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#1
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
When you've got lots of closely planted thriving plants with thick
foliage and flowers, it can be pretty slow, hard and careful work bending and gently pushing through the "jungle canopy" to see the small patch of soil around the base of the plant where you actually need to direct the stream of water from your watering can - rather than wasting it on the leaves, which can't absorb it anyway. Even when the water reaches the soil, you wonder how much is going to evaporate, and whether it's reaching the root system of your particular plant. What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen |
#2
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
wrote in message oups.com... When you've got lots of closely planted thriving plants with thick foliage and flowers, it can be pretty slow, hard and careful work bending and gently pushing through the "jungle canopy" to see the small patch of soil around the base of the plant where you actually need to direct the stream of water from your watering can - rather than wasting it on the leaves, which can't absorb it anyway. Even when the water reaches the soil, you wonder how much is going to evaporate, and whether it's reaching the root system of your particular plant. What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen You can get backpack type sprays for weedkiller etc. Maybe you could use one of those? Try farm suppliers .......... Jenny |
#3
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
JennyC wrote: wrote in message [...] What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen You can get backpack type sprays for weedkiller etc. Maybe you could use one of those? Try farm suppliers .......... Jenny It would take a long time to water a plant thoroughly at the delivery rate of a pesticide sprayer, and all that putting down and refilling and pumping up and slinging onto the shoulders again would give my back a lot more grief than repeated use of a watering can. And presumably the few plants which actually _need_ watering in most areas are shallow-rooted, so at sufficient pressure to do it reasonably quickly, I imagine it'd do a lot of damage. If you want to shoot water into one spot (maybe not a good idea, but it's not my garden), what's wrong with just taking the rose off the can and taking more or less careful aim? Or am I, as regrettably often, missing the point? -- Mike. |
#4
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
Mike Lyle wrote: If you want to shoot water into one spot (maybe not a good idea, but it's not my garden), what's wrong with just taking the rose off the can and taking more or less careful aim? Yes, that's what I'm doing at the moment, but it's unsatisfactory. It's very difficult to control the flow - you end up sloshing it around, especially if you're having to extend your arm, and so you waste a lot of water. Ken |
#5
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
wrote in message oups.com... When you've got lots of closely planted thriving plants with thick foliage and flowers, it can be pretty slow, hard and careful work bending and gently pushing through the "jungle canopy" to see the small patch of soil around the base of the plant where you actually need to direct the stream of water from your watering can - rather than wasting it on the leaves, which can't absorb it anyway. Even when the water reaches the soil, you wonder how much is going to evaporate, and whether it's reaching the root system of your particular plant. What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen ~~~~~~~~~~ The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. This is a natural secondary function of leaves and is most obvious during rain. Accordingly watering on the leaves seems quite the best solution. Best Wishes Brian. |
#6
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
"Brian" --- 'flayb' to respond wrote in message ... wrote in message oups.com... When you've got lots of closely planted thriving plants with thick foliage and flowers, it can be pretty slow, hard and careful work bending and gently pushing through the "jungle canopy" to see the small patch of soil around the base of the plant where you actually need to direct the stream of water from your watering can - rather than wasting it on the leaves, which can't absorb it anyway. Even when the water reaches the soil, you wonder how much is going to evaporate, and whether it's reaching the root system of your particular plant. What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen ~~~~~~~~~~ The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. This is a natural secondary function of leaves and is most obvious during rain. Accordingly watering on the leaves seems quite the best solution. What he said. Plus, when the soil is covered by the foliage it keeps cooler and moister for far longer. Steve |
#7
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
Brian wrote: The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. That's an interesting proposition but I'm not convinced. Can you give some examples to support your argument, Brian? Ken |
#8
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
wrote in message oups.com... Brian wrote: The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. That's an interesting proposition but I'm not convinced. Can you give some examples to support your argument, Brian? Ken It's a fact not a proposition and I am certain Brian will explain |
#9
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
Brian wrote:
The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. Even if this were true, the total quantity of water which reaches the place where it is most needed is surely reduced by foliage. So in dry weather, or when the amount of water available is otherwise limited, there may still be good reason to deliver water directly to where it is most needed in the soil, rather than delivering it as run-off from the foliage. Ken |
#11
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
wrote in message ups.com... Brian wrote: The foliage of all plants directs water flow to where it is most needed. Even if this were true, the total quantity of water which reaches the place where it is most needed is surely reduced by foliage. So in dry weather, or when the amount of water available is otherwise limited, there may still be good reason to deliver water directly to where it is most needed in the soil, rather than delivering it as run-off from the foliage. Ken] ~~~~~~~~ The foliage cannot reduce the water reaching the soil. The leaves direct the water to the root hairs. It migt be easier to think that the new roots ,with their hairs, grow towards the readily available water~~ which is where the leaves have deposited it. Directly under a tree can be totally dry but the rain actually falls/drains to where the roots have their absorption zone. Because it is dry under the tree does not mean that less is reaching the tree. Just that all the rain is being directed to where needed. Best Wishes Brian. |
#12
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
Brian wrote: The foliage cannot reduce the water reaching the soil. I question that. If you water the plant from above, some of the water is going to stay on the leaves and then evaporate, rather than dripping onto the ground. Ken |
#13
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
wrote in message ups.com... Brian wrote: The foliage cannot reduce the water reaching the soil. I question that. If you water the plant from above, some of the water is going to stay on the leaves and then evaporate, rather than dripping onto the ground. Ken Not wishing to get too academic about this but if the leaves are wet then the rate of transpiration will slow and the amount of water needed at the roots is reduced, hence the technique of misting plant leaves. Given a finite amount of water then putting it at root level may be best but how do you know where is the best spot? Do you water the root crown or the root perimeter? The best example I can think of where a plant directs water exactly where needed is Gunnera. Every drop of water is funnelled off the waterproof leaves directly down the stalk and bang on the root crown. |
#14
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
you can get various devices fro carrying water in a back Pac to drink - try
any outdoor or cycling site - but they only seem to go up to 3 litres. -- Hayley (gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset) |
#15
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Heavy watering cans are inefficient and bad for your back
Ken,
Just a thought & a few questions, Why use a heavy watering can surely your using a light one? Ohh you mean when you fill it with water Make sure its a good brand, (I recomend Hawes) or at least well balanced. Minimum weight then, if you can't deal with it, infvest in a drip feed watering system or some porus hosing that will distribute the water to the roots. However we look forward to seeing your invention at an affordable price, in garden centres soon! Oh & if you've got a bad back & are anywhere near North London, I can recommend an excellent physio. J wrote: When you've got lots of closely planted thriving plants with thick foliage and flowers, it can be pretty slow, hard and careful work bending and gently pushing through the "jungle canopy" to see the small patch of soil around the base of the plant where you actually need to direct the stream of water from your watering can - rather than wasting it on the leaves, which can't absorb it anyway. Even when the water reaches the soil, you wonder how much is going to evaporate, and whether it's reaching the root system of your particular plant. What's needed is a portable reservoir (preferably carried on the back) connected to a long rigid tube attachment tipped with a pointed metal nozzle. You would simply penetrate the soil around the plant with the tip and squeeze a spray trigger to inject a standard amount of water directly into the soil. The tube would push through the foliage and you could do a lot of plants quickly without having to bend down all the time to see what you were doing. It sounds so obvious but I haven't seen anything like this. Does anyone know if a gadget like this is available? Ken Cohen -- My Blog at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/sw33tf00l/ |
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