automatic watering

[TightenUp]

anyone do automatic watering on their containers? i have 3 containers that i need to get watered when i'm not around. this will be often.

i have my hose hooked up to the fill tubes of my SWC's so i could tap into that but not sure the best way to go about things.

my timer is set to go off twice daily for 1 minute each time. so maybe connect a hose and puncture some holes in it and fix the hose to my containers? i can regulate water pressure with the shutoff valve on the Y connector. anyone ever do this?

i can make this a permanent system or also just a "to get by" system while i'm not here

[Tapout]

What you need to do is build a reservoir in a fourth container. The fourth container will only be for holding and distributing water to the other containers. The to keep the reservoir full automatically you can use the float system from the back of a toilet. Connect all of your containers in a series with some sort of pvc pipe about 1 inch up from the bottom of your container. Adjust the height of the water in your reservoir by bending the float bar up or down. Make sure all of your containers are at the same height as the reservoir because water will always seek level, if the containers are not level the water can be higher in one container then the other ect.. There are several threads about how to do this here.

[elight]

Check out this thread from this spring... Doubt you'll want to use the same exact system as me but hopefully the various components give you some ideas.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=21664

[rnewste]

If you can adapt the EarthBox Company's automatic watering System (AWS) to your specific containers, that is the most reliable and simple way I've discovered for SWCs. I currently have 38 SWCs tended by the Earthbox AWS and I couldn't be happier. Tens of hours per week saved from manual watering - and now, I can go away for a week or more at a time and never have to worry about my SWCs running dry.

http://store.earthbox.com/AWS-Kits/products/57/

This is the best investment I have ever made for a garden accessory.

Raybo

[Tapout]

50 bucks for some T's and some tubing seems pretty high.

[Chrissykin]

Originally Posted by rnewste

If you can adapt the EarthBox Company's automatic watering System (AWS) to your specific containers, that is the most reliable and simple way I've discovered for SWCs. I currently have 38 SWCs tended by the Earthbox AWS and I couldn't be happier. Tens of hours per week saved from manual watering - and now, I can go away for a week or more at a time and never have to worry about my SWCs running dry.

http://store.earthbox.com/AWS-Kits/products/57/

This is the best investment I have ever made for a garden accessory.

Raybo

I love mine, It works flawlessly. I just wished the Earthbox Jr. worked with the AWS.

[rnewste]

You ought to be able to shorten the Sensor Tube to adjust to the shorter Earthbox Jr. A little trial and error with the 1/4" tube is all you need to do.

Raybo

[Chrissykin]

Originally Posted by rnewste

You ought to be able to shorten the Sensor Tube to adjust to the shorter Earthbox Jr. A little trial and error with the 1/4" tube is all you need to do.

Raybo

They talked about in the EB forum. The mods said it is not possible. Something about the reservoir size.

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by Chrissykin

They talked about in the EB forum. The mods said it is not possible. Something about the reservoir size.

HA!! Send me an Earthbox Jr. and I will make the AWS work!

Raybo