• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • Plant Based Recipes
    • Canning and Food Preservation
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Vegetarian Meals
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Indoor Herb Gardening
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Frugal Watering System

July 23, 2010 by Jeanne

A friend went away for a week and asked me to water her newly planted trees and the Butterfly bush I gave her as a welcome to the neighborhood present. She’s also got some adorable planters on her porch filled with purple and white petunias and zinnias, and they’d bake to death in this 100+ degree heat.  So John and I went to her house last night to water everything.  Before she left she told me she’d left containers of water near her plants but I didn’t understand what she meant. After seeing them in action last night, I love this idea for a frugal watering system. I can’t believe I haven’t run across it yet but there you have it; old gardening gals can learn new tricks.

What she did was take milk and water jugs (about 1 gallon) and clean them thoroughly. She made tiny pinholes in the bottom of them, filled them with water, and placed them near the trees. Most were nearly empty when we got there, but when John picked one up we could see that the soil underneath was wet and moist. It was like a frugal drip irrigation system!  We refilled all the containers and I checked them this morning. Sure enough, they’re slow watering the plants.

We are back to baking temperatures today with no rain in the forecast. I’ve asked the family to save containers for me. I’m going to put these near the shrubs Patty gave me so that I can keep the Rose of Sharon alive. The hose also doesn’t reach the rose garden; one of my Sophia roses is, alas, dead I fear, but the other struggles valiantly to survive.  The Blaze roses are showing signs of heat distress and the minis aren’t looking happy either.  This new frugal drip irrigation system might just work!

Anyone else use it? Tried it? Let us know!

 

Pin
Share
Tweet
0 Shares

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Amphibious Landing
Next Post: Nabbed the Culprit »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jacob Royer

    July 24, 2010 at

    I am so going to use this!
    I have a couple rinsed out milk jugs in the recycle bin right now!

  2. ~Gardener on Sherlock Street

    July 24, 2010 at

    I have heard of this but haven’t used it specifically. I have aqua cones that you put a two liter bottle into (with it’s bottom cut off) and it does the same thing. For larger trees and shrubs, our horticulture agent says putting a 5 gallon bucket with a hole on the side near the bottom will work too. If you have wind, put a rock in the bucket so it doesn’t blow away when it’s drained. Happy watering.

  3. Jeanne

    July 24, 2010 at

    Let us know how they work out for you. I’m waiting until we have some containers, then I will try it too. We planted some pines around the edge of the clearing and it’s too hard to water them with the hose, but this system might work…and my poor roses…and, well there are so many places to use this!

  4. Suzanne with Laughing Wallet

    July 27, 2010 at

    Well, this idea is about gathering water rather than getting it onto the plants, but I think you’ll like it! We’ve started collecting the water produced by our air conditioner (from the condensation line that runs to the outside of the house and then just drips uselessly to the ground), and you wouldn’t believe how much water we harvest!

    It’s not potable water that you would drink, but we’re able to water all of our plants and even the lawn (we have a very small front lawn) without ever turning on the hose! And the best part is that our a/c produces the most water when we need it most – when it’s really hot.

  5. drip irrigation systems

    November 24, 2010 at

    i have never use this technic but i can tell you i heard about people that did and was very satisfied. good luck!

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Featured

logo of the american horticulture society

Explore All Gardening Articles

Seed Starting Basics

Easy Ways to Save Cantaloupe Seeds

plants and tools in a wheelbarrow

Starting Peppers from Seeds

tomato seedlings

Seed Starting Resources

tomatoes on the vine

When Should You Start Tomato Seeds Indoors?

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Disclosure

Home Garden Joyo participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy.

Footer

raised bed garden

How to Build a Vegetable Garden Using Raised Beds

If you’re thinking about building a vegetable garden this year, raised beds are one of the best ways I know of to start a vegetable garden. Instead of renting a rototiller or hand-digging the soil, adding amendments and turning it all under to create a good garden bed, you start with the best soil mixture…

Read More

henbit close up

Henbit: Plant Profile

I’ve put together this henbit plant profile to spotlight a lovely plant – which many gardeners consider a weed. Weed or flower? To me, it’s a matter of perspective. Every spring, at least one of my raised beds is covered in a thick mat of henbit. Henbit is both lovely and practical despite being labeled…

Read More

fresh beets from the garden on the lawn after being washed

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Organic Beets

I wrote this Ultime Guide to Growing Beets to share my techniques for growing tasty, organic beets. Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition. Both the beetroot and the leaves and stems are edible. You can also can beets and beet greens to store them for year-round use. Here, I share with you a full guide…

Read More

a blue wheelbarrow and a red wheelbarrow filled with pine branches

Winter Homesteading Projects

Even though it’s cold and snowy out, winter homesteading projects beckon. As I write this, snow is falling in sheets outside my office windows, covering the orchard trees with a blanket of white. Last week, an ice storm knocked power out for 36 hours – and knocked pines down every which way. We had poles…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme