DIY Reservoir Gauges | Making water level indicators - Semi-Hydro & Self-Watering pot hack!
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- Hi everyone, it's Annabel, welcome back to my channel! Today we are making some DIY reservoir water level gauges, using straws, tubes, polystyrene and glue! Super quick 10 minute reservoir gauge hack from a non-DIYer! Hope the video is useful! It's not quite a lechuza pot, but this way any pot can have a reservoir level indicator, at a much cheaper price.
Links to the products I've used here or similar:
Plastic Test tubes: amzn.to/2WNFiIe (only for smaller pots for a prettier look, smoothie straws are more versatile I think)
Plastic inner straws such as: amzn.to/3bQ3ezc , any will do
Jumbo 10mm outer straw: amzn.to/2LM301t
Polystyrene leftover from packaging. If you have none then these are similar: amzn.to/2LNHA3P , but probably better to try and reuse if you have any lying around :-)
Pots:
Semi Hydro: Short 12cm white pots: amzn.to/2zif6N4
(More pots & self-watering combos further below )
Equipment:
Ikea Drill: bit.ly/3bRQqbB
Glue gun: amzn.to/3ea27vQ
Glue Sticks: amzn.to/2A1s2GU
Sharpie marker 12 box: amzn.to/3cQMKI9
Scissors
With some improvisation and adjustments, these can work for any pot you want to see a water level for!
Music 'Any Other Way', Particle House: www.epidemicsound.com/artists...
Hope you enjoy the video! Background Info + Further Links below!
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Instagram: / the.orchid.room
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❀ My Orchid Room ❀
UK Spare Bedroom
Temps- 18-35C
Humidity 50-75%.
Artificial lighting, supplemented with daylight
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✩ Plant Products I Use & Love ✩
Quick Disclaimer - These are products I genuinely love, buy and use- I wouldn't list something I didn't use regularly and purchase myself. I've provided links to try and make them easier to find, some of these are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products through the Amazon links below, I may get a small percentage towards future purchases, which helps me continue this passion! If you choose to not purchase through these links though, I totally understand! I would never recommend products I don’t genuinely love, and thank you for supporting me if you do! ♡
✩ More Pots ✩
13cm Buckets Amazon: amzn.to/2V92cci (£~20 for 35)
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Cheaper alternatives to Elho outers:
14cm white pot cover: bit.ly/2XBmGMo
16cm white pot cover: bit.ly/2VwLti0
18cm white pot cover: bit.ly/3cmwTRb
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DIY Self-watering pots:
15cm (White outer) made with IKEA Nejkon outer mask: bit.ly/2VuSu2S
and various 15cm clear internal orchid pots
Larger made using elho brussels outer pots: amzn.to/2QxPhwT (20cm)
with orchid focus inner pots: amzn.to/2ZAW0KX (21cm) Or larger.
My small self-watering sets:
11cm white self-watering set:
Outer pot: amzn.to/3cThbxl
Inner: 12cm orchid focus (fits with a 2cm lip above pot)
13cm white self-watering set:
Outer pot: amzn.to/3d3qwmg
Inner: 13cm orchid focus
Larger white outers from Artevasi
Wick- amzn.to/2WTfF9b or Microfiber strips
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❀ Inorganic Media ❀
RHS Alpine Horticultural grit or washed gravel- non wicking pebble top layer
LECA - Canna Aqua Brand: amzn.to/2Z5sPPy
or IKEA
Pumice : Medium grade ~10mm : amzn.to/3aTCIFn Or Kaizen bonsai, small or large grade: bit.ly/3aeYKRW
Synthic: UK supplier bit.ly/2RCb4oI
US: Glassbox Tropicals : bit.ly/2wHy2na
Seramis : amzn.to/2QdyP59 or bit.ly/2V90RSJ (cheaper)
Perlite
❃ Organic media ❃
Sphagnum moss by Besgrow
Orchiata bark
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💧Water & Nutrients🌱
ZeroWater Filter: amzn.to/2KaaYjP
Rain Mix:
UK: bit.ly/2yaTfX5
Akerne: bit.ly/2XEj3W3
Silicon: amzn.to/2K41IxJ
Seaweed: Maxicrop Original : amzn.to/2VbQ0rv
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💡 Lighting 💡
Lower Light Orchids
Cool white LAP '4000K' under cabinet lighting- Screwfix: bit.ly/2V5KBlv
IKEA Tertial Lamps: bit.ly/2Vs492t
Fitted with Amazon Basics 1500 lumen cool white LED bulbs: amzn.to/36RnRsG
High Light Orchids
GEMMA Lights
Mars Hydro TS600
MARS HYDRO TS600 Amazon Link: amzn.to/3bagRcS
❃ Shelving ❃
Wire shelving, Hartleys direct: bit.ly/2REpeWl
Metal shelving IKEA Mulig : bit.ly/3bkUjGc
Self watering pots with water level gauge: amzn.to/2S5o4UL
Lechuza mini deltini: amzn.to/2sKHuny
#SemiHydro #SelfWatering #ReservoirGauge #OrchidDIY
Just a thought, but you could could also make some sort of base or raft out of polystyrene or a light weight material, and glue the straws to that so they sit more upright. That's what the professional self-watering pots do, they have a plastic raft and then usually a polystyrene ball underneath that pushes the raft and the tube up, or the raft itself is sealed and buoyant. Obviously here they rest against the side of the tube. Not sure if that's a problem but just thought I'd put it out there, I'm sure there are loads of easy ways to improve these! 🙂
thank you for this wonderful idea. I have some very deep pots & could not find straws that were both tall & wide enough. Found 50cm x 16mm wide plexiglass aquarium tubes - going to give these a try.
Yes the straw sits against the edge what I fine is it won't come back down with out har tapping it and flicking it
Yes, the hole in the top has to let the air out so the water can get in, so the straw will move. Otherwise the water will be held back by the air pressure inside the tube. Great build and clear video thanks!
I like that there are people that blend aesthetics and functionality, keep up the great work!
Thanks! I hope it's useful, it can probably be tweaked and improved lots but just for some ideas 🙂
In Swahili we have a word for handyman / handy woman .. fundi ! 😃 this is fundi stuff! Great video 👍🏼👍🏼
Fundi! I love it 😀 FunDI Y 😂
The Orchid Room oh !! 😃😃 that’s a great version of the word! FunDI Y !! I like it! 👍🏼
Lechuza is shaking! 😂
🤣🤣🤣 Maybe not quite up to their standards, but maybe with some tweaks along the way we can get close 🤔😂 I love lechuza, but couldn't afford one for every orchid 🙂
These are so cute!
Brilliant idea💡
This is brilliant! Thank you! And it looks cute as well, good job 🤩😍
Thanks Annabel! That is so helpful!!
Thanks! I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Wow! Thanks for this very informative vid!!
I always wondered how semi hydro works. Thanks for the tips 👍
I love these!
omg this is genius
Love how the scientist comes out. I ❤️that you always keep the esthetics in mind when you do your videos
😂 Think I will always be a nerd 🤓 💗
Hi Annabel, that's a brilliant idea, so I have adapted it to suit my larger planters and it's working great. Thanks and appreciated!
Wow. This is amazing! Thank you for making this video. These look great!
Well that was very clever of you to come up with this. Very cool! 😎. Cheap and easy too!
It's an idea fully originated from staring at how the reservoir gauge pots I have bought worked, if they didnt want us to copy they should hide the mechanisms, not make you assemble the straws and rafts yourself, right? 😂
The Orchid Room 👌
Super easy, super useful super idea! Thank you❤️
Thanks! I hope it helps and works for other people, and gives people ideas on how to tweak or improve 🙂💗
Thank you so much. I love both of these methods. Will definitely be trying these with my orchids that I have in semi-hydro.
Oh my gosh I’m so glad I found this video! It’s brilliant!! Thank you so much for sharing 💕
There are some other videos floating around using a similar method but possibly using more long lasting materials I think, these lasted around a year before they seemed to get gummed up with debris/fertiliser build up, but as a cheap short term hack they're great. There are ways to make them more long term I think, but then again, some of the ones I bought as self-watering pots only lasted a year before the same seemed to happen 🤷♀️
Great DIY! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video....you are the best DIY gauge maker!
Thanks!! 😀 I am sure I'm not, but I'm really glad you think so! 🙂
Now that is very clever. Never thought of doing that but now I can. Thank you. Love this video and keep them coming. I have learned so much from you and able to try them out on my orchids. Have a real great day.
Thanks Kim, hope it is useful! I'm sure it needs some tweaks at some point but so far I'm super happy with them!
Thank you!
This is perfect, thank you!!!! 😍
Thanks, Annabel for this very clever and very useful DIY project. You are definitely a very handy person. I will try this out very soon!
Thanks! I hope it works and is useful 😀 I find mine invaluable for the laelias, I did not realise how fast they were drinking at all! It probably needs a few tweaks but it's an idea to build on, and seems to be working well so far!!
Thanks for the video! I was thinking of making some water gauges for exactly the same reason - having trouble watering on time when the seasons change. I'll be looking online for some of those test tubes and straws :)
Brilliant!🤩 thank you so much anabelle!😀❤️
Thanks and no problem! 😀 I hope it's useful!
Brilliant 😀
Great idea!
Glad you think so! :-)
Excellent video I’m going to try it
Love this idea. Thanks for sharing and I'm going to make this my next Orchid project. Wish me luck! 🤗
Thanks!! Glad you found it useful! Good luck, I think there are probably lots of ways you can improve it or tweak, but as a basic idea it seems to work well and I find it very helpful for my smaller pots thay dry faster 🙂 Also for the miltoniopsis that drink a full reservoir in a week at the moment 😅🤦♀️
The Orchid Room thank you! I just got my very first miltoniopis yesterday and she is beautiful! Hope I can keep her happy .
Great video, thanks a lot!
You are great thank you so much this video is very helpful to me I am begining to recreate my pots like you right now 🥰❤️🙏🏻👊🏻
Thank you so much for this!
Great job! Thank you!
Nice!
Hiya, OMG i love the concept!. So my straw is sticking to the test tube and not going down any tip please
This is genius! Just wish I could somehow do it with my violet pots. The easiest thing would probably be to mark the max water level on the inside of the pot, but I don't know with what. Any ideas? Tried sharpie but it didn't last
The V shape at the end of the smoothie straw is for the purpose of letting the liquid get in...
Great video! For the self watering set up, do you generally find an inner pot with a diameter slightly larger than the outer mask? Or do most of the clear pots have a lip so they sit snugly on top? Looks like you went through a lot of trial and error to find the right combinations! PS. The orchids you sent me are all doing well! :)
Thanks! And I'm really glad your orchids are getting on well, thanks for letting me know 😀 Oh you wouldnt believe how many different size and types of pots I have bought over the years trying to find self watering combos 😂 the taper of the pots matters too! The pots with the lips work best as they you have something nice and easy to pick up also. Some of the cheap outer pots I have are too tapered at the base, so inner pots wont go deep enough to sit snugly. But they're good for semi-hydro, and some other cheap lipped pots I bought from garden centres fit those too, because they're shallower. It's a real headache. And then you find ones that work together and are cheap and amazing, and the supplier stops doing one of them... 😂 Someone could make alot of money off me if they just made some cheap self watering combos with clear inner pots 😅
What did you fill the water reservoir with beside water? Soil, clay or stone pebbles?
can one use any string for wicking water?
Where do you buy the tube and the pots that have a reservoir
When watered and do you let 1 week without watered and how to fertilize with this system? Thanks Anabel to share your experience 🥰😘😆
Reservoir always kept topped up, that's the principle of traditional semi-hydro 🙂 I have a few watering and fertilising videos in a playlist if you are interested, or in a recent frequently asked questions video 🙃
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Thanks! 🙂
Have u tried not adding the polystyrene? And just glue the ends closed on the straw. I cant see the polystyrene making it float more since it doesn't touch the water at all. Unless its keeping the straw from collapsing on it self, but I dont think it is. Just curious
Yes I have, seems to make it float better- the ones with the polystyrene floated higher and more reliably. Could just be providing a better seal though rather than actually improving buoyancy in any way.
This might be a stupid question, but why do you need the poly at the bottom of the straw? If you're sealing the end of the straw with hot glue, it should work as a bob without it, no?
Seems to float better with than without, unsure why? Maybe it just forms a better seal than glue alone and is nothing to do with the actual material 🤷♀️
Hello! I tried putting this together today with a large smoothie straw and a smaller normal sized straw inside. I made several but none of them rose/fell with the water. Is there a trick? It’s almost as if the straws stuck to each other.
Hi there! No trick, mine work every time, have you tried floating your sealed inner straw on it's own to see if its an issue with the seal on your straw not creating buoyancy, or a combination of the 2 materials? You'll probably need to optimise and troubleshoot as you go. Any ridges at the base of your inner straw that could stick inder the outer straw? Outer straw fully to the bottom of the pot?
Hi did you find a solution sitting with the same issue
Hiya did you find a solution I have the same issue
I am not comfortable with the strength of the glue. Will the glue hold?
Yes, it holds well, it's not placed under any pressure, I'm not asking it to support anything heavy structurally, and is supported by media. Most of my self watering ones aren't even glued. If you aren't comfortable, you can use mitrebond, but that's going to be tough to get off. This is just my method I had a few requests for, you are welcome to take the idea and improve on it.
Does the hot glue hold up in water?
Yes
What are the dimensions of the plastic tubes?
can u just stick a spaghetti into the ball? or would that be too heavy?
glue from glue gun is not waterpoof and will come away over time, use waterpoof glue like bondtite
It may be cheaper to buy a water gauge, you can get them for £1-2
Brrrrrrr. What did U say ??