Automatic watering system for indoor plants. How to make automatic watering of indoor plants

How to take care of soil moisture for indoor plants before being away from home for a long time? Useful automatic irrigation system.

Micro-drip devices for automatic irrigation

For a collection of plants in the same room, on a balcony, loggia, patio or in a greenhouse, garden micro-drip systems of automatic watering. This " younger brothers"gardening systems, described in detail in the article. Micro-drop devices are connected directly to central water supply. Water is supplied and turned off at a predetermined time thanks to the built-in timer. When leaving on vacation or a business trip, you don't have to worry about the fate of the "green lodgers".

The best option for a house or apartment with an average collection of up to 30 plants - micro-drip irrigation systems with reservoir . Many tubes come out of the tank, through which water enters the droppers. The latter are plastic or with a ceramic tip, which is stuck directly into the ground.

ON THE PICTURE: Micro-drip irrigation system with a reservoir for a collection of up to three dozen plants.

A conventional dropper is manually adjusted with a special wheel. Its scrolling regulates the intensity of watering, for example, up to 20 ml. (20 drops) per hour.

Advanced ceramic tips act as soil moisture sensors. Depending on the moisture level of the soil, the droppers supply water or stop watering.

Ceramic cones

Popular among flower growers ceramic cones. These are kind of "carrots" from which plastic tubes extend. "Carrot" is stuck into the pot, and the end of the tube is lowered into a tank of water. At the same time, the process of water supply is not controlled manually. Moisture is drawn from the pressure vessel each time the earth dries out.

Producers of "carrots" unanimously speak about high quality and device reliability. However, the bad experience of some flower growers has shown the opposite. Ceramic cones clog easily, sometimes do not form desired pressure. Have to look right place for a water tank to create this very pressure. But even here a problem arises: if you install the tank too high, there is a risk of flooding the plant, too low - the water may stop flowing altogether.

ON THE PICTURE: Ceramic cones are not very reliable, because. often clog and do not always provide the desired pressure.

In the absence of free space to install a vessel with water near the plant, use ceramic bottle cap. The advantage of this method is its ease of use. Attach the nozzle to an ordinary plastic bottle filled with water, insert it into the pot and forget about watering. The device will control the water supply itself, and the plant will receive exactly as much water as required. This is a great economical option: when using large two-liter bottles, you can forget about watering for a whole month.

ON THE PICTURE: Ceramic nozzle on the bottle - a simple and economical option for automatic watering.

There are decorative variations of ceramic cones in the form of animals, birds, butterflies, etc. They look very cute and are able to enliven the interior. But, unfortunately, such "toys" are not suitable for irrigation: because of the small volume, you will often have to add water.

enema balls

Outwardly, "enemas" look like spherical flasks with watering pipettes that are filled with water and inserted into the pot. When the soil begins to dry out, oxygen enters the stem of the flask and pushes out plant needs amount of water. In general, "enemas" are a good option for automatic watering, but they do not dose water well and sometimes flood the plant.

ON THE PICTURE: Enema balls provide watering of the plant and look original in the container.

self-watering pots

The self-irrigating pot consists of two containers. A plant is planted in one of them, water is poured into the other. The plant gradually absorbs moisture through special wicks.

ON THE PICTURE:"Smart" containers cope with the function of automatic watering of plants. Photo Tatura Florist.

Such a container is usually equipped with a water indicator. This allows you to accurately determine how much moisture is left in the pot and when you need to top it up. Technology self setting a similar irrigation system is shown in the video: "".

Do-it-yourself automatic watering organization: three simple ways

Automatic watering of a collection of plants can be organized independently, and for a short time and without significant material costs.

1st way

You will need: several hospital droppers according to the number of plants in need of watering, a 5-liter plastic bottle, an elastic band or wire for fastening the ends of the tubes.

How to do:

1. Remove the needle tips from the droppers.
2. Check droppers for integrity by blowing into them. If the tubes are not damaged, they will be well blown from both sides.
3. Connect the ends of the tubes together and tie them with an elastic band or wire. So they will lie quietly at the bottom of the bottle, and not float on the surface. try do not pinch the tubes .
4. Dip the tied ends of the dropper tubes into the water bottle and place the bottle as high as possible.
5. Open the dripper regulator by running water through the tubes, then immediately close it.
6. Insert the free ends of the straws into the pots and use the wheel to adjust the amount of incoming water.

ON VIDEO:In addition to droppers, medical syringes are suitable for creating home-made irrigation devices. From such a syringe, a plastic bottle and a PVC tube, a drip irrigation device is obtained.

2nd way

You will need: plastic water bottle. The size depends on the root ball of the plant. For a tub, several medium-sized bottles are taken, for a compact pot - one is small.

How to do:

1. Make small holes in the bottle cap.
2. Place the bottle upside down in the container with the plant.

ON THE PICTURE:Automatic watering from a bottle, plastic or glass, is also good for indoor seedlings. Photo by Megan Andersen-Read.

3rd way

You will need: nylon cords or laces, woolen threads, twisted bandages or any materials from which wicks can be made; a basin or bottle filled with water; peg for fixing the wick.

How to do:

1. Twist an impromptu wick from improvised materials.
2. Dip one end of the wick into a container of water.
3. Secure the other end to the plant container with a peg or other means.

ON THE PICTURE:Wick automatic watering will keep healthy and fresh. Photo by u/skysong4.

1. Micro-drop automatic irrigation systems with connection to central water supply preferred for medium to large plant collections.
2. If the water supply is blocked during your absence, a micro-drip system with a reservoir is recommended.
3. for watering individual plants use bottles with ceramic nozzles - simple, cheap and effective. One container for 2 liters. enough for about a month of watering.
4. If the irrigation system is not equipped with a soil moisture sensor, it is better to purchase one separately. The presence of such a sensor will save plants from the destructive waterlogging of the earth.

Irrigation system designed for watering indoor plants clean water indoors and should not be used for industrial purposes.

Advantages of this automatic watering:
One of the best autonomous systems which allows you to leave home plants unattended for a long time.
Several hoses for plants of different lengths
Battery powered
Convenient setting of watering time and frequency of switching on
Has no analogues in this price segment

The principle of operation of the automatic watering system for domestic plants and the power of uniform watering!

1st day. System installation

7th day after system installation

14th day after system installation)

Characteristics and equipment:
The watering timer itself with a mount - 1 pc.
Hose 4/6 mm - 10 m
Tee - 10pcs
Thursday - 3 pcs
Through coupling - 3 pcs
Hose cap - 3 pcs
Irrigation drip - 10 pcs
Filter for water purification - 1 pc.

Also, if you want to extend the system, we have an expansion kit for 5 plants price - 250 rub

Expansion kit complete set:
Irrigation drip - 5 pcs
Tee - 5 pcs

Many are fond of growing indoor plants. This activity is not only interesting, but also quite a useful hobby. It calms nervous system, perfectly relieves stress, gives impetus to self-improvement and new knowledge. Success in growing indoor plants can only be achieved with systematic watering. But it's not always possible to do so. Business trips, work, and many other reasons that do not allow watering plants at a certain time. An automatic irrigation system is ideal for solving this problem. Having such a system, you should not worry about the condition of your favorite plants during your vacation, business trip. Rest assured that your plants will receive required amount nutrient moisture. The system can be mounted on a water tank using a special bracket or mounted directly on a standard plastic bottle. Requires 4 AAA batteries to operate (not included).

There is no need to connect to a water tap. System automated irrigation extremely compact. So it does not take up much space in the apartment. Watering is carried out drip method based on a human-defined schedule. One such system can water up to 10 indoor plants. The device works reliably and efficiently. If you use a large capacity, Easy Grow-10 will independently decide main problem- delivery of the required volume of water for the normal life of indoor plants. So such an automatic irrigation system can be not only a temporary lifesaver, but also work on an ongoing basis.

PREPARING THE SYSTEM FOR WORK

Cut the hose to the lengths you need. Using tees, splitters, connectors, plugs and drippers, assemble the irrigation system of the desired configuration and connect it to the top fitting of the controller. Assembly of the system will be greatly facilitated if the ends of the hoses are preliminarily held for several seconds in hot water. Connect a piece of hose with a filter to the lower fitting of the controller. Attach the bracket to the controller and attach it to the water tank as shown in the left figure. For water, you can use a plastic bottle, as in the right picture. In this case, you do not need a bracket.

Open the cover at the bottom of the controller, slide out the battery pack and install four AAA 1.5V alkaline batteries into it.

You will hear a short beep, and you will see the test passing on the digital indicators.

CONTROLLER CONTROL PANEL

- Digital indicator WateringTime(Watering duration) indicates how many seconds the pump will run. You can set the duration of watering from 1 before 99 seconds.

- Digital indicator IntervalTime (Irrigation frequency) indicates how often the pump will be switched on. If you set the value 0,1 , then watering will occur every hour. If set 1 , the pump will turn on every day.

If 2 then once every two days. Maximum value - 30 , i.e. once every thirty days.

- Left button sets value Watering duration. Pressing the button once increases the duration of watering by 1 second, and pressing and holding the button for 10 or a multiple of ten seconds time.

- Right button sets value Irrigation frequency. By repeatedly pressing this button, you can set the frequency of watering from 0,1 before 30 days.

- Button turns the pump on and off in manual mode, and also turns on the digital indication on the control panel.

To turn on the pump manual mode, you need to press this button twice - after the first press, the indication will turn on, and after the second press, the pump will turn on. A third press of the button turns off the pump.

- Led indicator shows what mode the controller is in:

Flashing fast in green- controller irrigates

Slow blinking green - the controller is working according to the set program

Solid green - the controller is being programmed

Solid red - Batteries are low and need to be replaced.

CONTROLLER PROGRAMMING

1. Press the button The display on the control panel lights up - the system is ready for programming.
2. Set with the left button Watering duration in seconds.
3. Right click set Irrigation frequency in days.
4. After a few seconds, the controller will turn on the pump and the first watering of the plants will begin, during which the LED will flash green rapidly. At the end of watering, the controller will go into standby mode - the LED will flash green slowly until the next watering.

System configuration

Control unit (Timer - 1 pc.), Hose - 10 meters, Filter - 1 pc., Tee - 10 pcs., Crosspiece - 3 pcs., Hose connector (Double) - 3 pcs., Droppers - 10 pcs. Plugs - 3 pcs.

Man cannot live without rest, and plants cannot live without water. Sometimes these needs come into conflict, because few people would think of taking indoor flowers with them on vacation or giving up a long-awaited trip in order to take care of house plants. As a rule, we trust close relatives and friends to water flowers during the holidays. However, this solution is not always feasible. Firstly, once again I don’t want to burden others with my worries. And, secondly, relatives and friends may simply not know how often and with what intensity to water your violet, geranium, crocus, etc. To save yourself from unnecessary worries, "Dream House" offers to familiarize yourself in advance with the most reliable and effective ways organization of automatic watering of indoor flowers during your absence.

Devices for automatic watering of indoor flowers

In specialized flower shops you can find several useful devices, which are able to provide automatic watering of flowers during the holidays. Let's take a closer look at their features and effectiveness:

• Aquaglob. This device is made in the form of a round flask with a very narrow spout. The essence of the device is quite simple: the aquaglob is filled with water, turned over and immersed in the soil with a narrow part. Since the opening of the flask is extremely thin, the water does not pour out of it immediately, but seeps out gradually. Depending on the size, aquaglob can provide automatic watering of flowers for a period of one to two weeks.

• Blumat(Blumat), which means "carrot", refers to an automatic drip irrigation system. The design of this device includes a cone-shaped base and a plastic tube. The base is immersed in the soil, and the tube is immersed in a tank of water. Since the system is equipped with special sensors, water enters the soil in a dosed manner. When the earth dries out, the device fills it with water, but if there is enough moisture, the valve on the sensor closes, and moisture is not transmitted. Thus, the device "waters" the flowers as long as there is water in the tank.

• Planters with automatic watering. Cache-pots and pots with automatic watering are equipped special system storage and transfer of water, which is at the bottom of the products. When you water the flowers, the rest of the moisture remains in the device, and then evenly distributed over the soil as it dries. Some of these and pots, in addition, are equipped with an indicator that allows you to set the mode and intensity of watering for several weeks in advance.

Devices for automatic watering flowers from improvised means

Everything modern systems automatic irrigation are created in the likeness of the well-known improvised designs. Therefore, it is possible to organize watering flowers during the holidays from improvised means.

• Automatic watering from a dropper. With watering flowers during your absence or vacation, a simple medical dropper can handle. To create an automatic sprinkler, you need to attach the dropper tube to the water tank and adjust the intensity of the dripping with a clamp. After that, put the dropper needle on the ground near the roots of the plant, but do not deepen it into the soil, otherwise it will quickly clog.

Watering flowers during the holidays - drip

How to water flowers when you leave home

• Automatic watering from a plastic bottle. An ordinary plastic bottle will also help to save flowers during the holidays. To make a flower drinker out of it with your own hands, you need to draw water into the jar, put a thin mesh on the neck, screw on the lid and use a needle to punch several small holes in the lid. After that, the drinker bank is turned upside down and deepened into the soil. Water will gradually seep through the holes and the plants will not be left without moisture. But, since the intensity of the “bottle” watering cannot be adjusted, it is likely that the drinker will flood the plant. To avoid this annoyance, use automatic bottle watering only for large-scale pots and moisture-loving plants.

• Automatic watering from capillary mats. Unlike previous methods, automatic watering with the help of capillary mats provides the soil with extremely slow, but regular moisture. This method automatic watering is very simple: you need to put a wide piece of cloth under the pot and lower its free edge into a container of water. Because the fabric tolerates moisture well, the soil will be hydrated through the pot's drainage holes. As a capillary mat, it is best to use a terry towel that gets wet quickly or a ready-made capillary mat.

• Wick watering. It involves the transfer of water to plants through a wick - any rope or cord that does not rot from moisture. One end of the wick is placed in a container of water, and the other is deepened into the soil. To ensure faster and better humidification, it is recommended to install a water tank above the level of the pot.

If shortly before leaving you decide to transplant the flowers, then pull the wick through the drainage hole of the pot and place it on a tray of water. In this way, root system plants will receive moisture without your participation.

We have already figured out a little about how to water flowers when you go on vacation. Now let's look at a few important nuances, which will help to preserve the flowers during your departure:

• firstly, so that the plants waste moisture more slowly, move them to a cool and dark place;
• secondly, install the pots close to each other so that the most capricious specimens are in the middle;
• and thirdly, whichever automatic watering system you choose, on the day of departure, water the plants abundantly and spray their leaves.

In addition, to reduce the amount of fumes, spread around flower pots drainage, moss or hydrogel. If a plant is very capricious and demanding to care for, cover it with a plastic cap with air holes, thus creating the most favorable microclimate.

But there are other methods of getting out of this situation: to keep the moisture obtained with the last watering (this method can work at most within 2 weeks and practically does not require financial costs) or equip an automatic irrigation system.

Ways to create automatic watering systems, irreplaceable in the case prolonged absence hosts, there are many. They can be both budgetary and quite expensive.

Keep moisture at the lowest cost

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

So to organize the simplest system moisture conservation, you need to water the plants well, it is best immersion method root together with a lump in the water.

Remove pots from windowsills: the weaker the lighting, the less moisture evaporates, and the less the plant consumes. Of course, no light growth will slow down, tender plants may be oppressed.

Cut buds and flowers, if possible, thin out the green mass - this is also necessary to reduce consumption water. Of course, the loss of decorativeness in this case is inevitable, and many plants recover for a long time after such an execution.

Compose all pots closer to each other, preferably in one container - for example, in a bath or a large basin. At the bottom, pour a five-centimeter layer of expanded clay, fill it with water. We put the pots, in between them laying pieces of wet sphagnum.

We cover the structure with a film. The most tender specimens can be placed in individual greenhouses.

Keep in mind that being "under the hood", plants with pubescent leaves (saintpaulia, pelargonium) can become moldy and rot.

Another minus - after they will have to again get used to the open air, opening the film in stages or reducing the humidity in the room.

Tips for creating automatic watering of 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 moisture source. You can make small holes in the lids of plastic bottles, turn them over and place them between the pots, making sure that moisture seeps out drop by drop.

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

Despite the simplicity and artisanal nature of this method, there is production devices operating on this principle.

They consist of glass flask, connected to a container immersed in the ground for uniform distribution of moisture.

The Austrian irrigation systems which can be purchased in our stores.

Wick system

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

Most reliable way - pass the wick through the hole in the bottom of the pot before planting the plant. All plants can be equipped with such a system in advance if you often leave the house.

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

Everything homemade systems need testing: water should drain with the desired intensity - this is regulated by the height of the water container relative to the pot.

Watch the video for a master class on making the Wick automatic watering system at home:

Hydrogel and granular clay

Well hydrated granulated clay or hydrogel(buy from garden centers) are also used for sub-irrigation equipment. These materials have ability to absorb a large number of water, and then gradually give it to the roots of plants as needed.

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

Droppers

Another not too expensive way of automatic watering can be arranged using medical droppers and a large plastic water can (5-6 l):

1. Buy droppers at the pharmacy at the rate of one for each flower.
2. Remove the tips and check each for integrity (purge).
3. Fasten the ends of the droppers together without pinching the tubes, and make the structure heavier with something. The tips should lie at the bottom of the jar and not float.
4. Put the jar on a hill, and the flowers - below. Dip the fastened tips into a jar, and the ends of the droppers into pots.
5. Open the regulator on the droppers and immediately cover them with the regulator, setting a slow drip of water.

colorful cones

Original watering came up with domestic producers- multi-colored cones that are filled with water, inserted into a thin stem and stuck into the ground.

As the earth in the pot dries out, oxygen enters the stem, pushing just as much water out of the flask, how much does a flower need.

Perfect fit for irrigation home plants, as well as greenhouse, garden, etc. This method has its advantages:

• practicality and originality of the solution;
• additional interior decoration;
• no threads, droppers, complex structures- everything is beautiful and simple.

Capillary mats

Flower shops sell rugs made from hygroscopic materials- so-called. capillary mats. They can be spread on any surface by lowering one edge into a container of water, and then set the plants on the mat.

Sometimes capillary mats are sold as a set with 2 trays: water is poured into the outer tray, an inner tray with holes is inserted into it and a mat is laid out. Manufacturers of this invention guarantee the watering of flowers within two weeks, and without rotting of the roots.

How to create a do-it-yourself automatic watering system for indoor plants, see the video:

By and large, you need to choose from two options: make an irrigation system yourself or buy a ready-made one. After analyzing them, you will surely find the best solution for you.

But don't forget and about the old proven way- to transfer your pets to the reliable hands of a person whom you completely trust.

Still, it is he who remains the most reliable.

Are you planning to leave home for a while? Have the parrot and the cat already been attached to relatives and neighbors? But what about indoor flowers? There are several simple, but no less ingenious ways of self-watering flowers without the participation of the owner.

The simplest and cheap way creating automatic watering for your indoor flowers is a pot-in-pot device. To do this, you need to choose a larger pot than the one in which the flower grows. The bottom of a large pot must be laid with pebbles, which must be covered with a sponge or rag. This is done so that the water does not stagnate and does not evaporate very quickly. After that, you can place the flower pot in a larger one and fill the distance between the walls with water.

In order to create more complex system drip irrigation, you will need a plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 5 liters, dropper systems or natural threads. The bottle is placed on a hill in order for the law of physics to start working - gravitational attraction. In this case, the height of the bottle should be greater than the highest flower pot.

At the bottom of the bottle, you must first make small holes for water to drain. Be sure to make holes at the bottom so that all the water ends up in the ground. After that, we place the pots around the bottle and bring our own thread or tube to each. If the design uses tubes from a dropper system, then it is better to adjust the rate of water inflow, because there is an opportunity for this. In the case of fabrics or threads, the water itself will gradually drain into the ground.

If there are a lot of flowers in the house or they are very large, then creating a common automatic drip irrigation system with one container is both inconvenient and impractical.

In this case, you can arrange drip irrigation for each pot separately. For this, you can use both complete dropper systems and simple ones. plastic bottles. It is enough to make several holes in the lid, which will determine the intensity of water flow. If the pot is small, then there should be few holes, since oversaturation with water is just as detrimental to the plant as drought. Once you have a full bottle of water, simply turn it upside down and plant it in the ground. By slightly deepening the neck of the bottle, you will naturally adjust the rate of moisture entering the ground.

If you decide to use drip systems, then simply fill the existing tank with water and connect the system to the plant. Aesthetically this method rather unattractive, since each plant resembles a patient who has fallen into a coma. But the effect is amazing. Upon your return, you will be greeted by the green, juicy leaves of your favorite flower and Fresh air in the room.

And finally last way- pot wick device. But you need to take care of it even during planting or transplanting a plant. It consists in the fact that a small piece of cloth or thread, the so-called wick, is placed on the bottom of the pot. The fabric must necessarily absorb moisture well. Inside the pot, it is imperative to make a good drainage layer that would allow air to pass through. On top of this layer, the end of the wick is laid and then covered with earth. If necessary, you simply place part of the wick in a container of water, and the roots themselves will determine how much water they need for life.

After the work done, you need to relax a bit. For example, if you were born under the sign of Taurus, then it will be interesting