How To Auto Water
What is automatic watering?
Ultimately it is a watering system that is set on a timer to water on a predetermined schedule. This is great if you have a tight schedule and don't have much time to water. Or maybe you're headed out of town and need your plants watered while you're away. An extended location is the reason why I set this up.
Why did I set up this automatic watering system?
The longest I have been away from my plants has been four to six days at a time. That length of time is not an issue because succulents can last longer periods without water. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and planned a trip away from home for numerous weeks. This is my plants' first full summer, and the temperatures are consistently 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I needed a system to be able to water my plants on a frequent schedule.
Three weeks prior to leaving I was testing the system to figure out the best set up. I monitored the range of sprinkler to ensure all plants were being watered. I also paid close attention to how quickly the soil was drying up and it was about every three days. This was from the sprinkler running for 15 minutes. I increased the time to 45 minutes, and it kept the soil wet for about four days at a time. While being gone it is programmed to turn on at 9pm, every four days, for the 45 minutes. My terra cotta pots will accommodate the short span of days since the soil dries out quickly.
Supplies used:
Brand: 2WAYZ
Product: 2-way hose splitter
Price: $23.99
Sourced: Amazon
Feedback: I have used a cheaper product from a different brand that worked well. This time I wanted more durability so I paid extra assuming quality matched and it did.
Brand: Orbit
Product: 58910 Programmable Hose Faucet Timer, 2 Outlet
Price: $49.99
Sourced: Amazon
Feedback: 1 outlet options are cheaper but I wanted to spend the little extra money for potential needs in the future. Having two systems on separate schedules can be beneficial. The product is a bit heavy on the spigot so in the future I will be getting supplies to attach a piece of flexible hose that’s long enough from the spigot to lay the timer on the ground or shelf.
Brand: HOUSE DAY
Product: Expandable Garden Water Hose With 9-Way Spray Nozzle 100FT
Price: $39.99
Sourced: Amazon
Feedback: I bought this four years ago and it is still working well. Its lifespan was being used on a condo balcony but now in a backyard with rocks. I have other expandable hoses that are less flexible/expandable but are far more durable if being drug around. This is just for the sprinkler system now and no longer using the spray nozzle either.
Brand: Melnor
Product: 65003-AMZ MiniMax Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler with QuickConnect
Price: $19.99
Sourced: Amazon
Feedback: Hands down amazing!!! The head allows you to adjust the width of spray from the left and right, how far it oscillates from both front to back, and also able to adjust water pressure to reduce or increase the overall range. The QuickConnect is an adapter to quickly clip and release a hose to the sprinkler head.
Tap on the link to view a brief video of this setup.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out.