Automated Watering System?

[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.