Topic: Lottie watering system?

[Gardenantics]

There are some great little timers around that run off 2 AA batteries, and seem to last all summer. Lidl had some at £13.00 earlier in the year.
Brian

[derbex]

As per Gardenetics, only it's Hozelock and £40 and C or D cells -last years (at least 2) though. That said I'd have used a cheapie if I could have found one.

Jeremy

[Andy H]

Tried many methods in GH even a big round water thing from one of those water cool machines! Not much luck though, at moment we just have upside down coke(2L) pushed down to bottom of tomato pots and just fill them up,water soaks "up" the soil as it dries.
Wonder how much rain comes of the house roof??? ???

[kenkew]

So what does the battery do? Operating a timer is one thing, but there has to be a mechanical action of some sort for the water to flow.

[derbex]

Opens a valve at given times of day for a given duration -gravity does the rest. The timer fits between the tap and the hose on my system, the hose runs into the green house where it splits off into a couple of lengths of seep hose. You just plug it all together, the fittings are standard Hozelock (or rip off).

http://photos15.flickr.com/19073704_4cc82c0340.jpg

Jeremy

[kenkew]

That looks like a bit of allright. Doesn't the seep hose get clogged up with algea and such?

[derbex]

Doesn't seem to -I don't run it all year round -just in the summer. At the end of the year I take it up, it's just under mulch, pull the bung out of the end and flush it through. It's only been a couple of years so far though.

Jeremy

[kenkew]

Me thinks I'll be looking at the DIY stores this week. Cheers, Derbex, that seems to be the best solution so far. Maybe I could couple the timer just to hoses and 'T' joints rather than a seep hose then I can direct each outlet to a pot.

[derbex]

Yup you could do that -or some sort of drip system. One slight fly in the ointment is the variable head of water if it's coming from a butt, the more you use the less pressure there is and so the less water/min. In practice it's not proved a huge problem -but I have linked two butts together (that's the 2nd tap in the picture). It lasts a week pretty well, but 2 is pushing it unless there's some rain. I has thought of trying to rig a header tank -but it's really a project rather than a necessity.

If we go away this year I'm going to have to rig up a different system as everything is in half grow bags this year, so let me know how you get on with your version :)

Jeremy.

[kenkew]

First I got to find me a timer! Got any addresses that post to Belgium?
I have a double butt rigged up and if thats not enough then it's at least better than nowt. Cheers.