PTK - Do It Yourself - Sub Irrigation Planter

If you're looking for an interesting way to conserve water and nutrients in your garden, you'd be hard-pressed to find a method cheaper to start and more efficient than sub-irrigation planting.


The idea behind sub-irrigation planting (seepage irrigation) is that water is absorbed upwards from underneath the plant. Excess water can be recycled to water other plants.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started.


Materials Needed:

• 2 liter empty plastic bottle (any regular soda bottle will do)
• scissors
• Moisture wicking fabric (4inches long and 1 inch wide)
• Potting soil mix (a little peat (sphagnum) moss with some organic fertilizer doesn't hurt either)

Directions:

1. Cut the 2 liter bottle in half. The bottom half should be 5 inches tall.
2. In the top half, make puncture holes spaced 1 inch apart. The holes should be 3/8 in diameter and spaced evenly all the way around.
3. Turn the top half upside down so that the cap part is facing the ground. Remove the cap.
4. Insert the moisture wicking fabric into the cap hole. Leaving about half of one inch sticking out of the cap hole. The rest of the 4 inches should be inside the top half of the bottle.
5. Pour about 3 cups of your potting mix into the top half of the bottle, making sure to work the soil around the wicking fabric.
6. Add about 1.5 inches of water to the bottom half of the bottle (not the half with the soil).
7. Put the top half of the bottle (soil half) into the bottom half (water side). The bottom half of the bottle should hold the top half without your assistance. 
8. Plant seeds or seedlings. Use a little water to settle the soil around the new plants.
9. The wicking fabric should bring the water from the basin and into the soil, so that you only need to add water to the basin once the roots have taken hold.

That's it! Now you have a recycled, water-saving pot. In addition, it's a great conversation piece! Try this out with some fresh herbs like basil, chives, sage, and oregano.

from 2literrocket.com

Too much for you? Stick around. We'll have more great tips for what you can do with other household items coming up soon! Keep planting!

Spring Weeds

Since winter was so mild this year, the spring weeds are coming in early and they're coming in strong. Take quick action with an all natural weed killer that won't break the bank!

What you need:

• Adjustable Spray Bottle
• Vinegar

That's it!

Fill your spray bottle with cheap, natural, white vinegar. Spray your weeds as closely as possible to avoid hitting the plants you want to keep. 

(Hint: Keeping your garden fertilized at the appropriate levels, will help stave off the weeds naturally.)

from furniturehomedesign.com

Spray bottles are a must for the DIY gardener!

PT(K) - Planting the Knowledge - DIY Soaker Hose

Remember last summer? Remember the drought? No one wants their garden to look like this:

 From: fromdamascustoemmaus.com

No one wants a garden to look like that, but with the high heat in the Southeast, coupled with a disappointing lack of rain, it's hard to have a good looking garden (and can be quite expensive to use traditional watering methods).

Now, there's a better way to water your garden: Soaker or Drip Hoses. These hoses deposit water directly on top of the soil, under the leaves, so the sun doesn't evaporate as much and it takes less water (and less money) to get the same job done.

You can't run soaker/drip hoses up and down your whole yard for your grass, but you can use it for your flower beds, raised bed gardens, and shrubs that you want to keep looking lush and healthy.


What you'll need:

• Drinking Water Safe Hose* (About $18 for 50ft at Walmart, but check a local supply store first)
• OR for ornamental plants, that you do not intend to eat, just grab the oldest hose in your garage to save money!
• Drill Bit and Drill Set
• Hose Cap/ End Cap
• Tape Measure

How to do it:

1. Purchase a "Drinking Water Safe" hose (as approved by the FDA) whatever length you need. Or, if you have an old hose that is "Drinking Water Safe", use that to save money! Do not use an old hose that is not "Drinking Water Safe"!*
2. Lay out your hose against your extended tape measure. 
3. Mark every 3 inches for drilling. Or, find out where the base of each plant is and only mark those distances to save even more money.
4. Using a 1/16 drill bit, drill a hole all-the-way-through.
5. Attach the hose cap/end cap so that you're not wasting water out the end and so that it drips properly. 
6. Lay your hose in your garden making sure to align the holes with the base of plants. Remember to keep the hose close to the plants so that you don't waste any water unnecessarily. 
7. Run the water at a trickle for about thirty to forty-five minutes and you're all finished!

*Traditional water hoses are often made from reprocessed materials from the automotive industry and can contain up to 100 times the amount of lead designated as safe to drink by the Environmental Protection Agency. Be sure to use only "Drinking Water Safe" hoses approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Good luck and happy gardening!