As every year, with the onset of holidays and the holiday season, the dilemma returns - who will water our flowers when we go on vacation? One solution to this problem can be glassAqua Globes
What's this? These are decorativeflower irrigation ballsmade of blown glass. As their distributor assures - just fill the Aqua Globes with water and put it in a pot, and the plants will never be dry - the water lasts up to 2 weeks. A stylish glass ball is also a beautiful decoration.
It sounds great. This is the end of the age-old problem of vacationers and the dilemma - what to do with the plants during the trip! But how is it actually? I decided to check it out.Let's find out - convenient watering with Aqua Globes is true or a myth?To see how it works and what is the meaning of things, I suggest you first watch a short film promoting this product. Then we will verify how what is shown in the film relates to reality …
Aqua Globes irrigation ballsis a novelty in Poland and it is difficult to find any opinions about this product. But when we do a search on English-language sites, we'll find tons of feedback in forums and blogs.Opinions about Aqua Globesvary - from extremely positive, praising Aqua Globes to the heavens, to completely negative, written by disappointed users. However, when you read these opinions more carefully, it can be concluded that the success of using Aqua Globes simply depends on their proper use. If you do not make a few basic mistakes, they will be a great solution for you: -)Let's discuss it one by one.
Just fill the Aqua Globes with water and put it in a pot, and the plants will never be dry.
Well, yes, but not really… You really have to start by filling the ball with water. And here comes the first problem. Water must be poured into a narrow hole at the end of the neck, which then flows into the pot with the plant. It takes a bit of precision and… patience!
Refilling the ball may take several minutes. The water must be poured with a small stream so that it does not spill over the sides. If you pour a large stream of water from the tap, you will be wasting it unnecessarily and the ball will not fill faster.When filling, you must also remember that wet glass becomes slippery. Although it was not a problem for me, on one of the American blogs I found advice to hold the ball through a kitchen cloth while refilling. Then it will definitely not slip out of your hand.
After filling the ball, stick its neck into the ground in the pot.But not right away. And it is a pity that the advertisement does not warn you about it. Well, when hammering the ball into the ground, it is very likely that the clods of earth will clog the hole through which the water is to come out. Then not a single drop will flow out of the ball. However, there is a simple solution for this. Before we drive the ball in, you need to make a hole in the ground with a pencil, for example. Only put the ball neck into the tunnel prepared in such a way.
If we happen to clog the neck of the ball with lumps of earth, we can push it through with a thin wire or a stick. A straightened paper clip works well. Cleaning must be done in such a way that all lumps of soil are released to the outside. If they stay inside the ball, they will keep clogging the mouth of the neck.
The next thing to do is water the plant before putting the water ball in. The principle of theof the Aqua Globesirrigation balls is that when the soil dries, air gets into it. Air bubbles enter the ball through the neck stuck in the ground and push out the water droplets.When some water flows out, the wet soil clogs the spaces between the clods of earth and this stops any further water flow. Another portion of it will be released when the soil dries out a bit.
However, ifthe flower irrigation ballis put into completely dry soil, the water will come out very quickly. Therefore, if we want the Aqua Globes ball to protect our plant for a longer time (several days to two weeks), first water the plant and then put the water ball. Then the water from the ball will start to release only when the soil in the pot dries up. And this gives us a few extra days to spare for many houseplants. "
Aqua Globes - flower watering balls
As the soil dries, air entersAqua Globes , which in turn releases as much water from the ball as the plant needs. You can't pour too little or too much water this way.
That sounds great. But this is not always the case. The water needs of the plants are varied, and the Aqua Globes are all the same. The amount of water released from the ball also depends on the type of soil in the pot. In light, airy soils, air accumulates much more easily and more water is released from the ball. In very dense clay soil, not a drop may flow out of the ball. So for plants with average water requirements, growing in an average soil for potted flowers,flower watering ballsAqua Globes should work perfectly well. But if we have plants with very unusual water and soil requirements, we must take it into account when deciding to use Aqua Globes.
Of course, I am overly critical here. According to the ad, many people use Aqua Globes as a way to water their plants on a daily basis, rather than watering them themselves. As the author of one of the foreign blogs wrote (unfortunately I had to remove the link because the blog no longer exists), Aqua Globes helped him to properly ration the water for his plants.Previously he had lost his flowers because he had not watered them properly. Now, withAqua Globes , his plants are doing great: -)You just have to remember that the amount of water that can fit in the ball is limited. For small plants with low water requirements, the ball can actually last up to two weeks. But in large pots with large plants, sometimes it will be useful to put two balls each.
It is perfect for watering all plants - large and small, hanging and terrace ones, as well as for very demanding exotic plants.
There is unfortunately much exaggeration in this claim. WhileAqua Globes ballsare perfect for many potted plants in an apartment, their use on a terrace is doubtful. Especially if it is sunny. Remember that the balls are made of glass and they will heat up very much in the sun, along with the water inside. In addition, in hot weather, the water quickly evaporates from the pots.Many people on foreign forums wrote that balls on the terrace or in the garden were enough … for one day.
This, of course, does not disqualify the use of Aqua Globes for terrace plants. In hot weather, balcony flowers such as surfinas and geraniums sometimes need to be watered twice a day. If we are going away for a day or two, the water released from the balls will perfectly replace this watering. But the water supply for two weeks should not be counted.
There are also very happy owners of Aqua Globes using them on their balconies. Just like the author of one of the foreign blogs who left his herbs on the balcony for 5 days. Thanks to the use of Aqua Globes, after returning from a trip, the herbs looked perfect! As you can see, it all depends on our approach and the conditions in which we use the spheres.You also have to take into account that a glass ball filled with water weighs a little. If it is too shallow, the ball in the ground may come out, drop to the floor and smash. Therefore, the balls can be used for pots that are at least several centimeters deep.Then, after inserting the necks into the soil, they will remain stable.
I have already described all aspects of the use of Aqua Globes that may raise doubts.
To sum up - for experienced gardeners, I would not recommendAqua Globesas something that replaces traditional watering by all year. Given the somewhat time-consuming process of filling the ball with water, traditional watering seems simpler and more convenient. Although, as in the blog example above, there are also people using Aqua Globes for daily watering as a way to automatically regulate the amount of water supplied to plants. If you find it difficult to water properly, you cannot dose the water properly or you often forget to water your plants, Aqua Globes may be a godsend for you!
"On the other hand, I can write with conviction thatAqua Globesirrigation balls are irreplaceable for emergency use when we go on vacation.Even if the water accumulated in them is not enough for the entire duration of our trip or watering in this way will not be optimal for a given plant, any watering will be better than no watering at all. When you come back from vacation, your Aqua Globes plants will certainly look better than those left to fate without a supply of water. I just encourage you to try the balls for some time before leaving, see how they work and whether you do not need to put two balls into larger plants.Compared to the so far known devices such as automatic watering can, the Aqua Globes benefit is due to the simplicity of their use, no need to connect to electricity and a very favorable price. "
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