samedi 7 mars 2015

Discover Automatic Plant Watering When You Are Away

By Leslie Ball


When you leave your home for a vacation you and you have pets it is important that you either board them or find someone to care for them while you are away. If you have house plants, you will need to make sure they do not go without water. You can keep your plants hydrated while you are gone by following these tips for automatic plant watering.

To help prevent house plants from drying or becoming damaged, replant them in larger nonporous containers. You will need more soil to fill the larger containers and the increase in soil will help hold moisture. The plants will be able to go for a longer period of time before they need watering. In addition, several products are available that can be added to the dirt to help retain moisture.

There are synthetic soil additives that will help the soils ability to hold increased amounts of water. Using the additives will improve the holding capacity of the soil to as much as 50 percent. Visit your nearest department or DIY store find out what brand they can recommend.

Before leaving on your vacation, be sure to give the plants a thorough soaking. This can be done by putting each container in the sink or a buckets of water. The plants should be left sitting in the water until the top of the soil is good and moist. This practice will ensure your plants will remain moist while you are away.

Also, you should consider buying watering stakes for every plant. You may need to use a couple in your larger pots. As the plant soil dries, the watering stake will automatically let water leave the reservoir and travel to the soil. Not all stakes have their own reservoir so you may need to attach your own using a bottle made of glass or of plastic.

Folks can also make a drip system using plastic bottles. To do this, make a number of small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Place the bottle in the dirt next to the plant. Fill the bottle with water and monitor the distribution of the water to make sure an appropriate amount is being time released. Make sure to test the system out before you leave in case you need to make adjustments to the size or number of holes.

Another system that can be made at home uses yarn and water that wicks moisture to the plant. Place a container of water at a level that is higher than the plant. Thoroughly soak the yarn with water. Place one end of the yarn at the bottom of the water container and then bury the other end of the yarn in the soil in the pot.

If you follow these tips it will not be necessary to ask someone to care for the plants while you are gone. You can learn to make your own hydration system. However, if you would rather purchase a system, decorative hydration stakes will prevent your soil from drying out. No matter which method you choose to use, you will return home to healthy plants.




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