All plants need moisture regularly and in doses. Manual watering requires a lot of effort, time and water. Ready-made drip irrigation systems are expensive and difficult to install and maintain. Believe it or not, automatic watering can be made from ordinary plastic bottles.
Will be needed
- Plastic bottles 1.5; 2 and 6 l;
- construction knife;
- marker;
- aluminium foil;
- cotton fabric.
The process of manufacturing and installing drip irrigation
From a 2 liter bottle, cut off the bottom 10 cm high and press it into the ground, covering it with earth and compacting it slightly.
We put a 1.5 liter bottle in it and mark the height of the bottom on the wall.
Below the 2 cm mark, cut out a 1x1 cm hole. It is needed to maintain the water level in the bottom and allow air to enter the bottle.
Place a strip of cotton of the required length on aluminum foil and wrap it, slightly compacting and twisting without effort or squeezing.
We place the beginning of the tourniquet in the bottom, and bring the end out.
Having closed the hole in the bottle, pour water, screw on the cap and place it in the bottom with a tourniquet.
Lift the bottle slightly and moisture will fill the bottom to the brim.
In order for the irrigation structure to work, we place the outer end of the bundle below the level of the hole in the container.
To adjust the flow rate, we wait until the water level in the bottom drops to the hole in the bottle and air begins to enter it.
By twisting and squeezing the tourniquet, we reduce the flow rate and vice versa. For watering for 7 days, we achieve a time between drops of 25 seconds, for 14 - 50-60 seconds, for a month - 90-120 seconds.
To fill the container, close the hole, pour in water and place it in the bottom again. Then everything will work automatically and even taking into account day and night, rain or cold weather.
There is a simpler option: we place the water bottle obliquely towards the bottom. We lower the end of the tourniquet into the hole from above, and place the other near the plant. But such a system works with a slowdown in flow.
You can make a system from a 6-liter eggplant, but since the bottom will be from the same container, so that air gets into the eggplant, we insert a piece of wood between it and the bottom.
You can also successfully water indoor plants in this way.
