Topic: Soda Bottle Irrigator

[Peggy]

I found the below instructions for making a soda bottle waterer.. but I wonder, for a potted plant, if you put fewer holes in them and just a tiny hole for air in the top and kept the lid on the bottle if if the water release would be more as the plant needed it.

I made one a couple days ago and the water doesn't stay in there long, is the purpose of the bottle just to get the water down into the ground and closer to the roots, or is it a holder that is supposed to hold the water and release it over a slower amount of time...

just thoughts, Peg


"Take a 2 liter soda bottle with the label removed and, using a large hot nail punch a few holes randomly on one side only. Start punching the holes at the shoulder and stop about 1/4 inch from where the bottom starts. The more holes, the faster the water will drain out. I don't punch more than 10-12 per bottle. Then, dig the planting hole large enough to accomodate the bottle at least up to the shoulder and bury it with the hole-side facing the plant. I take a wand sprinkler with the spray head removed to walk along and fill each one."

[duh]

I think the size of the air hole is very important.  And yes the more holes the faster it drains out. 

[Peggy]

I think the size of the air hole is very important.  And yes the more holes the faster it drains out. 

Ya, I think I made way too many holes on my first couple of tries...

ooops!!! I guess it all depends on what we want!
thank, peg

[patches]

Peg, this sounds like a really great idea,  but it might take some experimenting with the number of holes and the air hole before you get it right.    It seems like this would also make it okay to water your plants when the sun is shining or late at night since none of the foliage would get wet. 

[Peggy]

Peg, this sounds like a really great idea,  but it might take some experimenting with the number of holes and the air hole before you get it right.    It seems like this would also make it okay to water your plants when the sun is shining or late at night since none of the foliage would get wet. 

Well, I have started experimenting, but I still have no answers, I think I'll know more next year...at this point, I am saving bottles,when I get a bag full they go out to shed to wait for spring.

I did do one more bottle for my snapdragons and I put less holes in it, and it is draining slower, which is what I want, I want the water to drain slow enough that the soil can absorb some and not just run off. I don't think what I did was "just right" yet.

Thanks, Peg

[patches]

Actually, Peg, I don't think there's a perfect formula for this because a lot may have to do with the kind of soil you have.  I know when I water the parts of my yard where it's mostly clay this water just sits and sits until it finally drains, but, in all my beds where I have amended the soil, the water goes right in the ground.   

[duh]

so very true.  I have a high clay content too and never have to worry about the bottles draining to fast because the clay barely lets the water out lol.

[Peggy]

OHHHHHH, YA!! I never thought of that. Right now my bottles are basically in compost.... my real yard is nothing but clay.. so what I learn now, won't pertain next year.. DUH.. ok.. hahahaha, thank you much, Peg

[patches]

my real yard is nothing but clay

Oh, I hear you on that one, Peg!     I've been dealing with clay soil for years and I hate it.  Of course, I've got all my gardens bed amended, but it has taken me many years.    Actually, I'm still working on the new perennial bed that I just started at the back of my yard this year.  I really guess my biggest problem is, I keep adding new beds.      

[Peggy]

my real yard is nothing but clay

Oh, I hear you on that one, Peg!     I've been dealing with clay soil for years and I hate it.  Of course, I've got all my gardens bed amended, but it has taken me many years.    Actually, I'm still working on the new perennial bed that I just started at the back of my yard this year.  I really guess my biggest problem is, I keep adding new beds.      

Well, luckily, our county gives away compost... we've hauled in either four or five small pick up loads... and we plan to haul in more. We want to spread a couple inches over the whole yard just to make it better, and then in the garden area, we want lots!! lol

I've put a few inches of it in on my flowers too. The flowers that have gotten it are doing so well.

What is sad about our yard, is that we probably live in one of the older homes in our neighborhood, certainly not the oldest in the area though, our home was built in the 50's.  But, the homes directly behind us is tract housing built probably in the late 70's by the way the houses look.  When the contractor built the tract, there were older folks living in our house, and they didn't stop the contractor when he stole the top soil from the back yard.  We've been told they were basically too old to care anymore, or to fight it. 

So, our backyard is just horrible, horrible clay...hard.  Clyde tried to till it and it was just a waste of time, he was beating himself up with the tiller. 

At least three loads of that compost has gone on the beginnings of our garden area along with the 50 bales of hay we bought last fall and put out there.  We should have enough organic matter! LOL

We'll see!!!!

thanks, peg

[patches]

our county gives away compost... we've hauled in either four or five small pick up loads... and we plan to haul in more. We want to spread a couple inches over the whole yard just to make it better, and then in the garden area, we want lots!! lol

I've put a few inches of it in on my flowers too. The flowers that have gotten it are doing so well.
 

Oh, Peg, you are so lucky!!!  I have a lot of friends who live in places where they can get free compost, but that's not the case here.  Geesh, I would gladly take all I could get, but we are not so fortunate.  The only compost I get is what I make myself and I would never be able to make enough to do my yard.  This spring I had to pay to get some topsoil brought in for my front yard.  Then I planted some more grass see but that didn't help either. I'm going to try to re-seed the yard again in the fall and see what happens.