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 ChillWillis
old school fool
Registered: 06/14/09
Posts: 2,213
Last seen: 7 years, 10 months
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 Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant 
#330420 - 12/12/09 05:33 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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**EDIT**: Figured out how to do it without a submersible water pump, and all the parts are available at any Walmart. Scroll down for instructions.
Yup. I'll be gone for upwards of two weeks and I need to keep my girl hydrated (on a budget)!
Any ideas?
All that popped into my head was those tv commercials for the glass auto-plant waterers but I don't have time to wait for shipping.
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It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom.
Edited by ChillWillis (12/13/09 05:34 PM)
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KaptKid
Spaced Pirate
 
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 5,615
Loc: Bright Side of the Sun
Last seen: 11 months, 9 days
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 Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: ChillWillis]
#330447 - 12/12/09 06:36 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
ChillWillis said:All that popped into my head was those tv commercials for the glass auto-plant waterers but I don't have time to wait for shipping.
Those things are not any good for pot. There's a thread somewhere around here on them.
Got a trusted friend?
Maybe a water supply with pump on a timer.
Good Luck
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Child of the 60's, Tripping ever sence.
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 Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: KaptKid]
#330448 - 12/12/09 06:38 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I like the pump on a time idea, interesting.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: Hawksresurrection]
#330468 - 12/12/09 07:35 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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You'll need:
1.) A decent sized rez (a big rubbermaid would work for this)
2.) Some drip lines and tubing
3.) A timer
4.) A submersible pump
5.) some time and patience to dial in the timer settings
Now what you would do is hook up the drip lines and lay them in your pot, then hook up the tubing to your pump, set the timer, and pay attention. You're going to need to spend some time to figure out how long to run the pump and how frequent. Too much and your plants will become over saturated and suffer, too little and they'll die from dehydration.
Two weeks is a decent amount of time to leave your grow. A lot can go wrong in that time period so I'd plan on running into some problems along the way.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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ChillWillis
old school fool
Registered: 06/14/09
Posts: 2,213
Last seen: 7 years, 10 months
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: coda]
#330471 - 12/12/09 07:49 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Thanks Coda but I want to avoid buying a submersible pump if I can because they're something like $30 at the local walmart and I haven't got much money to spare at the moment.
I already have an air pump and was thinking of trying this guy's technique for making a timed waterer using just the air pressure of the air pump.
Cheap and Easy Automatic House Plant Watering System
I'm a little nervous about trying it though because I'm not sure if I can find the proper plastic T-junctions or valve that he uses and I know my air pump won't mix well with water if they meet. Has anyone tried anything like this or have any general advise? I'm pretty stumped.
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It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: ChillWillis]
#330473 - 12/12/09 07:56 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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check out wormsway.com my man. They'll have the T connectors and valves you'll need. Shouldn't be too expensive at all. If you don't want to order online you can place a telephone order with them.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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shakalaka
Stranger
Registered: 07/22/09
Posts: 210
Last seen: 14 years, 7 months
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: coda]
#330623 - 12/13/09 04:39 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
coda said:
You'll need:
1.) A decent sized rez (a big rubbermaid would work for this)
2.) Some drip lines and tubing
3.) A timer
4.) A submersible pump
5.) some time and patience to dial in the timer settings
Now what you would do is hook up the drip lines and lay them in your pot, then hook up the tubing to your pump, set the timer, and pay attention. You're going to need to spend some time to figure out how long to run the pump and how frequent. Too much and your plants will become over saturated and suffer, too little and they'll die from dehydration.
Two weeks is a decent amount of time to leave your grow. A lot can go wrong in that time period so I'd plan on running into some problems along the way.
I also recommend getting drippers...its better when the nutes actually drip out and not just flow out...cuz water is lazy and finds the path of least resistance to the drainage holes. With drippers a wicking effect is created...and the media tends to wick up the moisure all over the pot better.
u also want to have about 10% of it run to waste.....so i would recommend putting ur pot in a bucket to collect the runoff. So get a bucket, put a smaller pot upside down on it and rest the plant pot on it so it doesnt sit in the nute runoff....u should be good for a few days like that till u need to empty.
Edited by shakalaka (12/13/09 04:43 AM)
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God
Yahweh
Registered: 09/26/08
Posts: 434
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: shakalaka]
#330631 - 12/13/09 08:39 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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When I saw "cheap" and "no pump," I immediately thought "wick system." Google "wick hydroponics."
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ChillWillis
old school fool
Registered: 06/14/09
Posts: 2,213
Last seen: 7 years, 10 months
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Re: Need to devise a cheap method to auto water my plant [Re: ChillWillis]
#330789 - 12/13/09 04:15 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Hey guys, Thanks for all of your input and creative suggestions!
I've worked out a solution to my problem using a very slight variation from the link that I had in my last post. I managed to get all of my supplies from Walmart too which is good news for people living in rural areas like mine.
If for whatever reason you can't get a submersible water pump or a automatic plant water-er, this is my new method of watering my plants while on vacation:
Original idea borrowed from:(link)
Materials (all found at Walmart):
-Any tall container for water. (I used a [cleaned] small metal trash can.) ~$4
-A penny sized square of good, strong tape (I used gorilla tape) ~$3
-A timer (I found mine at Walmart for ~$7)
-Aqua Culture: Aquarium 2-1/2 Way Gang Valve ~$3
-Aqua Culture: 20-60 Gallon, Double Outlet Aquarium Air Pump ~$10
Instructions:
1.) Cover one of the air outputs on the air pump with the piece of tape. This will increase the output of the other air exit on the pump.
2.) Attach a piece of rubber air tubing to this now single output (I think the air pump comes with some tubing).
3.) Take your Gang Valve thing and pry the flow-through/dual-valve part from the plastic piece intended to attach to an aquarium siding.
4.) Pull one of the black connector pieces from either valve (not the twistable adjuster!!). Plug the other one of these with the plug-insert that's already blocking one connector end of the flow-through part.
5.) Attach the air tube coming from the pump to the flow-through part of the Gang Valve that is further from the valve you removed the black connector piece from.
6.) Attach another piece of air tubing to the opposite end of the first tube coming from the pump and place the other end where you want water to drip out of.
7.) Holdd the Gang Valve an inch or so underwater and adjust the know on the valve that's missing the black connector piece so that it is a bit past the point that it won't leak any air bubbles. (This part is finicky so you'll have to adjust to your own liking).
8.) Secure the plastic valve to the bottom of your water reservoir.
When you turn the pump on you should start to see little drops of water flowing out the end of the tube coming from the reservoir. If its not working you can try to give it a little boost by sucking some air from the tube.
This can be made more efficient by adding your nutrients to the water (in a more dilute concentration than usual) and putting another air pump in the water just to keep the water moving.
It's working for me right now. I just have to figure out how long I'm going to set my timer for to give my plant just enough water.
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It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom.
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