Category: City Gardening

Checking on an economical plant watering system for a neighbor

Checked on a neighbor’s plant watering system. I set it up for them in December, and it’s been working perfectly for six weeks. The controller (with a built-in pump), tubing, and drippers cost around $35. The only drawback is the controller’s battery, which needs recharging about once a month. An $8 smart plug allows them to remotely initiate charging from Arizona.

Snowbird prep: keeping houseplants happy

The outside temperature this morning was -18°F, meaning another day indoors. Made use of the exercise room and daydreamed about our upcoming six-week trip to a warmer climate. Our large deionized water tank won’t be enough, so I connected a second tank–usually reserved for outdoor plants on the balcony–to our system. A pump transfers water from the smaller tank to the larger one.

Saving a classroom plant

Over tonkotsu ramen, Dwight and I compared notes about our day–he in the greenhouse, me in the classroom. I showed him photos of a sad-looking plant in the classroom. He suspected overwatering and advised deionized water would be better than tap. He also suggested the plant needed to climb and might benefit from fertilizer after its dormant period. I’d previously used Google Lens on the plant, and it had led to similar advice.

Sunday Morning Ritual

As the sun was rising, the temperature outside was -1°F. On Sunday mornings, Dwight dons earbuds to listen to the BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time while tending to his plants. Here, two rolling racks and a wheeled pallet look pretty good. The plants had better look good; otherwise, if pest management fails or they’re unhappy with the light levels, they’re out. Gardening can be a ruthless activity.

Where We Were at Sunset

Straddling today’s 4:32 pm sunset, in a former industrial building: Plantulary. A “word-list-dance-song-architecture made from observations, conversations, and relationships with each other and the plants that continue to teach us about what it means to be in relationship with the cycles of time, the processes of living and dying, and with this place that sustains us.”

The Irrigation Whisperer

I’ve been helping a neighbor set up an automated watering system to keep their plants alive while they’re away for three months. The control unit’s integrated rechargeable battery won’t last that long. Instead of continuous charging, I opted for this $8 smart plug, which arrived from Amazon today, to occasionally turn on to top up the battery.

Plant Gathering Place

Dwight has been wheeling plants to one end of our home for easy access to the watering system while we travel. Here, he’s created a room: on the left, the green wall has filled out well; to the right, plants mainly grown from cuttings, are thriving in maximum natural light. My role has been to…… Continue reading Plant Gathering Place

Plant Parenthood

Dwight spent a good part of the day tending to houseplants. He prefers to water manually, but that is not an option when we travel. Some tasks fell on me, including creating a new watering zone for these plants, most of which have been nurtured from cuttings. The system has several power supplies, and one…… Continue reading Plant Parenthood

Sixty Shades of Green

We’re saving this lone ripe tomato from our balcony plant for a ceremonial tasting at dinner. About sixty others are still green. We did this mostly for fun; we also have herbs in pots, which are far more practical all summer.