Buzz
Some plants require frequent watering, which isn't always easy for everyone to keep up with. If you have many thirsty plants at home and lack the time to water them, setting up a drip irrigation system might be the solution. These systems can be quite expensive if bought from stores, but fortunately, you can easily create a homemade drip irrigation system using plastic bottles, which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly through recycling plastic bottles.
Steps
Create a slow watering system
Find a plastic bottle. A 2-liter bottle is ideal, but you can use a smaller bottle for smaller plants. Wash the bottle thoroughly and peel off the label.
Make 4-5 holes in the bottle cap. Remove the cap and place it on a piece of wood. Use a drill or a hammer and nails to punch several holes in the cap. The more holes you make, the faster the water will flow. After drilling, screw the cap back onto the bottle.
- Avoid making the holes too small to prevent blockages from dirt entering.
Cut off the bottom of the bottle. You can use a serrated knife or sharp scissors for this task. Cut off about 2.5 cm from the bottom of the bottle. If the bottle has grooves around its base, you can follow those grooves as a guide to cut along.
Dig a hole in the ground. The hole should be deep enough to bury half of the bottle. Dig the hole about 10-15 cm away from the tree trunk. Be cautious when digging near a tree with established roots to avoid cutting through them.
Place the bottle into the hole with the cap facing down. After securing the cap, turn the bottle upside down and position it in the hole. Gently press the surrounding soil around the bottle.
- You can bury the bottle deeper, but ensure that at least 2.5 cm of the bottle remains above the surface to prevent dirt from contaminating the water.
Pour water into the bottle, then flip the cut-off bottom to cover the top, ensuring the bottle stays submerged in water to catch any dirt that may fall in and cause blockages. You can now allow the automated watering system to take care of the plants. Make sure to prepare enough bottles for the number of plants you want to water.
Creating a quick watering system
Find a plastic bottle. A 2-liter plastic bottle works best, but you can also use a smaller bottle for watering smaller plants. Clean the bottle thoroughly, both inside and out, and remove the label.
Make several holes in the side of the bottle. Focus on drilling holes in the lower two-thirds of the bottle. You can make as many holes as you like; the more holes there are, the faster the water will flow. If you are watering a single plant, you can make holes on just one side of the bottle.
- Use a nail or a metal skewer to create the holes.
- You may need to heat the nail or skewer over a flame before drilling the holes.
Create holes at the bottom of the bottle. This step is crucial because it prevents water from accumulating at the bottom. If the bottom of the bottle is divided into sections (as most 2-liter soda bottles are), you'll need to make a hole in each section.
- Most plastic bottles have thicker bottoms. You may need to use a drill or a heated nail to make the holes.
Dig a hole next to the plant. The hole should be deep enough to bury about two-thirds of the bottle or until the bottle starts to narrow towards the top.
Place the bottle in the soil hole. If the bottle has a hole drilled on one side near the top, position the hole facing towards the plant. Gently pat the soil around the bottle.
Fill the bottle with water. Open the bottle cap and pour water into it using a spout; you may use a funnel for easier pouring. Do not close the cap, as the water will not flow if it is sealed.
- If the water flows too quickly, you can slightly close the cap. The more you tighten the cap, the slower the water will flow.
- You can cut off the dome-shaped top of the bottle, invert it, and use it as a funnel.
Create a watering system with a valve for control
Drill a hole in the side of the bottle. The hole should be large enough to fit the rubber gasket and soft tubing for the aquarium. You can use a nail or a drill with a drill bit to create the hole.
- The hole should be about 5-7.5 cm from the bottom of the bottle.
- If using a nail, heat it over fire before drilling. You can also use a utility knife to widen the hole.
Cut a short piece of soft tubing for the aquarium. The piece should be approximately 5-7.5 cm long. This tubing will be used to connect the aquarium valve to the water bottle.
Attach a small rubber gasket around the tube. The gasket should be wide enough to fit snugly in the bottle’s hole but small enough to fit tightly around the tube. If the gasket is too large, you can trim a portion and wrap it around the tube.
Insert the rubber gasket into the hole of the bottle and adjust the tube. Place the rubber gasket, already attached to the tube, into the hole drilled in the bottle, then push the tube about 2.5 cm into the bottle. The remaining part of the tube will stick out from the bottle.
Seal around the rubber gasket and water tube. You will need a small tube of aquarium sealant or another type of sealant to fix any leaks. Apply a thin layer around the connection between the rubber gasket and the bottle. If necessary, you can use a popsicle stick or toothpick to smooth the sealant. Let it dry.
- You may also need to seal the area where the rubber gasket meets the water tube.
Attach the tube connector to the other end of the water tube. You can buy tube connectors at aquarium supply stores or online. This device looks like a faucet with open ends and a twist lock on top. The connector typically has a sharp end and a blunt end. You will insert the blunt end into the water tube.
Cut off the bottle's top if desired. You don’t have to cut the top off the bottle, but doing so will make it easier to pour water into the bottle. You can also cut it so that the top stays attached to the bottle with a 'hinge,' allowing you to partially seal it back in place.
Make additional holes on the bottle’s neck for hanging. Use an awl to create 3 or 4 holes along the neck of the bottle. These holes should be opposite each other to form a triangle (if there are 3 holes) or a square (if there are 4 holes).
- If you want to place the watering bottle on a higher table, add a layer of gravel about 2.5 cm thick at the bottom of the bottle to stabilize it.
Thread wire or strong string through the holes in the neck of the bottle. Cut 3-4 pieces of thin wire or sturdy string. Pass the wire through the holes you made and tie them together. Gather the ends of the wire and tie a knot on the other side.
- Skip this step if you plan to place the water bottle on a flat surface.
Set up the watering system and fill the bottle with water. Hang the water bottle above the plant. Lock the water valve to prevent water from leaking out. Then, pour water into the bottle.
- You can also place the water bottle on a table or mount it on the wall above the plant.
Open the water valve and adjust if necessary. If the water isn’t flowing to the plant due to a blockage, you may need to add another water tube. Attach one end of the tube to the sharp end of the water valve and the other end on the ground near the plant’s base.
- The looser you open the valve, the faster the water will flow.
- The tighter you close the valve, the slower the water will flow.
Advice
- If you plan to water fruit-bearing plants, herbs, or vegetables, consider using BPA-free plastic bottles, as this type of plastic does not leach chemicals like regular plastic bottles.
- Place the water bottle inside a nylon stocking before burying it in the ground. This will help prevent soil from falling into the watering holes and clogging them.
- Refill with water as needed. This will depend on the plant's water requirements, its thirst, and the environmental temperature.
- Some plants, like tomatoes, tend to require more water than a 2-liter bottle can provide. You may need to use several smaller drip watering bottles.
- Consider adding fertilizer to the water bottle every few weeks.
- You can use the bottoms of plastic bottles to plant seeds. Drill a few drainage holes in the bottom, fill it with soil, and plant your seeds.
Warning
- Avoid using granular fertilizers. If they do not dissolve completely, they may clog the watering holes.
What You Need
Slow-Release Watering System
- Water bottle
- Drill or hammer and nails
- Serrated knife
Quick-Drain Irrigation System
- Plastic bottle
- Nails or metal skewers
- Drill and drill bits (optional but recommended)
Irrigation System with Adjustable Valve
- Plastic bottle
- Aquarium pipe connector
- Flexible tubing
- Rubber gasket
- Drill or nails and candle
- Sealant
- Scissors
- Wire or gravel
