photo from EatLocalGrown
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For a low-cost, in-ground irrigation system, punch a few small holes in plastic buckets and bury them up to their rims in your garden. Fill them with water, and the buckets will deliver a steady drip of moisture to the surrounding soil without splattering excess water where it’s not needed. Not only will this save on water waste, it’ll also keep potential disease-infested pathogens in the dirt from splashing onto your plants’ leaves. ** You can get inexpensive plastic buckets at a dollar store, or your local home improvement store **
(1) Poke a line of holes around the side of the bucket, right above the base, or in the bottom. Use a sharp screwdriver to create holes that are about 1/4 inch across, and space the holes about 1 inch apart.
(2) Dig a hole large enough to hold the bucket right up to its rim. The placement of the bucket in the garden depends on your plants. You can put the buckets every 3-4 plants, or do your planting in a circle around each bucket.
(3) Place the buckets into the ground and firm the garden soil around them.
(4) Fill each bucket with water up to the rim. It's a good idea to also cover the bucket openings with a plastic tray from the dollar store to keep dirt from falling in and to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water.
(5) Check the buckets every two or three days to see how often they empty out. Refill the buckets before they go completely dry to keep the supply of moisture to the plants constant.
Tip
(1) Poke a line of holes around the side of the bucket, right above the base, or in the bottom. Use a sharp screwdriver to create holes that are about 1/4 inch across, and space the holes about 1 inch apart.
(2) Dig a hole large enough to hold the bucket right up to its rim. The placement of the bucket in the garden depends on your plants. You can put the buckets every 3-4 plants, or do your planting in a circle around each bucket.
(3) Place the buckets into the ground and firm the garden soil around them.
(4) Fill each bucket with water up to the rim. It's a good idea to also cover the bucket openings with a plastic tray from the dollar store to keep dirt from falling in and to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water.
(5) Check the buckets every two or three days to see how often they empty out. Refill the buckets before they go completely dry to keep the supply of moisture to the plants constant.
Tip
- At the end of the growing season, remove the buckets from the holes. Sanitize them with a mild mixture of bleach and water, and store for the winter. Then reuse in the spring.
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