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.
Category: Apartment Gardening
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.
Sunday Roast
Tonight: wild salmon from Alaska on a cedar plank on the barbecue. Snap peas and new potatoes from the local farmers market. Parsley to go with the potatoes, ultra-local, from our balcony.
Happy Grass, Smart Watering
Relaxed day: walking, reading, troubleshooting, …. Here I’m troubleshooting a plant watering schedule on a Hubitat home automation hub. I finally set up schedules for a water pump that irrigates the long line of grasses on our balcony. Back in the day, a plug-in mechanical timer would’ve done the job.
Bringing a Prairie Home
It was Dwight’s fourth visit to Gertens this week, my first. Now we have 72 pots of native grasses, plus various herbs and tomato plants. We spent the afternoon putting the grasses in grow bags then placing the grow bags in long planters. When the grasses have recovered from the ordeal, I’ll make the big… Continue reading Bringing a Prairie Home
Prepping for Native Grasses
Today’s theme was irrigation. This morning, I tackled some watering issues with a couple planters on a community deck downstairs. This afternoon, I prepped our balcony for native grasses (in planters, of course) by setting up 48 drippers. One of my goals for this year is to focus on improving soil moisture sensing.
Husband’s Plant Husbandry
Early Sunday mornings, plants take priority in the shower. Here, Dwight is plucking dead bits and checking for pests. Dusty foliage receives a gentle shower from the spray head. There’s a link to his City Gardener blog in the Friends and Family section at the foot of this page.
Defeating Dreary
On Sunday mornings Dwight does indoor gardening: watering, pruning, cleaning, pest control, adjusting for light, and so on. A 180-degree rotation of this plant rack will ensure even light distribution. Outside, the weather may be dreary, but inside these plants bring warmth and a pop of color.