Guerrilla auto-Irrigation (Watering your plants when you aren't there)

[DJ_highst_]

How do you mix your nutes into this system? I want to use a drip system this year, but dont know whats the best way to mix my nutes before it goes into the drip lines. I was thinking of rigging some sort of fertilizer injector before my drip lines, but dont know whats the best way to go about it. I love this thread great source of info. peace_highst

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

This is not a indoor Hydro system, it just waters normal in the dirt plants.

Just put regular soil fertilisers in the soil, or use liquid fertilisers either mixed onsite(Miracle grow) or ahead of time at home(Guano tea).

Trying to rig up injectors and such is going to be expensive, difficult to keep clean and dialed in, and probably prone to break downs. I'd just stick to basic dirt farming outdoors, and feed by hand or feed the soil before planting.

 

[DJ_highst_]

This is not a indoor Hydro system, it just waters normal in the dirt plants.

Just put regular soil fertilisers in the soil, or use liquid fertilisers either mixed onsite(Miracle grow) or ahead of time at home(Guano tea).

Trying to rig up injectors and such is going to be expensive, difficult to keep clean and dialed in, and probably prone to break downs. I'd just stick to basic dirt farming outdoors, and feed by hand or feed the soil before planting.

I'm not doing indoor hydro

I need to feed the plants more than just soil ammendments to get through the whole summer. I cant feed by hand bc it takes forever, and the plants are hard to get to when they get large. A drip system is a must in my case. It would take me hours to hand mix ferts and hand water.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I know you aren't doing indoor Hydro, my point was you don't need to make dirt farming that complicated to get great results.

How many plants are you growing? Feeding with a basic liquid fertiliser once a week should only take 30-60 seconds per plant.
And I can't see why you couldn't get by with only basic soil fertilisers, many folks don't feed again after planting. A blend of Osmocote time release fertilisers with a good Compost should be plenty for a good season, hitting it with a liquid fertiliser once a week(or two weeks) will make it just that much better.

I think you need to describe your situation a bit better, and what kind of fertilisers you are wanting to use, cause I'm a bit baffled by your problems?

I will tell tou that you don't want to store water already mixed as a fertiliser solution, you will just be asking for algae soup a few weeks down the road.

 

[DJ_highst_]

I would love to see someone hand water this in 30-60 seconds per plant. You just CANT get to the plants when theyu are this point.



I am not sure what nutes I am going to use yet, I want to make sure it will work with the drip system first. I was doing organic teas last year and I know that wont work bc it has too much sediment and will clog lines for sure.





If I did a rez it would consist of a small tank of un-mix ferts in a insulated box and be mixed right before the solution was applied. I have a place for it already and could sit neatly out of the way.

something similar to this.
http://www.ezflofertilizing.com/

My only real problem is rigging a valve that can mix the nutes acuratly some point in the drip line before it gets deliveried to the plants. Another reason why I want to do this is bc it will be used for multiple seaosn and it cant just live of the food alreday in the soil, it will need more feedings over time.

Thanks for your help BC

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

OH! OK! The pictures revealed what was not making sense to me, you are growing in your backyard, not guerilla style out in the woods, this makes much better sense now, LOL!

Everything I said has validity for what my system was designed for, that being watering distant plots in the wilderness that are too far away to get to regularly, I also still believe you can feed once or twice a year, even in a back yard, but many folks choose to feed regulaly like you, and of course thats your call, it would not be practicle in a guerilla grow.

In your backyard situation you are wanting to use a Automated system for the sake of convienence, I'll give you a few ideas:

The luxury model would use two independant systems, one for watering and one for feeding, this way even if the feeding one gets plugged, the watering will carry on, also you could dial in a different sched for feeding rather than watering. You could use one system of course, and simply hook the system up to the rez when you need to feed, but it sounds like you are really wanting to automate every last detail.

I have no idea how to completely automate feeding, if you were willing to premix your liquid fertilizers, then thats easy, but I have no clue about injectors and such, sorry.

 

[badmf]

DJ very very nice backyard there!! You can auto water with 1/2 line to avoid clogging. Use a group of gravel/rocks to break the flow so it won't erode. You can automate with a timer and since you are onsite stir it a bit before water cycles. If you want to control flow more use valves to each plant if necessary. Or you can add a pump and electrical timer. I have a similar set-up for M's with a pump and drip system.
Oh and BC I have done both organic and chem with chem you need to go lighter in concentration as it will build to toxic levels over time. And if you have a large rez nutes break down if not used quickly especially in high heat. during bloom months this isn't a problem.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Oh and BC I have done both organic and chem with chem you need to go lighter in concentration as it will build to toxic levels over time. And if you have a large rez nutes break down if not used quickly especially in high heat. during bloom months this isn't a problem.

I can't see premixing fertilisers into a unattended, unstirred rez being practicle.
Even if you didn't grow Algae in your rez, without stirring I would think most of the fertilisers would settle out of solution.
I think it would be best to just stick to dirt fertilisers, and occasional feeding with liquids, but thats just my opinion.

 

[badmf]

You'll love this BC, I use BC nutes they stay mixed, lol go ahead laugh aloud!

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

You should do a thread about it with pictures and show us all how to do it.

 

[jaykush]

putting some organic nutes in yor rez without a constant air flow will lead to anaerobic bacteria and fungi which will in turn mess your plants up eventually. your doin good mixin it in the soil no problems with that!

 

[SumHumFun]

OOOh the ideas

OOOh the ideas

Just found IC and this thread, I gotta say these ideas are great.
And they just make me think of other ideas and better ideas, oh no

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Thanks! Thats why I posted it up here!

I didn't get any systems in this year, the season has not been so dry, so hand watering will do for now. This winter I will have more time to get out to the hills and build my plots/systems way ahead of time, and get the resivours filled while it is still raining.

I have actually found something that should be way better than these types of systems that use the water timers and drippers, after working with these systems in my veggie garden and promoting their use for the last couple years I might be changing my tune substantially.

The new, better technology is called "Tropf Blumats", they are a watering device that replaces timers in controling a watering system. they can sense when the soil is getting to dry and respond by opening their water valve, as long as the soil stays moist enough, it stays closed and save the water for later when it is needed.
I think this is a great idea, it saves water by only irrigating when it is needed, and ensures that the plants will never wait for the water when they need it.

Here are some links concerning these devices, click em'!-

The ICmag thread-Tropf Blumats?

A website explaing the "Tropf Blumats"- rambridge.com- Tropf Blumats

I'd like to try a few of these next year, I have a feeling this is exacly what i have been looking for, for years!

 

[Gantz]

i was looking over a few things online and thought how good would an earthbox be to grow canna outdoors. watering would be easier. to make the grow more secure the box could be buried and the the top could be camouflaged.

and because the earthbox is kind of expensive a little diy is in order -> Build your own EarthBox

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Thats a pretty cool idea, its basicly a huge self watering pot. I could see growing one nice plant per pot, and possibly exapanding the size of the resivour part. I think you could possibly grow 3-4oz or so in the one shown in that tutorial, especially if you expanded both the size of the resivour and the soil containing part.

Here is a quick paint drawing I made to help folks visualize what the guy is making in the link Gantz posted-

Basicly you have a tub with a soil section on top and a water section on the bottom, the layers are seperated by a bulkhead created from another tub. A pond basket(a special planter used in ornimental ponds) placed in a hole in the bulkhead insures that the soil always reaches the water, and is able to keep it moist. A pipe that reaches though the lid down to the water area is used to fill with water, also note the overflow holes used to ensure the water level can't get too high and drown the plants.

This seems to be meant for people who must grow on balconys or decks, but I could see how the basic design could be tweeked fo the purposes of Guerrilla growers.
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I actually have been thinking of a very similar design, it was inspired by reading the various swamp/marsh growing threads, where growers use large pipes, planters, or buckets placed in muck or shallow water to provide a place for plants to grow without becoming drowned, and yet able to reach water.
I figured why not build a system for dryland guerrilla growing using the same idea, the difference being that the grower would create his own pond with a container of water, like a shallow tub, refilling it every week or two depending on need.

When you think about it, this Earth box and my artifical swamp grow idea are pretty much one in the same, seems like this may be a pretty good basic outline for a great passive irrigation system.

 

[Hindu Killer]

Hmmmmmm!!!!

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I think varients of the earth box idea may be just the ticket to a fool proof, ultra-reliable watering system for guerrilla growers.

 

[Gantz]

can't wait to see someone actually using this piece of information. whoever will do it first might just revolutionize outdoor growing for us all...

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I think something like this would be very good for personal size growers, although it would be impratical for commercial growing(which seems to be the big thing here now). A more traditional drip irrigation system would be more pratical for large scale.

But yes, the average personal grower could use these earthboxes to create grows that need less attention, especially good for those of us who grow in very dry summer locations.

 

[Gantz]

And for all you guys that want a better how-to guide...here's a bucket version of it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZUCxBHeq04

i really can't tell how heavy is a 5 gallon bucket filled with wet soil...but in any case it's easier to transport if the situation demands it.