Implementing the Farmers’ Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide
This method, ideal for periods when you’re away or simply looking to minimize garden maintenance, revolves around the use of a common household item – a large plastic bottle. The capacity of the bottle directly influences the duration your plants can sustain without your intervention. Here’s how to set up this self-watering system:
Preparation of the Watering Device: Begin by marking a large plastic bottle approximately 15 centimeters from the bottom and 10 centimeters from the neck to establish an internal guideline. Then, mark a spot about 7 centimeters from the bottom and pierce it to create a small hole using an awl or a heated wire iron. It’s crucial that this hole remains modest in size to regulate the water flow effectively.
Installation Near the Plant: The next step involves burying the bottle in the soil near the plant, ensuring that the hole is oriented towards the plant’s base. The bottle should be buried up to the line marked previously, creating an underground reservoir that gradually releases water.
Operation and Maintenance: After positioning the bottle, fill it with water up to the marked line, seal it with the cap, and then cover any exposed parts with soil. Once sealed, the water level will remain static, only decreasing as the plant absorbs the moisture or when the surrounding soil dries, releasing water drop by drop.
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