cheap and easy watering systems (forum)

maxzoo starts with ...
Hi,
I thought I would share my watering solutions and maybe someone has a similar situation to myself and it can be useful?

I don't have a tap near my vegie patch or near my fruit trees so I have made up some watering systems that are low energy, diy, cheap and effective.

We are also on tank water so don't have a lot to spare when the weather heats up and dries out so I researched how I can keep my plants alive and happy and found two set ups that work in my situation.. Wicks and Ollas.

I really think the wicking watering systems are amazing so I get a container- I use a 3 litre milk container because we go through a lot of that in our house and make a hole in the lid, thread some old hose and braided rope through the lid (the rope needs to be long enough to absorb water from the bottom of the container), fill up the container with water and add a dash of seasol then prop it up wherever you want the water to go. Instant around the clock waterer that seems to last about a week for me.

The other system that is really cool is using Ollas, and I have seen the wetpots advertised and images of the beautiful ollas that are handmade around the world and I wish I had some of those... but I don't. So I silicone 2 unglazed terracotta pots together, plug up the hole in the bottom with a tile siliconed in place then wait 3 days for it all to cure and then fill it up with water and dig a hole in the ground so that the soil comes right up to the top then pop a rock on top of the hole so mozzies don't move in.
The water very slowly seeps out into the surrounding soil and keeps it all moist for the plants. I googled diy ollas and this was a very popular method to use.
Once a week I will go and refill whats needs refilling.

I am hoping to use is with zucchinis this year and avoid some mildew...

Thanks for reading, hope it was useful.
The pics explain better than I did probably.

Cheers
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 27th September 2014 11:28am

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About the Author maxzoo
larnook
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Juie 1 says...
Thanks for that maxzoo. I bought several of those 'cones' (don't know what they're called) that you fit onto milk bottles, for watering newly planted shrubs.

Not very successful, as they clog up with soil too easily. I like your ideas.



Time: 28th September 2014 1:20pm

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Original Post was last edited: 28th September 2014 1:20pm

About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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maxzoo says...
i always found they clogged pretty quickly too. I saw a product called deep drip waterers that look like a much better version of this but can't find a source in australia yet, I also saw some terracotta versions of this upside down cone thing and thought that was a great idea but yet again it was overseas..come on aussie dollar!!

Time: 29th September 2014 9:07pm

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About the Author maxzoo
larnook
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