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Summer residents have come up with many ways to water plants: you can water from a hose in rows, using sprinklers, or use drip irrigation. All these methods are united by the fact that gardeners and summer residents use ordinary plastic cans and bottles as the main material. This improvised material is on every site, in every household. In addition, the material is quite versatile and useful.
What is it
They are best suited in cases where it is not possible to water every day, and if water can only be supplied to the site for a couple of hours. And in such situations, you need to water quickly, but it is important to consider that too much pressure from the hose will only break and wash away the ground near the roots. It won’t lead to anything good. If you master the technique of watering with the help of plastic bottles, you can safely not appear in the country for three to four weeks, if necessary.
What is watering with bottles
Experienced and professional gardeners know the main secret of the successful cultivation of any plants in a greenhouse – this is regular, high-quality watering. The above methods of moistening the soil for germination (with a hose, buckets for each bush, watering with special sprinklers and many others) are quite expensive and difficult to use and install. Therefore, another method was invented: watering using plastic bottles under the soil. This method has been recognized as one of the best and most convenient.
It can be installed quite simply with your own hands at home. In addition, this method has many other advantages besides convenience, which you will learn about below. Having mastered the technique of irrigating the land with the help of bottles, you can save valuable time and money, and the plants will turn out to be excellent and healthy.
How it works
It is quite simple to arrange a device for watering bottles in a greenhouse. First you need to find and prepare the right amount of plastic bottles. This will depend on the size of the greenhouse. Finding plastic products should not be difficult, as they are constantly used in the household. If you still did not find bottles, you can safely ask your neighbors: it will not be expensive for them, since bottles are consumables.
Scheme of the automatic watering system
One and a half or two-liter containers are best suited for our purpose. In the caps of the bottles, you need to make a couple of small holes, the diameter of which should be about two millimeters. It is through them that bottled water will flow into the soil in which your plants germinate. Also, the number of holes will depend on what type of soil you have in your area. The more clay it is, the more holes should be. It all depends on how well the soil absorbs moisture.
Next, cut off the bottom of each used bottle. It can be cut off and not completely, only because the bottom can serve as a lid that will retain moisture and prevent it from evaporating. After all these manipulations, you can proceed with the installation of the watering device.
The best time to install watering is the time of planting seedlings. But it’s okay if you install the watering structure after planting, it will not result in anything bad. You need to dig a small hole (its depth should be no more than ten or fifteen centimeters). The distance from the stem of the plant can be no more than fifteen to twenty centimeters. Insert a plastic bottle with the cap down into the hole so that the water can be absorbed by the soil. But it is important to fulfill one nuance: you need to place the bottle under a degree of thirty – forty-five degrees. After all that has been done, the bottle is fixed by slightly dropping it. During the installation of the bottle, it is important to remember not to damage the roots of our plant.
Video “Watering from a bottle”
Drip tape
Such a drip irrigation system consists of many devices. These include a water tank, pipes through which water is supplied, and drip tapes. In addition, the system may include filters for water purification and droppers for the same purposes. And not one watering system can do without connecting fittings.
A special water tank can be used in cases where your country house does not have a plumbing system. When installing such a tank, remember that it must be installed at a height of up to two meters. It should also be kept out of direct sunlight.
After installing the water supply system, everything will go according to this principle: the water will pass through a special filter and go further along the connecting pipe. After passing through, it will fall into droppers that are pre-installed throughout the site or in those areas that need regular watering. The soil will be moistened with small but necessary portions of water. The main thing is that the liquid will fall exactly under the roots of the plants, which is the most important.
Such a drip irrigation system is good because it can be safely used both for greenhouses and for open ground. In this way, you can moisten the soil under all the necessary plants, including bushes, trees, hedges, flowers. Saving water and the efforts of the summer resident are undeniable. And the benefits for plants are clearly tangible, because the necessary moisture will come at the right time, thereby there will be no risk of drying out. In addition to watering, it is thus possible to feed the plants with some liquid fertilizers and growth supplements.
Automatic systems
In any store that specializes in gardening attributes, you can buy a ready-made irrigation system. It is convenient because a programmable timer system is installed in special irrigation devices. It can be programmed for the time you need. In addition, you can set the desired amount of water that must be used so as not to flood the plant. The most important thing is that the whole system is autonomous: namely, the pump and automation work according to a given program.
The main thing is that if everything is done correctly, you can forget about excessive drainage or moistening of the soil. The water preheated by the sun’s rays can be used to irrigate the entire greenhouse.
How to use plastic bottles
As a rule, bottles with a volume of one to two liters are used. After you find a few bottles, you need to properly clean them and rip off the sticker, otherwise it will get in the way. After that, a pair of holes with a diameter of no more than two millimeters is made in the bottle cap. Everything, the container is ready for use for irrigation purposes.
Next step: set the plastic bottle upside down right next to the root of the plant. The best time for this would be the landing process. But you can install it later. Remember that once you master this system, you can effectively and regularly water your plants without the risk of flooding.
Video “Do-it-yourself drip watering”
Caring for plants, fruits and vegetables in a greenhouse is a delicate matter. To do this, you may need a drip irrigation system. How to build it with your own hands from bottles – see the video below.
