- Working from home: how to organise your day
- Information on coronavirus
- Salary and housing costs
- The smartest irrigation systems
- Residence for Seniors or a Nursing Home? Tips
- Vacation! Who takes care of your apartment?
- Which municipality in the canton Aargau suits me?
- Keep your vacation home secure against burglary
- This is how I secure my house during winter times
- Living in the french-speaking part of Switzerland
- Tips on Living with Pets
- In Switzerland, community aid is booming
- Differences in Housing
- What to do if you lose your key(s)
- Housing search for seniors: Over 65 difficult
- Heating: what temperature should each room be?
The smartest irrigation systems
Summer, sun and holidays in sight: We reveal which irrigation systems are particularly smart and how to "harden" plants for the warm season.
There are irrigation systems that are quite clever, because they for example work with PET bottles as a water tank, are water-saving thanks to drip irrigation or are convincing due to kink-resistant hoses, drip-tight structures and well thought-out hose drums.
Clever irrigation systems for in- and outdoors: Takagi
Hit-and-run irrigation systems? An answer for those who water themselves is called "Takagi." This system takes up little space, can be used on a mobile basis, has a guaranteed drip-proof structure and can be combined with all common irrigation systems. It is suitable for balconies, terraces, small gardens, and - thanks to an indoor faucet adapter - for irrigating house plants. The 10 m long hose is kink-resistant and disappears together with the shower head rolled up in the hose reel. The water jet of the included compact sprayer can be infinitely adjusted, allows even the finest mist and prevents substrate flooding. In addition, you also can clean surfaces with it. Further advantages of Takagi are the low weight of the hose and shower head, smooth running of the hose reel as well as the fact that the seals are made of natural rubber and thus durable.
Easy to install irrigation systems for indoor and outdoor: Aquasolo
What has been a bestseller in France for some years has also reached Switzerland: Aquasolo. Using this simple irrigation system, balcony, patio and house plants can be irrigated during lack of time or short vacation absence with a commercial PET bottle as a water reservoir. For this, the porous Aquasolo ceramic cone is screwed onto the plastic bottle filled with water and inserted with the cone down into the soil. In addition, the bottom of the water bottle is provided with an air hole. Aquasolo offers different threads for using plastic bottles from 0.5 to 5 liters. And to meet the different water needs of the plants, there are cone designs with differing water output per unit of time. Tip: For 5-liter bottles, it is recommended to fix them. Otherwise there is a risk they will tip over.
Water-saving irrigation systems for outdoor plants: Drip-Blumat
There are also water saving irrigation systems: e.g. the smart drip Blumat for outdoor plants, with the help of which plants provide themselves with water. The system: The plant is watered dropwise via a thin tube whenever the soil starts to dry. As soon as the humidity is sufficient, irrigation stops. Inasmuch as water requirements of plants are different, the individual drip Blumat must be adjusted to the individual needs of the plant. Each plant needs at least one Drip Blumat, and finally, all Drip Blumats are connected to a common supply tube. In addition, the system requires water pressure. Together with a pressure reducing valve, domestic water supply is the most practical solution. However, the prerequisite is that the tap is always available. Therefore, many users resort to a container (e.g., canister, rain barrel, etc.) placed in an elevated position. To set the individual drip flower rate correctly, you should install it a few weeks BEFORE the beginning of the holiday and try it out. Attention: Drip-Blumats are only suitable for outdoors. For indoor plants there's Blumat.
Support irrigation systems and save water: tips and tricks
No matter which irrigation system you choose, it is a good idea to harden your plants and make them more self-sufficient. Reduce the watering to the essentials. This drives the plants to form densely branched roots that reach far into the ground and thus also use water from deeper soil layers. Most plants are more likely to die from overwatering than underwatering anyway. Last but not least: Pluck withered leaves and wilted flowers regularly. This minimizes germs and reduces the risk of fungal infection.