Automatic watering of window-boxes

[Timothy Murphy]

Is there any simple system for automatically watering window-boxes? We have some in windows which are hard to open.

[The discussion on feeding cats automatically made me think of this!]

[The Natural Philosopher]

well a header tank with a floater valve connected to a perforated hose would do it, I would think.

You could also top the tank up with rainwater..i.,e. have a second feed that actually fills to an overflow coming off the guttering. And make the float valve only keep it full to a small bit. That way every time it rains it fill RIGHT up, but only when it goes below way 1/4 will the mains feed cut in.

[Jim]

You can buy them in garden centres. I made one from thin colourless tubing and a fish tank pump! The pump sits in a bucket in a cupboard and I just fill that up then plug the pump in. Very effective. It's not fully automatic as in sensing when the plnts want a drink!

[The Medway Handyman]

[Roly]

I know somebody who solved exactly that sort of problem. They were a jeweler and kept valuable stock at home, the insurers insisted that the windows had to have bars, therefore opening them was tedious.

The window boxes had lengths of plastic tube ( maybe 4 mm or so diam ) and it passed through a hole in the window frame. At the window box side, the tube had a series of perforations and the end was folded over and taped to block it.

On the inside, the tube fitted over a two inch length of brass tube ( from model shop ), which was araldited into a cap from a 2 litre drinks bottle. The bottle had a half inch hole in the other end ( base ). That bottle was supended cap-down, hidden behind the curtains.

When plants needed watering, the bottle was filled by using a small funnel. The water took about ten minutes to empty into the window box. The window boxes needed to have three of four bottlefulls per day in the summer.

Alternatively, if they can be reached from below, you may be able to devise some system using a long rigid tube with the end curved over, so that water can be pumped in at one and and you can reach up and feed the water into a high window box.