Watering Bulbs - Printable in Vase Mode

These are watering “bulbs”. They can be filled with water and the spikes inserted into soil to keep it hydrated over a longer period of time. They are excellent for plants that need consistently moist soil and are quite easy to print. 

These bulbs are designed to be printed in spiral vase mode as this improves the water tightness of the print and reduces the time it takes to print each model.
 

Printing Instructions

Spiral vase mode can be activated in Prusa Slicer by clicking the check box under vertical shells in layers and perimeters tab of the print settings menu. 

In the slicer the bulbs should be placed so that the flat face on the top of the bulb is on the build plate with the spike pointed up. 

They are best printed with a 0.6mm nozzle with a layer height of 0.3mm but a 0.4 mm nozzle with a layer height of 0.1 to 0.2 mm will also work. For added stability, you can turn brim on. 

The easiest way to fill the bulbs is to hold them under a small trickle of water from a kitchen or sink faucet. If the ends of the spikes on the watering bulbs do not provide sufficient water, they can easily be cut in PRUSA slicer before printing or after printing using a pair of scissors. 

If you intend to use the bulbs outside, PLA is not recommended, as sunlight will cause the plastic to become brittle and break easily. Instead, use PETG, which has much better UV resistance. 

Happy Planting!