How I water my jugs

15 years ago

By some freak of nature I'm able to use photobucket today. Must be the moon and the stars. Anyway, while it was working I wanted to show how I water my jugs.

As you can see they are lined up with a soaker hose over the top. The secret is what's holding the soaker hose in place. I used leftover insulation support wires from when we insulated our house. They are very stiff wires, about 14" long with sharp ends. They come 100 to a box for about $3.00. I bent them in a U shape and stuck one in the neck of each jug.

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Comments (12)

northforker
15 years ago
Brilliant!
sassybutterfly_2008
15 years ago
I agree, Brilliant ! Thanks for sharing your ideas seedmama :)

Now to find a soaker hose on freecycle...lol

~Wendy
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Here are several methods that I have used.1. drill a 1/4" hole in the bottom of a bleach bottle 2. cut a triangle piece of cloth 8" tall and 5" wide at the base --non cotton cloth only-I used an old sweat pants of a material similar to spandex-woven not fluffy on one side. 3.tie a piece of string to the top of the triangle about 1/2" down. 4. thread the string thrue the hole and out of the top and pull on the string in order to draw the cloth into the hole and make sort of a leaky stopper-the harder you pull the slower the flow. 5. screw on the top after filling with the string hanging out to allow air to enter..--- the cloth is the most critical part--some adjustment is always neccessary--the flow will slow down as it empties. II. the quickest way-not the most adjustable-- cut a 6x6" cloth -see above-make a pin hole in jug handle for air to enter fill jug with water-place cloth over spout and use screw top to tighten down on cloth to slow flow and adjust. III. drill a larger 3/8 hole in a 5 gallon bucket -cut your cloth larger and with extra cloth to act like a filter when folded inside the bucket. I get 2-3 uses from my pond befor I have to pull it out -rinse it off and reinsert--I use a forked stick to hold the folds down over the back of the hole to act as a prefilter. IV. 5 gallon bucket--lenght [say 6 ft.] of 3/8 inside diameter clear plastic hose-from hardware store-drill a hole near bottom of bucket the outside diameter of your hose-insert the hose in the hole 1/2" now find a old ball point pen unscrew the front from the back and insert the front into the 1/2" of hose to wedge it in place and make it a water tight seal.- cover this water outlet with several layers of sheer curtain type material held down wit a forked stick to act as you filter. --to controll the flow at the plant end you can try another ball point pen inserted into the hose as before but this time take out the ink cartridge and rescrew the top back on -loose for more flow tight for less flow-- adjust with a cloth filler for better controll. I hope you can use one of these as is orpart of one to design your own. Good luck!
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greenbean, I don't have any river rocks, think I used them all in a French drain. Sure have enough other smaller rocks I collect from digging and put on my geranium pots. I have a nice supply of bamboo, was breaking them into smaller pieces for markers and saved them when done, come in handy. carrie630, I wish I had a screened porch but don't. That is great. I have started some in the sunroom especially when I can open the windows, but it works much better outside. Either way, you and I are going to have to gradually have to introduce them to more sun B4 transplanting into the garden. Better than hardening off, dragging plants in and out. Also mine sheltered from rain, it could beat them down if I'm not careful. The others can take it. More rain and more sprouts in the jugs. And more problems with other things. The rain was welcome and think that and cool and cloudy saved most of the alyssum (huge clump from self seeding and never got around to saving the seeds last fall). Best to transplant those with a spoon before they get too big. Good thing I let the mulch get skimpy or they wouldn't have self sown. It wouldn't be such a big deal, seeds are cheap, but these are a little different variety, nice spreading habit if they have enough room, and the best one last year got huge where it's part shade. I transplanted slipshod yesterday, cuz I hurt and wanted to get it over with.
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My Dad had used emptly gallon milk bottles in Arkansas to water some special plants. He had drilled holes in the bottom and burried a jug next to a plant so only the neck was above soil (about 1 inch). Then when he watered once a week he used less than a gallon for each plant. The actual amount depended on the weather. I haven't thought about it until now but I think it really would work for some of the hostas where a lot of watering is needed. How long does it take to fill a gallon milk bottle, right? He had borrowed the idea from a neighbor who was known throughout Baxter County as "THE ROSE LADY". She had almost an acre of roses with a milk bottle planted next to every one. I put in a tomato garden down there where I expanded on the idea a bit. When I first broke ground (an oversimplified term for the Ozarks) I'd burried two parallel 4" PVC pipes with holes drilled along their length a foot into the ground with a cap on one end and an elbow turned up on the other. Into the elbow was a short lenght of stand-pipe that brought it above grade. I slipped (not glued: nothing needed to be glued since it is supposed to leak water) a cap over the open end. When I watered all I had to do was remove the cap and shove a hose into it until water overflowed. Deep watering, and no useless evaporation. You only need to bury it as deep as the root zone of your plants. This might even work under a maple tree. I am sure the PVC would become clogged with roots, but it would still hold and deliver water. Maybe the roots would use the pipe and not the hosta root area for water. Dry shade ALWAYS needs more water. Good string Val! Les
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OklaMoni
15 years ago
What about up and down temperatures and freezing?

Moni
v1rt
15 years ago
am I correct that we need to water our seedlings sometime May when it doesn't rain for 1 week?

Thanks.
token28001
15 years ago
You'll need to water if

1) the soil is thawed
2) there's no condensation on the top of the container
3) they feel light when you pick them up.

If all three of those things happen, I've been watering. I've only had to do it once.
v1rt
15 years ago
Thanks buddy!
seedmama
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm not sure I understand your question, but I'll guess. I disconnect the hose when there are freezing temperatures. When the jugs are still intact, I add five vent holes in addition to the jug spout to accomodate rising temperatures. Once the top half of the jug comes off, that's it. No more coddling. I don't have the time.

However, you could run the hose through the clam shell and tape it mostly closed. Too much trouble for me.

If this doesn't answer your question, let me know.

Seedmama
ajpa
15 years ago
That's a cool system, seedmama!
agirlsgirl
15 years ago
Brilliant is the word I would use also!
I don't think freezing would be a problem being the hose wouldn't be in use during freezing temps.I am going to keep my eye out for soaker hoses this year!;)
Thanks for sharing seedmama,you are always full of great ideas! You should write a book! :)
seedmama
Original Author
15 years ago
Agirlsgirl, thanks for the kind words. This is one of my few original ideas. Most of the things I share have been borrowed from thinkers much smarter than I. I just like sharing ideas that have been useful to me.
Seedmama
barnbatt
15 years ago
I water my jugs with a yard sprayer. That has never had anything but water in the container. I will fill up and take out side. The nozzle fits nicely down in the mouth of the jugs. A nice misty spray for a minute is all it needs.

barnbatt
agirlsgirl
15 years ago
I am just so happy you share these ideas with us! I was going to do your snake hunt idea for my sons bday this year ,but the little bugger wanted a Pokemon bday party...lol..so I made cupcakes decorated like Poke Balls instead!;)
So I figure this summer I will have a little get together for his buddies and do it then. I am determined to have a snake hunt!:)

I also wanted to ask you,do you have holes poked in the hose right where the jug will be? Or do you use a "pre poked" soaker hose?
I am thinking using your idea would be great for keeping the soil moist around the jugs also,which in turn,I would think,keep the jugs from drying out as fast.I am definitely acquiring a few soaker hoses this year! :)

How I water my jugs

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northforker

sassybutterfly_2008

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How I water my jugs

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