June 7, 2011

Container Garden Watering with a Wick System

I was quite pleased to find these great metal flower pot urns at the Goodwill store for $5 each.  The original tags were still on that were marked $19.99 a piece!

Here in the hot and humid Midwest, it is difficult to keep any type of container watered enough through the summer.  Wick watering can save your plants when you forget to water every day.  Let me show you how to do it.


First I placed a small square of weed fabric in the bottom of the pot over the hole to keep the soil from seeping out when watered.


Then I add just a little bit of potting soil.  On top I begin to coil a non-coated piece of rope.  I bought a whole skein for less than $2.

You want the rope to be near the root system of the plants to keep them moist.  Be sure to rough up the roots of your annuals before placing them into the pot so they will stop growing in a circle around the plant.



You can see I have loosened them and shook some of the dirt loose so they can grow into the potting soil.


As I add more dirt with my annuals, I continue coiling the rope around the pot, then covering it with more soil.


When the pot is full of dirt, be sure to allow a few feet of rope to hang out of the pot.  The rope then is placed into a container of water.  This will keep the rope wet, and therefore the roots of your plants as well.


I used grass clippings to cover the top layer of soil, just as a way to keep the sun from drying out the top of the soil so fast.  You can see here that I have both pots rope ends inserted into a clear juice container.  I simply hide that jug behind the plants so it can't be seen from the street.


Here are my pretty geranium pots on my front steps being watered with a wick and bottle.  I know myself well, because I ALWAYS forget to water every day.  This buys me a day or two before they begin to wilt.  Of course, I still have to remember to fill the jug with water!

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