Just an idea I have stolen....

[donworden]

I have been priveleged to be invited over to my cousins to harvest some of their crops... He has a little over an acre planted with various veggies and fruit crops. I did learn a little about trellising the beans, which will go into practice next season, however.... in certain areas of his garden, between the plants, he had a 5 gallon bucket planted.. there were some small holes in the buckets, and he said on the dry days, he goes out and adds water to each of them, and has had a bigger crop, and the crop not dying out due to the droughts and such we had here (little ones). I may just try that and see how it works next season also.

Any comments or suggestions?

[hit or miss]

Drip irrigation on the cheap! It's a good idea.

[Marlingardener]

Some gardeners take 2 liter soda bottles, remove the bottoms and the caps, bury them next to plants (at planting time) and use those to deep water individual plants. Your cousin's idea sounds more efficient, and easier on the back, as long as you look where you're stepping!

[Bobberman]

I would say to bury a two litter plastic pop bottle or gallon milk bottle and only put a few small straw size holes in the bottom. Place the cap back on about two inches above ground level. Use a funnel to put water or compost tea eery several days and it will drain slowly! Since the cap is above the ground level you can still mulch around it!

[donworden]

The way he planted the buckets, there was no mistaking them. He had at least 3 inches above ground so you would catch your toe before stepping in to them.

[pickupguy07]

I would say to bury a two litter plastic pop bottle or gallon milk bottle and only put a few small straw size holes in the bottom. Place the cap back on about two inches above ground level. Use a funnel to put water or compost tea eery several days and it will drain slowly! Since the cap is above the ground level you can still mulch around it!

This is a good idea..
But IMO I think it migt be improved upon by still putting the bottom in upside down,.. and leave the cap on. Still drill the holes in the bottle, just near the cap.
It'd do away with the nuscence of having to use a funnel.
Just an idea...

[Marlingardener]

Pickupguy, that is a better idea. I have enough problem hauling two buckets of water around without worrying with a funnel, too! There's just so much one person can handle. I'll try it with a couple of plants and see which does better, the ones with the cap off, or the ones with the cap on and a few holes drilled.

[pickupguy07]

yeah I did have about a dozen 2 liter bottle until yesterday. I'll have some more soon, and I'm gonna try it too.

I am sure the amount of holes, and the size will make a difference also.

[garden5]

Pickupguy, that is a better idea. I have enough problem hauling two buckets of water around without worrying with a funnel, too! There's just so much one person can handle. I'll try it with a couple of plants and see which does better, the ones with the cap off, or the ones with the cap on and a few holes drilled.

I've thought about deep-water-delivery systems like this many times and wondered about how effeteness they would be.

Let us know your results

[dearmad]

I used this all the time to water trees and other perennial plants (currants, blueberries) I'm establishing... except I don't even bother burying the buckets and only have one small hole in the bottom so it drains over a period of about thirty minutes. The water has enough time to get into the soil around the new tree. I've there's any mulch, I ensure the bucket is at the soil line not on the mulch, then recover when done.

[Tilde]

There are pots made for that called olla - make friends with a potter or pay a bit of $$$ for them

Here is a good step by step I found for them (no affiliation on my part, just a helpful link) olla.

I saw another site somewhere where they used simple clay pots (again, unglazed) glued together.

As for not wanting to mess with funnels - the smaller the opening, the less "foot print" above ground is taken, IMO, plus it's easier to "cap" to keep skeeters out and reduce evaporation loss.

[garden5]

Pickupguy, that is a better idea. I have enough problem hauling two buckets of water around without worrying with a funnel, too! There's just so much one person can handle. I'll try it with a couple of plants and see which does better, the ones with the cap off, or the ones with the cap on and a few holes drilled.

I've thought about deep-water-delivery systems like this many times and wondered about how effeteness they would be.

Let us know your results

"Effeteness"????

Man, I really must have been tired when I typed/posted that one !

I think I meant I wondered how *effective they would be.