Pot plants

[conny]

We have about 30 pot plants, (mostly flowers but a number of herbs), including half a dozen hanging baskets.
My problem is, we are going away for a week with no one able to come and water them while we are away and the weather forecast is for plenty of sunshine with high temperatures.
Does anyone have any suggestions how I can ensure they get enough water each day without over watering? I once saw someone draping a piece of string/cord across the tops of the pots with one end in a bucket of water raised up on a shelf. Not sure if it worked though.

 

[StephenStephen]

I'd stick the pots and baskets in buckets, tubs, plant saucers etc, in a more shady area, and give them a good watering before you go...

 

[pidgeon1]

I pick up two plastic baby baths from a hart foundation shop £1

Did the job also used for mixing compost for filling pot plants

 

[Mike13]

use table with a lath of wood laid down loose around the edge, cover in platic sheet, then get a long strip of gardeners matting that is used under pots, make sure it is long enough to reach over the edge and into a bucket of water close by, and just below the table level. Something like this stuff https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Capillary-Matting/139909/bn_7023491770
Make sure the water level is below the table, but not too much lower.

 

[Odds]

Seven ways to water plants when you go on your hols.
or you could try watering spikes but as you have so many it probably isn't cost effective; unless you make your own with 1 litre plastic bottles.
Vermiculite and perlite mixed in with fresh compost will help with a good long soak before you go: next week temperatures could hit 30 degrees, depending where you are.

 

[Mottie]

I’d take them with me. It always ****es down when I go away!

 

[Wayners]

Ask a neighbour or post for help on local forums like the nextdoor site.
I know someone that asked a relative and they never did it and some plants died over one week.

 

[conny]

Only neighbour is an elderly lady with a foreign carer. Daughter and granddaughter are coming with us and nearest other relatives are over 100 miles away.

use table with a lath of wood laid down loose around the edge, cover in platic sheet, then get a long strip of gardeners matting that is used under pots, make sure it is long enough to reach over the edge and into a bucket of water close by, and just below the table level. Something like this stuff https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Capillary-Matting/139909/bn_7023491770
Make sure the water level is below the table, but not too much lower.

I was going to place the water container higher so the water syphoned down rather than wicked up. Which way do you think is the more effective?

 

[Old Salt]

I was going to place the water container higher so the water syphoned down rather than wicked up. Which way do you think is the more effective?

Wick up, if you syphon it will disappear too quickly.

 

[conny]

Just set up 3 different experiments. All similar sized pots and set at the same height.
1/ String wicking up.
2/ String syphoning down.
3/ 3 plastic bottles with 3 holes drilled in the lid and bottles inverted into the soil.
Bottle 1 has 3 off 3.0mm holes.
Bottle 2 has 3 off 2.5mm holes.
Bottle 3 has 3 off 2.omm holes
Now to sit back and monitor each experiment over the next couple of days. If we use the bottle method, (which I'm tending to favour towards), we will need at least 54 bottles with one per container but as some containers are larger I think I will aim for about 80 bottles. As I work in a college it will be no problem collecting that many over a few days.
By the way, all bottles currently have the same amount of water in them and were inverted at the same time. If I'm doing an experiment I like to get it set correctly.

 

[Odds]

A few years ago i tried watering gel in hanging baskets and it seemed to work well enough during the hottest days of summer.
Try SwellGel alongside a moisture retaining compost from Miracle-Gro or Westmoreland. I always use 'Jack's Magic' for potting herbs. A mixture of bonemeal and vermiculite gives them a good start in life and keeps them going through a season. If you prefer a liquid feed, you must try Miracle-Gro organic. It's the closest thing i've seen to the 'Black Gold' liquid you get from a Wormery. The smell is fantastic, a a yeasty-'shroomy aroma that really perks you up in t'morning.

 

[big-all]

i thought it was thick fluffy towel laid on the draining board pots on draining board standing on towel with other end in a sink full off water -----or ask boris as he has more time on his hands and far less friends

 

[Mottie]

Ask a neighbour or post for help on local forums like the nextdoor site.
I know someone that asked a relative and they never did it and some plants died over one week.

We went away and left our teenage son to water the garden. We came back to a lush lawn…..and dead flowers in the borders and pots!

 

[conny]

We went away and left our teenage son to water the garden. We came back to a lush lawn…..and dead flowers in the borders and pots!

 

[Mike13]

We tried the water higher, and the bucket drained much too quickly into the shallow "bowl" and spilt water onto the floor.