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Self-regulating capillary mat watering (with budgie waterer)

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Vinlander:
Hi Galina - thanks for the quick reply.

I was confused because I couldn't find the "Geoff Hamilton self watering table" anywhere on the internet. But then I couldn't find any demand systems on the internet - though there are hundreds of drip systems, and absolutely none of them can be trusted for 2 weeks in 'real weather' - no matter how many months you spend adjusting the nozzle or whatever.

What you describe is a good system - all on-demand systems are better than any drip systems. The on-demand ones that rely on fifty quid's worth (probably more) of sensors, valves, pumps, drippers and batteries/solar are good too - it's just that every high-tech component has about 20 failure modes of its own, and every component has to work or the whole system fails.

On the other hand capillary mats and inverted-bottle/budgie-waterer systems have very few ways to go wrong. Probably the biggest worry with my indoor ones is the strength of the shelf - but if it doesn't fail in the first week it's probably good for 2 or 3 decades. The outdoor one rests on a path - so no worries there.

Basically I'm happier with lo-tech - actually very, very, very low tech. I could use a hand-thrown pot from the early neolithic (or even a gourd from much earlier) with any textile or rush matting (also from earlier) or just a layer of peat over a puddled clay depression.

You could make a "steampunk" valve/sensor system with Victorian technology - it would be more reliable than hi-tech.

In fact I have one - my greenhouse capillary floor operates on the mains via a ballcock valve. Pity the ball is plastic - the original copper one corroded itself a leak.

There is one main advantage to having the water level directly below the platform with the mat on - you can't get waterlogging, even if you add extra water or fertiliser from above when it's time for the seedlings to have a richer feed - in fact the mat helps to quickly remove the excess water from any pot that has too much.

In nature all plants have (and "expect") a capillary link through the soil connecting with the water table below - most plants rely on this though some trees can send their roots down closer to the water table. Others (succulents) store water to cope with occasional breaks in the link. 

Basically my trough systems aren't primarily for holidays - I have plants/seedlings moving on and off capillary mat all year round, and it's good to be able to dose them individually against a background of perfect on-demand watering.

Incidentally I sometimes use pairs of corrugated 2L still water bottles on the portable system in my final photo - you can cut a cradle from one that holds the full bottle upside down firmly 5mm above the tray bottom - it is very easy to handle from tap to tray. You might find it useful - I'm writing this to remind me to take a photo of it.

Cheers.

Paulines7:
Having seen lots of tips from Vinlander and others about how to make a water system that would keep plants moist during holidays, I began searching for some black plastic boxes.  Unfortunatey those I found were very expensive.  I then thought about the problem and have come up with a solution!

At the weekly market, the greengrocer throws out polystyrene boxes and I have been collecting them over the years as I use them to give extra protection to greenhouse plants during the winter, but this is another use that I have now found for them and solves my watering problem at the same time.

Instructions

Inspect the polystyrene box and ensure that it is watertight with no cracks or holes in the bottom.  Cut the lid so that it fits loosely inside the box and is about half an inch short at one end.  Measure and cut capillary matting the same width as the lid but twice its length. I use WaterWick matting by Gardman as it is good quality.

Half fill the box with water and soak the capillary matting.  Take the matting out and place 2 to 4* flower pots upside down in the water.  Put the matting on the lid with the long end going down into the water.  Lower the lid carefully until it sits on the flower pots.  Put plants in seed trays or flower pots on top of the matting and water them.  They can then be left until the water in the box is almost empty.  There is no need to take the lid or plants out to top up with water, as it can be poured in where the lid gap is.   

* The pots need to be big enough to be slightly above the water line.  The number required will depend on how big the polystyrene box is.

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