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Easy Water System

16 years ago

I'm in desperate need of a cheap and easy water system for my potted daylilies. I have appx 500 pots. In one area I have appx 8 rows with 10 pots in a row(just estimated). These aren't all spaced the same and some are 2,3 and 5 gallon size pots. These rows are about 1 foot apart. Needless to say, I should be better organized, but I can not move these pots at this time. I'm not looking for an underground system. I will supply each area with water via a water hose that will then attach to whatever type system. I have about 8 areas that I need to set up. All of the areas are relatively close together.

I have used overhead sprinklers for the last two years. This works ok, but is wasteful, time consuming and I really want to have a drip system of some kind so my blooms on my plants don't get so very wet each day.

I'm not looking for a design, just some advise on what to use and the basics.

Thanks to everyone for any help. Blessings to all, Mona

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Comments (3)

excuria
16 years ago
Hi Mona:

Let me tell you what my Dad did to water his tomatoes (that he grew in old barrels). First, he cut the tops off of old beer cans (he did have quite a supply of these!) and poked holes in the cans, then buried them about 3/4 deep beside the tomatoes. Then he laid an old hose across the top of the barrel and made sure that the hose crossed directy on top of the old beer can. Then he poked holes in the hose right above the beer can. Every morning, he would turn on the water for about 5 minutes - just enough for the entire lenght of hose to fill with water and then fill each beer can with water. He would turn off the water, but the full cans beside the tomato would slowly water the plants. He had tomato plants that looked like something out of Jack and the Beanstalk, growing all the way up to the roofline of his house. After he passed away, I sold his boat to an engineer and when the guy came to get the boat, he kept eyeing the tomato setup. He said it was the cleverest system he had ever seen. Pretty smart for a man who finished the 6th grade and lied about his age to join the Army at 14 years of age!

Anyway, you might not even need the beer cans, just drape hoses across your pots and poke holes underneath. You'd need a hose for each line of pots and would have to rig a separater (manifold) at the water tap for each line, but other than the hoses, it shouldn't be too expensive.

Good luck,
Renee
kydaylilylady
16 years ago
Can't you just take soaker hoses and run them over the top of the pots? You'll have to come up with a system to keep the hoses from slipping off the pots but I'd think that'd be doable and not all that expensive. You could even get a low cost timer to put on the hose to turn off the water.

Janet
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mlwgardener
Original Author
16 years ago
I've thought about using soaker hoses. I actually have a few that I used in some of my perennial beds. I think I will give them a try.

Now, the beer can idea is just plum neat. I can see this working really great in the raised beds or huge pots. I'm afraid there's not enough room in the smaller pots, but I just might come up with some ideas from this. Thanks so much for all the ideas. Blessings to all, Mona

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