Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Kleftiwallah on May 24, 2018, 19:07

Title: Automatic watering system
Post by: Kleftiwallah on May 24, 2018, 19:07
Good evening everyone.  I've cobbled together an automatic watering system but need to ask a seemingly simple question.  How much water do I allow each plant so it doesn't go dry but I don't waste water.

How much water do greenhouse crops, i.e. tom's, sweet potatoes and melons need?  I can allow the drips to fill a container and that way calculate the water rate.

Cheers,  Tony.

P.S. (if it works) how are these for a fine pair of pears)!
Title: Re: Automatic watering system
Post by: JayG on May 25, 2018, 10:55
I understand what you're trying to do but for me there isn't a simple answer - much depends on the size of the plants, the size of the containers they're in, and the ambient temperature.

A fully grown tomato plant consumes much more water than a young one, and in warm sunny weather my greenhouse plants need watering every day, but in cooler cloudy conditions perhaps only every 3 days.

Obviously hard to reflect that with an automatic watering system - I think you can only use trial and error to aim for a compromise flow rate which will avoid extremes of over or under watering most of the time.
Title: Re: Automatic watering system
Post by: Kleftiwallah on May 25, 2018, 13:16
Thanks for that JayG. 'tis a case of 'suck it and see'!

Cheers,  Tony.
Title: Re: Automatic watering system
Post by: Mr Dog on May 25, 2018, 17:18
There are retail systems about that adjust the supply to the plants' needs - the Tropf Blumat system and generic ceramic cones being ones that I know of. Otherwise it really is suck and see.