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| Simple, home-made drip-irrigation buckets simplify spot-watering. |
We’re
heading into a second year of drought in Western Colorado. Droughts can be a
challenge when getting new garden plants established. Sometimes we need to
supply a little extra water to an individual plant. And that’s where home-made
drip-irrigation buckets (we call them ‘Homer Buckets’) come in handy.
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| Five-gallon bucket with hole |
A
‘Homer Bucket’ is simply a 5-gallon plastic utility bucket with a single, small
diameter hole drilled near the bottom (see above). We use a drill with a 3/16 inch drill bit to
create the hole – located 1 inch from the bottom of the bucket. You'll need to test a bucket to see if this diameter allows water to seep optimally into your soil. You may need a smaller diameter hole (slow-draining soils), or larger for fast draining soils. The goal is to prevent water from running off, rather than soaking into the soil. We drill the hole in the same position on each
bucket, making it easy to position buckets for watering.
To
water, simply place the ‘Homer Bucket’ 8-10 inches from the plant, fill the
bucket with water, and let the water drain out through the hole (below). That’s it!
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| Watering buckets allow water to seep in, not run off. |
There
are several advantages to spot watering with ‘Homer Buckets’. First, they allow
you to direct the water to precisely where it’s needed. Second, the small hole
allows water to drain slowly, so water soaks into the ground, rather than
running off. Third, you are assured that
the plant gets a full 5-gallons of water – no more, no less. This can be especially helpful when children assist
with the watering. And it assures that precious
water isn’t wasted!
Fourth,
‘Homer Buckets’ allow you to water areas that are difficult to irrigate using
other methods. We’ve even used them for native plant restoration projects. Fifth, ‘Homer Buckets’ are easy and inexpensive
to make. They may even cost nothing, if
you have access to used 5-gallon paint buckets.
Lastly,
watering with ‘Homer Buckets’ is easy. Place
the buckets, fill them with a hose, then let the buckets drain for a half-hour
or so. You can efficiently and easily
water a number of plants by simply moving the buckets once they’ve drained. So undemanding!
We
hope you’ll consider making some ‘Homer Buckets’ for your own garden. They really are a fantastic solution for getting
water to plants – even in times of drought!
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| Consider home-made spot-watering buckets for your garden! |
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We welcome your comments (below). You can also send your questions to: monaturesmontrosegarden@gmail.com
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