Make a Drip Irrigator from a Plastic Bottle
Drip irrigation is a cost-effective method of watering your plants. Through a network of inexpensive pipes and tubing, drip irrigation allows for water to slowly drip directly to the plants’ roots, without any of the water wastage that is typically encountered with standard plant-watering methods. Drip irrigation lets a steady supply of water be delivered to your plants over a period of time, so you do not have to worry about having to deal with dry or wilted plants during hot summer months.
If you have a few outdoor plants that you need to attend to, you can easily make your own drip irrigation from a plastic bottle and a few other household materials. Aside from the fact that making your own drip irrigation is inexpensive, you also get to do your part in recycling as well.
Steps
- Get a 2-liter plastic soda bottle with the cap still on. Take the cap and poke around 1 to 4 holes on it. You can create the holes by using a drill, or by using a small nail and a hammer. To make the preliminary hole when using a nail and a hammer, use a shoe tack first, then make the hole bigger using the nail. Place the cap back on the bottle.
- The number of holes that you punch on the cap will depend on how fast you want the water to flow. The more holes there are on the cap, the faster the water will drip.
- The size of the hole will also contribute to the speed of water flow. A smaller hole will allow the water to trickle slowly, while bigger holes will let your drip irrigation empty the water faster. Make sure though that the holes are not too small such that debris may clog them up and prevent the water from dripping.
- Take the actual body of the soda bottle. Cut off the bottom portion (around 1 inch from the bottom) with a sharp knife. This will turn the bottle into a funnel, and will also allow for the drip irrigation to be refilled with water easily.
- Dig a hole near your plant or group of plants, which is deep enough to bury around one-third to one-half of the bottle. Place the bottle in the hole, cap side down. Make sure that the opening of the bottle (where you cut off the bottom) remains above ground and is not covered by soil. Secure your bottle in place by pressing soil around it. Place a few stones or pebbles as well around the bottle, to help prevent the soil from getting inside the bottle.
- Fill the bottle with water, and invert the bottom of the bottle so it rests on the water, ready to catch any debris that would otherwise sink and clog the system. Leave your drip irrigation to do its work. Make as many drip irrigation as you need for all of your plants.
Tips
- Make sure that you refill the drip irrigation with water regularly, around once a day.
- Add some fertilizer to the bottle every few weeks, to fertilize your plants’ roots directly.
Things You’ll Need
- 2-liter plastic soda or water bottle with cap
- Drill or small nail, hammer and shoe tack
- Sharp knife
