Watering Systems (Vacation or Otherwise)

[badatusernames]

I saw a few threads about this, but no centralized resource thread for folks to share their watering systems. In an effort to consolidate some of what I've found, I thought I'd make this thread, and encourage others to share their own setups and opinions. Two ways I've identified from the forum so far involve top vs. bottom watering:

@Brian Van Fleet's setup here seems to be the Cadillac, whereas @sorce's setup here is more attainable and budget-friendly, with less setup time, for watering from the top

@Joe Dupre' suggests here that it may be enough to put your plants in 2" of water if you'd like to water your plants from the bottom

It seems as though there's discussion as to whether top or bottom watering causes fungal issues, but I don't know enough about that and will let others chime in.

What are other people doing?

 

[JudyB]

An old thread of mine, it's basically the same setup, but with more timers and a better bench system for sure.
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/automatic-watering-system.19516/

 

[Paradox]

I just use a garden hose, a lawn sprinkler and a timer

Melnor Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler 234-995 - The Home Depot

Green lawns and blooming flower beds require the right amount of water. Get the gentle coverage your plants need with a durable metal oscillating sprinkler. Waters up to 4,000 sq. ft with 20 durable brass

www.homedepot.com

Orbit 1-Port Single Dial Timer 62056 - The Home Depot

One dial allows complete timer control functionality. Cycles easily from set clock, set watering time, how often, how long, then run program. A rain delay is built into the run program function. A manual

www.homedepot.com

 

[Cadillactaste]

I just use a garden hose, a lawn sprinkler and a timer

Melnor Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler 234-995 - The Home Depot

Green lawns and blooming flower beds require the right amount of water. Get the gentle coverage your plants need with a durable metal oscillating sprinkler. Waters up to 4,000 sq. ft with 20 durable brass

www.homedepot.com

Orbit 1-Port Single Dial Timer 62056 - The Home Depot

One dial allows complete timer control functionality. Cycles easily from set clock, set watering time, how often, how long, then run program. A rain delay is built into the run program function. A manual

www.homedepot.com

Basically similar...when I vacation. Other than without the timer. All my trees go to my back patio. Caregiver comes to tend animals enters from that patio. Turns on sprinklers. Tends the dogs and critters...exits same patio shuts off water. Actually can't exit without the water being turned off or get drenched. Works great for me.

Even with timers...I would send one to ensure it looked as if they had been on. Or send them over the time they are on. *For the original poster of this thread. Because I've known one where timers have failed.

 

[coltranem]

I just use a garden hose, a lawn sprinkler and a timer

Melnor Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler 234-995 - The Home Depot

Green lawns and blooming flower beds require the right amount of water. Get the gentle coverage your plants need with a durable metal oscillating sprinkler. Waters up to 4,000 sq. ft with 20 durable brass

www.homedepot.com

Orbit 1-Port Single Dial Timer 62056 - The Home Depot

One dial allows complete timer control functionality. Cycles easily from set clock, set watering time, how often, how long, then run program. A rain delay is built into the run program function. A manual

www.homedepot.com

I do the same. I usually add new batteries before I leave but I still worry.

 

[Matt B]

If you really wanted to go all out, put a hose bib splitter, add a cheapo battery timer on one side with individual drippers in the plants, and another timer system with the good old fashioned metal oscillating sprinkler on it. Or feed both timers into the same dripper system. That would provide some backup just in case. Worst that could happen is double the water, which would run out the bottom of the pots, no harm, no foul.

 

[Paradox]

Basically similar...when I vacation. Other than without the timer. All my trees go to my back patio. Caregiver comes to tend animals enters from that patio. Turns on sprinklers. Tends the dogs and critters...exits same patio shuts off water. Actually can't exit without the water being turned off or get drenched. Works great for me.

Even with timers...I would send one to ensure it looked as if they had been on. Or send them over the time they are on. *For the original poster of this thread. Because I've known one where timers have failed.

I have never had a timer fail. I always put new batteries in when I install the system in the spring. I have had a sprinkler get semi clogged and not cover the area correctly which resulted in the death of 3 trees by the time I figured out there was a problem. That was my fault, the sprinkler had been acting wonky and I cheaped out and didnt replace an older sprinkler with a new one that spring. Learned my lesson. I always keep a spare spinkler in stock and if I dont like how one is operating at least a little, it gets replaced. A $25 sprinkler is better than losing a $200+ tree.

I now start up the sprinklers at least once a week to make sure that I look at the timers so I know the batteries are still good, they still work and that the sprinkler units themselves are functioning properly with coverage and amount of water. I also check the yard to make sure they ran in the morning when they were supposed to.

Nothing is fail safe. But I would rather trust a timer and batteries that I checked myself and made sure they were working over relying on someone that might not feel like doing it that day, has to work late, or has another issue that causes them not to be able to take care of it or just plain forget. Heard of too many stories where friends and relatives were not so reliable.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have never had a timer fail. I always put new batteries in when I install the system in the spring. I have had a sprinkler get semi clogged and not cover the area correctly which resulted in the death of 3 trees by the time I figured out there was a problem. That was my fault, the sprinkler had been acting wonky and I cheaped out and didnt replace an older sprinkler with a new one that spring. Learned my lesson. I always keep a spare spinkler in stock and if I dont like how one is operating at least a little, it gets replaced. A $25 sprinkler is better than losing a $200+ tree.

I now start up the sprinklers at least once a week to make sure that I look at the timers so I know the batteries are still good, they still work and that the sprinkler units themselves are functioning properly with coverage and amount of water. I also check the yard to make sure they ran in the morning when they were supposed to.

Nothing is fail safe. But I would rather trust a timer and batteries that I checked myself and made sure they were working over relying on someone that might not feel like doing it that day, has to work late, or has another issue that causes them not to be able to take care of it or just plain forget. Heard of too many stories where friends and relatives were not so reliable.

Valid points. I've someone here tending my dogs 4 times a day. Paid care giver. They have to tend my animals. They also have plants...even if not bonsai. So my situation is different.

I do like your protocol on how you handle sprinklers.

 

[JonW]

Rather than upset my wife when I want to drive home from visiting her family up North, and she doesn't want to commit to a specific time we are leaving, I decided it was worth $150 to setup a drip/spray system. I have a digital timer from Mr. Drip that I can program down to the number of seconds it turns on. In Spring and Fall, I might set it to spray 10-seconds 2x during daylight. In the middle of summer, 3-4x ensures there are no drooping leaves when I get home from work. If I recall, I got most of the parts from Rain Bird. I use mist/spray emitters with a flexible arm/neck so I can point the spray at the soil and keep the leaves dry. It snakes through my 2-tier bonsai bench that I made from 4x4s and concrete blocks. The emitters are a bit finicky to install in the 1/2 inch tube the first time, but once its setup, I just reconnect the hose each Spring and it's good to go.

 

[kale]

I just came up with a little hack of my own! Although surely its been done before. I have yet to find a 1/4” dripline sprinklerhead I like so I made my own using a small nail to puncture holes in the hose.

 

[Paradox]

@kale you have a good idea with your "hack". The only problem I see is that it only waters the roots that are near the trunk and the ones further out dont get any water. You need to get water to the whole area of the pot. So maybe a design that allows for the roots further out to get some water too would work better. Also you could use a piece of heavier aluminum wire to hold up your water loop as well.

 

[andrewiles]

On the timer side, for peace of mind, I'd recommend one of the wifi-enabled gadgets with email or app-based alerts. E.g. https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-B-hyve-21004-Faucet-Compatible/dp/B0758NR8DJ

You can configure these to send alerts to your phone every time watering stops, starts, fails to start, etc. Even if the timer itself fails to check in to their internet servers. So regardless of where you are, as long as you have cell access you'll know if there is any problem with the watering. These systems also have smart watering programs that adjust the watering based on the weather forecast. Worth the extra money, imho.

 

[kale]

@kale you have a good idea with your "hack". The only problem I see is that it only waters the roots that are near the trunk and the ones further out dont get any water. You need to get water to the whole area of the pot. So maybe a design that allows for the roots further out to get some water too would work better. Also you could use a piece of heavier aluminum wire to hold up your water loop as well.

Thanks for the feedback @Paradox ! I will try suspending it a few inches up. Also I think the top dressing of sphagnum moss helps distribute it a little better as well but I agree I think it needs some tweaking.

 

[Maiden69]

I just came up with a little hack of my own! Although surely its been done before. I have yet to find a 1/4” dripline sprinklerhead I like so I made my own using a small nail to puncture holes in the hose.

That is the same set up that I use for my garden trees, but I use the 1/2" line with a bunch of these inserted. For the trees I am going to run a 1/2" line the length of the bench and branch 1/4" tubing from it with either some dripline, or mini sprinklers. depending on the tree needs. I think this way I can better control how much water I use.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

I just came up with a little hack of my own! Although surely its been done before. I have yet to find a 1/4” dripline sprinklerhead I like so I made my own using a small nail to puncture holes in the hose.

Clever! maybe instead of raising it up to get the edges of the pot you just poke a few holes to the side?

 

[badatusernames]

I'm still marinating on this

I may try a drip line this year