- If only a few days have to be bridged: PET bottles
- DIY system with elevated tank and irrigation cone
- Systems with pump and timer
Potted plants in particular depend on a regular supply of sufficient water, after all they cannot take care of themselves. An automatic watering system ensures that your plants don't have to stay thirsty while you're away.
A simple irrigation system can be built with PET bottles
If only a few days have to be bridged: PET bottles
If no permanent irrigation system (€32.95) is to be installed, but only a few days of absence have to be bridged, simple PET or glass bottles have proven their worth. You can fill them with water and put them upside down in the pre-poured substrate with or without a perforated lid, but you should make sure that they stand securely. If necessary, you can attach the bottles with a holder or hang them on the balcony railing. Only use bottles with solid walls.
DIY system with elevated tank and irrigation cone
A proven, permanently installable system works with the help of a high tank - i. H. a water reservoir placed at a higher level than the planters - simple garden hoses and commercially available irrigation cones that attach to the hoses. You do not need a power or water connection for this, as the system runs independently without electricity and instead makes use of the laws of physics. The water runs out of the water tank thanks to gravity, is routed through the hoses to the cones and drips directly into the root system as required. However, the tank must be at least 50 to 100 centimeters above the balcony plants and must not be too small - it must have a capacity of at least 300 to 600 liters so that the pressure is sufficient for automatic irrigation. Rain barrels (€53.99) with a hose connection in the lower area are well suited.
Systems with pump and timer
Do you have an outside socket on your balcony and maybe even an external water connection? Then a powered irrigation system might be something for you. This works in a similar way to the high tank system, except that the water is pumped to the plants with the help of a pump. However, this does not make the irrigation any less susceptible to disruptions, as the Stiftung Warentest was able to determine when testing various irrigation systems in 2022. In fact, it is not a good idea to leave electricity and water running unattended for so long during a holiday trip and the associated longer absence - the risk of water damage or a broken power line is too great. However, you can optimize such a system by using a tank instead of a water pipe, which, however, has to be refilled from time to time, especially if you are away for several weeks. The pump, on the other hand, can not only be operated with electricity, as there are also solar and battery-powered models to choose from.
tips
The most reliable system of all is still called "friendly neighbor": ask your neighbor or friends who live nearby to take care of your balcony plants. As a thank you, invite them to a barbecue or bring them a nice holiday treat.