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Posted: Apr/12/2007 12:24 AM PST
I'm living on the third floor of a condo. I take great pride in my hanging baskets each Summer. Watering drives me nuts! I spend hours each week, holding my heavy watering can in one hand and a dishpan in the other to catch the water before it goes splashing down past the apartments below. The last thing I want is my neighbours whining at the strata meetings. Yes, I've tried asking my dear husband to hold the dishpan for me. Cancel that thought. The water takes forever to stop dripping and he is soooo not amused. Plus, I've got three big baskets all dripping at once.  I'd like to invent a "thing" that would hook onto the edge of my basket like a big funnel ... and all the water would then drip into this funnel - which would narrow down to a tube ... and down toward a bucket on the floor. Do you realize if I could invent this thing I could make millions?!!! I mean, everyone who has hanging baskets that drip would want one ... right? So, you figure out how to do this and we'll go into business together okay?  No, I do not have an exterior access to a water tap - so forget an automatic watering system that would feed slow. Yes, I like moss baskets best. I've used lined and un-lined. Yes, I've tried plastic. I await your suggestions. |
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Posted: Apr/12/2007 11:23 AM PST
Try this http://www.gardeners.com/Precision-Drip-Spikes/def ault/StandardCatalog.Watering_VacationWatering.35- 140.cpd If you can't access it try www.gardensupply.com. Go under vacation watering. They have several things you could use. Self watering containers and a drip system from a soda bottle. HTH |
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Posted: Apr/12/2007 1:36 PM PST
Hi and welcome to GG . As for your problem of watering on the third floor why don't you get a small step stool and a couple of 5 gallon buckets, and just take your hanging plants down and set them on the bucket while you water and after they have finished dripping hang them back up. That should take care of your problem while you are working on your invention. swindyi |
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Posted: Apr/12/2007 6:36 PM PST
That is a VERY sensible idea. Actually, that is something I have done in the past. The only problem is, my baskets are HUGE and they way a ton!!! They are an ornamental wire thingy. The moss is all packed inside the wire frame and they are heavily planted. I am literally taking my life in my hands everytime I climb up on that ladder and unhook those things. I have visions of myself losing my balance and hurtling down three floors!  So, I guess my other option is to have smaller baskets huh? Hmmpf. I just love my big, colorful baskets. Sniffle.  Oh ya, I forgot to mention the other problem: I have a lot of flowers hanging down and they get wrecked when I set them on the bucket. If you take a look at my photo section in my blog, I have two photos of my old house - as you can see, my baskets are very poofy. |
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Posted: Apr/12/2007 7:05 PM PST
Quote: Thanks for the suggestions. I checked them all out. I couldn't find the drip system from a soda bottle??? Sounds interesting. Boy, there sure are a lot of wonderful new watering inventions out there aren't there? Now, if I could just figure out how to make my "funnel."Originally posted by butterfly1 Try this http://www.gardeners.com/Precision-Drip-Spikes/def ault/StandardCatalog.Watering_VacationWatering.35- 140.cpdIf you can't access it try www.gardensupply.com. Go under vacation watering. They have several things you could use. Self watering containers and a drip system from a soda bottle. HTH
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Posted: Apr/13/2007 1:55 PM PST
I would just search gardening supplies. There are lots of things out there. I think I also saw something that hooks to the sink with a long hose. That way you would have more hands to worry about the drip. |
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Posted: Apr/14/2007 6:21 AM PST
I had that problem last summer when I lived on the third floor of an aptment building. Instead of putting a bucket under them I put a large pot. I filled the pot with flowers and then when I watered the hanging basket the water would drip into the pot of flowers under it. I could water two pots of flowers at one time. This cut the worry and some of the work. Of course I would have to water the bottom pot some more but it helped. |
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Posted: Apr/15/2007 1:45 PM PST
This is my crazy idea,i was wondering if putting ice cubes in the basket would allow the water to be absorbed and not run thru so quickly. Not sure if the cold would hurt the plants or not but it might at least slow down the drip.. Do you happen to use the water absorbing crystals, because that would help as well.You could actually do a second liner with the crystals in between the liners to absorb the water. So that would be liner/crystals/liner. BTW your baskets are gorgeous and they do look very heavy. You could also ask your neighbors if the dripping is a problem, they might be gardners and understand that a little water must fall to make things beautiful. Good luck on your invention, i think it's worth a million if you can figure it out. Michelle |
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Posted: Apr/15/2007 3:39 PM PST
Check out Lee Valley... not sure where you are located, but there is a LV in Vancouver I know for sure - they have all kinds of interesting inventions there! I call it the "Candy Store" for gardeners! |
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Posted: Apr/17/2007 3:27 PM PST
It appears that in addition to stirring up cranky neighbors, you are wasting your time and material, (water and plant food), so why not just stop doing both with a new procedure? All that water you apply that runs out of your containers doesn't do your plants one bit of good. In fact it probably washes out a lot of palnt food. If it was mine, I would apply LESS water. Try to gage how much water you apply by using a can or a coffee cup or even a see-through bottle, start by applying only one-half (1/2) as much as you have been to each pot. Remember, YOU CAN ALAWYS ADD MORE BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE IT OUT. A little bit of COMPREHENSIVE experimenting and you will have that down to a science, (and a few minor drips). I hope I didn't sound too harsh, I didn't mean to be. |
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