Category: Irrigation/watering

Using Analog and Digital Timers to Automate Your Garden

  
This 24 hour timer allows you to set the digital time and has 6 different on/off settings. You can also choose what days for the timer to run. This is useful if you are going on vacation for 2 weeks and you are still feeding your garden regularly with a dry day at the end of the week for the soil to dry out and expand root growth. The dry period will reduce the risk of over-saturation problems.

Electronic timers have a variety of uses in the grow room.  I use relatively cheap timers from a department store, but the turnover rate is rather high.  If you plan on leaving your system running for a few days without checking it, you may want to invest in the high end timers to ensure they will not die or malfunction on you.  The cheap timers come with a battery backup so the time is not lost in case there is a power outage.  That does not mean that the device plugged in to the timer will still run at its designated time.  There will not be enough power for that.  All the battery does is ensure the device plugged into the timer still comes on at the right time given the power comes back on.

SAFETY TIP: Keep electronic components, surge protectors, timers, extension cords, and all devices with a plug off the ground of the grow space.  Hang them high on the wall where they will not possibly be sprayed.  Also make sure they are not in the path of ANY potential flood. You can also make a waterproof box for your electronic components. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS STEP!!  IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR HOUSE!

Digital Timers are useful for things like air circulation, water pumps, and sometimes air pumps if you need your aeration cycled.  If you are trying to manually control temperature and wind a timer will come in handy.  It will allow to set precise on/off timings for your fans.  Make sure to check the timer you buy to make sure it has what you need.  Some do not have the 3 prong connection and can only use smaller 2 prong cords.

SAFETY TIP: I know what you are thinking, “I’ll just get a plug converter to make the larger size fit.”  DO NOT OVERLOAD SURGE PROTECTORS, TIMERS, OR OUTLETS.  Do not attempt to give a circuit something it is not rated for.  Using the right size electrical components is a good and SAFE habit to get into from the start.  Losing your house to an electrical fire while you were gone is not worth saving a few dollars on a timer or extension cord.

Most people will use digital timers to control their water pump.  The timer will tell the pump when to run so you can control your watering and feeding schedule without being there.  You can set any type of schedule you want with timers.  You will have full control without ever being present.  Many cloning systems need timers to have a mister or fogger automatically raise the humidity every day.  Digital timers can also be used for lighting systems to precisely control the light cycles.

Analog timers can be used when you need many intervals of on/off cycles.  Things like aeroponic and bubbleponic cloners might use something like this.  These timers also work fine for lighting systems.  Just push down the pins or put the on/off pins on the times you need.  Pay attention to the timers clock and the order of times.  Not all analog timers have the times in the order they would happen.


Introduction to Drip Systems

Drip systems are an extremely important component to any top level gardener using soil or top feed systems.    Drip systems can be used outdoors to irrigate small or large gardens and lawns.  They are a great investment for indoor gardeners because it takes the manual labor out of watering and feeding.  It also benefits your plants by ensuring they receive water every day in proper amounts.  The extra time will allow you to create a bigger garden or simply spend less time with your garden for the same benefits.  Indoor gardens must consider the gardener and the plants needs because the relationship is dependent on each other.  If someone feels they are spending too much time in the garden for little reward they may be discouraged and give up the greener lifestyle.

Submersible pumps like this one have rubber suction feet to stick to the bottom of your water or nutrient reservoir

I’ll start by explaining the heart of the drip system.  The most expensive part of your drip system is the water pump.  There are submersible and non-submersible water pumps.  Small gardens and reservoirs will usually use a submersible pump.  If you are setting up your first drip system a small submersible pump should be enough.  Water pumps in the US are rated by Gallons Per Hour(GPH).  The GPH rating of your water pump will come into play when you are deciding what size water pump you will need.  I’ll explain how to calculate the necessary GPH for your drip system in a later article.

The thick blue storage tote is the container or reservoir for the water.

Creativity might be handy when deciding what to use for a water reservoir.  If you are at all concerned about your health, and you most likely are if you have decided to grow your own food, you should try to stick to food grade plastics for all the parts in your garden setup.  You can buy reservoirs at hydroponic shops, but they can have a high ticket.  It is easy to find something around the house or at local department stores to use as a reservoir.  You can also go to US Plastics to order food grade plastic.  A bigger reservoir can mean a longer span in between reservoir changes and topping off with water to compensate for evaporation.  I always get reservoirs with lids or make my own.  Lids will help to prevent algae from growing in your water.  It can also keep pests and other contaminates out of your solution.

The next important piece of the drip system is the air pump.  The air pump brings fresh oxygen from the room through an air tube and out of a submerged air stone.  The air stone will help to keep the reservoir full of oxygen.  The water will bubble and agitate the water so it does not become stagnant.

Drill a hole through the reservoir wall towards the top so you can put tubes and cords through it.

If you are making a home made drip system, you will need 1/2″ tubing for the water to transfer from your submersible pump through the drip lines.  Use a hole puncher made for drip lines to poke perfect holes in the 1/2″ tubing.  The holes are for connectors to be put in to make bridges between 1/2″ tubing and 1/4″ tubing.  Most drippers connect to 1/4″ tubing.  The great thing about homemade drip systems is you can customize them to your hydroponic setup.  No matter what type of garden you have, a drip system should be your next upgrade.  If you already have a drip system than be sure to watch for the upcoming articles about building bigger and more advanced drip and top feed systems.

The air pump delivers fresh oxygen via air tubing to the water or nutrient reservoir

You can get all sorts of connectors to for the tubing so anything is possible.  When the 1/4″ tubing is secured to the connectors attached to your 1/2″ tubing you are ready to add drip emitters, drip lines, or sprayers.  Whatever you choose as your water delivery method, make sure there is somewhere for it to drain off.  In recirculating systems the run off goes back into the water reservoir to be used again.  It’s more economical this way for water and nutrients if you are using them.  The other option is a run to waste option.  I have also put a guide up for building a simple run off table.  Its a very simple design that anyone can build.  Homemade hydroponics can be easy with the right knowledge and the right set of tools.  Refer to the pictures below for more details and if you would like to know more about drip hydroponics check back in the next few weeks to get some in depth knowledge.  Sign up for the RSS to get the articles sent to your favorite feed reader or email address!

Inline drippers have 1/4" tubing on both ends so the drip line can continue running to the final destination. The Red dripper will drop 1/2 gallon of water per hour into the medium while the pump is on.

The open ended 1/4″ tubing will deliver the most water per hour, but small pumps have a hard time holding a steady stream for multiple 1/4″ tubes. Distance also slows down the performance of the pump
Stakes are used to hold the drip lines in place. Make sure the medium is secure around the stakes. Try not to damage roots when placing stakes in growing medium.

How Much Should YOU Water Your Plants?

When people are first starting to garden, they are unsure of how much water their different plants need to thrive.  To find out specific plant watering needs you can do a Google search on that species and find out ideal watering conditions.  From there you can either set up a drip irrigation system on a timer to automatically water your plants or hand water them daily.  You can get a moisture meter from a nursery or hydroponics shop and use it to find the relative moisture in each plant’s soil.  Make sure to wipe off the ends of the probe for your moisture meter each time in order to get a proper reading.  If you don’t use the tool correctly than you have wasted your money buying it.  Hydroponic waterings are a little different and will be discussed in a later article.

If your plants are droopy or limp they may need more water if the soil is dry or less water if it is saturated.  Plants also need plenty of oxygen in their root system and in their water.  If you drown out the roots with water they will receive no oxygen and actually suffer from the watering.  I recommend drip systems for soil and soil-less grows alike.  The timer on the drip system gives the gardener full control of timing and duration of waterings.  The pump can be in a water filled reservoir with an aeration device attached to an air pump.  The air pump will promise fresh oxygen to your water 24/7.  This method does have a higher start up cost but will certainly pay its self back in time saved.  As icing on the cake your plants will thank you for offering consistent, aerated, and daily waterings.

There are plenty of other benefits to drip irrigation for indoor gardeners.  When you are unsure of how much to water your plants, use a consistent method to monitor how much you actually are giving them.  With a large reservoir of aerated room temperature water the roots will receive the same watering experience every time. Keep that in mind.  If the plants are receiving the same type of waterings every day at the same time, and environmental conditions remain the same, than it will be easier to see how your rate of watering is affecting plant growth.  Also remembering to take factors such as root growth, pests, and fertilization into account for other possible changes in growth.  A digital timer will allow you to set up multiple waterings a day at the same time every day, based on when your day begins or your lights turn on.

The more light each plant receives, the more water it will need.  A plant outside in the sun will likely need much more water than a plant in a container inside under cool fluorescent tubes.   If the plant is using more energy, it needs more water to absorb the nutrients necessary to continue growing at max capacity.  Other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity can come into play when trying to find how much water your plants use on a daily basis.  If there is a lot of wind in the growing environment the plant can dry out faster.  Humidity is also lowered during windy periods.  The combination of less water in the air and air flow drying out the grow medium will lead to dry roots quickly.

One last point to keep in mind:  Do not let your plants stay wet or soaked in water for days on end.  The growing medium needs to dry out at least every couple days.  Occasionally letting the medium dry out will prevent mold and mildew.  An even greater benefit is the extended root growth.  Roots will grow in search of water and nutrients.  That means a good drought is necessary every once in awhile as long as its not severe.  If you notice your plants leaves hanging too much or wilting then give them water right away!  Keep these tips in mind and use common sense and your green thumb will be glowing in no time!