Wine Bottle Drip System for Unattended Pots

It's that time of year again when gardening is in full swing and vacation plans are too!

The dilemma?  How do I keep everything watered when we go away for a few days?  If my daughters are reading this, they're surely rolling their eyes because they become the slave to my garden when I'm not.

Great for hanging baskets!

The wine bottle drip system doesn't solve ALL my problems but it will alleviate some.  It's best used when we're only gone a couple of days.  The established beds can go without H2O for two days but my flower pots cannot.  We live in crazy WY remember?

This is what I figured out would work best for me...

Cheesecloth (4 layers) and a rubber band.

In California, I've seen marbles placed inside the bottle but I think the water dribbles out too fast.  I like this method best and if you're using a wine bottle, a long, narrow neck is optimal!

Here we go!  Place your water filled bottle where you want it and secure as best you can.  If you look closely, you can see a small trail of tiny bubbles rising...that is slow release...just what I want.

See the bubble trail?

Notice my sophisticated support system?  Prop a rock or two to steady your bottle.  I'm always propping up a rock or two it seems, it's what we do here.  I like sticks in a pinch too.  Get creative and make it work for you with what you have available.

Here's my arsenal for the long weekend.  Large and small bottles for large and small pots.  My daughter's will absolutely love me for this!

Re-purposed wine bottles, water bottles or any kind of bottle used as a temporary drip system works.  I must say, it feels pretty good putting those expensive wine bottles to work too! 

Have a fabulous and safe Memorial weekend...Happy Summer!

Rebecca