Plant fertilizer, temperature and lighting needs vary considerably from one species to another. However, there is something that all vegetation needs to a greater or lesser extent: water. Watering your plants with the right amount and frequency is key for them to thrive.
A system with many benefits is drip irrigation. Its great advantage is that a lot of water is saved, a resource that is scarce, especially in times of drought. In this way, the plant receives only the water it needs, at low pressure. With this we prevent the plant from overwatering, rotting, its leaves getting wet, fungi proliferating, flooding… In addition, with drip irrigation there is no evaporation of water and it goes directly to the roots. Another point in favor is that your plants will remain watered in your absence, something especially interesting if you go on vacation.
Contrary to what many believe, the drip irrigation system can be installed very easily. You do not need a professional approach, with hoses, valves, programmer or drippers. You can prepare a practical and effective homemade drip irrigation using a few easily accessible materials.
On the YouTube channel “La Huertina de Toni” (with 1.82 million subscribers) we found the perfect tutorial to assemble a cheap and fast homemade drip irrigation system at home. It is a method as ingenious as it is functional that will solve the water needs of your plants.
You will need a plastic bottle, the size of which will depend on how much water your plant needs and how long you want to leave it watering itself. If you choose small, you will need to refill it more often. You also need a non-plastic string and a piece of wire.
The first thing you should do is cut the string to the size of the length of your bottle, plus an extra 15 centimeters. Tie a knot at one end of the rope. You can make a hole in the upper part of the bottle with the exact hole for your rope, or insert it through the stopper. The author of this video recommends making the hole and keeping the bottle covered if we want to prevent insects from entering it.
The next step will be to insert the rope at the end with the knot in the bottle and fill it with water. Wrap the wire around the mouth of the bottle and wrap the outer end of the string around this wire to direct where you want the water to fall.
As the rope is completely wet, a small drop will fall periodically that will water your plants. And ready! This easy procedure is suitable for indoor and outdoor potted plants, growing tables, or vegetable gardens. In the latter case, you can make a hole in the ground to insert the bottle and thus prevent it from being blown away by the wind. You can also introduce several strings into the bottle and tie them with their respective wires, so that they water different plants.
