Automatic watering for garden and pots

August 20, 2020

Automatic watering, a practical way to water our plants having full control over the frequency and amount of water they receive, even when we are away on vacation. Automatic watering is a watering system that can be applied from a small balcony with a few pots, to a vegetable garden and a field with fruit trees.

Many gardeners prefer to water their plants with a hose or watering can. And the traditional process of watering can be particularly relaxing and pleasant, but in many cases it creates problems. The installation of automatic watering helps us to water our plants correctly and with ease, as we can water at times that are best for the plants, for a specific period of time and with the right amount of water that we choose. Let’s see in detail the advantages of automatic watering, what materials we need and how we install it to ensure the best watering of our garden and balcony plants.

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1. What advantages does automatic watering offer?

An automatic watering system consists of plastic pipes, special fittings and mechanical devices that help us water plants more precisely and save water. In addition, our plants grow better, without showing problems due to reduced or excessive watering.

• We save valuable time

With automatic watering, we don’t need to allocate our time to water our plants. This gives us enough free time to devote to other garden tasks, such as pruning, fertilizing, weeding, and insect and disease protection. Also, we can comfortably go on vacation without having to enlist friends and family to water our plants.

• Water with the appropriate amount of water

When we water our plants with the hose, it is not easy to determine the required amount they need each time. So many times our plants suffer either due to lack of water or due to excessive watering. By installing automatic watering, we water our plants with the exact amounts they need, with the appropriate frequency depending on the time of year.

• We water the plants in the appropriate places 

With automatic watering, unlike the watering hose, we water the plants in selected places so that we do not water too close to or on the plant so that fungal diseases develop. Also, by using the drip irrigation system, the water wets a limited surface of the garden soil, resulting in a correspondingly limited growth of unwanted grasses (weeds).

• We save a significant amount of water 

With the application of automatic watering, we save a lot on the amount of water. We water exactly the required amounts of water early in the morning so that we do not lose to evaporation. This is very important both from an environmental point of view and from an economic point of view. In particular, those who use tap water to water their plants are forced to pay large water bills, especially if they have large gardens and water in the traditional way.

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2. How do we design an automatic watering network?

Starting with the design of our automatic garden irrigation network, we configure the irrigation lines by creating groups of plants with similar watering needs so that they receive the appropriate amount of water. For example, we need a different watering line for a row of fruit trees or ornamental shrubs and a different one for flower beds with annual flowers. If we have a lot of plants and many watering lines, we may need more programmers or a multi-stop programmer to turn on the watering lines at different times. When designing the automatic watering network, we avoid complicated shapes with many angles that reduce efficiency and increase network losses.

3. What equipment do we need to make an automatic watering system?

Automatic watering is a system that usually consists of a water supply (faucet), a watering scheduler, plastic watering pipes and appropriate water connection and outflow fittings. The necessary watering materials we need can be obtained from agricultural stores and specialized irrigation stores. Let’s briefly look at the main features of the parts required for automatic watering for the plants in our garden and balcony.

a) Watering scheduler 

The watering scheduler is a machine that operates on battery or electricity and is the central part of the automatic watering network. The main function of the scheduler is to determine the time, duration and frequency of watering the plants. Several programmers have predefined watering programs with specific duration and frequency of watering, while some others have the ability to freely determine when to water and for how long. Also, there are programmers that have a rain sensor and stop their operation in order not to create a problem due to excessive watering.

Automatic watering scheduler with battery

b) Plastic irrigation pipes

The plastic irrigation pipes are initially divided into «blind» and drippers that carry drippers at intervals and let water come out. Also, the pipes are separated according to their diameter. On balconies and in small gardens, Φ16 and Φ20 pipes are used, which require a smaller water supply, while in organized crops and large gardens, pipes with a larger cross-section are also used. The pipes are usually black in color, although we also find brown or white pipes that have a relatively higher price.

c) Connection components

Connectors are plastic pieces that connect the pieces of plastic pipes in different ways according to the design of the automatic watering system. The most common fittings are connectors that connect the plastic pipes in a straight line, corner connectors («angles») that connect the pipes vertically, and «branches» (taff joints) that separate the watering line of the plastic pipe into two lines. There are also the «plug» type connection parts that are mainly used in small gardens and balconies, as well as the «lock» type connection parts that ensure a more efficient connection of the pipes, without leaks in high pressure networks.

d) Water outlet fittings 

In small gardens or on our balcony we prefer constant flow drippers that let a small amount of water come out in the form of a drop. In fruit tree crops, as well as for ornamental shrubs and trees, we choose adjustable drippers that release a larger amount of water. For watering lawns and in general for large surfaces we use watering nozzles and water jets (pop up) that water in the form of a spray over a long distance.

Automatic drip irrigation in a pot

4. What do we pay attention to when installing automatic watering?

To install the automatic watering we follow the following steps:

• If we have a water supply, to the water supply we add a branch that leads to two outlets, so that after we install the programmer, a garden hose can be adapted to the other outlet to have water for an emergency watering, for cleaning the yard, washing of the car and other household uses.

• We install the programmer on the water supply, cut the hoses and install the connectors, branches, sprinklers and nozzles according to the automatic watering scheme. To install the injectors, we open holes with the special tool, the scrobia.

• We run the programmer directly on the specific program we want to verify that it works correctly. At the same time, we check that the network is watering at all points and if there are any leaks from the connections and branches. Then we make the necessary corrections to have a smooth operation of the automatic watering.

• At the next scheduled watering, we check again to confirm the correct operation of the scheduler and network.

5. Does automatic watering need maintenance?

The regular control and maintenance of the automatic watering is a basic procedure that we must do for the correct watering of the plants in our garden and our balcony. Automatic watering maintenance includes the following tasks:

• We check the drippers and nozzles every month from spring to autumn to see if they are blocked and if they are sending the water to the right area of ​​the plant we want.

• Every year at the beginning of spring, we clean the drippers and injectors from dust, dirt or salts that may have collected and prevent them from working properly.

• We change the programmer’s batteries in early spring, even if they are not finished, to make sure that there will be no problem with watering during the year.

• At the beginning of winter when we stop watering, we remove the programmer from the position it has been installed to avoid a problem in its operation due to intense frost and moisture.

• When storing the programmer, we also remove the batteries from inside it.

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6. And a secret for automatic watering

The cost of buying an automatic watering system for a balcony with a few pots or a small garden is quite affordable and does not exceed 100 euros. Beyond that, the cost increases depending on the size of the garden, the number and type of plants it includes.

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