Getting ready to go on vacation seems to take an increasing amount of effort these days. There is so much to organize before you even leave the house, not least making sure all your beautiful container plants have access to water whilst your gone. I've spent hours bringing mine indoors, sitting them in the bathtub, or moving them into shady spots in an effort to keep them alive over the summer. But now I have found a much more effective solution: Terracotta watering spikes.
Watering spikes, also known as irrigation spikes, gradually release water towards the roots of your container plants, and take less than five minutes to set up. These cone-shaped devices, often crafted out of terracotta, work in a similar way to garden ollas (an ancient self-watering trick where a terracotta system is buried under the soil). The difference is when using an irrigation spike, the amount of water your plants are receiving is clearly visible at all times, as well as easy to top up.
