How to Create an Automatic Plant Watering Device from a Hot Sauce Bottle

Last Updated: October 20, 2016

Although those glass-watering balls are nifty ways to keep your plants watered, you don’t have to resort to fancy devices to keep your plants happy. In the event you need to leave town quickly, you can transform a regular hot sauce bottle into an automatic watering device.

Steps

1
Identify plants that must be watered/cared for while you are away. Also, you will need to consider the plant size as you may need to use multiple watering devices per potted plant or planted area.
- Add up the number of potted plants versus in-ground plants that will need attention. If you need a self-watering device for in-ground plants, you may want to consider using a plastic instead of glass bottle for safety reasons.
2
Empty and clean out a hot sauce bottle. It’s very important to clean the hot sauce bottle thoroughly as you don’t want any spicy juice to get into the soil.
- Pop off the top (the top that allows the hot sauce to slowly leak from the bottle) and fill the bottle with hot soapy water. Rinse and allow to dry.
- Consider removing the bottle label so it doesn’t soak into the soil while the hot sauce bottle is doing its job.
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3
Fill the bottle with water. If you want to feed your plants while they are being watered, add a small amount of plant food to the bottle first, then add the water. Replace the pop top lid and shake.
4
Identify an area near the plant to place the bottle. The bottle should be placed near enough to the plant so the water can seep down to the roots, but not so close so that it damages the plant.
5
Turn the bottle upside down, while plugging the opening with your finger. Plunge the bottle into the soil, while at the same time removing your finger.
6
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

How long does the water last before the bottle becomes empty?

Community Answer

There is no set time period, it will depend on many variables. The type of plant, ambient air temperature and humidity, and location in relation to the sun will all affect the amount of water your plant uses.
Question

Will the water finish if I water a pot of three plants in one month?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

With three plants in a pot, the water will be drawn out faster than with a single plant in a pot. It will not last for a full month. It may work for succulents, but not regular foliage plants. Also see the answer on "How long does the water last?"
Question

Which plant did you use in the instructions?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

The plant looks like a variety of strawberry, which can easily be grown in a pot.