Gardening enthusiast Michael Griffiths has shared a simple, free method to keep plants watered while on holiday, using just a bucket, string, and a rock. The trick, posted on TikTok, has impressed viewers and claims to 'really works' when done correctly.
The Method
In a video captioned "Water your plants while you're on holiday — with a bucket, string and a rock, no gadgets, no neighbours," Michael demonstrated the technique. He advised filling a bucket with water, cutting long strips of string, and soaking them until fully saturated. After tying the soaked strings around a rock, the rock is placed back in the bucket. The bucket must be positioned higher than the plants, with each string end pushed into the soil of a pot. The moisture wick then automatically waters the plants when the compost dries.
Viewer Reactions
The post has gained nearly 70,000 views and thousands of likes. One commenter noted, "I tried this but the string just dried out," to which Michael replied, "It needs to be cotton or an actual wicking string. Other materials will dry out." Another user shared, "I use this method, it really works but use the right string. I heard twisted kitchen roll also works but I haven't tested it."
Additional Tips
The Royal Horticultural Society offers similar advice, recommending thorough watering before holidays and moving indoor plants away from bright windows to prevent drying out.
