As summer is finally upon us and the school holidays are underway, many households will be looking to go away on holiday, whether it’s to different parts of the UK or jetting off to another country.
While most outdoor plants will survive on just rain water, the lack of rainfall have lead to many having to help their plants by watering them every few days in order to keep them happy and flourishing.
But if you’re looking to go away for a few days, this can be more difficult to keep up with. While there are several things you can do, such as asking a friend or neighbour to pop in to water your plants, or buying self-watering pots, one gardener has now shared his cheap method to keep plants watered.
Taking to his social media, gardener and best-selling author Simon Akeroyd has shared how using an old compost bag can become the perfect watering tool if you’re going on holiday.
“Professional gardeners use bags that slowly drip water to keep their plants alive in dry weather,” he explained. “We can do something similar by repurposing a compost bag.”
How to use a compost bag to water plants
Having made sure the bag is in good condition, Simon goes on to fill up his old compost bag with water. You don’t have to fill it up all the way, as Simon filled it to be about a quarterway full.
Once he was happy with the water contents, he used some string to tie the bag shut, which will make sure the water doesn’t spill if the bag falls over.
Using a sharp object, Simon is then seen carefully puncturing a small hole at the bottom of the bag while holding it at the top. If you find that the bag is already leaking, this won’t be necessary.
Before placing the bag of water by the plant, Simon starts by moving the containers you want to be watered into the shade. But don’t worry if this isn’t possible, as the hack will still work.
Making sure the bag is slowly dripping water rather than emptying quickly, Simon goes on to place the bag of water inside the container he wants to keep watered. If you have multiple planters you want to keep watered, simply repeat the method for each container.
Once this is done, you’re ready to go on your holiday! As the bag slowly drips out the water, it will keep your plant watered for up to several weeks.
“When you return, the compost in your pot will be perfectly moist,” Simon explained as he showed the compost in the pot he’d watered. “Enjoy your holiday!”
Comments are closed.