If you do not want to become a slave to your balcony in summer, you can take care of automatic flower box irrigation in good time. There are several ways to make watering less strenuous.
Flower box with water storage
The first option for automatic flower box irrigation is the flower box with a water tank, which provides space for a water supply under the ground. The water is sucked into the planted area through a strip of fabric. This flower box watering is ideal because it also avoids overwatering, which many plants don't like at all.
The irrigation is very even, you only need to replenish the water supply from time to time. With the irrigation system, your plants can usually also have a vacation
However, when you buy the flower box with a water storage tank, you have to make sure that there is a double bottom, a water level indicator and an overflow. Otherwise you have to guess when to top up with water, and your balcony plants would stand in a puddle with every heavy rain, which many plants cannot withstand.
The drip irrigation system
Another option for flower box irrigation is a drip irrigation system that is permanently attached to a tap. The plants can be supplied by a moisture sensor in the
Earth are precisely regulated. However, to use such a system you need special flower boxes, a control box on the There is a water tap and, above all, a water connection nearby, so this system is not suitable for many balconies suitable.Fully automatic flower box irrigation
The luxury variant is the fully automatic flower box irrigation, which z. B. is offered by the brand company Gardena. One set is sufficient for up to 5 to 6 meters of flower boxes and can also be used without a tap nearby. The system is computer-controlled and offers 13 fixed programs, it can be expanded and expanded up to 10 meters.
costs
- Flower boxes with water storage are already available for single-digit euro sums, but then only made of plastic. The variants, however, range up to the rattan-look planter, which has a plant insert with overflow and a sub-irrigation system and which is quite impressive and costs around 110 euros.
- Drip irrigation systems are available from less than 10 euros, with 3 regulators and 5 m hose. A comprehensive system with pressure reducer, 25 regulators, 32 m hose 6 mm and 24 m hose 2 mm diameter, 4 hose connectors, 4 hose distributors, 4 hose closures and assembly aid then costs around 110 euros, a water tank comes with each to.
- the fully automatic flower box irrigation is available as a starter set for around 100 euros, here is a transformer with a rotary knob for selecting the irrigation programs, a 14 Volt low-voltage pump, 25 row drippers with cap and cleaning needle, 10 meter distribution pipe and 15 pipe holders contain.
The editors' conclusion
Anyone who has enough to do without plant care will be relieved significantly by irrigation that works by itself. If you have decided to turn a huge terrace into a green vault, automatic irrigation can even be a prerequisite for the success of the project.
Tip:
- There are also many ideas for automatic flower box irrigation that you can do yourself. Such systems are usually not as efficient as the ones bought, but they can be used by your plants on hot days Keeping life even if watering is delayed and, in temperate climates, taking care of the plants at the weekend take over.
