Finally splashed out on auto watering

[pigletwillie]

Well, not a huge splash, the total cost was about £70. I hit ebay and bought a water computer, a raft of fittings and some leaky hose.

We already have a water computer, lots of drippers etc so now its just a case of putting it all together.

Our main problem is that the back garden is a proper sun trap and the greenhouse, anything in pots and the new salad bars and aricula theatre will dry out on a sunny day quite quickly. Its not too much of an issue when we are at home but we tend to go to France in the summer and if the weather is good here everything is just crispy when we get home.

Now, where is that bag of drippers?

[Nicos]

Good for you!

Lests hope it makes lots of difference- you'll be less anxious on your hols now!

[mrdinkle]

I'd be interested to know more about these new fangled computer thingies.

I have the same trouble with the heat in the greenhouse, though for less glamourous reasons (ie. forgetfulness and laziness).

[broadway]

I'd be interested to know more about these new fangled computer thingies.

I have the same trouble with the heat in the greenhouse, though for less glamourous reasons (ie. forgetfulness and laziness).

Seconded, pigletwillie, any chance of posting a link to the item you purchased, is that allowed?

[pigletwillie]

It was a hozelock one but gardena and others do them. They start from quite basic to all singing and dancing.

Mine are programmed to come on twice a day for 10 mins of dripping / seeping / soaking and to balance hings out I have fitted an adjustable tap to the soaker hose so that can be choked back if needed ensuring that everything gets enough but nothing is swamped.

The salad bars and pots on the steps etc are now all in leaving just the greenhouse and aricula theatre to do.

I have also now removed my big hose reel and have fitted the hose permanantly in the back of the beds with "stab in" point every 10 metres so now I only need a 4 metre length with spray gun on one end and a male adaptor the other. That makes life much easier.

[bobleponge]

There is no such thing as a stupid question, although I suggest this may be pushing that boundary somewhat.
Can the gubbins you purchased run off a water butt or does it have to be a mains supply?
I have a similar situation to you, although I leave France instead of going to it, for a month at a time, and currently have to rely on the good wishes of friends and neighbours to water stuff.

[pigletwillie]

It would but you would be relying on water pressure in the butt being enough to reach the furthest dripper.

To be fair Bob, lash it into the mains as it only uses as much as you set it to deliver and use the recycled stuff when you are about and not relying on a finite supply.

[Nicos]

Bob- check your water pressure first if you are going to use mains!

Our hosepipes kept splitting- and we thought it was because they were old- or just cheap quality.
When we had our new central heating installed, we were told we needed to reduce the pressure as it was coming into the house at 7 bars!!!! ( I think 3-4 is normal???)

You don't want to be damaging any watering system the minute you install it!!

[Glutton4...]

I bought the Hozelock computer thingy last year, before we went away. It's excellent.

All I'd suggest is make sure you take the time to set it up and monitor performance for at least a week before you leave it (not a day, like I did!) and make sure you don't turn the tap on full if you have good pressure.

It's also worth noting, that if you have neighbours, and your water pressure drops when they have their washing machine/dishwasher/shower on, you will need to ensure your timer is set to when they will not be using these appliances. Otherwise your plants will receive less water, or, in the case of an oscillating sprinkler, part of your plot won't get watered at all!

[Alison]

I've had my greenhouse rigged up to the water butt with a computer thingy on it every summer for about 10 years and it works really well when we go away. Obviously you can't do sprays etc but it's brilliant for drippers. Am just in the process of setting something similar up for the polytunnel (no water there so would have no alternative) but managed to get hold of some cheapo soaker hose and computer from Lidls the other week which was a lot cheaper than anything I've seen elsewhere.

[TonyF]

Living down here and with the restrictions that we get in the summer on water usage, I've had a semi-automated system for the past three years which waters the vulnerable bits of the garden at night when the restrictions are off.

One outside tap is rigged with a multi-point Gardena outlet with 4 computers on it and the other outside tap (other end of the house) has a double outlet for 2 computers on it. Just rejigging the system for the terrace, installed wall tyo wall Gardena because the bits are easier to get and supply easier rather than one of the cheaper unknown brands tho I can mix and match some parts.

Needed because of the new castine (gravel) and pots bed but the potager system is all fine and I'm just about to relay the pipework (has to be surface run and I don't leave it down in the winter and only takes half an hour or so) for the potager.

Absolute investment as far as I'm concerned.

[bobleponge]

My problem PW is one of distance. The nearest mains water to my GH is easily 30 metres, probably more. The nearest water butt isnt even 5 metres so its logical (to my small brain) to use that??
Also I prefer to turn the water off when I go away. I dont have neighbours or anyone who passes the house on a regular basis, and being of a plumbing disposition I am aware of the damage that water will do if I had an issue in the house in my absence.
I am going to try the water butt system (I have 6 I think, all interconnected, and the one nearest the GH is the last one in the chain, so it would take a lot of watering to empty it.
Just out of interest, what is the longest distance it could feasibly work off mains pressure? My veggie plot is probably 50m from my outside tap, could it work that far?

[pigletwillie]

Easily Bob, main pressure will give you a good length to play with so to speak and still give enough pressure to give adequate water supply for drippers or a soaky hose. With it being fed via a water computor as well the risks of mishap are small.

[Pies]

Just come back from wyvale,they are selling of alot of Gardena stuff off cheap

I bought a Gardena t1030 card auto watering system as in the link below.It states it works from 0 to 12 bar pressure.It cost £20

GARDENA CARD WATER TIMER T1030 1830-28-GA

[pigletwillie]

Thats a good buy. I ran in a 15mte hose at the back of our beds to the plant stand yesterday and fed 15 pots via drippers from it all operated by a second water computer in the greenhouse. Once the greenhouse is empty of seedlings and planted up, it will operate a leaky hose in there too.