With clay watering cones you can go without watering your plants for a few days. Equipped with commercially available plastic bottles, the clay cones become water dispensers for your plants.
Due to its porosity, clay is an excellent starting material for irrigation aids. In this article you will learn how to use clay cones for watering plants, what advantages they offer, whether you can build clay cones yourself and much more.
How does clay cone irrigation work?
Clay cones are a smart way to keep potted plants watered for longer periods of time, for example when you're on holiday. But how do the clay cones actually work? The clay cones, about the size of a finger, are placed on a standard plastic bottle filled with water instead of a lid. Then the clay cone is pressed into the ground with the water bottle. The water from the bottle runs into the clay cone and due to the porosity of the clay and the water pressure from above, the water slowly seeps into the ground. The way clay cones work is also related to soil water tension, also known as soil water tension. The soil's suction tension is greater the drier it is - that is, the drier the substrate, the more "absorbent" it is. If the potting soil's moisture content is much greater than that of the clay, a lot of water will seep out of the clay cone. Thus, irrigation with clay cones is more needs-based than irrigation. However, this connection is only used fully by irrigation systems with drip hoses and water reservoirs, while water bottles with a clay cone attachment press water into the ground due to their sheer weight and thus water less as needed.
What are the benefits of irrigation with clay cones?
- Water less: Depending on the thirst of the plants and the size of the bottle, the water reservoir in the bottle lasts until after your vacation.
- Watering Needs: As soon as the soil gets too dry, it seepsnew water from the clay cone. This ensures an even water supply.
- Saving water: As the water leaves the irrigation cones underground, the surface of the earth remains drier. This way less water evaporates.
- Prevention of fungus gnats: Another advantage of the drier soil surface: Pests such as the annoying fungus gnats lay their eggs directly on the soil surface. If this is too dry when the larvae hatch, they die immediately, which is why fungus gnats avoid dry substrate. Read our special article for more tips on fighting fungus gnats.
Tip: An irrigation method for your vegetable beds that works according to the same principle are so-called ollas. The large, bulbous clay vessels are dug into the ground and then filled with water. Find out how irrigation works with Ollas in another article.
Water properly with clay cones
Using the clay watering cones is very easy. As described above, all you have to do is attach the clay cone to a plastic bottle with water.
Clay cones for watering can be purchased in a specialist garden store, in the garden department of a hardware store or on the Internet. Most clay cones are designed for use with standard plastic bottles. However, note the manufacturer's descriptions.
How long does the water reserve in the bottle last? This depends heavily on the needs of the plant, but also on the size of the bottle. A blanket statement cannot be made. When you go on vacation, it is best to test how long the water in the plastic bottle lasts beforehand. You can then select a larger bottle if needed.
Tip: Clay irrigation cones also come in a variety of sizes, with larger cones delivering more water than smaller ones.
Clay cones can also be used in beds or raised beds. Here, too, you should definitely test how many days your plants are supplied with water before you go on holiday. Add more tonal cones if necessary.
Tip: If you don't like the look of the plastic bottles in the pots or if you want to do without plastic, you can use glass bottles instead. Especially green wine bottlesare less noticeable in the flowerpots. When buying the clay cones, make sure that they are also designed for wine bottles.
At a glance: Using clay cones correctly
- Select suitable bottle: plastic or glass
- For plastic bottles: drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle to avoid negative pressure; Put the clay cone on the bottle opening and sink it into the ground; Fill the bottle with water through the hole
- For glass bottles: fill the bottle with water; Put the clay cone on the bottle opening and sink it into the ground
Clay cones and drip irrigation combined:
Some manufacturers also offer complete irrigation systems with clay cones. Several clay cones are connected to each other via a hose. The water reservoir is a large canister that supplies all the clay cones with water. Due to the suction tension, the system does not need a pump or electronic control and can distribute more water both overall and selectively.
Make your own clay cone irrigation: Instructions
Clay cones for watering are not easy to make yourself. To do this, you must obtain clay, shape it appropriately, and then bring it to a pottery shop to fire the clay cone. In some places there are also pottery workshops that offer DIY days. It may be worth asking.
Check out our article on watering plants while on vacation for more tips to keep your plants thriving while you're away.