What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

Also, is there any simple way of setting this up
so that it can be activated remotely by computer?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin

On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:02:42 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

Also, is there any simple way of setting this up
so that it can be activated remotely by computer?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Lookey Here
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...g&meta=&rlz =





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but other than by newsindividual.net is not being posted by me and should be disregarded .
Remove NOSPAM to reply by e-mail

On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:02:42 +0100, Timothy Murphy wrote:

What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

You can marry them!

--
The Wanderer

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid;
humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant;
together they are powerful beyond imagination. ¡X Albert Einstein

"Timothy Murphy" wrote in message
...
What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

There are multi-channel seven day controllers designed specifically for
this, but I've only seen them on sale in French garden centres, along with a
huge array of semi-professional grade automatic watering fittings. In
Britain, the usual offering is Hozelock or Gardena, which I have been very
disappointed with.

Colin Bignell

On Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:02:42 +0100, Timothy Murphy wrote:

What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

Also, is there any simple way of setting this up
so that it can be activated remotely by computer?

Computer controlled might be overkill.

Depends how much you are watering, 6 acres with 30K worth of plants would
demand a better system than a few pots in the back yard.

For a few plants I've used the hozelock with micro tubing stuff, that
worked okay see

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/AC1+-ti...structions.asp

though I would just get the timer and ebay/other compatible fittings if
doing it again.

Steve

In uk.d-i-y, Timothy Murphy wrote:
What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

Also, is there any simple way of setting this up
so that it can be activated remotely by computer?

Hozelock and Gardena make all the bits. I usually recommend Hozelock
because they're more widely obtainable at B&Q, garden centres, etc. The
timers are quite simple but I've not seen any that can be remotely
controlled (though ground-moisture-sensing is an option with Gardena at
least). Just add wide-area sprinklers. If you want to water individual
tubs etc, you'd use a low pressure system with a network of mini tubes
and sprinklers. There are a lot of options there and it can seem a bit
daunting at first but once you get started it's a doddle. You can get
"starter kits" containing the bare essentials then supplement it with
extra components when you've worked out what you need.

--
Mike Barnes

Mike Barnes wrote:
Hozelock and Gardena make all the bits. I usually recommend Hozelock
because they're more widely obtainable at B&Q, garden centres, etc. The
timers are quite simple but I've not seen any that can be remotely
controlled (though ground-moisture-sensing is an option with Gardena at
least).

If you can get an electrically-controlled valve, switch it with an X10
relay. Then you can have a PC with an X10 controller programmed however you
like. X10 usually communicates over powerlines, so you don't need extra
wiring.

Theo

Theo Markettos wrote:
Mike Barnes wrote:
Hozelock and Gardena make all the bits. I usually recommend Hozelock
because they're more widely obtainable at B&Q, garden centres, etc. The
timers are quite simple but I've not seen any that can be remotely
controlled (though ground-moisture-sensing is an option with Gardena at
least).

If you can get an electrically-controlled valve, switch it with an X10
relay. Then you can have a PC with an X10 controller programmed however you
like. X10 usually communicates over powerlines, so you don't need extra
wiring.

Theo
LIDL have a timer on offer from thursday 23rd. No idea on quality but it
is £12.99.
Caveat emptor
Bob

In message , nightjar
writes

"Timothy Murphy" wrote in message
...
What is the best way to set up a system
for watering a garden every 2 or 3 days, say?
Can one buy devices that do this?

There are multi-channel seven day controllers designed specifically for
this, but I've only seen them on sale in French garden centres, along with a
huge array of semi-professional grade automatic watering fittings. In
Britain, the usual offering is Hozelock or Gardena, which I have been very
disappointed with.



I'd not recommend Hozelock timers, I've found them very unreliable 9I've
had two die on me for no obvious reason and my parents had one dies on
them as well) The Gardena ones seem a bit better.

I've used 'generic' version of the Hoselock fittings fine, which were a
fair bit cheaper

I also used an alternative system that doesn't require timers, Tropf
Blumat, which responds to the drieness of the soil..

The system uses ceramic probes inserted into the soil/compost, as the
soil dries out the valve in the probe opens to allow water through.

Bit more expensive, but system is very reliable and works well. And
doesn't water the plants unnecessarily when it rains.

http://www.blumat.at/Weninger_engl/seiten_engl/frameset1_engl.html
http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/category/TROPF.htm

Plenty of old discussions from uk.rec.gardening to be found on google
groups.


--
Chris French