Disaster!

janetgouvas 5/20/2010, 11:08 pm

I left my garden in the care of my housemate for the short 5 days I was gone to see my grandchldren. She was supposed to water everything. Most of it is still alive, but not in good shape. Lost some of the zucchine and green beans. Both new fig trees are dead. I am so depressed. How hard can it be to water some plants?

Janet

SirTravers 5/20/2010, 11:17 pm

Sad to say but this is a common occurance. While us gardening types understand the crucial nature of balanced watering many people just don't get it. Heck some folks, perish the thought would go out in 100 degree heat and water your tender greens with a waterhose that's been laying in the sun all day.
Here's to hoping your babies make it through this crisis.

Chopper 5/20/2010, 11:18 pm

Aarrrggghhhh. Very frustrating, but typical. It was your baby, not hers. Disaster! Icon_cry

That said, nothing here in So Cal would live without automated watering. And most HD or Lowes or ACE, etc even have timers you can put on a sprinkler for the next visit to the grandkids.

So sorry! Ouch.

carolintexas 5/21/2010, 5:10 am

Oh Janet, I am so sorry. I would be very upset too. Wish I lived close enough to run over and water your babies for you. I have been pondering what to do if I want to leave for even a weekend this summer. I saw these things in a Lakeside.com catalog...the orange spikes have holes to make a soda bottle a drip system.
Disaster! IRG_TH

I don't want to buy anything so I'm thinking of trying poking holes in a bottle all around the neck and burying that part next to a plant to see how it would work. I would have to cut a hole in the bottom of the bottle to add water since I wouldn't want to pull it up and disturb roots. Only problem I have thought about is my bedding mix is so soft & shallow I think a 2 liter bottle would fall right over. I am going to experiment this week and see what I can come up with to hold the bottle in the soil. Disaster! Icon_rolleyes

Next worry...where I live June, July and August will be in the 90's and low 100's....do you think the water would get so hot in the bottle that it would burn the roots? I am totally new to this (gardening)....has anyone tried anything like this?

Megan 5/21/2010, 7:14 am

Carol, I am going to be trying something similar -- cutting holes in the bottom of 2-liter and gallon jugs. Except I am (I hope) going to drill holes in the lids and then half-bury them. I got the idea here: http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/dripsystem.php

carolintexas 5/21/2010, 7:30 am

Let us know how yours work. I am going to view that site you suggested right now......have a great day!

janetgouvas 5/21/2010, 9:38 am

Thanks for your sympathy and suggestions, everyone. I guess I'll get over this but it will take a while. I just didn't expect to be gone for so long that I had to depend on someone else to do the watering. Hard lesson learned, I guess. Disaster! Icon_sad

About the water cotainers in the garden--the only time I ever tried that, I poked holes in a gallon milk jug and completely buried it beside a tomato plant. Filled it up every time I saw it get to the bottom and it worked great. It was not a square foot garden but the flat bottom would make that arangement stable. You would have to dig out almost all your mix in a square to accomodate such a large bottle and it would take up the whole square. I don't know how that would work out in a SFG.

Janet

dstubbs 5/21/2010, 10:22 am

Hi,

I have to be away for work for a week next month, so watering is on my mind, too. I have used glass watering bulbs for my houseplants with some success and just tried them a few days ago in my SFG. It's too soon to say how well they work, but at least they're pretty and since they are glass they're not damaged by light outdoors. I got my most recent ones at the dollar store, but have previously bought some though Lee Valley (a great Canadian company that sells all kinds of neat gizmos for woodworking and gardening). See http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=49752&cat=2,2280,54307

dansamy 5/21/2010, 10:35 am

The watering bulbs hold such a small amount of water though. I like the soda bottle spikes.

Megan 5/21/2010, 6:31 pm

janetgouvas wrote:About the water cotainers in the garden--the only time I ever tried that, I poked holes in a gallon milk jug and completely buried it beside a tomato plant. Filled it up every time I saw it get to the bottom and it worked great.

I used to do that when I lived in California, except we didn't bury the jug, just moved it around to the plants that needed it.

I have a few gallon jugs... am thinking of trying one (upside down) next to my watermelon. It has two squares to itself so there's room enough. And I am going to try to get one in by the cuke, too... I am waiting, though, to see which plant I want to keep of those that sprouted.

Retired Member 1 5/22/2010, 7:10 pm

I use milk jugs right side up with a few small holes in the bottom It does take up some room, but works fairly well. I cut the mouth off to make it larger so it's easy to fill with the water hose. I would think 3 liter soda bottles would work as well and would take up less space.

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