Drip Irrigation for pots

[ThisIsMelissa]

Such an active forum....
Well, let's wake it up a bit.

In the past, I've resisted gardening in pots since I am not good at watering when I should. I know this, so I don't waste money on pots and flowers I know I won't care for.
But I'm really falling in love with pots lately... so beautiful.... and if you keep a good eye, you can find some lovely ones for good prices!
I digress.

I'm going to do a grouping of several pots along my walkway. Currently, they're all empty, so I have the opportunity to hopefully do something cool.

Drip irrigation in pots.
All the pots will be lifted off the ground with pot feet or something similar. So, I'm thinking of running 1/4" tubing up thru the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot, up along the side of the pot and have an emitter on the soil surface. I could put all of the pots on one circuit and set the entire circuit on an automatic watering schedule.
I found this image and have learned that perhaps my idea isn't all that new, but for me, it is!

So, has anyone ever tried this? Successful? Not? Thoughts?

[paul_in_mn]

Sounds very neat. I have no answers, but will throw out some things to think about.

Will it maintain some flexibility - i.e. what if you want pots farther apart or closer later, or want to rearrange their order (I know you would never do that). You will also be moving pots I assume for winter - can you easily disconnect and then reconnect next year. Setting up and connecting with empty pots is easier than heavy filled pots. You will need to repot in 2-3 years (potting mix breaking down) - will it be easy to remove plants for repotting with tubing amongst the roots.

I would guess most of these are doable with splices and new fittings. I love how the garden centers have the weighted nozzle they just toss in a basket as they hang em.

Good Luck with your project.

[ThisIsMelissa]

Sounds very neat. I have no answers, but will throw out some things to think about.

Will it maintain some flexibility - i.e. what if you want pots farther apart or closer later, or want to rearrange their order (I know you would never do that). You will also be moving pots I assume for winter - can you easily disconnect and then reconnect next year. Setting up and connecting with empty pots is easier than heavy filled pots. You will need to repot in 2-3 years (potting mix breaking down) - will it be easy to remove plants for repotting with tubing amongst the roots.

I would guess most of these are doable with splices and new fittings.

Good Luck with your project.

Well, coming out of the bottom of the pot and out to the edge, at that point, I'd use a T-fitting. Then next year, I can just arrange and splice in new small sections to form the "main line".

I love how the garden centers have the weighted nozzle they just toss in a basket as they hang em.

I know! I'd have done this long ago if I'd been willing to see the line. But I'm not. This setup almost eliminates that!

I would like to set up something like what the garden centers have in order to do my hanging basket.... in recent years, I've had a moss basket, which dries out SUPER fast.
This year, I have plastic... not as fond of the look, but it was cheaper and faster! Paul, you know what the front of my house looks like.... White. I've even seen white irrigation line that I could use to go up the post where I have the pot hanging.

[ThisIsMelissa]

...want to rearrange their order (I know you would never do that). ....

Are you suggesting that I move things around a lot?