Automated Watering System?

[Scythe13]

Has anyone considered building an automated watering system to water your plants for you?

It'd be pretty simple to put together, and would keep your soil moist year round. The idea is to save as much time and effort as possible.

What do you think? Anyone tried it?

[T-oddity]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for Scythe, I use a self watering planters in my green house that are fed from a water butt via a header tank and ball valve.
The planters have a false bottom with the bottom half acting as a reservoir and the top full of soil/potting compost with some sort of wick down into the reservoir.
Works reasonably well though do need to give the planters a water occasionally as the soil at the top of the planter can get too dry.

This is the basic idea though mine are all linked to the header tank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t9gfWhZLEo

I also like the single bucket and gutter method shown at the end of this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mI32jMOFuY

[Steve]

I don't have an automated system as such, but I have an overhead sprinkler system in the polytunnel with a clockwork timer on the tap end so I can set it for 15 minutes and then go away, it shuts off automatically.

I have a very large grapevine in there, whose roots are outside the tunnel so they get watered naturally. The beds inside are heaped up with concrete paths between, sometimes the soil surface can get so dry that the water runs off instead of soaking in properly, in this case a short length of plastic pipe pushed into the soil or buried when planting is good - pour some water straight down it. If water was short I would use plastic pipes on all my plants - it delivers water or liquid feed where it is needed and as a bonus helps keep weeds down.

[Scythe13]

Cool, thanks guys. That's some good insight Steve. I think my dad used to have a similar system. Sorry T-Oddity, I'll have to check the links later. My computer and youtube seem to have fallen out recently :-(

I was thinking about micro controllers and sensors. Just to make everything much easier. Yes, you all know I'm lazy, so if I could get soil sensors to run on a small computer, e.g. RPi, or to run micro controllers (Arduino style) and then to get that to set off a certain watering system like a small pump or something. Useless in an EMP situation, but pretty useful for everything but EMP. Then I'd have a hi-tech self watering garden! From what I've learned, if it's an analog measuring system, you could even set up different moisture levels for different plants. Anyone got any experience on this? Hrusai, if you're still about mate, let me know your ideas too because I know you're hugely into tech.

[Straight Shooter]

Yes i have one in the poly tunnel , it works off mains water....its a clock timer worked off a 9volt battery (they last about fourteen months ) you can control the when the how long three times per day or nite for seven days ....then its starts all over again, my kit came with 10 mtrs plastic tube and feed nipples you just screw into the tube where you want them....had mine for five years no probs
bought it on fleabay i think i paid £78 ....as prepper mindset i have not tried a header tank yet...in case mains go,s down ...but i see no reason for it not to work the pressure release valve of the unit....its about a 6" cube.....kids stuff to install !

[Scythe13]

Awesome SS!

Any pics mate?

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Could you run the whole system off a DC (rechargeable) power source?

[T-oddity]

My system is very much low tech, believing in the principle of KISS so there is very little to go wrong, when I get a moment I'll upload some pics.

[Devonian]

Just seen this, not cheap, but works totally off grid:

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p3258/IR...3151534387