CARE TO PLANTS

🌲WATERING TO PLANTS🌲

       Here I am going to discuss some basic methods to watering the plants when you are about to leave house for the purpose of vacation.

1.Glass Bottle Solution

     Materials + tools needed:

• Hammer
• Nails
• A bottle with an aluminum cap
• Pliers

                            

Step 1: Puncture holes in cap.

Use pliers to remove the plastic film inside the cap. Then, take a nail and hammer it through the aluminum cap, creating five mini holes. To make sure you don’t warp the cap, start by nailing the hole from the inside of the cap.

Step 2: Fill the bottle with water.

Take the bottle off the cap and fill to the brim with water. Put the cap back on the lid.

Step 3: Place the bottle into soil.

Dig a hole in the soil of the plant you’ll be watering. Put the bottle (cap side first) into the hole you dug. Refill after a long weekend!

2.Houseplant Bath

      Materials + tools needed:  

• Towel
• Sink or bathtub
• Well-draining potted plants

                                          

Step 1: Fill up your bathtub or sink.

Fill up your bathtub or sink (depending on how many plants you need to take care of while gone) with a couple inches of water.

Step 2: Lay out a towel to cover the tub or sink.

Lay a towel out over the water so the pots of the plants do not scrape up the tub or sink.

Step 3: Place your plants on the towel in the bath.

Place plants in the tub or sink, making sure the plants are in pots with good drainage so the water can soak through the roots. 

3.Water Wicking Drip System

     Materials + tools needed:

• Cotton rope
• A vase or bucket     

                                   

Step 1: Cut the cotton ropes

Make sure to get cotton rope. You want the rope to have slack on the end inside the vase of water and also be able to reach several inches under the soil. Cut a rope for each plant that needs watering.

Step 2: Place ends of rope in the soil and water

Push one end of the rope several inches under each of the plants’ soil, then cover each rope with soil to make sure it stays. Have the other end of the rope placed in the vase or bucket filled with water, and make sure there is extra slack on this end.

Step 3: Water plant and fill the vase

Fill up the vase with water and then water the plants to start the process. This method is great for those who have multiple plants and want one setup.

4.Plant Saucer Setup

     Materials + tools needed:

• Saucer
• Drainage pot

                                      

Step 1: Select a saucer

When looking for a saucer for your pot, you want to make sure it is close to the same size as the pot, or even slightly larger, so that the saucer has room to hold water and still touch the full bottom of the pot.

Step 2: Place your plant in the pot

Using a drainage pot is important so that the plant can reach the water that is going to be in the saucer.

Step 3: Soak the saucer or place water in the saucer

Run the saucer under water or place water in the saucer to have extra water for the plant to drink from while you are gone.

5.Tiny Plastic Bag Greenhouse

     Materials + tools needed:  

• Four wood stakes
• Clear plastic bag (large enough to fit over the plant)

                                              

Step 1: Insert the wood stakes

Take the four wood stakes and put them in each corner of the pot. 

Step 2: Water and place in indirect sunlight

Water your plant as you usually would do not over water. Leave your plant in indirect sunlight because direct sunlight will heat up the plastic bag too much and will most likely kill your plant.

Step 3: Wrap your plant in the plastic bag

Find a plastic bag large enough to cover your whole plant and then some. Wrap your plant inside the plastic bag, making sure that the stakes are placed well enough that the leaves are not touching the bag.

6.Plastic Water Bottle Planter

       Materials + tools needed:

• Plastic water bottles (size varies due to plant size)
• Nails
• Hammer

                                         

Step 1: Puncture holes on the bottle

Take the water bottle and pierce about six holes on the sides of the water bottle, and about three holes on the bottom of the water bottle.  

Step 2: Place the plastic bottle into the soil

Water the soil of your plant . Place the plastic bottle into a hole in the soil with the cap and about an inch or two of the water bottle peeking out.

Step 3: Fill up the water bottle

Fill the bottle with water and cap the bottle so the water does not evaporate and instead drains into the plant.