5 Cheap Ways to Self Water Plants

Some people love the ritual of watering their plants each day. However, many of us like to simplify our schedules by setting up systems whereby plants can self water. Moreover, there might be times when you need plants to water themselves, such as when you go on vacation. It’s good to know some cheap ways to self water plants. Here are five ideas.

1. Upside Down Wine Bottle

Instead of putting your next empty wine bottle into the recycling bin, use it as a self-water device for your indoor plants. The Garden Glove explains that you:

• Rinse the wine bottle thoroughly.
• Fill it with water.
• Re-cork it or put the screw cap back on.
• Drill a hole in the center of the cork / cap.
• Turn the bottle upside down.
• Press it several inches down into the soil as close to the center of the pot as you can get.

That’s all; it will self water over the next several days. This is a great tip especially if you’re going away for a long weekend and just want the plants to be properly watered while you’re gone.

2. Two Liter Soda Bottle

The Garden Glove also offers this option, which is one of the cheap ways to self water plants that are outside or indoors in larger containers. Here’s what you do:

• Thoroughly rinse a 2 liter bottle.
• Cut the bottom off of the bottle.
• Punch holes randomly around the entire body of the bottle.
• Dig a hole near the plant’s root system that’s big enough to complete cover the bottle.
• Bury the bottle in this hole, with the neck side up. You should surround the entire bottle with soil except for the top of it.
• Pour water into the top (which is the cut bottom, remember) until the vessel is full.
• It will now self-water.

3. Bathtub Plants

If you’re looking for cheap ways to self water plants while you’re on vacation, consider putting them in the bathtub. ProFlowers explains:

• Fill the bathtub with several inches of water.
• Lay a towel down in the water.
• Place plants, in their pots, on top of the towel in the water.

That’s it. The plants should soak up the water while you’re away.

4. String/ Rope Wicks

Many of the DIY methods of self watering use some variation on this. The idea is that you have a vessel of water near the plant. You insert string or rope into the water. The other end of the string or rope goes into the soil near the plant. The plant will then drink what it needs through the straw of the string.

5. Plastic Bag Bubble

ProFlowers also suggests this one. Here’s how it works:

• Put wooden stacks in the corners of the plant’s container, tucked into the soil.
• Water your plant as normal.
• Wrap a plastic bag around the four stakes. The bag should be slightly bigger than the plant itself. It should not touch the plant’s leaves.
• Move the plant so that it’s not in direct sunlight.

This should work like a tiny greenhouse.

Read More:

• 5 Frugal DIY Drip Irrigation Systems
• Harvesting Rainwater for the Frugal Gardener
• Keeping the Garden Well-Watered: 5 Tried and True Methods