electric plant watering? - Orchid Board

fooferdoggie · #1 07-19-2019, 11:13 PM

Now that Have the trays make for my wife it would be nice if she could use a want=d to water them fill a bucket and pump the water at so she has full control. watering cans work but it may be harder for her to get between plants with a gallon jug. I know I can make a setup with an aquarium pump but it would be nice to have something that turns off and off easily as needed. any ideas?

Roberta · #2 07-20-2019, 12:23 AM

If you can put a hose on that aquarium pump (or a submersible pump in a bucket) then a standard nozzle with a trigger should provide all the control you need. You can get coiled hoses that keep the volume small and stay out of the way. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-27862-2...24074128&psc=1

Swimmingorchids · #3 07-20-2019, 05:49 AM

hi foofer.

I have set up something similar - not because I can't lift buckets but because I am too lazy to water some of the fussy watering plants.

Mine is all automated with timers which are invaluable for controlling temperature, watering or lighting.

I have a submersible pump that fills the reservoir above. Once it gets to a certain height it automatically drains back into the reservoir below to stop overflowing. Heated with water heater. After 15 minutes the pump turns off and the top container drains again.

Like this my plants can get watered at whatever frequency I want even if I'm out of the house for a week.

However thinking about it it sounds like you are after something different after all. What you want is an extension plug with a light switch attached to it. You plug the pump into the extension lead with the switch attached to a table or something. Then the pump can be turned on and off via a switch. An overhead light cord would work in theory too

fooferdoggie · #4 07-20-2019, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

If you can put a hose on that aquarium pump (or a submersible pump in a bucket) then a standard nozzle with a trigger should provide all the control you need. You can get coiled hoses that keep the volume small and stay out of the way. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-27862-2...24074128&psc=1

yes thats the idea. I was thinking something I had to fill aquariums years ago. it has to be easy for her to use. I just have to get a strong enough pump that can get the water through that much hose. don't need a huge flow.I don't was to automate watering. I have seen drip systems for house plants. but just to make it easier for her to water them.

Ray · #5 07-20-2019, 06:35 AM

I like the automated watering concept, Swim, and you have me considering something like that for my own collection (it was SO much easier in a greenhouse, where the excess can simply drain to the floor).

One concern is the fact that several plants are watered together, and from the same bath, which is the ideal way to share pathogens - if one plant gets something, they all do.

Maybe individual trays, fed by solenoid valve would be safer. Yes, more water usage, but safer for the plants.

Swimmingorchids · #6 07-20-2019, 08:51 AM

I got the idea from watching a commercial greenhouse in holland. They had acres of orchids in plant tables and were watered via sprinklers from above which as we know is a big no no to avoid crown rot. In greenhouses with ventialtion I suppose they can get away with it.

I wonder if they dump all their used water that comes out of the grow tables or if that gets fed back into the watering system.

Would be a lot of water to dump every time. No system is perfect.

I'll be trialling it over the next year. To me it looks like foofer is planning to reuse the collected water too.

Ray · #7 07-20-2019, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimmingorchids

I got the idea from watching a commercial greenhouse in holland. They had acres of orchids in plant tables and were watered via sprinklers from above which as we know is a big no no to avoid crown rot. In greenhouses with ventialtion I suppose they can get away with it.

Before I retired, I drove 50 miles one-way to work, so left at 6 a.m. to avoid most of the traffic, making it necessary to water the greenhouse about 5 a.m. That got tiring pretty quickly - especially leaving for work in wet clothes - so I set up an overhead deluge system with remotely-controlled solenoid valves.

One click of a button while drinking a cup of coffee and "the rains came" for 30 minutes before automatically shutting off.

I had pretty good air flow, so watering that early in the day gave the plants plenty of time to dry, keeping crown rot to a minimum. Over the course of several years, I adjusted the potting or mounting details so that every plant in there could be watered at the same time without issues. Semi-hydroponics helped that a lot for many of them, as you simply cannot overwater those.

A funny story about getting soaked while watering: I had a doctor's appointment, but had to water before going. When I weighed-in, he said "You seem to have gained a little weight since last time." I told him I had just watered the greenhouse and was soaked. He paused, then said "Hmm. I've never had a man tell me he was retaining water before...".

Roberta · #8 07-20-2019, 10:34 AM

A Home Depot submersible pump would do the job. Put the bucket where it is convenient to fill from a faucet, the hose is long enough that it doesn't need to be right next to the plant stand. The nozzle trigger gives the instant control, just turn the pump on at the start of the watering session and turn it off when you're done. This is what I did when I first got my RO system, before I set got it working through the springkler system. In my case, I stored the RO water in a 20 gallon trash can. The pump was strong enough to get water through a regular 3/4 inch garden hose. You should be able to get by with a pump designed for a fountain, adapting it for a hose fitting that can take pressure might take a bit of creativity, the pump I used had hose fittings built in.

fooferdoggie · #9 07-21-2019, 11:09 PM

she will have to fill the bucket with the gallon jugs instead of using them to water the orchids. we have a large tub in the tub that lets the water de chlorinate and that bucket has to sit on a heating mat in winter. but I should have it up and running Tuesday.

Ray · #10 07-22-2019, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fooferdoggie

she will have to fill the bucket with the gallon jugs instead of using them to water the orchids. we have a large tub in the tub that lets the water de chlorinate and that bucket has to sit on a heating mat in winter. but I should have it up and running Tuesday.

If your water supply is chlorinated with chloramine (most municipalities use it, these days), sitting around isn't doing anything to reduce its level.