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This improvised watering decanter is perfect for watering small plants that don't need a lot of water but do need it regularly. It's simple and is made of dirt-cheap items that most people probably already have around their house and tools that most people already own. It's small so it can easily be stored at your desk where you work or in a small space out of sight at home. it's also fairly safe and doesn't spill much if it falls over while full - though it will spill a little.
I originally put this together because I needed a bottle with a narrow spout which would make it easier to get the water into the narrow gap at the end of seedling trays. Since I'm starting them early I have to keep them inside which for me is in front of my big bay window in my nice carpeted living room where there's plenty of light. I like to water them from the bottom which means pouring about a pint of water through a half-inch gap at the end of the tray and hoping I don't spill any.
This introduces two issues which I solved using this decanter: accuracy and quantity. Since the bottle is clear and already close to the right quantity for one tray it makes it easy to measure the amount of water I'm adding to each tray. Granted this creates extra work since I'm constantly shuffling back and forth to the kitchen for more water. Perhaps this calls for a large watering container: maybe something along the lines of a two-liter Coke bottle.
Secondly, this is much easier than just pouring the water on my plants at work. I have more than a dozen plants at my desk, some of which dry out before others. Most of the plants are large pots that only need water once a week and the whole batch can be taken care of in two or three trips to the restroom sink.
I also have several small cacti which dry out completely on an almost daily basis. Instead of running them to the restroom sink every day it's nice to have a watering bottle at my desk. Plus they are crowded together on a tray and the long spigot makes it easy to get to all of them without spilling any water. Finally, and most importantly, the water flows slowly which keeps me from overflowing the pots and making a big mess.
The real reason I made this is that, in true Instructables spirit, I had some spare time, love putting things together, was thrilled at how well all the parts integrated, and hoped somebody else might get some use out of the thing. Remember, this is my first instructable. Granted it's not a Traditional Polynesian Ice Canoe - I wish I had some ice nearby so i could try that - but it was fun to do.
Now...without further adieu...
I originally put this together because I needed a bottle with a narrow spout which would make it easier to get the water into the narrow gap at the end of seedling trays. Since I'm starting them early I have to keep them inside which for me is in front of my big bay window in my nice carpeted living room where there's plenty of light. I like to water them from the bottom which means pouring about a pint of water through a half-inch gap at the end of the tray and hoping I don't spill any.
This introduces two issues which I solved using this decanter: accuracy and quantity. Since the bottle is clear and already close to the right quantity for one tray it makes it easy to measure the amount of water I'm adding to each tray. Granted this creates extra work since I'm constantly shuffling back and forth to the kitchen for more water. Perhaps this calls for a large watering container: maybe something along the lines of a two-liter Coke bottle.
Secondly, this is much easier than just pouring the water on my plants at work. I have more than a dozen plants at my desk, some of which dry out before others. Most of the plants are large pots that only need water once a week and the whole batch can be taken care of in two or three trips to the restroom sink.
I also have several small cacti which dry out completely on an almost daily basis. Instead of running them to the restroom sink every day it's nice to have a watering bottle at my desk. Plus they are crowded together on a tray and the long spigot makes it easy to get to all of them without spilling any water. Finally, and most importantly, the water flows slowly which keeps me from overflowing the pots and making a big mess.
The real reason I made this is that, in true Instructables spirit, I had some spare time, love putting things together, was thrilled at how well all the parts integrated, and hoped somebody else might get some use out of the thing. Remember, this is my first instructable. Granted it's not a Traditional Polynesian Ice Canoe - I wish I had some ice nearby so i could try that - but it was fun to do.
Now...without further adieu...
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Signing UpStep 1Gather Materials
The following materials will be needed for this instructable.
- A beverage bottle of your choice. I had lots of water bottles on hand so I used one of those.
- Two flexible drinking straws. If you want faster water flow then you can get larger diameter straws such as those you get at restaurants. The only problem with those is that you loose the flexible joints which server to help secure the straw to the bottle in this case and also let you flex the spigot straw for easier watering.
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If you get your hand long neck bottle, you cold try to make holes on the neck.
Please, allow me to suggest a safer method ('though no one knows what is really safe)...
Use any rounded metal of that size and heat it until red hot. Then just be careful and touch the plastic lid with it. It is going to melt as butter. So, be careful to just melt the size that you wanted to gain. Or a little less, since there might be a little of melted plastic all around the edges. You should then cut those melted edges when they are not so hot. And later, use some cold water to see if the hole was what you have expected.
It is very tempting to use the drill but many times, the lid would slip and start spinning at high speed.
That is very dangerous...
Clear and big enough to self explain themselves.
Hey just started a gardening group. Add this instructable please!
http://www.instructables.com/group/reapwhatyousow/
thanks
I originally put this together because I needed a bottle with a narrow spout so I could get the water into the narrow gap at the end of seed trays. This also makes it easy to measure the amount of water I'm adding to each tray since the bottle is clear and already close to the right quantity for one tray. Granted this creates extra work since I'm constantly shuffling back and forth to the kitchen for more water. Perhaps this calls for a large watering container: maybe a liter Coke bottle.
Secondly, this is much easier than just pouring the water on my plants at work. I have more than a dozen plants at my desk, some of which dry out before others. Most of the plants are large pots that only need water once a week and the whole batch can be taken care of in two or three trips to the restroom sink.
I also have several small cacti which dry out completely on an almost daily basis. Instead of running them to the restroom sink every day it's nice to have a watering bottle at my desk. Plus they are crowded together on a tray and the long spigot makes it easy to get to all of them without spilling any water. Finally, and most importantly, the water flows slowly which keeps me from overflowing the pots and making a big mess.
Anyway, these are all small annoyances at most and as I said in the intro to the instructable; it really is moot because decanters and watering pots are available everywhere though not all are dirt cheap. Plus I already own an appropriate watering pot for my seed trays.
The real reason I made this is that, in true Instructables spirit, I had some spare time, love putting things together, was thrilled at how well all the parts integrated, and hoped somebody else might get some use out of the thing. Remember, this is my first instructable. Granted it's not a Traditional Polynesian Ice Canoe but it was fun to do.