I'm living in an apartment with a lovely container garden on my balcony, and I'm considering expanding to some larger plants like squash in pots in my backyard. The challenge is that there's no spigot outside, and honestly, I don't want to carry a ton of water down the stairs on a regular basis. I was thinking about using those terracotta spikes that you can flip a wine bottle into. Do you think they can provide enough water on their own, especially if I pair them with plastic pots, mulch, and count on some rain?
3 Answers
I’m not sure why you think the water needs would change just because you're using a bottle instead of a can. The plants still need water, right?
You might want to look into using ollas instead. They're basically terracotta pots that you can bury in your larger pots. When you fill the olla, it allows for deep watering, which is great for your plants. I do this with my in-ground plants but it works well for pots too!
Interesting! I’ll definitely check it out. Do you have to add water manually, or do the ollas manage on their own?
It really depends on the size of your pots. If they're around 10 gallons, it might be easier just to use a couple of watering cans instead. Less hassle in the long run!
Yeah, I have about 10-gallon pots too. I thought the spikes would save me from hauling water, but maybe that's not the best idea!
It's more about using the terracotta spike as a watering system. You fill a wine bottle with water, turn it upside down, and let the terracotta wick it to your plants.