I have a fairly large balcony in Italy,
with table and chairs on it,
and my wife wants to put several large pot-plants there.
I'm wondering about the best way to keep them damp
during our absence?

The balcony is off the kitchen, so I could (possibly)
get an outdoor tap on the balcony,
and some sort of automatic watering system.
(We have a Hozelock automatic system in the small garden,
which works perfectly.)

But is there any other, simpler, solution?

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin

On Jan 28, 1:37*pm, Timothy Murphy wrote:
I have a fairly large balcony in Italy,
with table and chairs on it,
and my wife wants to put several large pot-plants there.
I'm wondering about the best way to keep them damp
during our absence?

The balcony is off the kitchen, so I could (possibly)
get an outdoor tap on the balcony,
and some sort of automatic watering system.
(We have a Hozelock automatic system in the small garden,
which works perfectly.)

But is there any other, simpler, solution?

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin


I am wondering if your balcony is strong enough to take the extra
weight of several large pot-plants
If they are in large pots then they could be heavy, best to keep them
close to the building to reduce the stress.
Uou don't say how long they will be left to fend for them selves, a
week or two is one thing but a couple of months or so is something
else.
Try to select plants that will do well without to much water, such as
Olives, Mimosa, Lavender and many more.
Hozelock automatic system sounds the best bet or a neighbour to water
as required.
David @ the wet end of Swansea Bay

Dave Hill wrote:

I am wondering if your balcony is strong enough to take the extra
weight of several large pot-plants

I would have thought that any balcony would have an adequate
factor of safety to be able to take the weight of as many people
as could sensibly stand on it. Plant pots would have to be pretty
large to be heavier than that.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

On 28/01/2012 14:59, Dave Hill wrote:
On Jan 28, 1:37 pm, Timothy wrote:
I have a fairly large balcony in Italy,
with table and chairs on it,
and my wife wants to put several large pot-plants there.
I'm wondering about the best way to keep them damp
during our absence?

The balcony is off the kitchen, so I could (possibly)
get an outdoor tap on the balcony,
and some sort of automatic watering system.
(We have a Hozelock automatic system in the small garden,
which works perfectly.)

But is there any other, simpler, solution?


I am wondering if your balcony is strong enough to take the extra
weight of several large pot-plants
If they are in large pots then they could be heavy, best to keep them
close to the building to reduce the stress.

Agreed. They may not look as good, but this is a place for plastic pots
to be used, not terracotta or other weighty material.

Hozelock automatic system sounds the best bet or a neighbour to water
as required.

As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

--

Jeff

Dave Hill wrote:

I have a fairly large balcony in Italy,
with table and chairs on it,
and my wife wants to put several large pot-plants there.
I'm wondering about the best way to keep them damp
during our absence?

The balcony is off the kitchen, so I could (possibly)
get an outdoor tap on the balcony,
and some sort of automatic watering system.
(We have a Hozelock automatic system in the small garden,
which works perfectly.)

But is there any other, simpler, solution?

I am wondering if your balcony is strong enough to take the extra
weight of several large pot-plants
If they are in large pots then they could be heavy, best to keep them
close to the building to reduce the stress.

Thanks very much for your response.
Actually, the balcony is over the ceiling of the floor below,
and I'm pretty sure there will be no problem with weight -
four of us sometimes eat out there.

Uou don't say how long they will be left to fend for them selves, a
week or two is one thing but a couple of months or so is something
else.

It could certainly be a couple of months.

Try to select plants that will do well without to much water, such as
Olives, Mimosa, Lavender and many more.

OK, thanks, I've noted those.

Hozelock automatic system sounds the best bet or a neighbour to water
as required.

Sadly, our friend the painter next door has moved away ...

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin

Jeff Layman wrote:

As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin

On Jan 29, 1:15*am, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:
As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin


You just mix it into the compost/soil.
And NO
It wont keep the soil moist for a couple of months, a few days yes but
no more.

On 29/01/2012 01:15, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:

As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

Gel crystals have their place, but as with all things it is a bit of a
tradeoff. You could, for example, use gel crystals alone without soil -
they are just soaked in a nutrient-containing solution (I suppose you
could call it "jelly hydroponics"!), and the plant grows in that. The
main problem with that is one of stability - it's not called a gel for
nothing! Then, of course, as the plant absorbs water the gel medium
shrinks, exacerbating the stability problem.

As for lasting 2 months, I doubt it with any non-succulent plant. But
it all depends on how big the plant is and what its water requirement is.

It may be best to consider a hybrid solution to your problem, using a
watering system and gel crystals in the soil. Why? The gel will act as
a backup if the watering system fails for any reason. Usually, it's
forgetting to put new batteries in the controller, but sometimes the
electronics fail or the valve gets stuck.

Depending on where you are in Italy, you might like to consider one or
two succulent plants (cacti, agaves, aloes, crassula, kalanchoe, etc)
for the balcony as a sort of backup if anything happens to the plants
which aren't drought-resistant.

--

Jeff

On 01/29/2012 10:00 AM, Dave Hill wrote:
On Jan 29, 1:15 am, Timothy Murphy wrote:
Jeff Layman wrote:
As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

[]
You just mix it into the compost/soil.
And NO
It wont keep the soil moist for a couple of months, a few days yes but
no more.

That's exactly right. This idea is, I'm sorry to say, a red herring.

I have a little experience with the balcony problem, my sense is that
other than a microdrip system the best you can do is about 3 weeks with
a large reservoir pot. It has a closed base with a membrane spaced
somewhat higher that prevents the roots from going into the reservoir
area. Still, not suitable for all plants obviously.

HTH

In article , says...

Jeff Layman wrote:

As far as watering is concerned, another option is to use gel crystals
in the compost at a somewhat higher proportion than is recommended if
you expect to be away for some time.

I was wondering if something along those lines was possible.
How exactly does one set it up?
Is it just mixed with the soil in pots?
Will it really keep soil damp for 2 hot months?

Unlikely in Italian heat.

I wouldn't leave the water stopcock to the apartment turned on and
running unattended for 2 months (to fed an automated system), especially
when there are neighbours beneath.

Even a small leak at a joint can do a lot of damage in 2 months.

Janet

"Timothy Murphy" wrote in message
...
I have a fairly large balcony in Italy,
with table and chairs on it,
and my wife wants to put several large pot-plants there.
I'm wondering about the best way to keep them damp
during our absence?

The balcony is off the kitchen, so I could (possibly)
get an outdoor tap on the balcony,
and some sort of automatic watering system.
(We have a Hozelock automatic system in the small garden,
which works perfectly.)

But is there any other, simpler, solution?


Possibly a microbore tube watering system fed off a water butt on the
balcony which is in turn fed from the guttering?
This could provide all year watering, and you would just have to top up the
water butt if there was not enough rain.
Possibly better than a system connected to the mains because there is a
limit to the amount of water you can feed to the plants whatever component
fails.

I assume you do not expect much rain whilst you are not there to tend to the
plants.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

David WE Roberts wrote:

Possibly a microbore tube watering system fed off a water butt on the
balcony which is in turn fed from the guttering?

Thanks for the suggestion.
Unfortunately, it seems to be more or less impossible to tap the gutters,
as there are no external downpipes on that side of the house.
It would be easy to fill a water-butt from the kitchen tap,
which is only a metre or so away from the balcony.

This could provide all year watering, and you would just have to top up
the water butt if there was not enough rain.

Possibly better than a system connected to the mains because there is a
limit to the amount of water you can feed to the plants whatever component
fails.

I've always assumed - and hoped -
that if the Hozelock watering system fails,
eg because the batteries run out, it will fail by stopping completely.
But it's never failed yet, so I can't be sure ...

I assume you do not expect much rain whilst you are not there to tend to
the plants.

Actually, there is quite a lot of rain in the summer;
it comes down in brief but very heavy storms.
I was surprised to find that the annual rainfall in this part of Tuscany
is actually higher than in Ireland, where it always seems to be raining,
but in the form of drizzle.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin