Introducing: The GSWD, Guerrilla Subterranean Watering Device

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Hello all! I decided I better quit clogging up Silverbacks Collar thread, and Cascadias earthbox thread and make a new one for my current irrigation idea.

Here is a graphic showing basic description of the idea, this is just a general idea of what it could look like, in practice it could take many shapes and sizes-

The Peat inside wick tube, which is inside the main container, transfers water through capillary action up into the soil of the planting hole, also the plants roots may actually grow down into the device, but this not a problem since the device is virtually plug proof, its doubtful the roots would seek out the inflow tube and plug it.

As the water in the device lowers due to use by the plant, it is refilled automaticly from a external reservoir as it is needed by the plant.

To help visualize how the automatic filler works, I ask you to do this:

1. Find a empty plastic bottle, fill with water.

2. Half fill the bathroom sink, or get a large bowl and fill it halfway.

3. Place your thumb over the mouth of the bottle to seal it, turn it upside down and place the mouth just below water level in the sink or bowl. remove your thumb, notice no water comes out of the bottle......

4. Now carefully raise the bottle until the mouth breaks the surface, water comes flowing out in glugs, place the mouth back under water and the flow stops.

Each glug is air being exchanged for water in the bottle, as air enters the bottle, the heavier water is allowed to escape. This is how my automatic filler works, water can only be exchanged for air when the level in the device lowers below the outflow from the rez.

Now cut a small hole in the bottom of the bottle you used earlier, try the same steps 1-4 again. The water will continue to run whether the mouth is under water or not, this why the external rez for this system has to be airtight to work right.

Building these devices should be cheep and easy as a trip to Home dePot, Wal-mart, and/or a dollar store. Home Depot has 5 gallon buckets for under $4 a pop for the rez, or perhaps large rigid jugs could be located for inexpensive.
The container for the device itself is pretty easy to build, it doesn't need to be airtight, you may find some suitable 2-3 gallon containers with lids around the house, a bottle half the capacity of the container(like a 2-liter soda bottle) can be used to contain the wicking media, just cut the top off so the lip is just above the lid of the device container.

At any rate, this is my contribution to the irrigation craze going on here this winter, gonna give these a good go I think! I have to give much thanks to Silverback for providing the inspiration that led to the airtight automatic reservoir filler, this inspiration has opened a whole new door for me.....

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

How does the GSWD compare to the Gorilla collar??.....

How does the GSWD compare to the Gorilla collar??.....

.......this is a question that is on a few minds it seems, and considering the apparent similarities, I can see why some may ask this question, I'll try to explain why comparing the two systems is like comparing apples and oranges, and why they have quite different application potential.

First let me explain my personal mission, I'm a Guerrilla grower, I grow in places that are seldom visited, there is lots of rugged country out there, but I'm limited as to how far I can go out by the fact that I have to visit once or twice a week to water by hand.
Its been my goal for years to develop a system that would allow me(and other guerrillas) to visit their plots less(for watering), and still grow a great crop. Basically I've been looking for a way to extend visits to at least 3 weeks, with the final goal to develop a system that will allow visits only once a month. In my opinion, this would be to great advantage to a Guerrilla grower, your more freed up to take care of more plants through the summer, or to spend time you would normally use for watering to live your normal life, but most of all it would allow you show up at your crop less often, making investigation much harder for the cops. For me, it would also allow me to get my crops further from the inhabited areas, and into the deeper wilderness, where people rarely go, allowing substantially more security.

Now don't get me wrong, I love growing Cannabis, its not that I wouldn't love to see them daily if I could, but staying out of prison is much more important for me, and to be as safe as possible I need a irrigation system that will allow me to vacate as long as possible, this is where the GSWD comes in.

First, let me explain my perception of how the Gorilla collar works, there are two basic ways you can use it, with a Air-tight reservoir and without, I'll explain the advantages of both.

With a open(non air-tight) reservoir​

(in this image, air is represented by Gray lines, water by blue)

With a unsealed reservoir, water flows freely from it through the Collar so long as it has somewhere to go, which is the case in all but the most compacted soils. This is fine if you are a grower is simply using the collar to get your water directly to the roots, and visits every week or two, in this case it should work very well, and will save you substantial amounts of water per visit. But it won't do for growers needing 3-5 weeks between visits, if you hooked up a large reservoir to attempt a long period of time between visits, there is a good chance the rez would empty in the first or second week, leaving your plants on their own for a few more.

With a sealed reservoir​

(in this image, air is represented by red lines, water by blue)

With a sealed reservoir(like a 2-liter soda bottle) the Collar will preform much differently, because the rez is air-tight, air must filter into the soil and enter the collar through the holes drilled in its bottom, and them bubble up the pipe to the rez, where it displaces water in the sealed rez and allows water to flow. In order for air to enter the Collar, there must be "dry" enough soil around it to allow the air to enter, this is why using the Collar with a sealed rez is so much more efficent, water can only be released when the soil is dry enough to take it. Brilliant!

So why am I not happy with this design? I mean hook up a larger rez, and I should be able to get the 3 weeks or more I am after right? Well, the problem is to know how much water to leave for the plant depends on how much water it should use, and as long as it is consistent, I can do that.

The problem with the (air-tight)Collar and consistency is that the Collar is dependent on the soil surrounding it to meter out the water, when its wet and air can't get in it holds the water, when it drys air comes in and releases water.
But what if the soil is different where you planted before and got figures for water usage, from the spots you are using this year, if the soil is better draining, water usage will be faster, a matter of fact the air-tight Collar is very dependent on the soil to release water efficiently.
Another scenario, what if a burrowing animal like a Gopher or Mole(or a bug for that matter) dug a tunnel through your hole, depending on how close it is to the Collar, it could create a direct air vent that gets air to the Collar faster than intended, draining your reservoir much faster than intended.

The air-tight Collars dependency on consistent soil is what drove me to develop the GSWD, and again don't get me wrong, the Collar is a great design for growers who will visit once every week or two, but a slightly more sophisticate design is needed for long term self-watering.

The GSWD gets around the problems I listed above because transfer of moisture to the hole is done indirectly through Capillary action(like a type of wick), it does not depend on consistent soil to stay consistent in its job. It can also refill this wick independently of what air and water are in the soil, because dependency on the soil is eliminated.
Moisture will be introduced as water is needed by the plant, and never for any other reason.

Consistency, and dependability are what you need when you leave your girls alone for 3-5 weeks, and thats what the GSWD is all about.

And again, the Gorilla Collar is great for growers that visit often, or are growing huge numbers of plants, its a little cheaper to build, and easier to install, a great device for many growers!

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I get the feeling that this device may be the end of a years long search(by me) for a ultra reliable watering device for Guerrilla growers.

It has no mechanical parts to break, needs no batteries, has no small tubes or orifices that can plug up, and can be used with reservoirs large enough to minimize watering trips to once a month or more, allowing a grower to spend minimum amounts of time at the grow. A grower doesn't have to be so concerned whether or not the wild water he collects in the field is clean enough to not clog his dippers, cuz there are none!

All of the equipment can be buried, a huge advantage for Guerrilla growers facing air-craft searches, hunters, and woodsmen.

It should supply a adequate amount of water, without waste, all the water going straight to the plants root system.

 

[Guest]

It looks to me like it will fly Orville, but we wont know untill we try it. Get in and Ill push you down the beach!

This is pure science and invention BC. It may not be as impacting as the invention of flight, but it has its place. Can you include some specs on that design drawing? Depths and distances and such?



Like all half-asssed hillbilly science projects, I started this one off by developing 3 primary research goals. Those goals were:

1. Release the moisture underground where its needed

2. Control the distribution of that moisture so that its not lost to absorbtion by the surrrounding soil that contains no plant roots or through evaporation.

3. Smoke plenty of Sensi star during all phases of development and implementation of the project.

Your design has incorporated at least 2 of these primary research principles and will without question be effective.

Ive come to believe that once a grower has devised a method of releasing the moisture below the surface, it becomes a single focus of efficiency. The questions of how the moisture loss is controlled and the duration of the supplied moisture become predominant.

With regaurd to this being the final design, that may be true in terms of the basic concept, but ha! Dream on Orville. The first time you use it, you will modify it. That's the nature of invention.
Have you been on a 757 lately?

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Well, this is based on the Earthbox, a wildly popular, effective, and often duplicated self-watering planter , so I know the concept will work. As for specs, depths and distances and such? Like I said, it could take many shapes and sizes, there is no final design. This is basically a earthbox that you can bury under you plant, with all the benefits(efficent, reliable, long lasting irrigation), with none of the cons(confined planting space, equipment on top of the soil).

The novelty of it is that water isn't simply dripped or soaked out, the soil of the hole and the roots in it will be allowed to drink water from the device as it is needed, reliably. If the soil doesn't need it, the water will stay in the device and its rez, thats efficiency!

As for depth? I'd say anywhere from directly under the root ball of the transplant, to say 1.5 feet below it. As long as the device is under the initial root ball, depth is not too important because water is transferred by capillary action of the soil.

This device isn't so much meant to be found by the roots of the plants directly, it can supply water indirectly by allowing the soil to soak it as needed. But I am sure the roots will find the device, and will drink heavily.

I am thinking that a core of potting soil placed in the center of the soil from the top of the device to the newly planted root ball will ensure that the capillary action brings water to the plant reliably from the get go, but it should work well in most native soils.

 

[bushboy]

Had to unlurk myself to pipe in.....I follow both of you alls work, and you always have great Ideas and Advice.....52degrees north grrrrwilla saying thanky you much

 

[Mc__Nugget]

this, like silverback's collar sounds very reliable and efficient, i have used a couple of earthboxes in the past and love their simplicity. i think this will work beautifully but i have a couple of worries. A) if the reservoir were buried, it would become pretty hard to refill and re-seal to get an air-tight seal, if its not buried, it still must be very tightly sealed which might be a challenge. B) I personally cannot be seen hauling numerous buckets around state forrest land, as they could arouse suspicion. if you have private access to your spots this really shouldnt be a problem though. and C) all of that extra digging to bury all of the equipment necessary could put a strain on you older guys backs, especially in the larger ops. Im definitely not ragging on your design, i love it and i think the work you and silverback do is pioneering, and groundbreaking, im simply adding my views, as someone who carries all of their grow gear in a backpack through mountains may need some of these ideas slightly adapted, and if i can raise my qualms with them, someone else may just be able to find an answer.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

this, like silverback's collar sounds very reliable and efficient.

Thankyou!

A) if the reservoir were buried, it would become pretty hard to refill and re-seal to get an air-tight seal, if its not buried, it still must be very tightly sealed which might be a challenge.

Like I have been stressing in this thread, the drawing above is only a example of the shape and size the system could take, as long as you understand the concepts that make it work, it could take many shapes, the use of buckets is not required in the slightest.

If you did choose to use a bucket for the rez, the lid would need to be glued or caulked shut to be totally air-tight, so that lid isn't coming off at all in the first place.
Instead you would glue a threaded pipe fitting with a threaded plug that screws out(like a small cleanout your plumber would use to access your waste water plumbing with a snake) into the lid. This will allow very easy access without removing the lid.

But like I said, my drawing is not a blueprint, but rather a sketch to convey a idea with multiple possibilities. You could use a large jug(or a small one if you plan to visit often), the large plastic Carboys used for dispensing drinking water could have a nipple installed near the bottom(to hook into the system), many come with screw caps these days, but if not, a large plug could be devised to seal it.

B) I personally cannot be seen hauling numerous buckets around state forrest land, as they could arouse suspicion. if you have private access to your spots this really shouldnt be a problem though.

As I said, you could use smaller containers for your rez, you could use 2-liter bottles if you can visit often, my goal is a system that allows me 3 weeks between visits, with the eventual goal of a month, hence the larger reservoirs. But again, no reason it can't be a smaller rez.......

and C) all of that extra digging to bury all of the equipment necessary could put a strain on you older guys backs, especially in the larger ops.

Well, aside from the point that you can use smaller reservoirs, I'd say any chap who has the back to dig a hole for a plant can spare a little more back for 5 more gallons of hole.
Another point, this system is aimed more at smaller growers, growing personal ammounts, or a few pounds for sale, heavy croppers should look into traditional dipper systems, or even better would be Silverbacks collar.


At any rate, I'd like to state one more time, the drawing is a sketch to convey a idea, it is in no shape or form a Blueprint, or a set design. Once you understand the concepts, there are all kinds of possibilities.

My goal for several years has been to develop a irrigation system that is 99% reliable due to simplicity(has no electronics, drippers to clog, etc), highly efficient in use of water, and won't break your bank to build.
My other personal need is a system that is reliable and long lasting enough so that I can turn my back on it for at least 3 weeks, with the long term goal to be a month between visits. This will allow me to plant even further in the bush, increasing my security 10 fold, also the less I show up at the plot, the harder it is for the cops to investigate and ID me which is another 10 fold increase in security.
Anyways, my 2c.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Also, the post I reserved just below the main one will be filled in a few days with a complete build with pictures of my basic system, stay tuned.....

 

[Mc__Nugget]

backcountry - i will definitely test your idea (slightly modified of course out in the field this summer, i will try to put out 5 or 6 different variations and will definitely be reporting back in as the season progresses. i think i might also try 6 hooked up to a res which could be filled up with a nutrient solution. since i can only use collapsible reservoirs, maybe i will include a timer at the tap that will open the lines for 12 or so hours every one or two days. thanks bc!

 

[Guest]

Hey BC.

I believe there is one instance where your design would perform flawlessly and provide an advantage where none existed before and really that no other design can provide.

The circumstance i speak of is that of very poor soil Rocky, full of clay, no organic matter, what ever the reason some sites just arent conducive to growing. By providing your container filled with rooting medium and an attached moisture/feeding device, you have provided the essentials for growth and the surrounding native soil becomes almost insignificant to the plants health and growth. Its living on the containerized medium and your feed and water treatements.

Because the container is below grade, its temperature is natural and stable which will allow the plant will act naturally even though most of its roots arent in the native soil.

I looked at this design. It has that advantage over all others. Its my belief that you can grow in very poor shallow soil with your design.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I think you are missing the idea here Silverback, the idea isn't so much that the plants actually grow straight in the device, the device is actually designed to moisten the soil of the entire hole through Capillary action, just the same way the Earthboxes internal reservoir moistens all the soil in its planter section in a controlled and even matter.

I keep getting the impression you are seeing my device as a buried planter that the plant will simply grow in underground, and I can see why you are getting that impression, it does simply look like a buried planter.

But actually, this is the result of me trying to create a Collar with a more reliable, controllable, and even water distribution. Don't get me wrong, the Collar is a great watering device, but since it has not been tested as I will want to use it, I'd like to try another option and compare results.

The thing about the Collar is I'm not sure it can be guaranteed to give even water distribution because it depends on the air to run the air-tight system to come through the soil. Its hard for me to imagine what would be the right depth to ensure it ran correctly as I personally want to use it. I could imagine a scenario where inconstancy in the soil structure of the hole could provide to much air to the collar, and make it run too fast.

It(the Collar) certainly would work well for someone who will visit weekly to give small amounts of water as you depict, because you are simply trying to meter out the water slowly over a week, but I'm looking for a system that will give even results over the span of 3-5 weeks between visits, I can't take a chance that a glitch in the soil will drain all that water over the course of 2 weeks or less if I am doing the Collar.

Like I said, the Collar is a great device for saving water for a grower doing weekly visits, it will save much water over simply pouring it on the ground around the plant, and it is a bit cheaper and easier to build, so this appeals to growers doing more plants than I do.

I'm just looking for something that will meet my personal needs, and I think the GSWD just might be it.

 

[Mc__Nugget]

if this is relying on the soil for air to equalize pressure and replenish the system, the soil around could become oxygen deprived under the right conditions probably not though, just some something to watch out for. when are you gonna post those construction pics?

 

[Mc__Nugget]

also, just re-read your design and do you think that not adding an airline would allow this idea to be used with a non-seald res, instead relying only on the pressure between water and soil to equalize the levels?

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

also, just re-read your design and do you think that not adding an airline would allow this idea to be used with a non-seald res, instead relying only on the pressure between water and soil to equalize the levels?

No, I wouldn't do that, it may work, but it takes away the heart and soul of the of the whole idea. If you intend to use it as you say, I'd just use the Gorilla collar.

 

[Cascadia]

This is looking promising, I love the idea of using all the things that make the Earthbox appealing, while eliminating the problems involved in container planting.

You need to get cracking with a building demonstration, you got us all teased here....

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

A complete build and preliminary test will be up by Saturday!

 

[Bobby M]

Damn, let's see if I've got this straight...
The watering is done automatically, but only when it's needed.
The watering is done underground, so it goes straight to the roots and doesn't evaporate.
Not only is the water dispensed at root level, but air is actually released into the soil at root level.
Although it doesn't neccessarily have to be, the soil mix/rootball could be contained (plastic bag, rubbermaid, bucket, etc), thus isolating it from the surrounding, potentially dry and thirsty, environment and making the entire system potentially self-contained and self-sufficient; you could grow in the middle of the desert.
The reservoir could be as big or as small as you want, depending on how many visits to the plant you're able to make.
The reservoir could be filled with a nutrient solution, thus making the system essentially an outdoor hydroponic setup.

Far fuckin out. I can't wait to see this.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

High there Bobby M! Your first points about the GSWD should be right on, I have a few concerns about the last two.

The biggest weak point for the GSWD is finding/producing a truly air-tight, non-collapsible reservoir, if your rez is not-airtight the refill system will positively not work, it would turn into a soaker system that will run out of water quickly.

So far the only economical way I have seen to produce air-tight reservoirs is from sealing and modifying 5 gallon plastic buckets, I've yet to find a larger container that will work well. My plan is to simply add more buckets to provide longer term supply, each with its own system to fill the GSWD, meaning if one fails the other will at least limp the plant along until I arrive.

As far as adding liquid Nutrients to the rez? I'm just afraid you would be asking for Algae growth in the rez, although perhaps it wouldn't be to bad since the rez should stay cool underground.
But how would you keep the nutrient solution from settling out over the weeks between visits?

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Well, I got the build done on a airtight 5 gallon bucket rez, and two versions of the GSWD, the rez and both GSWD refill systems worked great. I was even inspired with more ideas to improve the parts of the GSWD to make it a smooth and easy to use system. The problem now is cost.....

After building and testing the devices with equipment I all ready had on hand, I decided to crunch the numbers on the parts costs........its about $44.00 to build one premo system for one plant, DAMN!! I was hoping for half of that or less........

Most of the problem is the need for the rez to be airtight and large enough to last for multiple weeks, the GSWD itself is quite economical to build. My mission now is to try and shave costs how ever I can, but it won't be easy. Glad I started this project so early!

Anyways, I'll get my build pics edited, and try to get a nice clear how-to up in the next 24 hours.........