Water Conservation - Part 2

Happy Earth Day! One way to respect the planet and its resources are to save water. Here is another water conservation project I worked on this week for my potted plants in my courtyard.

Step 1: Gather supplies. For this project, I used 1/2 gallon mason jars with lids, 7/16 inch nylon rope, river rocks, and rain water. (Mr. Man drilled holes in the lids for me...power tools ain't my thing!)

Step 2: Determine the location of your mason jar. It's simple but necessary to do before you begin; depending on your esthetic desires, it may be best to conceal the jars as much as possible.

Step 3: Measure the ropes (now called wicks for this project). Put one end all the way at the bottom of the jar, and pull it through the drilled holes. You'll use the rest of the rope to go around the circumference of the pot for optimal water dispersing. Then cut the rope when you like the amount of wick you've created.

Step 4: Fill the jar with rain water. No need to bring the wicks and lid with you; if the hole is the proper size, everything will stay in place when you make your trip to the rain barrel!

Step 5: Bury the wicks. Depending on the amount of soil you have in your containers, this may require a scoop or two more. This step is two-fold: esthetic and also more resourceful since you won't have to worry about evaporation. (And as you can see, it's important to never give up on your plants! The begonia in the cement planter is the Little Engine That Could. But that's for another blog!)

Step 5: Cover the lids with river rocks to keep any pesky mosquitoes or pests out. You always want to eliminate the chances of a mosquito infestation, and they love standing water!

(As this idea pans out, I will be adding clear vinyl tubing to the exposed wicks to prevent evaporation.)

That's it for this edition! I hope you'll try water conserving in your home garden. There is nothing better than saving financial resources and the Earth's resources while growing beautiful flowers and veggies!

Till next time,

Dallas Farmer Gal