"Gardening_Convert" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

How about some sort of arrangement like this? You could use very big bottles
with 2 small holes pricked in the base for watering. A trial to see how long
a bottle takes to empty out may be useful. Someone may be able to refill the
bottles occasionly whilst you are away.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joom...ed_bottles.jpg

I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

Already had some aubergines and they were yummy so ,so , so much nicer
than the shop bought ones

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.



You only have the one neighbour?


Mike


--
------------------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk

Mike wrote:

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.



You only have the one neighbour?


Mike


--
------------------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk

don't get on with the other one

On 26/7/06 07:03, in article
, "Gardening_Convert"
wrote:

I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

Already had some aubergines and they were yummy so ,so , so much nicer
than the shop bought ones

Have you checked your local paper to see if anyone provides a service that
would cover this? Can you ask your local park/library/church sexton etc. if
they know someone who could help? It strikes me it could be quite a nice
little business for a fairly able-bodied person. As to your neighbour,
presumably you're in a hose-pipe ban area, otherwise she could do it? The
only other thing I can think of is some form of irrigation system on a
timer. Your neighbour could then switch that off if it pours with rain
during your absence.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

"Gardening_Convert" wrote in message
ups.com...

Mike wrote:

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.



You only have the one neighbour?


Mike


don't get on with the other one


That's a crying shame, I have great neighbours all round and we all help
each other :-))

However, I have put my 'thinking cap' on and thought, 'What would we do
under the circumstances?' and going on the one neighbour theme, but with a
hurt neck, how to make it easy for her/him.
Obvious answer is a hose, but with the present restrictions possibly not on,
BUT, we have 8 water butts and it would be quite easy to fix hoses to the
taps for said neighbour to walk around with. Simply clip on the top of the
butt to hold hose up and saves bending down :-))

Watering cans already with water in, strategically placed. Not full to be
too heavy, but with milk cartons, full of water nearby to top up. A 4 litre
milk carton filled with water is not too heavy.

Put all pots together to make watering easy

With regards to the beds, well and truly douse them before you go, make sure
they are mulched and douse them again and make sure the hose reaches there
:-))

And if you are away for 3 months as we were recently, do it in the winter,
ie all of January, February and March and there is not too much to worry
about ;-)) because you will be enjoying someone else's gardening labours in
their Summer:-)))

Mike


--
------------------------------------------------
Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk

Gardening_Convert writes
I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

Already had some aubergines and they were yummy so ,so , so much nicer
than the shop bought ones

Are you away a week or a fortnight? Week might be survivable, fortnight
is a challenge.

Flower beds will have to take their chance. Give a really good watering
before you go, equivalent to at least an inch of rain.

Everything else - get it into the shade (possibly even into a cool
bathroom or cellar), and standing in trays. Water well in the days
leading up to the holiday, so that the soil is soaked through. Before
you go, water again, and leave 2-3 inches in the trays. Plants don't
like to be waterlogged, but they'll cope with it for a few days. With
luck, you'll have 2-3 days with the plants waterlogged, 2-3 days with
them happy, then only a day or two with them drying out before you come
back to rescue them.

It'd be better if you could set up a trickle system from a water butt
before you go, but you would need to test it well before leaving - too
slow, and you'll dry them all out, two fast, and you'll exhaust your
water supply in the first couple of days and still dry them out.

Use www.metcheck.co.uk to get some idea of the weather while you're
away, and the size of the problem you're facing.

Bearing in mind dying plants is a sign to burglars that the house is
unoccupied, you might be advised to pay someone to come in and water. If
you're not totally certain of reliability (one of the local teenagers,
say), offer a basic price plus a bonus if all the plants survive.
--
Kay

"Gardening_Convert" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

Already had some aubergines and they were yummy so ,so , so much nicer
than the shop bought ones


Have you considered the watering system offered by B&Q
7 mm tube with small controlled drippers and a connection to your water butt
for gravity feeding or Garden tap.
Total outlay less than £10.00.
Been using on my tomatoes for last 2 weeks with no problems.
will use for my hanging baskets when I go on Hols

"Gardening_Convert" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have several pots which peppers , chilli's , white dwarf aubergines ,
hanging toms etc

and also the flower beds etc

I don't have anyone who is able to water them while I'm away .
Neighbour has hurt her neck and can't physically do it
family are also away or too far away from my garden.

Can I have some suggestions on what to do so that they will stand a
chance of surviving while I'm away as I really don't want to loose them
as I have a good crop coming .

Already had some aubergines and they were yummy so ,so , so much nicer
than the shop bought ones


For the pots you can put them on capillary matting with the end of the
matting dipping into a large reservoir.

The flower beds will require some sort of automated watering system.


Stephen