• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
fine craft guild logo 2017 - knitting and more

Fine Craft Guild

Knitting & More

  • PATTERNS
  • KNITTING
  • CROCHET +
    • Crochet Patterns
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Quilting Patterns
  • RECIPES
  • CRAFTS
    • Decorating
    • DIY Furniture
    • Paper Crafts
    • DIY Storage/Organizers
    • Cool Crafts for Kids
  • DIY GIFTS

Drip Irrigation System w Recycled Bottles

You are here: Home / INTERIOR DESIGN / Garden Crafts / Drip Irrigation System w Recycled Bottles

April 12, 2012 By Rose Fine Crafts 9 Comments

drip irrigation system

 

What to do when we go for a week vacation and we can’t water our potted plants??? Like my 450 basil baby plants that I’m nurturing at present??!! The folks from Provident Living have the answer: make your own drip irrigation system. This, is worthy of further investigation and indeed, extensive experimentation!

 

Sub – (drip) Irrigation System Benefits

The benefits of this particular irrigation systems are manifold:

1. the water goes straight to the roots and isn’t wasted on watering the plants’ foliage instead.

2. the drip irrigation method helps your plants to learn to live with little water and thrive in this way.

3. the reservoirs, i.e. the recycled plastic bottles, are easy to refill, so you are not going to ask your neighbors too much when asking for some help with watering your plants.

4.this ‘system’ is easy to build. It is in fact no more and no less than a recycled right-side up 2-ltr. plastic drinks bottle with 2 holes punched in the sides and 2 in the bottom. Plant it deep next to your plants you wish to water.

5. Last but not least, I love the recycling aspect of the system.

In one word: ideal.

 

Tip: by screwing the caps back onto the bottles after refilling, the water is released slower.

Experiment and find out what works best for your watering needs. There are many variables, such as the density of the soil, the size of the holes, etc. It takes a bit of trial and error to get it to work for you. After that,.. there’s no going back without.

source / image credit: http://www.providentliving.org.nz/gardening/bottle-drip-irrigation/

 

Drip Irrigation System

Just in case it’s not going to work out for you, here are a couple of different drip irrigation system kits, all for < $50, some for as low as $15. Not saying to give up on DIY projects using recycled materials, but these irrigation systems are more suitable for larger yards.

Let me highlight a few great garden watering products in particular, that I know you are going to be happy with:


1. Rain Bird GRDNER-KIT Landscape Dripline System Gardener-Foots Drip Starter Kit

This is a complete drip irrigation system that Waters a 75 square foot area. It’s an all-in-one drip system that includes emitter tubing. This drip irrigation system provides everything you need to apply emitter tubing in garden areas and spot watering to widely spaced plants. It conforms to your landscaped area and people are generally raving about the product. It’s a good kit to get started. It is more suitable to a general garden area, rather than a veggy garden. This drip-line irrigation system works sort of like a soaker hose. It’s not the sort that has an emitter for each plant, but for a single 50′ line or a twin line of up to 25′. So for veggy gardens, consider this one instead:

2. The Best Drip Irrigation System for Vegetable Garden: Vegetable Garden Drip Tape Irrigation Kit K007
This one is supplied by the DripStore and the kit includes all the fittings & accessories needed to install 15 rows of drip irrigation in a vegetable garden. This vegetable garden irrigation system can accommodate a flow rate of up to 260 GPH (5 GPM), using the 500′ of 15-mil drip tape. You can use this kit to water all types of vegetable plants with 8″ to 12″ spacing.

AND YOU WILL NEED #3:

3. One fantastic benefit of a ‘traditional’ irrigation system is that you get to add a watering timer. Needless to point out that this is really useful: you can water your plants at the right times and at the right intervals. One of the best timers out there is this one:


It is the Orbit 62061N-91213 Single-Dial Water Timer.

Talking about garden irrigation systems, I want to also show you this excellent irrigation system for up to 20 houseplants allowing you to go on vacation all summer (40 days) or to year-round have very little watering care for your houseplants. Claber 8053 Oasis 4-Programs/20 Plants Garden Automatic Drip Watering System
It’s mostly intended for inhouse use, be creative with its outdoor use as well. This drip irrigation system is the thing to get to maintain your plants on a covered porch or in a sun room, lush and carefree.
It looks like this:

With this irrigation system you don’t need to buy a watering timer. It waters your plants twice daily to deliver 4-ounce, 2-ounce, 1.5-ounce or 1-ounce of water per dripper. Excellent, nah?!

Vertical Gardening

Want to do more with recycled plastic bottles? Try making a vertical vegetable garden. These pictures / video will expand your horizon… and your food supply. Fresh herbs daily, why not?! Even if you live on a high rise. Check out Vertical gardening using recycled plastic bottles.

 

Learn More About Drip Irrigation Systems

This is a very helpful book for gardeners who want to actually install a drip irrigation system themselves.

 

how to grow organic food

Learn to Grow Your Own Organics

Eager to learn how grow an abundance of organic food with a minimum of work? For a method that is easy-to-understand & reliable: Click Here! It is developed by Environmental Scientist and Horticulturalist, Jonathan White. He sets out his instructions in an 80 page book, a 60-minute video, and a bonus project plan, i.e. everything to set you up right.

Now, all you’ll need is soil, water and seeds to begin…



The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!

Filed Under: Garden Crafts Tagged With: Crafts w/ Recycled Materials



Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hank says

    April 21, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    The plant-pot irrigation system on this site is great too. I use it to water my vegetable plants, in full sunlight, with liquid nutrients from my drum or compost ‘tea’.

  2. tracy says

    April 22, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    What an excellent idea. Watering is always a problem here, whether I’m home or not. I’m going to give it a try!

  3. Tanja says

    April 30, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    If you are concerned about the plastic leaching, use glass bottles, filled and turned upside down. All of my newly planted shrubs and container gardens have an upside down wine or rum bottle :)

  4. Fine Craft Guild says

    April 30, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Funny you should mention that! I AM concerned about the plastic near food plants! Did you make any holes into your bottles, or you’re doing the upside down burying with the whole opening open?

  5. Myrtle Hancock says

    February 17, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    I love this post and hope to use it this spring and summer. Thank YOU!

  6. ryan says

    June 16, 2013 at 1:45 am

    what size holes? like pinholes?

  7. Fine Craft Guild says

    June 16, 2013 at 9:22 am

    It depends! Some plants need more water than others. All climates are different. Start with tiny holes so you’ll get just a bare trickle. And gradually enlarge it till it is ‘just right’.

  8. Rob, Rag618@aol.com says

    May 27, 2016 at 9:10 am

    When I do this, the water just empties right out of the container into the soil. I have yet to figure out how to prevent that. Rather than slow drip its just pouring out. Any suggestions? And the holes are rather small, like a nail size.
    Thx

  9. Rose Fine Crafts says

    June 12, 2016 at 6:00 am

    Yes, Rob. You are right. You have to keep the holes tiny and pointed in the right direction, i.e. towards the plant. It takes a bit of experimenting with the size of the holes vs. the type of plastic. Nail-size is about right, from my experience. Also, the type of (density) of the soil has an impact: thick clay is very different from light and airy store-bought top soil – potting mix….

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

NOT-SO-DAILY NEWSLETTER

I don’t send emails often, but when I do, they’re worth a read. Sign up for my newsletter with craft & DIY projects, tips and tricks. They're eco, seasonal, fun, beautiful and easy.


Enjoy 1500+ easy, fun, beautiful, and eco-friendly home decor, DIY and craft projects, for you, the family and friends. Lots of knitting, crochet + more.


Fur pompom hat knitting patternPlease check out my new patterns in the pattern shop. I always have a new, free or promotional pattern.

New Projects

  • Mood-lifting DIY Projects
  • DIY Zafu with Buckwheat Hulls
  • How to Wear a Triangle Shawl – 5 Ways to Wrap Your Knitwear
  • How to Knit Smooth Edges – Selvage Edge Stitch Knitting Tutorial
  • Last-Minute Free Holiday Cards
  • Granny Square Fingerless Mittens
  • Easy Afghan Blanket Crochet Patterns – gorgeous free lattice design
  • DIY Santa Advent Calendar Knitting Project
  • Happy Thanksgiving 2020
  • DIY Hoop Wreath
  • DIY Halloween Spider Headpiece
  • Halloween Garden Chicken Wire Ghost: Awesome Sculpture Tutorial
  • Easy Light Switch Upgrade DIY that’s Simple and Elegant
  • How to Make an Embellished Recycled Sweater Blanket
knitpicks

Tags

(Craft) Storage + Organizer Animal crafts Anthropologie Back to school Bags beach decor bedroom bracelets butterfly Cardigan Christmas cards & decorations cookie recipes cool crafts for kids Crafts w/ Recycled Materials craft tools decorative pillows Digital art & design DIY Bathrooms DIY Jewelry DIY Tutorial Craft Party DIY Valentines Day Cards - Gifts dressers Easter Crafts Easter eggs Fall Fathers day gifts flowers Halloween heart jewelry making kids furniture Lounge lounge mothers day gift ideas necklaces New Year Outdoor furniture party recycled furniture SEASONAL CRAFT summer dresses Summer Living Thanksgiving craft Wood wreaths
Ready to start a knitting project?

Or crochet? It all begins with getting a pattern

Buy a Pattern

Footer

About FCG - knitting & more

Sitemap

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Blog
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Advertising

Hello There!

From seasonal clothing to home decor ideas, you will find it all here at Fine Craft Guild.

The site is full of free ideas and tutorials, inexpensive patterns and, I hope, plenty of inspiration. Please hang out with me awhile and check it out!

Rose

(& Michael behind the scene ;-)

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 FineCraftGuild – owned & operated by Aryta Ltd.
All rights reserved.