Didn't work well for me when I tried. Water went straight down and bottle was empty fast. Works ok in pots. Oleas work better. Probably spelled that wrong

I'm looking for a way to provide my cucumber plant with continuing water so that it will not wilt in the Florida heat. It's clear from your posts that watering spikes are not the answer. What are Oleas?

Oleas are unglazed ceramic pots with a lid that you sink in the ground and fill with water.

I'm trying water storing crystals (Soil Moist granules from Lowes) at the base of plants and it seems to be working.... the test might be the rainy season (too moist, too long?) Can be added to root area of plants already growing in the ground by inserting a pencil (or trowel) at points around the plant but not near the core.

Have you tried using a surfactant? Dishwashing liquid is a relatively cheap and effective one. It makes the water "sticky," so it doesn't just run through the soil. Farmers in the southern states with sandy soil use surfactants to keep the water in the soil after planting until plants are established. I use dishwashing liquid in my container plants, so they water doesn't run out the bottom.

I don't like the idea of water storing crystals "the same stuff in baby diapers' in my soil because we eat a lot and reuse soil a lot from ornamental to edible. A DIY redneck method is taking a container like a rubbermaid and planting in it but drill your drain holes about 2 inches from the bottom that way it stays wet on the very bottom and uptakes. Another idea is cut the bottom off a 2 liter, drill a small hole in the lid, then bury it 1 foot deep at the base and water to capacity and then fill the 2 liter. An old coffee can works as well like this "also mosquito control because they lay and then the water runs out a day or two later.