Watering lots of plants equally by hand?

[Photosynthesis]

I have been searching for a programmable watering wand that would standardize the watering process. Something like, when you pull the trigger it starts a timer, and then shuts off when the pre-programmed time is up.

I can't find anything like this.

How else is everyone watering lots of pots by hand, and making sure everything is getting the same amount?

When you have to water 1,000 pots doing it with a jug seems archaic at best. Counting to 10 doesn't seem to be the answer either. There has to be some way to "dumb" this down, and speed it up.

Thanks for the input.

 

[vostok]

Easier to just train you to the correct method to watering plants, although many timers abound, by far the best method of deciding whether a plant needs water is to just judge its weight ...too heavy too wet ..as plants are sentient beings are able to decide for themselves, its the plants who decides if she drinks or not.
Even with 100000 plants I'd still be watering by hand as there is much communication and observation even correction to be had whenever one is with plants.

But if you must better for a probe which would decide on saturation rather than 'time'

 

[Photosynthesis]

With my grow style there is no need to pick up pots to check weight.

All plants in the same size container get the same amount of liquid twice per week.

Been doing it for many years now.

Just trying to speed up the process for larger scale.

 

[nkatadelgormo]

There are many solutions to your problem but there are no programmable wands. Thought provoking at the least. However after many years of growing im sure you just enjoy hand watering. Otherwise there are many programmable timers and watering solutions. A quick google search will turn you on to more automated devices..

 

[hush]

Dude, all you need is a timer, a powerful pump, a manifold made from PVC pipe, irrigation tubing, and 1/4" spaghetti tubing. Then, of course, stakes to fix the individual pieces of spaghetti tubing to the individual pots.

The pump sits in a large reservoir, and is turned on by the timer, which feeds the manifold, which feeds the irrigation tubing, which feeds the individual pots. This setup can be scaled down to nano gardens and scaled up to mega farms.

 

[Photosynthesis]

There are many solutions to your problem but there are no programmable wands. Thought provoking at the least. However after many years of growing im sure you just enjoy hand watering. Otherwise there are many programmable timers and watering solutions. A quick google search will turn you on to more automated devices..

I have spent a lot of time trying to find something that would work, and no luck yet.

Hand watering is the way to go, but I need to "dumb" down the process while simultaneously speeding it up.

I am not interested in a drip system.

I shall continue to look.

 

[nkatadelgormo]

Please explain the difference in hand watering by timed wand and a timer on a water pump? They are exactly the same thing except your holding one in your hand. Im not sure what your trying to dumb down here.. You dont need a drip system cool... You need a system to turn on for 30 seconds and deliver x amount of water every 2 days... simple timer and pump

 

[Greyskull]

thats a hellava lot of manifold you'd need to be putting together....
is your spot permanent, or temporary?

if it is permanent, and you always place the buckets in the same spots, then i would say go with the manifold/drip-line/rez thing.

if its a hit and run kind of thing, i would suggest manually laboring it out.

that said, are you mixing your nuts fresh each time you feed too, and using the whole batch, or are you making a new rez of food each week?

aloha

btw I hate drippers. I don't like small emissions of nutrients... and i don't like the lack of soil aeration either. but pot sprayers... they are little sprinklers... like having a spray wand hooked right up to each pot (bigger the pump the more powerful the spray jet)
maybe those are more your liking?

 

[hush]

What nkatadelgormo said.


Good points, Greyskull. And yes, I think it's worth pointing out that it is not required to put a drip emitter on the end of the spaghetti tubing, lol. Drip emitters are crap for that purpose. They will get clogged. They are better off being used for pure water irrigation only, IME. I put nothing on the end of my tubing so that a stream of water comes out. Angle it directly at the plant's trunk, and the water soaks in equally everywhere without creating a wet spot.

 

[Greyskull]

i will say a cool thing about the looped manifold, is that each "site" will be getting equal pressure errrrr everybody will be getting the exact same amount of nutes each time a delivery occurs. and if you want the nutes delivered in increments, then a timer could be utilized so as each plant gets ex 1.5l per session and you do 3 sessions over 45min BAM 4.5L to each plant.

so instead of bending and counting and unwinding the fucking hose while walking your aisles 10000 times 2-3times a week, you could just be walking down the aisles observing nutrient flow while also taking time to inspect the plants.

nice pics in your album, photosynthesis. thats a lot of work no matter which way you slice it. the less body stress though the better. good luck

 

[Marlo]

I have spent a lot of time trying to find something that would work, and no luck yet.

Hand watering is the way to go, but I need to "dumb" down the process while simultaneously speeding it up.

I am not interested in a drip system.

I shall continue to look.

I think what you are asking is defeating the purpose of hand watering. Hand watering is a tedious process that has its advantages. Speed is not one of them.
If you are taking the time to hand water your plants, there is no need to water the "exact same amount", when you can water the right amount. You are close enough to see of feel what the plant needs. I trust my instincts as a grower more than a measuring cup or timer.

As far as dumbing it down... I use a water wand. Pull the trigger and water comes out. There are animals smart enough to figure it out.

 

[Bulldog420]

So you give different strains the exact same amount of water? Do you mono crop? I have been growing for 15+ years and I have never had a crop that wanted to be watered the same exact way for each plant in the room.......I guess unless you are talking a flood and drain system.

So many things to perfect when growing, the exact amount of water repeated every time I water would be so low on my list I don't even really understand the question. Learn to look at your plant and tell what it wants before you touch it. You will learn a lot from observing the plants, and giving them what they want when they want it. A spread sheet telling you what, when and how much isn't the answer.

Good luck, hope everything works out the way you want it.

I guess I could give an idea: If you want to deliver 2L of water to every plant, go buy a 2L watering can.

 

[Greyskull]

^^^alls i know is I'd want to make this a little easier to do, too
(pic from photosynthesis' album)

i am pretty sure dude knows what he's doing. that or he's ripping good pics, right hahaha

 

[Bulldog420]

lol,I am starting to understand a little better. Your problem is even worse than I thought.


1/2" pvc lines that connect back to each other for equal pressure. Then off the pvc convert to 1/4 or 1/2" poly to each plant. Turn water on for amount of time needed, seems easy enough to me.

 

[Photosynthesis]

View Image

^^^alls i know is I'd want to make this a little easier to do, too
(pic from photosynthesis' album)

i am pretty sure dude knows what he's doing. that or he's ripping good pics, right hahaha

No ripped off pictures.

This spot is going to be 3 times that size soon enough.

Plus expanding to greenhouses.

Trying to get some processes figured out to make things easier.

Right now it is taking 5 hours to water what is in the pictures.

That time is ok, but the guys are not watering evenly so some plants have suffered.

Trying to standardize things a bit.

Not interested in drip irrigation.

As far as a drip systems being the same as a timed wand you are wrong. I feel it would be the best of both worlds.

You get the ease of exact watering with the fact that you have to spend time next to every plant every time you water. Without the constant contact of the plants I feel crops suffer.

To each their own I suppose.

 

[Photosynthesis]

Putting something like this inline should do it.

http://www.asconumatics.eu/images/site/upload/_en/pdf1/00193gb.PDF

 

[Greyskull]

i was being sarcastic about the you ripping pics part
poorly executed sorry

that does look like what you want... good find

 

[Bulldog420]

Why not PVC with polly lines coming off? Not a drip, it would be 1/2 in hosing pouring out water. If you run the PVC correctly you can have all outputs be equal, and you could water 10-30 plants at a time. That thing you posted up would still take 5 hours.......

Edit: maybe something like a gas pump uses to regulate gas? An inline flow meter piped before the watering wand?

BTW - If I had to guess the farm hands are watering fairly even, it's the thought process that's flawed. For every plant in the room to need the same amount of water that would mean: Every plant is the exact same size, has the exact same environment, with no micro-environments, has the exact same genetics, same watts per sq ft, same amount of soil per container, same exact soil in every container, and so on. Not to mention the ability to eliminate all bug, fungus and disease threats. To have all that dialed in seems impossible. Watering should be done by feel, not a schedule, why else would you be hand watering?.

 

[Photosynthesis]

Why not PVC with polly lines coming off? Not a drip, it would be 1/2 in hosing pouring out water. If you run the PVC correctly you can have all outputs be equal, and you could water 10-30 plants at a time. That thing you posted up would still take 5 hours.......

Edit: maybe something like a gas pump uses to regulate gas? An inline flow meter piped before the watering wand?

BTW - If I had to guess the farm hands are watering fairly even, it's the thought process that's flawed. For every plant in the room to need the same amount of water that would mean: Every plant is the exact same size, has the exact same environment, with no micro-environments, has the exact same genetics, same watts per sq ft, same amount of soil per container, same exact soil in every container, and so on. Not to mention the ability to eliminate all bug, fungus and disease threats. To have all that dialed in seems impossible. Watering should be done by feel, not a schedule, why else would you be hand watering?.

The point of hand watering is to spend time next to every plant.

With my style I give the plants all the same water. It has worked for years. As long as the sizes stay similar it works just fine.

Water twice per week, and that's it.

In the pictures of the flower room that were posted there will be roughly 960 plants.

With a mirrored side soon to be built.

So roughly 2000 flowering plants, plus veg plants and clones. So the numbers get real big real fast.

Honestly after a nights sleep I am thinking the only way to do this efficiently is to setup automatic watering for 1 day a week, and then hand water the other day.

P.S. The guys are not watering the plants the same at all. Not even close. The error always comes from humans.

 

[Bulldog420]

\

Honestly after a nights sleep I am thinking the only way to do this efficiently is to setup automatic watering for 1 day a week, and then hand water the other day.

P.S. The guys are not watering the plants the same at all. Not even close. The error always comes from humans.

Great idea, best of both worlds. Auto watering half the time will eliminate many hours of labor, good call.
Dam farm hands! Sounds like a simple task, that must be frustrating for you.