Automated Greenhouse watering system-quite cheap!!

We have just started using our greenhouse and to save extra watering time we wanted this automated.. We purchased 2x 120 litre food barrels from the fleabay £3.07p. one of those auto irrigation kits £4.99. two old greenhouse guttering ends.some washing machine pipe from a broken machine and one standard push fit hose connectors.

Pictures are best so there is one or two added.the washing machine pipe is flexible and the same diameter at the plastic end fittings!cut a hole in the barrel lid for the pipe to go through.

Made a hold towards the bottom and because the irrigation kit had 3/4 end fitting for an outdoor tap this means we would have had to buy one especially for the water butt.The end result is the standard hose fitting,no seal needed!

And it actually works a treat!!!:)

what sort of auto watering thing did you get i thought they all needed mains pressure to work?

Hi Ropster,

it is an AM-TECH 74PC irrigation kit which has a 3/4 outdoor tap fitting,i used the end of a water spray gun fitting with male end.

The system is on 6 30 litre pots and drips quite fast,i slowed it down by adjusting the height of each pot,so instead of having the 1st pot higher than the rest they are slightly higher at the end pot.

I suppose a brass tap would be much better but these seem to work fine.the hose connector is the type with the stop valve inside so i do not lose the water whilst unplugging.At the moment one 120 litre drum lasts over 1 week on the six pots,obviously the large the longer they last but is great to be able to leave them without worrying!

In the greenhouse I am growing all my tomatoes and cucumbers and they are doing brilliant

thats great, ill have to look at that for mine, what is the most pots that kit will feed ?

I added another two yesterday and it still works fine,I am planning of having a total of 12 30 litre pots,the kit has plenty of drippers for this.I thought that was pretty good value,I have heaps of the pipe left over!

just set up my system, hope it keeps my toms watered, had a bit of a mare getting a fitting on the water butt but have maneged to cobble something together. i could have put a tank connector on it but then there would have been no way of turning it off

finally got the hump with the tap connection dripping so i have drilled a hole in the water but and put a plastic tank connector in which by luck is exactly the same size as the connection