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Dripping water on neighbors below
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Posted by katwomn59 8b-Austin, TX (My Page) on Mon, Feb 28, 05 at 19:50
| Okay, this might seem like a silly question, but how do y'all keep from dripping water onto neighbors balcony/patio below you? I have just started gardening in containers and my balcony has a gap at the bottom of the railing/wall for water runoff. It was not much of a problem before, because I only had a window box and it didnt drain very quickly, plus I put the drip tray that came with it on the floor underneath and that caught most of the water.
But now I have branched out and have bigger pots and really fast draining potting mix (thanks to Al!). It doesnt take much before the water starts running out of the bottom and running across the balcony to drip down below. And thats just the 3 new pots I have. When it gets a bit warmer, I will likely have a lot more.
I have seen those different drip trays that are sold with the pots, but I have seen recommendations against using them because after you water, you have to pick up each pot and empty them when they finish draining. I dont want to have to do that (especially if I try to water in the morning before leaving for work), and I have a bay tree in a 15 gal pot and I can barely lift it. I have seen some trays that have ridges, presumably to keep the pots above water level but they dont look too sturdy and dont seem deep enough for all the water that is draining out of my pots.
I am planning to maybe get some plant stands and I thought maybe I could get some kind of big tray or something to put underneath, but have no idea where I would get something like that. Plus I dont know where I would find such a thing. And I wont be able to use that for my bay anyway.
So far, my neighbors have not complained but that doesnt mean that they wont if it keeps up. Plus I like to be considerate when I can.
Suggestions/advice anyone?
Thanks,
Lydia |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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- Posted by luxum 9/10 Tampa FL (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 1, 05 at 9:29
| I put down outdoor carpet (the kind with marine backing) and use saucers. The carpet catches most of the excess, but it doesn't mildew. I use clay pots and saucers, generally the pot can absorb any excess fairly easily, although this does cause a buildup of salts over time, so i occasionally take them to the shower and flush the pots. I move pots to the front edge of the balcony when i water and move them back after they drain. That way, the water doesn't drip all over the downstairs porch, only towards the front, which is where their porch gets wet when it rains anyway, and i try to water when it's raining if possible. (That's much easier to accomplish in the summer when it rains every day.) So what water does end up on their porch drips in a predictable way, and if they keep their porch furniture towards the back wall it won't get wet. I also try not to water during the times i know they are actively using their porch, like in the early evening after work. I would discuss if with them but there is a language barrier, so i just attempt to be as considerate as possible. I notice that their porch is beginning to fill up with pots too lol. For your bay tree, perhaps a plant stand with a drip tray under is the answer. |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| I work in a city gardening center and...I always recommend a bottle of wine and a explanatory note to my balcony customers! |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| I have my bigger pots in saucers, but propped up (inside the saucer) on pot feet or pop bottle caps, so they're generally above the level of water. Allegedly if you get a wick you can run it up through the hole and use the saucer a spare watering reservoir but I've never seen any of these "wicks". You do have to watch out for mosquito larvae. I try to dump them out toward the end of heavy rain storms (that way the neighbor doesn't notice any extra water.) |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| I wonder if you could manage to do someting similer to "rain gutters" - perhaps a piece of plastic all the way around the edge to keep the water from spillig over, ad then a short length of PVP pipe for the water to drain through, placing it so that the water drains away from the porch? I'm not exactly sure how well this would work, or exactly how you would accomplish this, but something to think about anyways... |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| I used outdoor silicone sealant to seal the gap between the floor and bottom railing, I use 4-5 gallons to water my orchids, the water that collects on the floor is gone by the evening. Now the down side, when it rains my balcony sometimes gets flooded, so i had to buy a shopvac :) |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| Thanks for the advice y'all! I went downstairs and introduced myself the other day. She was very nice (and has an incredibly cute little girl!). As soon as she opened the door I could see that dripping water was not gonna be a problem (at least for awhile!) since her couch was set across the patio door! So she hasnt even noticed the water dripping! Nevertheless, I think I will try getting some trays (at least for the smaller pots. I will have to see how much water accumulates, and how fast it evaporates cause I dont want to encourage mosquitoes! Marie in wa and FLAME747, if I were handy with tools and building things, I might try to rig something up, but I am not. Plus I think the management frowns on such things. BTW, neighbor did say she had tried to plant pansies on her patio and they didnt do very well. She asked me if she could ask me for advice when spring comes (LOL) I told her I was a beginner but that I had learned a whole lot from this forum but I told her I would help anyway I could. I am pretty sure I know what her problem is. I doubt she gets much sun on her patio. The first floor apartments are like basement apartments. It is almost completely below the level of the parking lot. The retaining wall is only about 6' away from the patio probably blocks most of the sun. My second floor balcony is just above the level of the parking lot. Maybe it would get an hour or so in early afternoon (if that much)when the sun is in the west but still pretty high in the sky. There is also another retaining wall and some trees across the parking lot that blocks the sun as it gets lower in the early evening. Does anybody have any suggestions for easy flowers/plants that would grow in such conditions? Lydia |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| Hello, I have a balcony that doesn't get much sun - only early morning and a tad right before sunset. My pansies did very well last spring. I picked off the dead ones each day and they lasted until I finally took them out mid June to plant my regular flowers. So, I wonder if it's possible that she just didn't get good pansies to start with? Also, for other plants, I'd try the Super Petunias. Those went crazy on my balcony last year. Also, Lobilia works well. Hope that helps! ~Deborah |
RE: Dripping water on neighbors below
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| Home Depot stores, etc., sell different types of inexpensive plastic covers for window wells (go for flat, not bubble-shaped). Let the lip of the tray jut out through the bottom of the railing/wall, and the water will fall out and away from your neighbor's balcony downstairs. That's assuming the edge of the balcony/patio downstairs is even with yours. I should buy a few of these for my upstairs neighbor, while I'm at it ... I have window boxes wintering indoors that have been sprouting baby coleus plants like crazy! My containers were only out for a month or so in the fall, after moving in, but she's got a vigorous abundance of 'em up there, and I'm guessing the seeds came down in her water runoff. I'm all for free plants, but this is ridiculous... |
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