the reliability of the method.
Unfortunately, in practice, these devices often become clogged and do not always provide the pressure necessary to draw water from the vessel.
Special flasks
They are also called enema balls. This is another of the drip irrigation devices that can be found on sale. An enema ball is a flask consisting of a rounded tank of water and a long tube that is stuck into the ground. Water enters the tube, and why into the ground, as it is pushed out by oxygen, which is released when the earth dries up.
Hydrogel and granular clay
These materials can be purchased at a gardening store. They are able to absorb a large amount of moisture, while giving it away gradually, thereby providing much-needed moisture to the roots of indoor plants in your absence.
Capillary mats
Capillary mats are a kind of mats made of materials that can absorb a large amount of moisture. A pot with a plant is placed on the capillary mat, and the free edge of the mat is placed in a water source.
Since the principles of operation of automatic watering systems are simple, it will not be difficult to reproduce them at home using improvised materials.
Homemade systems
Homemade self-irrigating pot
An easy way to keep your plant moist while you're away is to place the potted plant in a container of water. This method is not suitable for all plants, as it can excessively moisten the soil.
wick
We arm ourselves with a skein of woolen threads, weave them together into a bundle and here it is, the very “wick”. Further, as in the method described above, we lower one end of the wick into a container with water, the other into the soil with a plant. Wick automatic watering system is ready!
Drip from medical droppers
We take an ordinary medical dropper. We lower one end of it into a container of water, which should be higher than the pot with the plant to provide the necessary pressure, and immerse the other end in the ground. The dropper wheel adjusts the intensity of soil moisture. In this way, several plants can be fed using one water tank.
Drip from a plastic bottle
We water the plant in the usual way, we break through a small hole in the soil. We take an ordinary plastic bottle, cut off the bottom, fill it with water, after making a hole in the lid with a needle. Insert the bottle into the hole with the perforated cap down. The most important thing when using this method is to ensure the stability of the bottle.
DIY capillary mat
Instead of the rugs offered for sale, you can use any material that can absorb moisture well - even a terry towel. We lower one half of the towel into a container of water, on the other we put a pot with a plant with drainage holes at the bottom. The roots of the plant will receive moisture from the towel, which, in general, repeats the method of capillary mats.
Whatever method of automatic watering you choose, make sure of its effectiveness even before you are separated from your pets. Check the method you like at least a week before departure.
Adjust it to the needs of your plants and then you can be sure that they will meet you green and blooming.
Useful instructions about, which we wrote for you.
When people who grow flowers at home need to go somewhere for a long time, they are very worried about their condition during their absence. Of course, you can ask friends or a relative to look after the flowers, but it is much more convenient in this case to use automatic watering for indoor plants. This will avoid unnecessary trouble and ensure complete safety for ornamental crops.
Plant preparation
The easiest solution to provide flowers with moisture during a long absence of the owner is to place pots with them in basins filled with a wave. In this case, there is no doubt that the plants will be normally moistened within 1-1.5 weeks. This method is good because it does not need to purchase any additional devices.
But experienced flower growers still advise using special automatic watering systems, because such equipment allows you to maintain normal plant moisture for a very long time.
Every florist knows that with abundant watering, plants do not need moisture for about a couple of weeks. Therefore, when a planned departure, the vegetation must be properly prepared. To do this, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
The most time-consuming process in the care of indoor plants has always been and remains watering. It takes the most effort and time, is the most common reason that, as a result of too much work, we are forced to reduce the collection of pets. After all, not everyone can provide full-fledged care for a dozen different types. All the problems associated with regular frequent watering, as well as the need to constantly monitor the degree of humidity of the substrate and its drying between procedures, make it possible to solve containers with automatic watering. This is not just a fashionable novelty on the market, but also a real find for both beginners and experienced flower growers.
Principles of operation of planters with automatic watering
If earlier automatic watering was perceived as a luxurious “toy”, today pots equipped with automatic systems for regulating substrate moisture are slowly turning into one of the basic options for full-fledged care for green pets. And whatever you call such containers - just pots with automatic watering, automatic planters, smart pots - this does not change their simplicity from a technical point of view. An improved version of conventional containers solves the biggest problem and most important task of complete houseplant care, and does it in the easiest way.
Automatic watering from a technical and technological point of view is a very simple device. In fact, this is a system of subsoil, capillary irrigation. Such pots work on the principle of communicating vessels, one of which contains water supplies, and the second is intended for planting the plants themselves. In fact, this is a double pot for plants equipped with a special tank or a pot in which a separator barrier is installed.
According to the device, smart planters can be different. In some pots, the water tank is cone-shaped, installed in the pot and connected to a tube with an indicator protruding above the surface of the planter. Others are made in the form of two vessels located one inside the other with a side reservoir-channel for replenishing water or without it. Still others are collapsible structures: a special separator barrier, an indicator tube and a tank for filling the lower part of the pot with water are inserted into the pot (they are supplied separately disassembled and installed independently before planting). At the same time, pots with automatic watering can provide for both bottom watering and seepage of water not only from below, but also on the sides of the earthen coma. The indicator is a "float" tube with marks of the maximum and minimum water levels, which are easy to navigate.
Image of a planter device with an automatic watering system. © lechuza
Some manufacturers, along with containers and collapsible systems for automatic watering, consisting of a special barrier for a pot, a reservoir for filling and an indicator tube, also provide a special drainage mixture that ensures optimal water supply and dosage. But most automatic watering systems in pots work with the most common drainage that is commonly used for indoor plants - gravel, vermiculite, expanded clay, etc.
Saturation of the substrate with moisture occurs at the capillary level, water rises into the soil from the reservoir slowly and gradually, and most importantly, evenly. From the inner container, water penetrates into the substrate as it dries, depending on the rate at which the plant consumes moisture.
A double pot with a water reservoir, from which the plant itself actually draws as much moisture as it needs, providing a very effective, balanced wetting of the substrate. Since the moistening process is regulated by the degree of moisture consumption and the plant's needs for it, the risk of complete drying of the substrate or, conversely, excessive moisture and stagnant water, acidification of the soil is completely excluded. And you can simply not be afraid of any mistakes, miscalculations, negligence, the influence of temporary factors. Plants will not suffer even in your absence, if the air temperature changes sharply, etc.
Cache-pot with automatic watering system. © lechuza The only nuance in the operation of pots with automatic watering, which can be considered a disadvantage, is that the system starts working only when the earth ball is sufficiently filled with the root system, the roots of the plant reach the drainage layer and, accordingly, can “pull” water from the tank. If you plant indoor plants with a small root system in such a container, filling most of it with “empty” soil, you will have to wait until the root system develops and begins to “pull out” moisture at the capillary level. In the case of young plants planted in large pots, you will have to wait about 2-3 months after transplanting. All this time, pots with automatic watering are used as usual and watering is carried out by the classical method. Therefore, it is advisable to use smart pots for adult plants and not to increase the diameter of the container too much compared to the previous one. But there are also models with smart irrigation systems that work from the moment of planting (always check this parameter when buying).
Why do we need planters with automatic watering?
Do not consider a container with a special device for automatic watering of plants as just one of the means to simplify care, a toy for a lazy grower. After all, the most important thing in automatic watering is not at all simplicity, but the optimization of the procedures themselves. Such containers allow you to achieve the ideal degree of substrate moisture, corresponding to a specific period of plant development, the level of water consumption by the root system. It is the complete satisfaction of the requirements of plants and the absolutely exact correspondence of the amount of incoming moisture to the requirements of crops that is the main and virtually unparalleled advantage of automatic watering pots. It is the smart answer to the problem of perfect watering, meeting the needs of modern gardeners and their green pets, which saves effort, time, eliminates problems and prevents any difficulties associated with improper moisture regime.
Cache-pot with automatic watering system. © lechuza We are accustomed to the fact that watering should be systemic, with an individual approach to each plant, regular, to maintain stable conditions. And all this must be controlled by the grower himself. Even experienced professionals cannot always provide plants with the necessary attention. And the more cultures in the collection, the more difficult it is to provide them with individual care. Pots with automatic watering for indoor plants, like no other method, allow you to make care more personal, focused on the characteristics and preferences of each particular plant. Thanks to them, a special system of care is effortlessly created, the need to constantly remember and strictly observe the individual characteristics of each culture disappears.
Since all indoor plants are truly unique and inimitable, even cultures belonging to the same family, similar in their requirements, may still have a different care program. Among indoor plants, there are crops that love constant moisture, such as ficuses, and moisture-loving crops that depend on the degree of humidity, like ferns and balsams, and cacti and other succulents that are afraid of any waterlogging, requiring a special approach orchids and cyclamens. And if with the classic method of watering each plant needs to find its own approach, then when using smart planters, you just need to take care of the timely replenishment of water in the tank. They are equally suitable for the most persistent and unpretentious indoor plants that require minimal attention, and for the most capricious indoor pets, which are preferably grown in greenhouses.
Being a versatile and simple device, such fashionable pots simplify the process of building an irrigation program as much as possible and allow you to forget about all the troubles associated with it. Including about such nuances of watering as:
- water temperature;
- water ingress on leaves or bases of shoots;
- the need to drain water from pallets;
- the risk of developing diseases associated with improper watering;
- requirements to control the volume of water and the level of drying of the substrate in pots, etc.
Complete set of a pot for orchids with an automatic watering system. © lechuza Smart planters completely eliminate any risks of improper watering and compensate for all possible difficulties. Maximum efficiency, personality, the ability to create even specific conditions and meet all the requirements of plants allow you not to rely on intuition and subjective assessment, completely forget about anxieties and worries, and virtually nullify the risk of failures in growing indoor plants associated with irrigation.
The main advantages of self-watering pots for indoor plants
- the ability to grow plants even if you do not have enough time, you often travel and cannot pay enough attention to a large collection of indoor crops;
- they allow you to forget forever about the problems with watering plants during vacations or long business trips;
- saving time on caring for indoor plants;
- ensuring the ideal level of humidity even in the absence of experience;
- eliminating the need to constantly check the degree of drying of the substrate between waterings;
- the ability to grow the most moisture-loving and capricious species without complicated care;
- optimization of care and creation of an ideal regime, ensuring that the degree of soil moisture fully meets the needs of plants.
And a little about the range of containers themselves, equipped with a built-in automatic watering system. Their choice, of course, cannot yet be compared with the assortment of ordinary flower pots. But in garden centers, flower shops, hardware stores, along with classic pots, you can almost always find several models and containers with automatic watering. Unfortunately, the choice of pots in terms of style, materials, color and even size is still quite modest. Growing demand is slowly changing the situation, the range of smart planters is expanding, new manufacturers are appearing. In addition, self-watering containers already on the market are usually designed for modern interiors and allow you to choose a container that goes well with any room design. Of course, there is no question of stylistic diversity, but neutral universal forms allow you to find the perfect solution for different plants that prefer taller or wider containers, for crops of different ages and sizes.
Cache-pot with automatic watering system. © lechuza All self-watering containers are made of plastic, but sometimes they offer a choice not only between a glossy and matte surface, but also imitate other materials. The classic fashionable acrylic color palette and pastel shades, imitation of different textures allow you to make a choice based on decorative qualities.
Among the containers with automatic watering, there are both round and square or rectangular pots with a diameter of 13 to 45 cm. All smart large pots for bulky plants are necessarily equipped with wheels that facilitate their movement and care.
And for the price, smart pots allow you to find both elite and more budget options. True, it is the price that still remains a big drawback: even the simplest smart flowerpots are several times more expensive than usual ones.
A separate group of containers with automatic watering is made up of containers for windows and balconies, designed for planting flyers. Balcony elongated containers with special fasteners make it possible to use smart irrigation systems even for decorating the facades of houses and balconies, terraces and recreation areas. Unlike ordinary containers, the compositions created in them from annuals and seasonal plants are easy to care for and do not require daily watering. Containers for open air are equipped with a valve to drain excess water after precipitation.
Cache-pot with automatic watering system. © lechuza How to use self-watering pots?
Using a smart pot is actually no different from using a regular one. Plants in pots with automatic watering are planted according to the same rules and principles as in any other container for indoor crops. Drainage is required. The soil is selected individually for each plant.
The lack of need for watering immediately manifests itself only in some models of pots. For most planters, after planting, the soil is moistened by the classical method. But when the roots of green pets reach drainage, watering according to the classical method completely stops. In fact, instead of regular watering, you should regularly replenish the water supply in the reservoir inside the planter itself.
Image of a balcony planter device with an automatic watering system. © lechuza Water is poured directly into the tube of the tank, protruding above the wall of the pot. It is very easy to carry out the procedure: you just have to add settled, suitable for irrigation water to the “Maximum” indicator. Water is added much less frequently than regular watering, even for cacti and other succulents. In conventional double containers for all classic houseplants, water must be added at a frequency of 2 weeks. And for moisture-loving species that need a stable average humidity, the usual frequency of replenishment of the water level is 10 days. But there are smart pots for which the pause between watering can be 8-10 weeks. Read the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations carefully. As in the case of regular watering, it is better to focus not on a certain frequency, but on the rate at which plants consume moisture. Special, very convenient indicators on the tube help to monitor the water level in an open container. As with any watering, automatic irrigation systems use more water in hot conditions, less - in cool air temperatures. The frequency of replenishing the water level also varies depending on the time of year and the stage of plant development (as well as with conventional watering).
Cache-pot with automatic watering system. © lechuza And one more important nuance. The first top dressing when using containers with automatic watering can be used only 2 months after transplantation. Fertilizers are dissolved in water, which is added to the tank.
If a person decides to leave home for a while, the question arises of caring for house plants. You can ask your friends about it, but no one will give guarantees that the care will be carried out in good faith. There are several ways to preserve flowers without resorting to outside help or complex purchase mechanisms. However, they can only be seen as a temporary measure. If there is no timely watering all the time, then you should look for another way out.
Plant preparation
If the trip did not come as a surprise, it is better to prepare plants in advance for the upcoming changes.
- Put in the shade so that evaporation is less intense. It also depends on the time of year, the presence of working heating devices in the room and ventilation.
- Remove affected leaves and inflorescences. Professionals advise to partially thin out healthy leaves, and without fail to remove not only blooming flowers, but also buds. This measure may seem cruel, but will allow the plant to use water more economically.
- Wipe the leaves, sprinkle them from the spray bottle.
- Place all flower pots in one place and cover with a film on top, making several holes in it for air flow. Covering material can become an alternative to the film - it is more porous, promotes air exchange and prevents the formation of mold.
- If you place flowers in groups, isolate diseased plants. In the immediate vicinity, even a banal fungus will quickly infect healthy neighbors.
- Immediately before departure, all flowers must be well watered. In rare cases, the plant is taken out together with the earth (lump) and lowered into the water, but not for long - so that the earth does not crumble.
Varieties
In order for the plant not to die, it needs water. In our case, we need a source from where it will evenly, but in the right amount, enter the flower pot. Since this problem is not new, there are all kinds of devices on the market. But in the turmoil, you can forget about them, and it’s not difficult to do something similar yourself.
From a bottle
For the first option, you need a bottle. Ideally - plastic, but you can take any. The main thing is that it has a lid. Wine bottles framed by greenery look more aesthetically pleasing. They can also be painted, decorated using decoupage technique or decorated with ribbons, rhinestones, beads. This option is useful even with regular care, for example, it will help to transfer the heat more easily in the summer.
Manufacturing instructions.
- It is easier to pour water if the bottle does not have a bottom. But you can pour it through the neck.
- We make one or two narrow holes in the cork - so that water drips. Close and install in the right place.
- You can simply put it or stick it with its neck into the ground. Then you can judge the intensity of irrigation by the amount of decreasing water. The bottle can be hung above the flower, but low.
Watering is regulated by the width and number of holes in the cork. If it comes into contact with the ground, you need to put a piece of any mesh fabric under the cork and twist it so that its ends peek out with a margin. It will prevent soil from getting inside the bottle.
With rope
For this construction, you need a lace, twine or any other rope. In the absence of such, strips of fabric twisted into bundles can be used. In this case, the rope should absorb water well. It is believed that synthetic fabrics are preferable to natural ones, since the latter can begin to rot. But for a week and with natural nothing will happen.
The principle of operation of the building.
- One side of the rope is lowered into a bowl of water, the other is placed in a pot.
- You can position the rope both from above - so that the free end lies on the ground, and from below, inserting it into the hole for water drainage. In the latter option, more water will be retained in the soil, since it will evaporate less. But there is a risk that the rope will be pinched by the pallet and there will be no inflow.
If the water container is wide (for example, a basin), the water will actively evaporate and maintain the desired humidity in the room for a comfortable plant condition.
From one basin, you can bring ropes to different plants. Or, if the flower needs a lot of moisture, put several sources of water with strings on different sides. To prevent the rope or tourniquet from slipping from the designated place, they must be fixed.
With hydrogel
Automatic moisture supply can be ensured by using various substances that can absorb water. After it evaporates, they usually dry out. The most popular are hydrogel balls. Even cut flowers can stay fresh for a long time. And some plants are planted in them like in the ground. Hydrogel is quite capable of temporarily replacing watering. For this you need:
- hydrogel balls;
- a larger pot;
- water;
- plant.
Progress.
- Soak the balls in water so that they swell.
- Take the plant out of the pot along with the soil. To do this carefully, without damaging the roots, the soil in the pot must be moistened.
- Fill the bottom of the larger pot with balls. Then we put the taken out plant with the ground in the center. Balls should fill all the remaining space around the circumference of the pot. They are also placed on top with a thin layer.
Drying, the balls will give water to the soil. To slow down this process, you can additionally use any other method of automatic watering. There are rugs with similar properties - flower pots are placed on them. Cut into thin strips, they absorb water well, so they can be used instead of ropes or rag bundles.
On a pallet
It is much safer to put everything on a claydite base filled with water.
Approximately on the same principle, pots with automatic watering operate. A planter is a decorative container in which the pot itself is placed. In addition to the fact that it serves as a kind of decoration, it is into it that water flows from the drainage holes. The essence of automatic watering is simple - water is poured into the pots, which feeds the plant through the same holes. In purchased models, a special float is built into the pots, which shows the amount of water. At home, the water level will need to be checked independently at regular intervals.
And the volume of water that needs to be filled in can be calculated empirically and make an appropriate mark on the inside. Planters, of course, need to be washed at least once a week.
With drip
Droppers can also participate in the water supply. Needles are not needed, only a water container, straws and a flow regulator. System advantages:
- transparent material looks unobtrusive;
- tubules can be joined to the required length;
- you can easily adjust the amount of incoming liquid.
In order for the flow to be constant, it is important to correctly position the end of the hose and the water container. The container should be above the level of the pot, the hose is at a slight angle. Its length is easy to cut. To prevent the hose from moving, it is loosely tied to a plastic or wooden peg.
From tubes from droppers and hoses of suitable diameter, but borrowed from other areas, you can create entire systems for watering several indoor plants at once.
But even here it is important to monitor the position of the entire structure so that the water flows evenly and the tubes do not bend. In addition, it is important to take care of the tightness of the connections.