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Garden Gate:  House plant addiction remedy  |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 2:38:15 PM
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My house plants spend the summer outside, some in the sun, others needing shade. They do well and its so easy to just water them with the hose in the summer.
When I bring them in, in the fall, the real work starts. I expect that some weed seeds have rooted and they need to be weeded occasionally but the watering was getting out of hand. With over 40 pots it meant about 4 gallons at a time, and the hanging pots had to be soaked and left to drain a bit before they were rehung. I've seen ads for those fancy stained glass globes with the thin tube to stick in the soil but the cost was beyond what I could do.
Instead I had DH drill little holes in the cover of small pop bottles, peeled of the labels and stuck one in each pot. I try to hide them among the leaves when I can, but they don't really show a lot and my plants love them. Some look the best they have in years. I have a Christmas cactus that is in a pot with a poinsettia and they are both blooming for Christmas! Now, each day, I take a couple of minutes and fill one or a few that have run dry. It is so much less of a task and more of a joy. I find I'm enjoying my plants more.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 2:53:24 PM
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Susan...that is a Brilliant Idea. I have only four indoor plants but even those few drive me crazy
with all my fussing over them. LOL
Thanks for Sharing,
Peggy
Farmgirl #1326
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
"Leave Your Cares Behind...Join Us On The Porch"
"I'm only as strong as the caffeine I drink, the hair-spray I use and the Girlfriends that I have."
"Believe in yourself and let the glitter fly!" P.Smith Mail Art Hostess |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9338 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9338 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 06:22:36 AM
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Wonderful idea! Are the pop bottles the small plastic ones? Did your dh drill a hole in the plastic tops? How did you get it to stand up in the plant pot? Having trouble picturing how you get it to work.
Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 10:45:19 AM
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Aren't you just the smartest farmgirl on the planet, Susan! I LOVE that idea!!! How cool! I kill every potted plant that comes my way, usually due to over- or under- watering... This may just be the solution to save the ones I've received for Christmas! Thank you so much for sharing! You deserve a farmgirl award for your ingenuity! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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edlund33
True Blue Farmgirl
1501 Posts
Marilyn
Renton
WA
USA
1501 Posts |
Posted - Dec 20 2013 : 07:39:49 AM
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What a cool idea! I have six small antique porcelain plant watering stakes that belonged to my grandma....but I have many more plants than that. Fortunately most of my plants are orchid cacti and I only have to water them once or twice a month during the winter when they are indoors. But for the plants that need more frequent watering this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers! ~ Marilyn
Farm Girl No. 1100
http://blueskyanddaisies.blogspot.com
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Edited by - edlund33 on Dec 20 2013 07:40:18 AM |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2013 : 02:32:02 AM
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Mostly I use the regular pop bottles maybe about 20 ounce, but there are little water bottles that hold about 1 cup, that work well in smaller pots. If the soil is soft just kind of rotate to grind them into the soil. If it's harder take a spoon and dig a little hole for it. It really doesn't seem to matter if its an exact size.My DH drills tiny holes in the lids,puts the bottle in a vice to hold it still. We are starting to collect 2 liter bottles to try next to tomato plants in the garden next summer. We could add some fertilizer to the water and it might help when we have a dry spell.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2014 : 06:52:39 AM
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I use 2 liter soda bottles in my large plant pots. I cut the bottom off, throw the cap away, and push the "top" of the bottle into the soil, if it falls over, I put a small dowel rod to one side (the leaning side) and gently put enough soil around the bottle to hold it in place. I have done the same thing with 20 ounce soda bottles in hanging baskets. It is very easy to pour water in the bottles, just do so gently. I use the clear bottles, they are not so visible.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
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Garden Gate: House plant addiction remedy |
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House plant addiction remedy
