It is always so hot here in the summer and I like to have flowers and vegetables on my deck and in the yard, but can't afford the water bills to keep them watered between times of rain.
So I cut the end off the bottom of a 2-liter plastic bottle, turn the bottle up-side down so the neck (without the lid) is in the ground next to the plant. Pour water in the wide part of the open bottle and it will keep the plants moist through the day and I don't waste water from the hose.
I also put a stick through the holes into the dirt so the wind doesn't blow the bottle over. This works great. You can add your fertilizer to the water and water and feed plants at the same time. I have several in my garden.
If you cut the bottom of the bottle off (which is now the top, since it is inverted) and leave it uncovered, it is a great place for mosquitos to lay their eggs and increase their population. Don't let your backyard be a disease haven, remove all containers that will hold still water for more than 2-3 days (tires, recycling, garbage cans, buckets, etc.) Rainwater is great for plants yes, but cover these containers after the rain please! Just say "no" to West Nile, etc.
When I had a summer cottage, I would water all my plants, before leaving on Sunday evening. Then, for each of the planters, I would would fill up the 2L containers, and turn it over (quickly-so as not to loose the water) into the planter or right into the flower bed.
It then acts like a wick, taking only as much water as it needs, and collapsing the bottle in the process. When I got back on Friday after work, I could just survey which bottles were the most collapsed, and water them first. Never lost a plant.
Should have patened it,,because they are now selling a pretty glass variety of the same idea.
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