Do-it-yourself automatic watering for indoor plants: a system for automatically watering flowers and plants from a bottle

Homemade automatic machine for watering indoor plants The article describes the design of a simple homemade automatic machine for watering indoor plants and its improved version. The difference between this design and similar homemade products described on the Internet is that this machine was actually built and successfully passed “running” tests.

I have little faith that anyone will dare to repeat this design, but the individual components of this watering machine may be of interest to a homemade person. https://oldoctober.com/

Do-it-yourself capillary irrigation, watering on fabric

An automatic watering system can be organized using a glass jar and terry cloth.
Place a damp, wrung-out towel at the bottom of the tray. Place pots of flowers on it. Pour water into a glass jar, close it with a lid with a small hole made (10 - 15 mm). A 3-liter bottle with a nylon sealed lid is suitable. In my photo - a half-liter with a regular screw cap. Cover the hole with your finger, turn the jar over and place it upside down there, on this terry towel. You will see air bubbles rushing upward. Water will seep out little by little from the hole in the lid.

Turn the jar of water over and place it on a towel next to the flowers.

Once the towel is sufficiently damp, air will stop flowing into the jar and water will stop flowing out.

Check: Wring out the towel and place the jar of water back on it. Air bubbles will appear and the process will repeat - this means the automatic watering system is working. (Without a towel, water will not flow out of the jar.)

How much water will flow to the plants depends on the type of pots and drainage (see above - watering with a bottle), as well as the thickness of the towel. It’s worth checking 10 days before your vacation to see how this automatic watering system will work.

Capillary mat

The towel with the jar can be replaced with a purchased capillary mat for watering seedlings. The mat is pre-impregnated with water and pots of flowers are placed on top of it; a jar is not needed here. One square meter of capillary mat absorbs about three liters of water. The mat is covered with a film with many holes to reduce water evaporation and to prevent roots from growing from the pots into the mat.

Getting ready to leave for a few days, I made a capillary mat for seedlings with my own hands. Place a piece of terry towel on the bottom of the tray. I covered it on top with a thin film with holes. (Without film, the roots grow into the fabric.) I installed watered pots with seedlings.

I folded thin cling film in several layers and made many holes, at least one for every square centimeter.

Carefully unfolded and laid on top of the towel

Now more details. The pallets were installed strictly horizontally, without tilting, so that the water did not flow to one side. Before laying, I moistened the towel from a measuring cup. (In order to know how much water it absorbs without forming a “swamp” in the pan.) I took pots with drainage holes at two levels: on the ledges and in the depressions of the bottom: the roots need not only water, but also air. A thick towel should not be folded in several layers, so as not to block air access to all holes.

I placed a damp towel at the bottom of the tray, covered it with a film with small holes and placed pots with watered seedlings.

I watched the plants for several days. I decided to add a layer of fabric, since the towel was thin and there was not enough water for 5 days. Before leaving, I watered the seedlings from above into the pots, poured measured amounts of water into the tray, distributing them in different places. The method works if all conditions are met.

Overview of irrigation systems

Rain watering

When automatic watering of a summer cottage with your own hands is done using the type of sprinkling, but the garden area will require the installation of special nozzles. They will spray water, which will be an excellent imitation of rain. This is where the name came from. Irrigation pipes can run underground or above the surface. If possible, it is better to hide them in the ground. This type of irrigation organization is considered to be the most accurate and durable.

Now let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, we note that the moisture is evenly distributed throughout the entire area, and it turns out that not only the earth, but also the air itself is moistened. This is a big advantage if such a system is installed in a greenhouse. The leaves and fruits will be perfectly washed with water, which is difficult for real rain! But just like after real rain, the top layer of soil will become crusty, which will impair the supply of oxygen. A lot of water will be consumed, and more electricity will be consumed. This option is ideal for lawns and large areas, but for other cases it is better to select other automatic watering systems because they are not economical.

The technology for manufacturing the system looks like this: first, you should draw a diagram and indicate all the plantings and buildings on it. Do this in the fall so that at the beginning of next year you can admire a beautiful, lush lawn.

Do-it-yourself automatic watering of flowers

You can organize automatic watering for plants on the balcony yourself. There are many options for creating systems from scrap materials.

Drip irrigation

To create drip irrigation, you will need a small plastic bottle with a lid. Punch several holes in the lid in advance using a thick needle or awl. Fill the bottle with water and cover the neck with several layers of gauze or mesh. Screw the lid on tightly. Turn the container upside down and place it directly into the pot on the soil.

The number and thickness of holes is determined individually. It is better to try the method in advance in order to know for sure which holes will be optimal for watering a particular plant variety.

Wick watering

Also called the passive irrigation method. To set up the system, you will need a container for water and improvised wicks, which can be laces, ropes or threads of various diameters.

Place one end of the wick in a container of water and secure the other end in the pot with a peg. Water will be absorbed by the material and enter the soil thanks to the physical laws of pressure difference

Please note that the higher the water container is located, the faster the water will seep into the soil, so before leaving, conduct several experiments and select the optimal watering

Automatic watering from a medical dropper

The method is quite simple and common. To organize watering, you will need medical dropper systems with needles and jars of medicines, such as saline. As an alternative, you can use a regular plastic bottle. You will also need a tripod or thick wire to make it.

Action plan:

Prepare containers and fill them with water.
Build a tripod with a hook.
Place a needle on one end of the system tube and pierce the lid of the container.
Insert the other end of the dropper without a needle into the soil.
Adjust the watering intensity using the slider on the tube.
Hang the bottle on a tripod and leave it in that position until you return.

In this way, you can provide watering for the plant for up to two weeks.

Granulated clay or hydrogel

Special substances such as hydrogel or granular clay are good for uniformly moistening the soil in the pot. They are characterized by rapid absorption of water and its gradual, uniform release. Instructions for use:

Prepare the substrate by filling the hydrogel granules with water in a separate container.
Once they have swollen to the desired size, about 8 to 12 hours, pour a small layer into the empty pot.
Place the flower along with the earthen ball on top of the layer.
Sprinkle the soil with another layer of granules.
Add water little by little as the balls dry.

When using this method, do not overfill the hydrogel granules, but only moisten them a little.

Capillary mats

Similar devices are sold in stores for gardeners and flower growers. The mat is made of a material that absorbs moisture well, and is covered with a protective film on top to prevent evaporation. To moisten the soil in pots during your absence, buy a capillary mat in advance and prepare 2 trays: one for water, the second with holes for installing pots. Similar containers can also be purchased in the store along with a capillary mat.

Procedure:

Fill the prepared pan with water.
Place the tray with the holes on the first one and cover the surface with a drip mat.
Place the pots where the holes are located.

The material will take moisture from the pan and moisten the soil in the pots. In this case, the flowers will take as much water from the mat as they need for normal life. The device is inexpensive and does not require special skills to organize watering. The material can also be cut into strips and used as wick cords.

Cones and jars

For short-term watering, you can use special pedunculated pears, which are sold in gardening stores. There are a lot of design and color options, so you can choose a container that suits your interior. The device works quite simply. Pour water into the pear and place it in the pot. When the soil dries, dry air will flow through the stem and push out the liquid. Before using the method, it is worth testing it in practice, as some gardeners complain about excessive soil moisture.

Water distribution system.

The basis of the water distribution system are medical droppers. They required minimal modification.

In particular, for the outlet holes I used the needles and protective caps from the air filters that came with the kit.

We had to drill a dozen holes in the caps.

Another design element is the manifold, which was made from a piece of brass tubing.

To combine all the water lines into one system, I drilled holes in the tube at an angle of 45º, inserted needles into them and soldered them with tin solder.

Initially, I secured the manifold in the hole of a plastic bottle cap.

Unfortunately, this irrigation system only worked successfully once.

For reuse, it was necessary to remove all the resulting air pockets from each dropper.

This confirmed my concerns about the performance of factory capillary-type irrigation systems. Be careful when purchasing such systems!

Therefore, we had to abandon the intermediate tank and screw the main hose directly to the manifold.

After this, the watering machine finally worked as it should.

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Operating rules

Using pots with an automatic watering system will not cause difficulties even for inexperienced gardeners, but to obtain a large amount of green mass throughout the entire period of flower growth, you need to know and apply the advice of experienced gardeners:

mandatory use of drainage materials at the bottom of the pot and special soil that matches the type of flower;
using the usual method of watering during the formation of the root system, which should reach the bottom of the pot;
the watering tank should be filled only with settled water at room temperature;
the amount of water should reach the maximum mark on the indicator.

Emergency protection system.

To ensure fire safety, the entire electrical part of the machine is enclosed in a steel, gapless housing, which stands on carbolite instrument feet. Cooling occurs through the metal of the housing. Power is supplied through a fuse link.

In the event of an emergency spill of water, the sprinkler is equipped with a completely independent protection circuit, which disconnects the main part of the electrical circuit from the network, thus breaking the power supply circuit to the pump.

These measures may seem unnecessary, but when the apartment below you has undergone renovations, the cost of which significantly exceeds the cost of your entire apartment...

The executive element of the original protection circuit was a conventional electromagnetic relay, which in the event of an accident (water spillage) burned out the mains fuse of the entire sprinkler.

R1, R2 = 1M R3 = 22M R4 = 1k R5 = 15k
C1 = 0.47 C2 = 1.0 C3 = 47.0 C4 = 1000.0

VD1-4 = KD510A VD2 = 15V VT1 = KT3102D DD1 = K561LE5 SA1 = MT-3 FU1 = 1A P1 = RPS20 (757) TV1 = out. from VEF-202

However, replacing a fuse is also a rather responsible operation that should not be trusted to women.

Therefore, I had to change the circuit and replace the conventional relay with a polarized one.

This made it possible to return the sprinkler to its original state by simply turning the power off and on.

How does the protection scheme work?

The protection circuit is powered from a separate power supply, which significantly increases its reliability.

When water gets on the spill sensor, the circuit switches capacitor C4 with one of the windings of relay P1, which breaks the circuit of the switching power supply. If you now turn off the installation with the “Power” toggle switch, then the energy stored in capacitor C4 will be directed to another winding of relay P1, which will bring the installation back to life.

The water spillage sensor is a one and a half meter strip of fabric, sewn like a ladies' belt, which is divided in half with an additional seam. Two separate bare wires are inserted into the resulting pockets and connected to the protection circuit. The protection is triggered when a few drops of water hit any part of this tape.

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Pots with double bottom

A cheaper variety is plastic pots with a double bottom. Water is poured into a reservoir under the upper bottom and flows to the roots from below. I have these pots for large plants on the balcony. A convenient thing, especially in summer.

Do-it-yourself pots with a “double bottom”

Using the double bottom principle, I converted several ordinary 15-30 liter pots from scrap materials for balcony and garden plants.

At the bottom of the pot I installed a water container and a tube. Covered it with stones and gravel.

Place a 1-3 liter water container at the bottom of each pot. I used bowls, cut plastic canisters and other utensils. I installed a tube to fill the container with water.

I filled everything with gravel, broken bricks, pebbles - whatever I found. I covered the gravel with a circle of cloth to prevent it from silting up with soil. It’s better to take geofabric or a piece of nylon: it won’t rot and allows water to pass through better.

I poured soil on top of the fabric and planted plants. I watered it well on top, as usual.

Place a piece of cloth on top of the gravel

The water supply in the container at the bottom of the pot was poured into a piece of hose. When overwatering, excess water comes out freely through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.

I came up with everything myself, but I probably “reinvented the wheel”, it’s so simple. This self-watering functioned well. It was only inconvenient to pour water into the small hole of the tube.

You can water less often if

firstly, take high-quality, and not too light, soil from dried pulverized peat. You can “weight” the mixture with ordinary garden soil. Or make the mixture yourself, finding out the composition for a specific plant.

Secondly, when replanting potted plants, add perlite, vermiculite and/or silicate-based cat litter crystals (up to 4% of the soil volume) to the soil mixture. Place crushed volcanic lava and pieces of charcoal at the bottom of the pot. All this increases the moisture capacity of the soil without displacing air. I don't use hydrogels. There are reports of toxic breakdown products of hydrogels.

Place crushed volcanic lava and charcoal on the bottom of the pot.

Automatic watering for indoor flowers for the very busy or a little lazy

There is no desire to delve into all these subtleties of watering and caring for plants, but it still wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of indoor flowers to liven up the interior?

Then the most unpretentious plants will suit you. Some succulents or ferns, for example. Echeveria, lithops - “living stones”, nolina - “horse tail”, sansevieria, spathiphyllum, kalanchoe, zamioculcas can survive for a long time without water...

But even “living stones” need at least a little attention and water once or twice a month. For those who are especially forgetful, I would advise reading the instructions and adding reminders to your calendar or phone about moderate watering at the recommended intervals. Moreover, separately for winter and summer.

A modern option for automatic watering for indoor flowers

for the lazy, but not the poor - “Smart pot for plants Parrot Pot”. He does everything himself: measures humidity, temperature, light, nutrient content and, most importantly, waters when necessary from the built-in reservoir.

Moreover, when you go far and long, you can always use your smartphone to ask the smart pot how your ficus is doing. And the pot will send a detailed report... fantastisch!

Small details.

An approximate calculation of the response time of a timer assembled on a CMOS chip can be done in your head.
t = 0.7CR t – time in seconds, C – capacitance in microfarads, R – resistance in megohms.
The time also depends on the amount of capacitor leakage. If you need to use large capacitors, it is better to choose tantalum rather than conventional electrolytic capacitors. If you are using a printed circuit board made of fiberglass, and you do not live in the tropics, then you can use resistors up to 100 megohms. However, the leakage resistance of some tantalum capacitors can be commensurate with this value.
Read also: Useful tricks that every summer resident needs to know
The minimum resistance of the resistor must be selected based on the maximum permissible output current of the microcircuit - 1 kilo-ohm per 1 volt of supply.
The amount of water pumped by one or another dripper depends on the number of air pockets remaining from the last cycle and may differ by 20-30%.
In addition, the amount of pumped water depends on the throughput of the liquid filter and can vary even between drippers from the same manufacturer. Droppers from different batches can be distinguished by the shades of the tubes and other plastic parts. You need to look at it in daylight.
In this design, to configure the machine, a potentiometer R11 with a logarithmic characteristic (B) is used. You can also use a potentiometer with an inverse logarithmic characteristic (B), the one used for volume controls, but then the scale will have to be reversed. That is, the sensitivity of the humidity sensor will increase when the knob is turned counterclockwise.
The very first start of the machine in offline mode gave a leak. The tube came off the pump fitting. I had to make wire clamps.

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Automatic watering with your own hands

No matter how many options for such systems exist, people often prefer to organize automatic watering of indoor plants with their own hands. The most common (old and proven) method is watering with a wick. A twisted strip of gauze or bandage, nylon fabric or woolen thread is lowered at one end into a container with water prepared for irrigation, and the other is placed in the soil of the pot and fixed there. The deeper the wick is dug into the ground, the better the moisture will flow. If you think about this when planting the plant, you can insert the wick from the bottom through the drainage hole.

A do-it-yourself automatic watering system for indoor plants is usually made from improvised materials. You can make it perfectly from plastic bottles. To do this, just make small holes in the lid, fill the bottle with water and place it vertically, with the neck slightly buried in the ground

It’s just important that it doesn’t turn over; it’s better to strengthen it in a vertical position. The size of the bottle depends on the volume of the flower pot and the duration of your absence

Usually a small bottle is inserted into a small pot, but a tub will require several large bottles.

Conventional medical droppers are very convenient to use for dosed delivery of water to flowers. If several pots are located nearby, you can arrange one reservoir for them by filling it with water and lowering the edges of the tubes fastened together there. It is convenient to use metal wire for weighting - it will help hold the tubes at the bottom of the dish. The water container can be some beautiful vase or just a large plastic bottle placed above the pots. The second edge of each tube is freed from the nozzle with a needle and lowered into the soil to the roots of the plants. Using the control wheel, you can perfectly adjust the desired rate of water flow to the roots.

Flower shops today offer granular clay or hydrogel, which are saturated with water and then gradually release it to the plants. Using them is simple - you need to place the plant when replanting so that there is a sufficient layer of these granules around the lump of earth everywhere (at the bottom, along the walls and on top). After watering from above, the soil is covered with film to prevent evaporation. This way the plant will receive as much moisture as it needs to live while the owners are away.

You can also use capillary mats. This is the name given to rugs made from a material that easily absorbs and retains moisture. Pots with plants are placed on them, and one edge of the mat is lowered into the water. Sometimes they are sold together with special trays: a large tray is filled with water, a smaller one is placed, a rug is placed on it and plants are placed. So, along the mat, as if through a kind of wick, moisture rises to the holes in the pots.

There is another way - a greenhouse. All pots with plants are placed on a tray or in basins with water, covered with film, thus constructing something similar to a greenhouse, inside which high humidity will be established. This way the flowers will definitely not dry out. This method has its drawbacks - it is not suitable for all plants, and “fluffy” leaves covered with villi can rot. A long time spent under the film will wean the plants from fresh air, then they will have to be gradually accustomed to it.

Regardless of which method you choose to water your plants, it is important to prepare them for host absence and reduce their water needs as much as possible. To do this, you need to cut off all the flowers and buds, drying leaves so that they do not weaken the plants

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Capillary mats

This new product is a great help for gardeners who do not have the opportunity to regularly water their home plants. The capillary mat is a mat made of hygroscopic material. For watering, you will need two large trays of such size that one fits into the other. You need to pour water into the bottom tray. Place a second tray on top with holes made in the bottom, on which place one or more capillary mats (depending on the area of the tray).

Place pots with flowers on the resulting structure, which can absorb moisture coming from below through the drainage holes. You can do it differently by placing bowls with flowers on a mat, the edge of which is immersed in a container of water. In this case, the pots must be removed from individual pallets.

The choice of ways to water flowers in your absence is huge. Everyone can choose the least burdensome option for themselves. If neither method completely suits you, it is better to plant the plants in advance in special flowerpots with a built-in automatic watering system, which are containers with a double bottom. On average, the moisture reserve in such pots is enough for plants for a month.

Do-it-yourself automatic watering of indoor plants

The most reliable way to preserve houseplants while the owners are away is to have a responsible person water them.

But there are other methods to get out of this situation: retain the moisture obtained with the last watering (this method can work for a maximum of 2 weeks and requires virtually no financial costs) or equip an automatic watering system.

There are many ways to create automatic watering systems, which are indispensable in the event of a long absence of owners. They can be both budget and quite expensive.

We retain moisture at the lowest cost

First, let's look at a way out of the situation at the lowest cost. This method is very simple, but it is advisable to use it only in extreme cases - it has too many disadvantages.

So, in order to organize the simplest moisture conservation system, you need to water the plants well, best by immersing the root along with the lump in water.

Remove pots from window sills: the weaker the lighting, the less moisture evaporates, and the less it is consumed by the plant. Of course, without light, growth will slow down and delicate plants may be depressed.

to reduce water consumption

Place all the pots closer to each other, preferably in one container - for example, in a bathtub or large basin. Place a five-centimeter layer of expanded clay on the bottom and fill it with water. We place the pots, placing pieces of wet sphagnum in between them.

Cover the structure with film. The most delicate specimens can be placed in individual greenhouses.

Keep in mind that when “under a hood”, plants with pubescent leaves (Saintpaulias, pelargoniums) can become moldy and rot.

For tips on creating automatic watering for indoor plants using pallets, see the video below:

The simplest drip irrigation

The system described above will be viable longer if it is provided with a source of moisture. You can make small holes in the caps of plastic bottles, turn them over and place them between the pots, ensuring that moisture seeps out drop by drop.

Bottles can be stuck directly into the ground. The capacity of each bottle is selected individually - 0.5 liters is enough for one plant, and for large plants in tubs, you may need several 2 liter bottles.

For rules for caring for stephanotis at home, read our material.

Why do calathea leaves dry out? You will find the answer to this question in our article.

Despite the simplicity and artisanal nature of this method, there are production devices that work on this principle.

Austrian Blumat irrigation systems, which can be purchased in our stores, operate on this principle.

System "Wick"

This is a well-known method - connecting to an irrigation system using improvised wicks made from any laces, ropes, etc. One end of the wick is lowered into a basin of water, the second is fixed in a pot (you can use an ordinary women's hairpin or a wooden peg).

The most reliable way is to pass the wick through the hole in the bottom of the pot before planting the plant. You can equip all plants with this system in advance if you are often away from home.

The material for the wick is needed in this case, synthetic is selected. Thus, water will flow into the ground due to the difference in capillary pressure.

Watch the video for a master class on making a self-watering system “Wick” at home:

Hydrogel and granular clay

Granular clay or hydrogel well saturated with moisture (buy at garden centers) is also used for automatic watering equipment. These materials have the ability to absorb large amounts of water and then release it little by little to plant roots as needed.

Lumps of clay in granules are placed in a separate pot (select a larger size), and then a plant with an undisturbed lump is transplanted into it and covered with a thick layer of clay (hydrogel) on all sides. Then the soil is covered with polyethylene.

Read about the features of caring for cyclomen at home in our material.

Find out how to plant and care for lavender in our article.

Mistakes when watering flowers

When watering flowers, the following mistakes are most often made:

Hydrate at lunchtime. On hot days, watering plants at lunchtime is highly discouraged. The sun's rays together with drops of water can cause burns to the roots or leaf blades.
Leave water in the pan. With the lower option of soil moistening, the water in the pan should remain no longer than 4-5 hours. During this time, the plant will take as much water as it needs. The rest must be drained to avoid the formation of swampiness.
Uneven hydration. You cannot first water the flower every two days, and then once a week, but more abundantly. It is important to strictly follow the recommendations for caring for each specific plant.
Strong jet of water. Due to the powerful water flow, ditches can form, exposing the root system. It is better to take a small watering can with a sprayer.
Same schedule for all crops. Care for groups of plants may vary. When growing a large number of flowers, you will have to water every day, but such care will ensure abundant growth and flowering of home crops.
Unsuitable water. At first, the harm from tap water may not be noticeable, but over time, the grower will notice the appearance of a white coating on the surface of the soil and on the roots. This indicates an accumulation of salts due to watering with inappropriate liquid.
Lack of drainage. If there is no drainage layer, swampiness cannot be avoided.

Irrigation system at the dacha depending on water supply

Water can be supplied to the irrigation system in one of the following ways:

automatic;
semi-automatic;
mechanical.

Each method of supplying water to the root system of a plant has both its advantages and disadvantages.
The first option is carried out depending on the wishes of the owner and is set by a special program. In this case, the start time for watering is set or humidification sensors are installed, relative to which water will be supplied. You can buy such a system ready-made or organize automatic irrigation yourself.

When installing an automatic system, a self-priming pump must be used for watering a vegetable garden, house garden, or cottage, which pumps water from a container

When choosing a unit, you should pay attention to the frequency of engine adjustment and the possibility of a soft start. It is connected to an on timer that controls the operation of the pumping unit

When organizing automatic watering at your dacha with your own hands, you can purchase a socket with a timer, which involves daily or weekly irrigation. This system is most often used for sprinkling. However, it can be organized for other options. Wells, reservoirs located near the land plot, or a centralized water supply system can be used as water storage facilities.

The automatic watering system is convenient because it irrigates at a specified time and does not require much human effort.

Semi-automatic irrigation involves manually supplying water to the common pipe. Then the system independently distributes the liquid through the pipes, regulating its flow and pressure.

On a note! At any time, by changing the settings, you can switch from semi-automatic to automatic mode without turning off the water supply tap.

With mechanical watering, the moistening of the beds is controlled by a person who manually opens the watering tap at the dacha, selecting the required pressure.

Control of automatic watering of a summer cottage

Surely you will agree that when the irrigation system is fully automated, it is much easier to manage. Unlike the manual method, the computer method is much more expensive, but it will pay off many times faster with many years of convenient use, as well as a beautiful view of the site and an excellent harvest. To install control of automatic watering of a plot on a PC, no special skills or knowledge are required. Humidity sensors should be placed in the areas, and as soon as the soil becomes dry, the sensor will signal the PC that it is time to water.

You can do without sensors; then all you need to do is set up automatic water supply at certain time intervals, and the garden will be watered at the frequency you need.

Interestingly, some modern models and installations already support control via telephone and Internet, i.e. you can be tens or hundreds of kilometers from your dacha, but pick up your phone, launch the application and water the lawn!

Types and their structure

Home automatic watering systems are divided into numerous types, which are united only by their purpose and common name. To understand what they all represent, let's look at the most common systems.

Microdroplet devices

This is the same irrigation system that is usually used in an outdoor garden, but in a slightly smaller form. It is used if there are a lot of plants in the house, and at the same time they are located compactly - in one room. Water is supplied either directly from the water supply system, or from a special plastic tank using a pump. The design usually involves the presence of an on and off timer.

Ceramic cones

This design option is the simplest, and it is this that folk craftsmen usually use in their creations. The idea is that water is supplied to the pot from an elevated reservoir, simulating a water tower - just enough moisture should be supplied from it so that the soil never dries out. Such a mechanism gets clogged quite easily, and it is difficult to calculate the exact position of the reservoir to supply water in the required quantity, but even very cheap ceramic nozzles are available for simple two-liter bottles, which provide watering for a month in advance at a minimum cost.

Double pot

In this case, the inner vessel plays the role of a classic pot, that is, it contains the soil and the plant itself, while the outer product is a water tank. The walls of the inner pot have small holes with a membrane that can let water through in limited quantities and only as the soil inside the vessel dries out

Varieties of automatic garden watering schemes

There are several variations of automatic watering schemes that can be seen on the Internet. All of them are mobile and are selected based on the characteristics of the territory and the types of green spaces. The most popular option is a water supply scheme that uses a pumping station. Water from the source is pumped through pipelines and supplied to the plants using sprinklers or in the form of drops. A filter is installed after the pump.

It is possible to provide a unit for applying fertilizers. It consists of a container, an injector and shut-off valves. Such a device will definitely come in handy when organizing an automatic watering system for greenhouses, vegetable gardens and gardens. The solution is supplied into the pipeline using an injector. The number of irrigation lines is determined based on the nature of the plantings and the pressure in the network. The choice of drippers or sprinklers is made by calculating the water flow required for watering the plants.

To organize automatic watering for flowers and lawns, a sprinkler irrigation scheme is acceptable. It can also be used in the country, watering low-growing plants, the height of which is 10-15 cm. In this case, the pipelines are laid underground so as not to create obstacles when mowing the lawn. Sprinklers can also be located in the ground and extend at the beginning of the system. Automatic watering can work without a pump unit. Water is supplied by gravity, which is most often used for drip irrigation.

Automatic drip irrigation scheme for garden

Ceramic cones for automatic watering of indoor flowers

An effective, but not the most budget-friendly method of autonomous watering.

How the method works:

Purchase ceramic cones at a flower shop or online. They are equipped with a sealed lid with an attached drainage tube.
Before use, the device must be soaked in water for about half an hour so that the cone is saturated with moisture. The lid should be closed without removing the cone from the water, so that air does not get inside.
The prepared cone is stuck into the flower pot along the “shoulders”, and the tube is lowered into a container of water.
Moisture flows to the roots of plants as the soil dries. The cone is filled with water from an external container due to the vacuum formed inside.
The lower the container is located in relation to the pot, the more moisture will flow into the ground.

This method of autonomous watering is good if the roots of the plant are not too tightly woven into the earthen ball in the pot. Otherwise, attempts to squeeze the cone will damage the root system and the plant will die.

Another drawback is the rather high price of the cones.

How to make automatic watering yourself

Ceramic cones can be replaced with thick wool threads or cords. One end of an improvised irrigation cord is placed in a flower pot, and the other in a container with water.

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To prevent water from evaporating from the surface of the cord, it can be threaded through cocktail tubes.

Attention! The ends of the cord must remain free, otherwise the liquid will not flow into the pot.

If the automatic watering system is clogged

A large amount of minerals are dissolved in water (especially hard water). They gradually settle on the walls of automatic watering systems, which sooner or later leads to clogging.

Blockages in autonomous irrigation systems can also be caused by microalgae, which thrive in warm water.

To clean cones, they usually use soaking in a solution of acetic acid and mechanical removal of remaining deposits - a long and unpleasant process. To avoid it, you can use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.

This is a preventive measure. Peroxide prevents minerals from settling on the walls of the cones and does not harm plants. It is recommended to take at least 40 ml of peroxide per bucket of water.

Attention! Water filtration will help combat the development of microalgae.

Organization of subsoil watering for the garden

Subsoil irrigation system is used in small summer cottages. It is also advisable to arrange it for greenhouses. This is a fairly economical option that does not require high water pressure in the system and can work safely due to the difference in height between two communicating tanks. Underground root irrigation ensures minimal water loss and prevents evaporation.

The disadvantage of a do-it-yourself subsurface irrigation system is the likelihood of rapid clogging and labor-intensive installation. On a planted plantation, it is problematic to arrange intra-root automatic watering, since the root system of green spaces can be damaged.

This type of watering is convenient for perennial plants that need constant moisture. Water at a comfortable temperature reaches the roots slowly and evenly, which helps to constantly maintain moisture in the soil.

The controller allows you to set the time, strength and frequency of watering

Installation of the system is carried out similarly to the above automatic watering options. Here you will need a plastic or metal pipe for the main pipeline, a perforated hose for branches, a pump, a controller and a filter. The pipes are laid in a pre-prepared trench with plastic film laid at the bottom.

A pump is connected to the storage tank. Next, the filter and controller are installed, and the main pipeline is connected. Do-it-yourself automation of a garden watering system involves turning on and off the pump unit at a certain time. The following parameters are optimal for subsoil irrigation: pressure – 0.3 m, water speed – 0.2 l/s. 3-4 days after starting the system, it is necessary to dig up the soil in several places and check the degree of its moisture.

Self-watering from a bottle

This type of automatic waterer is the simplest; to make it you will need one plastic bottle. The volume is selected depending on the volume of the pot. For small flowers, a 0.5 liter container is suitable. It is done as follows:

Small holes are made in the lid; the intensity of watering will depend on their number and diameter.

Next, water is filled into the bottle.

Then you need to place the top of the bottle in the ground.

Another option for automatic watering

This kind of watering is quite simple to do, but has many disadvantages:

Constant watering;
Intensity cannot be adjusted.

What it is

Automatic watering is a special system that automatically irrigates the soil surface.

Atowatering is an effective way to care for plants, however, it can be used independently for no more than 14 days. After which you will need to add water or clean the structure.

For long business trips, automatic watering can be connected to the sewer system. This will ensure the plants have constant access to moisture.

Operating principle

Each element of the system plays its role:

The controller is the “brain” of the design; it is the one that monitors the auto-irrigation timer, supplies water when needed and controls its level.
Storage tank – heats water to the desired temperature.
Pipeline - through it water enters the soil.
The pump supplies it to the system.
A sprinkler and a dripper are what water the plants. Depending on the settings, water is supplied in small or large drops.

The controller plays an important role in the automatic watering system. It is he who determines when the soil needs irrigation.

The need for automatic watering for indoor plants

Many plants can live without water for about three weeks. Here everything depends on weather conditions, soil structure, etc. It is difficult to imagine how a plant will behave in a drought, therefore, it is better to play it safe and build automatic watering for indoor plants. He irrigates the land strictly as needed.

Automatic watering is a convenient system that provides the level of moisture necessary for plant growth. Everything is produced according to the specified parameters, so there is no need to be afraid that too much or little moisture will be supplied.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of such a system are:

rational water consumption - the system itself analyzes how much moisture is needed for the soil;
convenient - you don’t need to constantly walk around with buckets, the system itself will take care of each plant;
improving the condition of the soil - with this irrigation option, water is consumed as much as necessary. A person pours “by eye”, which negatively affects the roots of plants, as well as their subsequent flowering and fruiting;
easy installation of the system and maintenance of it - you can create the structure yourself.

Among the disadvantages is the high cost of purchased automatic watering systems, especially if several such systems are required. However, this minus is compensated by reduced water consumption.

Automatic watering from plastic bottles

Many gardeners know how to set up a drip irrigation system from plastic bottles. The operating principle of this device is very simple:

Take a container of mineral or carbonated water and, using a hot knitting needle or nail, make two holes: in the lid and in the bottom.
The bottle is filled with water, turned upside down and secured above the pot or buried in the ground up to the neck.

The most difficult part of this job is adjusting the frequency of drops and calculating the volume of liquid needed for watering over several days. To do this, you need to measure in advance how much water will flow out of the bottle per day and check how well the soil mixture is wet. Depending on these observations, the diameter of the hole in the cap and the volume of the bottle are adjusted.

What water to water indoor plants

It is not recommended to use ordinary tap water to moisten the soil, as it most often contains heavy salts. These salts will gradually coat the roots with a coating that will prevent moisture absorption.

You can take water from the tap, but you must first filter it, or better yet, let it sit for at least 24 hours. The settled water will also become the same temperature as the soil.

The optimal water temperature is room temperature.

REFERENCE! Experienced flower growers are sure that it is not worth choosing mineral and distilled water to moisten the substrate.

Once a week you are allowed to water the plants with water from the aquarium. This is no longer just a liquid, but a ready-made organic substrate.

Automatic watering for indoor plants from plastic bottles

How to make self-watering for indoor plants from plastic bottles while on vacation? Attention! Read to the end, you didn’t know about this method yet. I once saw this trick on the channel “Crazy Hands”

The author of the idea is E.Yu. Khramov.

Place flower pots in a tray, tray or bowl with a thin layer of water at the bottom. Place a plastic bottle of water there.

Place a flower pot and a prepared bottle of water in a tray or bath.

You must first make two small holes in the bottle with an awl or a thin nail. One - as low as possible, at the junction of the bottom with the side surface, the other - 1 - 3 cm higher. The plug is screwed tightly.

Make two holes in the bottle with an awl

Water from a bottle placed in the tray will pour out until the water level in the tray is at the mark midway between these two holes.

As soon as the plants absorb some of the water from the pan and the level drops, some water will flow out of the bottle again - the level in the pan will be restored.

Make sure the system is working by removing some of the water from the pan using a sponge or towel. Air bubbles will immediately begin to rise in the bottle, and some of the water will pour out of the holes.

Now the water is leaking out of the bottle and air bubbles are visible.

How to set up automatic watering for indoor flowers from a bottle

This automatic watering system is made very quickly. But it would be good to adjust it in advance.

What water level do you need? Let’s say 1 cm. In this case, we pierce the 2nd hole at a height of approximately 2 cm. The water level for most plants should be low, i.e. The water should just touch the soil at the bottom of the pot.

If the water level is too high for one of the plants, you can put something under the bottom of the pot. Or insert the plant into another similar pot with holes in the bottom, like the one in my top photo.

What kind of pots do you have, large or small? Are the plants fast growing or not so fast? How many days will the water last? You can, if necessary, put several bottles or a hard plastic canister.

When the water in the bottle runs out, the soil in the pots will remain wet for several more days. How many days for specific plants can be established in advance experimentally.

Is the bottom of the flower pot flat or ridged? Is there a drainage layer at the bottom or not? If there is a high side on the outside of the bottom of the pot and/or there is drainage from large pebbles inside the pot, then the water may not reach the roots of the plants when standing low. Then the water level must be changed: a second hole must be pierced higher.

Water will flow most abundantly into unglazed ceramic flower pots with a flat bottom without drainage or with drainage in the form of sand in the pot. But if both the bottom of the pot and the tray are very smooth and water does not penetrate between them, then you should put something under the pot: a couple of toothpicks or matches, for example.

Which plants are suitable for this method of watering on vacation?

Not all plants are suitable for heavy moisture, especially in winter: the roots can rot. My tradescantia and asparagus tolerated a long stay in a basin of water very well. This method of automatic watering is also suitable for begonia, calla lilies, anthurium, monstera, cyperus, indoor bamboo, calamus, hanging reeds, in short, for marsh and semi-swamp plants.

For plants with very moderate watering, it makes sense to cover the drainage hole in a clay pot at this time, for example, with plasticine. Water will very slowly be absorbed through the pores of unglazed ceramic as the soil dries.

Or organize a capillary method of automatic watering.

Construction principles

The concept of automatic watering is briefly as follows. There is a water source, from which a main pipeline is routed across the site to the irrigation zones. Next, using tees, crosses, small-diameter pipes and water supply devices, an irrigation system is created. For normal operation of water outlet units, filters are required; they are installed on the main water supply. That's all. Everything else is specific. There may even be a pump or a control system, or you can do without them

Do-it-yourself automatic watering system is a real task

Read here how to organize water supply to your home from a well or borehole.

How to control

Irrigation can be controlled by a controller (automation unit) or a person by turning the tap. If a controller is installed, the system is almost completely automated: it turns the water supply on and off at a given time. There are devices with a very high degree of automation - they monitor the weather, soil moisture and adjust the operation of the equipment in accordance with this data. In the simplest version, automatic irrigation supplies water at a specified time and turns it off after a certain period of time (set in the settings).

If there is no irrigation controller, a person needs to open the water supply and stop it. But that’s all that’s required of you; the irrigation system will do the rest.

Water consumption and irrigation intensity

Since the flow of water through distribution points is generally normalized, it is possible to determine with fairly high accuracy how long watering should last so that there is not too much water and not too little. If all watered plants require the same amount of water, no difficulties arise, but this does not always happen. This is the case with a lawn; sometimes there are extensive plantings of identical plantings in a vegetable garden or garden. But a more common situation occurs when some plants are more moisture-loving, others less so. There are several ways to solve this problem:

Install drippers or sprinklers with adjustable water flow. With their help, for each area or plant, set the required amount of moisture in one watering.
Use multi-zone controllers. They can independently control multiple watering zones. This is convenient in the garden, garden or greenhouse, where there are extensive plantings of plants that require different moisture levels.

Sometimes it is more profitable to make two autonomous irrigation systems

Make several independent systems. Sometimes this is more profitable than stretching a long pipeline from one section to another or purchasing complex controls.

That’s why you can do automatic watering yourself: you have a lot of opportunities to achieve the desired result.

Where to get water from

The source of water for an automatic irrigation system can be a water supply system, a container with pumped water, a well, a well, a river, or a lake. In all cases, filters are installed on the main pipeline. It's just that different sources require different equipment. If you pump water from an open source (river, lake), be sure to install a coarse filter first, then a fine filter. In all others (except for drinking water supply) only equipment for fine cleaning is installed.

Watering the area with your own hands can be done from any water source.

If we are talking about automatic watering of a garden or greenhouse, then it is definitely better to first pump the water into a container where it will heat up, and then distribute it throughout the area. For dachas and garden plots there are a number of systems that work almost by gravity. They need minimal pressure, which is created by raising the container to a height of about 1-2 meters. There are systems that can work if the container is raised 10-40 cm above the ground.

With such an organization - with a water container - you can choose any pump for an automatic irrigation system. If only he could periodically pump water into the tank. The water level in the container is most often controlled by a float mechanism (like the one in a toilet tank). In this case, do not forget to provide for an emergency overflow and take it to some source, otherwise your area may turn into a swamp.

If a water supply is used as a source - centralized or not, and drip irrigation is selected, a reducer is needed to reduce and stabilize the pressure in the system, since most of this equipment can operate at a pressure of no higher than 2 atm.

Types of systems

There are several types of automatic watering systems for indoor plants. They all do their job well, you just need to choose the right one.

Microdroplet systems

If there are a large number of indoor flowers collected in one room, it is advisable to use micro-drip automatic watering systems, similar to garden ones. The water supply comes from the central water supply, and the on and off time is controlled by a timer connected to the electrical network. The system operates completely autonomously, which is very convenient when the owners are absent for a long time. For an average collection of up to 30 plants, drip systems with a reservoir are suitable. A tube extends from the container to each flower, supplying water. it is connected to a dropper with a plastic or ceramic tip, which is buried in the ground.

The water supply in a conventional dropper is manually regulated. Rotate the wheel to adjust the watering intensity, for example, 10 drops per hour or 10 ml. Devices with a ceramic tip have the ability to control soil moisture and supply water when there is a lack of moisture.

Microdroplet system

Ceramic cones

Automatic watering for indoor plants is provided by ceramic cones, which are popular among gardeners. Outwardly, they look like ceramic “carrots” with plastic or rubber tubes. The “carrot” itself is placed in a pot, and the end of the tube is placed in a container of water. There is no control over the water supply here. It is supplied under pressure as soon as the soil dries.

As an alternative for a vessel with water, use a bottle with a ceramic nozzle. Simply attach the nozzle to a plastic bottle and place it in the pot. The device supplies the right amount of water and does not require attention. it’s convenient and economical, because a 2-liter bottle will last for a whole month. The use of porous, ceramic material ensures drip irrigation through the pores.

Ceramic cone

Enema balls

Externally, enema balls resemble spherical flasks with pipettes for watering. Water is poured into them and placed in a pot. When the soil dries, oxygen enters the stem of the flask and squeezes out the amount of water necessary for the flower. Enemas have worked well, but they also have a drawback - a poor dosage that “floods” the flower.

Enema ball

Self-irrigating pots

The design consists of 2 containers. One is internal for planting an indoor flower, and the other is deep for water. The soil will absorb water through capillary mats or special wicks located under the flowerpot. The mat or wick is saturated with moisture and transfers it to the flower pot. The pot has a water indicator, which allows you to accurately determine when to top up. The design allows you to avoid rotting of the roots from excess moisture.

Self-irrigating pot

Prologue.

Summer has come and those of us who are planning to go on a trip will somehow have to organize watering of flowers in the absence of the owner. For some reason, repeated experiments with handing over keys to good people have a bad effect on the health of the flowers. But this is not surprising. Who can, for a month or two, visit your apartment every three or four days and water the flowers... for receiving a ghostly souvenir brought from a trip.

Searching for a ready-made automatic plant watering machine on the Internet was unsuccessful. All these machines, even those that cost much more than $100, cease to inspire confidence at the first close examination. Either these are just poor capillary systems, or sophisticated machines on microprocessors, but for some reason assembled in plastic boxes.

As for amateur designs, I also looked through everything I could find on the net. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a single design worthy of attention. All of them turned out to be more like a figment of the imagination, transferred to paper. I also “drew” one of these schemes in my head when I was walking in the park and thinking about the design. I even mocked it up and connected it to the sensors.

The machine counted down a pre-programmed number of days (well, how could we do without it), monitored sunset, soil moisture, and controlled the pump.

But when I began to explain in detail the algorithm of operation of this scheme to my wife, it turned out that the machine should be able to adjust the watering schedule not only in the direction of being ahead of the schedule, but also in the direction of being behind the schedule, which completely defeated the point of using a timer. Actually, it was the presence of a daily timer in factory sprinklers that led me astray from the right path at first.

And indeed. If the air temperature has dropped or the humidity has increased, then you need to water less often, and if it has become dry and hot, like hell, then more often.

It turned out that the main element of automation was the soil moisture sensor, and not the timer at all. But why did consumer goods manufacturers choose a timer? Maybe because the moisture sensor was unable to provide a correct estimate of soil moisture...

How I managed to make a really working soil moisture sensor is written in detail here.

I assembled the sprinkler on the instructions of my wife. She also proposed the initial technical specifications.

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How to water indoor flowers on vacation? Preparation

Houseplants need watering all year round, but watering houseplants during the holidays often causes difficulties or concerns for many of us.

The closer we leave, the more often the question arises of how to water indoor plants so that they survive until we return. Therefore, every gardener tries to ensure sufficient watering of indoor flowers during the holidays in different ways and methods.

We will tell you about different watering methods and give useful recommendations.

An important point in providing indoor plants and flowers with moisture is to prepare them for the lack of usual watering. Carrying out preparatory work significantly increases the plant’s resistance to future “drought”.

Depending on the types of plants and indoor flowers, they can do without standard watering from 7 to 15-20 days.

If there is no watering for more than 20 days, it is best to use an automatic watering system. We will talk about it later in the article.

Carry out the last feeding of indoor plants and flowers no later than 14-16 days before departure. After feeding, plants need more water to absorb minerals.
2-3 days before departure, cut off all buds and flowers from house plants, as well as as many leaves as possible (several large ones or more small ones, but in moderation, without much loss for decorativeness). The more green mass, the faster the plant evaporates moisture. During pruning, check all plants and flowers again for diseases and pests (first inspection 7-8 days before).
Move plants and flowers deeper into the room to reduce the air temperature and light level around them, and as a result reduce the rate of water evaporation. Place pots of plants as close to each other as possible. This will create a zone of high humidity in the room.
Before leaving, water your houseplants a little more than usual to ensure the soil mixture is well saturated with water. Some types of them are best watered using the immersion method. After watering, it would be good to surround the pots with damp moss.