The Best Way To Use Glass Watering Balls

Whatever you want to call them—glass watering balls, watering spikes, aqua balls, or whatever else you want to call them—they sound like the ideal solution for the hectic lifestyles of plant enthusiasts who also lead active lives. 

Recently, watering balls have been enjoying a surge in popularity, but what exactly are they meant to accomplish for the plants in your care? These great spheres are designed to keep the soil in your indoor potted plants moist for up to two weeks at a time, and they can be made of glass, plastic, or even metal. Their purpose is to protect the soil from drying out. They accomplish this by providing controlled watering in a manner that does not require any action on your part.

Using the do-it-yourself method, some people have even constructed copies of recycled containers, such as old wine or plastic water bottles.

Persons who frequently forget to water their plants and often travel for work or pleasure may find these self-watering systems highly advantageous. These people may also find these systems beneficial if they frequently forget to water their plants. To what degree, on the other hand, do they live up to their claims?

How Do Glass Watering Balls Work?

In most cases, watering balls are utilized to provide moisture to plants. For them to work, the sphere must be filled with water to a level approximately three-quarters of the way complete before you can use them. After inserting the globe into the ground, you will notice that water will begin seeping out of the long, thin neck and into the soil around the plant. That is a sign that the plant is receiving adequate moisture. That will ensure that there is a sufficient amount of moisture in the ground at all times. As the water gently drains out of the globe, a tenuous vacuum is generated within it, which prevents an excessive volume of water from evaporating all at once. That is because the vacuum is created as the water slowly drains out. Air may once again be able to enter the globe as the moisture content of the earth declines. That, in turn, will cause more water to be discharged into the sky. That guarantees that the ground will continue to receive the same amount of water over the duration of time that it has been receiving it.

How Long Do Watering Balls Last?

The longevity of a watering globe ranges anywhere from one to two weeks, depending on the size of the world itself and the size of the plants you have in their pots. Some sources state that the lifespan of watering balls can be anywhere from one to two weeks. There is a wide variety of sizes available for watering balls; smaller balls are supposed to be used with smaller plants, whereas more enormous balls are made to be used with larger plants. 

Some even come in fun shapes, such as the mushroom variety, which is just one example. On the other side, you could conclude that smaller balls run out of liquid faster than larger ones. During the night, it became clear that the tiny globe I had been cultivating in my spider plant included an empty area. Even after following the instructions provided by customer care and giving the soil an extensive soaking, and pushing it down, the globe would always be barren of any contents the following day.

How To Use Watering Balls

The following describes the actions that need to be taken to assemble and use a watering globe. Because the vast majority of balls are made out of blown glass, you need to handle them with extreme attention because they are fragile and can shatter. Because of this, balls are the most common type of globe. Because of the delicate nature of the balls, it is not recommended to use watering balls for plants that are maintained outside, this is because the balls can easily break.

Step 1: Prepare Your Balls.

After being removed from its box, a recently purchased aqua globe will need to have specific alterations made to it to function correctly. I thoroughly drenched the globe with water to remove any dust or grime that might have been stuck inside it. After you have flipped the globe over so that the stem is facing the opposite direction, use water from the bathroom sink, the kitchen sink, or any other sink in your home to wash it thoroughly. After the water has been added to the container to nearly half its capacity, please give it a few vigorous stirs and discard the remaining water.

Step 2: Fill Your Balls

After you have completed this procedure, the next step is to pour water into your globe. Your plant will eventually consume this water. I resorted to using water you had already filtered to carry out this treatment. Because the opening to the globe is so narrow, I used a water pitcher with a spout to pour the water into it so that the process would be easier to manage. If all goes according to plan, the globe should be complete when it is just under three-quarters full (halfway up the stem, but not exclusive).

Step 3: Place Your Ball Into The Dirt Around You.

It is essential to give your plant a complete drenching before you move on to the next step of placing the globe. That will prevent the water from evaporating at a pace that is faster than would usually be expected.

After you had finished the stage before this one, which required you to pour water into your globe, the next step needed to require you to carefully position the globe in the soil. However, when you have planted it in the ground, you cannot just press it further into the earth. Because you don't want shards of glass in the soil where your plant is growing, you don't want the pressure to cause the bulb to fracture or break. That is the worst thing that could happen.

• To correctly insert the globe into the soil, you first need to drill a small hole in the area. To accomplish this, you can use a thin stick (like a pencil or thin dowel rod), which you can then use to poke the bar into the earth. Another option is using a thick stick (like a dowel rod).
• After that, you need to work as quickly as possible to flip the globe around and place it into the opening.
• If the globe does not descend into the earth, remove it and enlarge the hole to accommodate it.

Repeat this process until you can insert the globe into the soil without too much difficulty. At that point, it will be able to support itself, and you may move on to the next phase.

After placing the globe in its proper location, I provided the soil with additional compression around it so that an excessive quantity of water would not evaporate. At first, only a trace quantity of water will escape, but after some time, the vacuum will begin to take effect, dramatically reducing the amount of water lost. Now, if the soil in your globe dries out, your globe should continue to offer a moderate amount of water consistently.

Step 4: Monitor Your Plant

Even once the watering globe has been installed, you will still need to maintain a constant eye on the plant as well as the globe itself to ensure that neither of them endures any changes that aren't desirable. Because the globe will run out of water at some point in the future, it will need to have its water supply replenished to continue serving its purpose.

In addition, you will need to clean the globe frequently, mainly if you observe any floating debris or algae inside the globe, specifically if you keep any debris or algae inside the globe. It's possible, for instance, that the globe's neck is blocked up by dirt, which would make it impossible to rotate. If this occurs, you can remove the substance by using a cotton bud or a pipe cleaner with a narrow end, and then you can wash it away.

If your globe takes on the look of being cloudy, it is time to give it a thorough cleaning. After cleaning it with dishwashing liquid, a mixture of baking soda and warm water, or a combination of baking soda and lemon juice, let it dry completely before using it again. When it has had some time to air out and dry thoroughly, the globe will again be available.

My Honest Review

I made up my mind to find out whether or not the watering balls lived up to the claims you made about them, so I purchased some of Blazin' Bison's Indoor Plant Watering balls and used them on some of my houseplants. I was able to confirm that they did, in fact, work. They had a variety of styles and dimensions available, so after considering my options, I chose to get a simple four-piece set from them. These glass balls are hand-blown, which gives each one a distinct and beautiful tint; furthermore, they are pretty attractive. Simply by being there, they significantly contributed to the overall attractiveness of the aesthetically pleasing appearance of my potted plant. The information you provided about the product stated that it would keep the moisture content in a plant's soil at a consistent level for around two weeks.

Pros

• User-friendly in every sense of the word
• Funny in a kooky way
• Offering the best standard of support possible to one's clientele

Cons

• In a concise period, you lost an excessive volume of water to evaporation (overnight)
• They didn't last more than a day; that much is certain. They died off quickly.
• If the treatment is not carried out accurately, there is a possibility that it will cause injury.
• It isn't easy to fit anything in such spaces.
• They are tough to keep in a clean condition at any time.

The watering globe's operation is not unduly sophisticated and may be done relatively quickly. Because glass is fragile, handling it in the same way that one would take any other object made of glass calls for extra caution because of the fragility of the material. Because the opening is small, the easiest way to add water without wasting a significant amount of it is to do it using a cup with a spout for pouring, which is also the option that creates the least amount of mess. I had to pour the water over the sink since I could not keep a steady hand, which is another beneficial quality. Because of this, I could keep none of it from spilling.

I started the process of getting the globe ready by first giving it a good cleaning with some water. I decided to give the globe a quick wash to get rid of any dirt or debris that might have been on or inside of it. Even though it was brand new and had never been removed from its box before, I gave it a fast wash. After that, I used the Brita pitcher to fill the container with filtered water until it was around three-quarters full. I decided to use water that has been filtered rather than tap water since tap water can have minerals and metals that are detrimental to the growth of plants. You utilized one-half cup of water to fill the globe to its designated capacity. Before I continued mounting the globe, I checked to ensure that my plant had the appropriate amount of water. After that, I made a hole in the ground with a pencil and tilted the globe ever-so-slightly before placing it in the dirt. As I carefully placed the globe on the ground and waited, I made every effort to avoid disturbing the soil.

The durability of my balls did not live up to the manufacturer's standards. After being allowed to drain away, the water had evaporated entirely by the following day. Even after following the instructions in the handbook that came with the gadget very carefully and doing everything exactly as it said, there was still no improvement. It's possible that I utilized the little balls that harmed my overall experience, but I didn't find them to be all that helpful even though I used them. In addition, I called customer support, who responded to my inquiry promptly and were of great assistance. They advised that I pack the dirt down more securely so the vacuum could perform as it should. However, this did not affect the globe's ability to hold any water; by the time morning came around the next day, you had removed all the water from it.

Due to my past negative experiences with them, I would never recommend water balls to a gardening companion or anyone else who takes their green thumb very seriously. The balls have a pleasant aesthetic appearance and are a lovely addition to my potted plant. Still, sadly, their functionality is not as practical as it is promised to be in the product description. That isn't very pleasant because the balls have an attractive visual aspect. They drained away far too quickly, which caused my spider plant to drown in its water and eventually die.

When I checked the humidity with a moisture meter, I discovered that the value would rise higher each time the globe was emptied, even though the water still flowed away. That was even though the water continued to drain away. Because I didn't believe that my plant responded very well to using the balls, I decided to quit using them before they caused my plant to suffer from the extra amount of watering that they caused. These balls could result in significant issues associated with overwatering, such as causing harm to the plant's roots, which could be a potentially disastrous outcome. [Here's a good example:] (root rot).

Even though it is marketed to appeal to a specific population, in my experience, this device is not ideal for use when traveling. Even though it is sold to cater to that audience, that is the case. The water globe I used was entirely dry when I got up the following morning because I had used it the night before. If someone were to leave for a few days, it might not be a big worry; however, if they were to go for a week or longer, it probably wouldn't be in the plant's best interest to be watered on a regular basis. If someone were to leave for a few days, it might not be a big worry; however, if someone were to go for a week or longer, it probably wouldn't

When I contacted customer support through email, they suggested that I press down on the soil and pack it as tightly as possible so that the globe would activate the suction and limit the rate at which the water flowed out. The fact that this did not improve the problem in any way is demonstrated by the fact that the planet's water supply continued to be depleted at an alarming rate. Even though I had done a considerable study on the products in issue and read several reviews on Amazon in which the products were lauded, I could not use them.

It may be because of the soil that I used; the performance of watering balls might vary significantly depending on the ground. These balls will be helpful for a wide variety of plants, especially those that do well in soil that is kept damp. If you are considering utilizing watering balls, you should first determine for yourself whether or not they are successful in meeting their intended purpose. If this is not the case, it is usually better to have a consistent watering routine throughout the week, and this will ensure that the plants receive the proper amount of moisture.

What To Do Instead – Diy Watering Ball

It would appear that a watering bulb could be helpful to a significant number of different people. The positive comments and ratings you can discover on the internet concerning this neat little watering spike offer it an upbeat and optimistic air. It is also possible that the planter and soil my spider plant was growing in were not in ideal condition for use with these particular self-watering balls due to their age or general condition. That is something that I will investigate more. In addition, I believe that plant watering balls are not an appropriate choice for particular types of plants, such as succulents, which need the rocky or soilless potting mix to thrive. The water flow may be too fast for this watering system; hence, I do not propose using plant watering balls for the types of plants you have. However, some houseplants, such as figs and pothos, and any other kind of plant that prefers its soil to be a little bit on the dry side, might perform well with aqua balls.

I would suggest giving a do-it-yourself watering globe a try: instead of buying a watering globe, use a wine bottle, beer bottle, or any other empty glass container you have in the recycle bin. When used with these ceramic irrigation stakes, it is a breeze to use, clean, and provide plants with measured amounts of water over time.

That will give you a more extensive reservoir for storing water and a broader spout to clean the container and replenish it with water. Both of these features will come in handy. You will have a stronger sense of assurance when placing the glass into the ground compared to these plant glass watering balls made of blown glass since the glass will be more robust.