By 
While walking through my local Home Depot a few weeks ago, I discovered a new garden product that made me smile. It was called “Palm Rounds,” and when I looked it up, I learned that it’s made by a larger company called “Water Rounds,” which makes the same basic contrivance for tomato plants, small trees, and all sorts of different sized shrubs. What impressed me most about this product was how simple it was. I felt like an idiot for not having invented it myself! All it really appears to be is the top of a pot that has been removed from the bottom half; in essence, a water retaining ring with teeth for digging into the soil below. I can see this becoming a popular new home for all kinds of plants just about anywhere.
Since I wasn’t planning to buy any of these “Palm Rounds” but rather some new flowers for my slowly expanding garden, I decided to just buy one and give it a try. I quickly took it home and looked for a place to use it since I don’t have palm trees (or any other tropical plants) growing in my backyard. I ended up using it on some tomato plants that seemed to need a little help. I decided to give it a try and see if the retaining ring would help them grow better. One of the problems I have had with my tomatoes is that the ground they were planted in is slightly elevated from the rest of the garden. The earth is very compact everywhere. Every time I water these suckers, they seem to scatter everywhere, and I guess I’ve been too disenchanted to do anything about it.
After installing the water round I decided it would be best to water all my plants as usual and see if it made any difference. At first I thought I might have drowned my tomatoes because of how soggy they were compared to how they looked before. Then I found out. No, it was just because I hosed them down and had the retaining ring too high above the ground. I had basically created a miniature pool for them keeping my standard watering habits! I lowered the ring a little deeper into the ground (which had now softened a bit), and there it was. A Palm Round tomato plant! A seemingly ridiculous combination that would become a huge hit! About a week and a half later, and after reducing the amount of water I gave those specific tomatoes, they really started to come to life! It was amazing how that ring cutout did exactly what it said (minus the instructions on how high it should be placed above the ground). My tomatoes are juicier than ever, and it doesn’t look like the plant is about to die. The best part about this is that I can still neglect it, and it can stand on its own!
Although I have experimented with many different irrigation systems and drip lines, I find this product especially interesting. It can be incorporated into anything you have installed in the past and basically works as a catalyst to further your individual causes. I am definitely looking forward to purchasing more of these for the rest of my garden and the trees in my front yard. I have always been a man looking for new ways to improve the planet around me and keep money in my pocket. I think these new “Water Rounds” will soon prove to do just that.