Whoever owns houseplants usually cherishes and cares for them with enthusiasm and the desire to offer them the best possible environment for them to thrive. On the other hand, it becomes difficult for those who cannot deal with watering at times. Because a lack of water sometimes leads very quickly to deficiency symptoms ranging from wilting to dying. We explain how you can easily build an irrigation system yourself and what options are available.

Build an irrigation system for indoor plants yourself

If you don't want to repeatedly reach for the watering can, you can reduce the effort with an irrigation system from the following list and make the watering much more even and reliable:

clay granules

Numerous effects can be achieved with little effort by using clay granules. One of the main points is the storage of large amounts of water in the granules, which the plants can then draw on permanently. This extends the watering intervals considerably and the indoor plants can take care of themselves for up to a few weeks.

How to proceed:

  • Remove the plant from the pot
  • Remove soil completely and rinse root ball
  • Pot the plant in the usual way, using clay granules instead of soil
  • Water the granules intensively until moisture can be seen on the surface in the form of a darker surface

tip: If you know your plant, you will be able to estimate the required watering intervals over time. On the other hand, it is easier with a water level indicator, which reliably shows whether and how much water is still in the pot.

Glass or PET bottles

So-called casting balls can be found again and again in the offers of hardware stores, but also artisans. With them, the indoor plants can be provided with an additional water reservoir, which can easily be used to bridge longer absences on your part. However, such a reservoir can also be easily made yourself.

Action:

  • Fill glass bottle or solid plastic bottle with water
  • Unscrew the lid and perforate with a nail, awl or other tool
  • Place the bottle upside down in the soil of the plant pot and bury the neck of the bottle a little
  • If necessary, support the bottle with a trellis or something similar to prevent it from falling over

danger: The bottles used must be pressure-resistant. Commercial disposable PET bottles with very thin walls, on the other hand, are not able to keep the water inside and only release it slowly.

The DIY drip irrigation

What works in the garden is also one of the most feasible options for indoor plants. Simply build your own drip irrigation system. While the previously described method using bottles is limited by their volume, almost any number of plants can be watered over a very long period of time:
Action:

  • Select and fill a water tank, e.g. a canister, with a low-lying drain cock
  • Position the tank above the level of the indoor plants, e.g. on a shelf or a base made of stones, books etc
  • Choose a hose that matches the canister outlet
  • Guide the hose over all plant pots and lay them on top of the soil
  • Perforate the tube several times per plant pot with a needle, thumbtack or other suitable tool
  • First pierce small holes and observe water leakage, enlarge openings if necessary

notice: Even if only one drip outlet would theoretically be sufficient for small plant pots, it is advisable to build irrigation systems with several openings. If a hole becomes clogged with dirt in the water, watering can still go through the other holes.

Watering with string

Watering houseplants with a wick is not dissimilar to drip irrigation. Here, the property of wool or other natural fibers is used to suck up water when twisted or braided as a cord. In this way, water can be transported from one container to all plant pots. Since it is fundamentally irrelevant whether the reservoir is higher or lower, there are numerous different options for building an individual solution depending on the number of plants and the spatial conditions.

Action:

  • Fill an open container, e.g. bowl or bucket, with water
  • Place plants to be watered as close as possible to the reservoir
  • Hang a thick cord made of wool, hemp or cotton with one end in the water reservoir and the other end in the flower pot
  • Press the end into the soil in the flower pot

notice: This method is particularly suitable for holidays, etc., but is rather unfavorable for everyday use due to the shortest possible distance from the indoor plants to the tank. Alternatively, for "continuous operation", a plant can be placed directly on the reservoir and supplied with water from below through the drainage openings of the pot using the cord. This constellation is often found, for example, in ready-made bonsai trees from the hardware store.

The bathtub principle

A long-term irrigation system can also be easily “built” with what is already available, especially during vacation or other periods of absence. Whether bathtub, paddling pool or other containers, the size of existing containers ultimately determines the possible watering duration.

Action:

  • Choose a container with a flat bottom, e.g. a bathtub, or even a large coaster
  • Place green plants in the container without a pot
  • Fill containers with water until pots are a few centimeters in water
  • Alternatively: Before filling, wrap the containers with twisted towels around the plants to counteract evaporation

notice: The containers with the potted plants must not be overfilled with water. If the indoor plants are up to their necks in water, there is a risk of mold and rot.

General tips for dealing with irrigation systems

No matter which irrigation system you choose to water your indoor plants, you should pay attention to a few things in order to ultimately achieve the desired effect of uncomplicated and, above all, independently functioning irrigation:

1. Reduce direct tanning

Plants that are not exposed to direct sunlight use less water. Your irrigation system can therefore last longer if the potted plants can temporarily do with a little less sunlight. In addition, this also reduces evaporation from possible open water reservoirs, so that the indoor plants ultimately have more water available.

2. control

Before you blindly rely on your water supply system and, for example, go on vacation, you should first test and observe it for a few days. In this way you ensure that it also works in the long term and that the amount of water supplied also corresponds to the needs of the plants. Otherwise there is a risk, which should not be underestimated, that you will water incorrectly and will ultimately be greeted with either rot or withered leaves after your absence.

3. Choose the right system

Regardless of whether a specific watering system for your houseplants is recommended to you, or whether you have already developed your own idea to build one yourself based on this list, try out as many different systems as possible over time. So you can judge the advantages and disadvantages yourself. Step by step you approach the optimal model for your circumstances and requirements, so that you can easily build it from now on if necessary.

Category:

Indoor plants