Anyone have an auotmated watering system?
Discussion
I'm after a watering system I can programme to come on X times a day and have it deal with the vegtables (in raised beds), hanging baskets, flower beds, etc (NOT the lawn)
Garden is not huge but there are sections to water all over it so will need meters of pipe.
Hozelock system seems pretty foolproof...anyone used it, or used better?
Garden is not huge but there are sections to water all over it so will need meters of pipe.
Hozelock system seems pretty foolproof...anyone used it, or used better?
We have an irrigation system around the garden watering trees, plants and baskets. It is a fat black pipe running in a loop around the garden, with lots of outlets on small bore piercing it.
When we go away, we use one of these (well one just as simple and with less colours on the dial) that we bought a few years ago. It's a piece of pud.
http://www.hozelock.com/watering/auto-watering/wat...
The only snag is that our irrigation system is one main loop, meaning that when the timer switches on, it waters everything. I guess if you need things in different areas watered at different frequencies, then you would look at multiple loops and timers.
When we go away, we use one of these (well one just as simple and with less colours on the dial) that we bought a few years ago. It's a piece of pud.
http://www.hozelock.com/watering/auto-watering/wat...
The only snag is that our irrigation system is one main loop, meaning that when the timer switches on, it waters everything. I guess if you need things in different areas watered at different frequencies, then you would look at multiple loops and timers.
Some years ago one of the first jobs I did Was to put a watering system around the outside of a fairly large house.
Fed from one tap in micro pipes are the following plants (in various large tubs)
5 hanging baskets
2 Kiwi fruit
2 large roses
1 small rose
1 clematis
1 Jasmine
1 wisteria
Several small fir trees
And half a dozen more I can't remember the names of.
Aside from having to buy new timers every couple of years (the values don't like frost and I always forget to take them in), the system works a treat, faultless is the word.
The secret is to balance the water coming out of each 'tap'. If you want the end of the line to have water, there has to be sufficient pressure. If you have too much water coming out at the beginning of the line you'll loose pressure and not have enough to dribble out at the end.......(hope that makes sense!), so you need to spend time 'balancing' the system (much like radiators).
We have no plants in the ground (in an acre of lawn) simply because we have wild rabbits in the garden and the little buggers eat anything! Having good quality pots in and around the house looks nice and even as a non gardener is quite good fun to muck around with.
The system is great, worth the investment and having hidden the pipe in the gutter, you'd hardly know it was there.
Fed from one tap in micro pipes are the following plants (in various large tubs)
5 hanging baskets
2 Kiwi fruit
2 large roses
1 small rose
1 clematis
1 Jasmine
1 wisteria
Several small fir trees
And half a dozen more I can't remember the names of.
Aside from having to buy new timers every couple of years (the values don't like frost and I always forget to take them in), the system works a treat, faultless is the word.
The secret is to balance the water coming out of each 'tap'. If you want the end of the line to have water, there has to be sufficient pressure. If you have too much water coming out at the beginning of the line you'll loose pressure and not have enough to dribble out at the end.......(hope that makes sense!), so you need to spend time 'balancing' the system (much like radiators).
We have no plants in the ground (in an acre of lawn) simply because we have wild rabbits in the garden and the little buggers eat anything! Having good quality pots in and around the house looks nice and even as a non gardener is quite good fun to muck around with.
The system is great, worth the investment and having hidden the pipe in the gutter, you'd hardly know it was there.
HoHoHo said:
Aside from having to buy new timers every couple of years (the values don't like frost and I always forget to take them in), the system works a treat, faultless is the word.
The trick here is to get the sprinkler system blown out (via a compressor) every winter. You won't have a problem with valves then. Worth looking at the US systems, as that's wehre most of the players devote their efforts to R&D.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff