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Post by lloyd on Apr 18, 2012 15:00:50 GMT -5
I keep big pots with tomatoes on the deck in the summer. They get dry so quickly and then get flower-end rot. I have access to an outside tap close by and electrical outlet. Does anybody have ideas on some sort of sensor/drip irrigation/controller system which could hook-up to the water faucet and electric supply. Something simple/reliable/cheap/easy to find?
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Post by sokkos on Apr 18, 2012 16:13:22 GMT -5
Blossom end rot is usually associated with calcium deficiency. I''m willing to bet you could try supplementing calcium, maybe as calcium nitrate? Can you set up drip irrigation with a timer?
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Post by dToad on Apr 18, 2012 18:14:49 GMT -5
Don't laugh...
You wanted cheap...
Old toilets can be found at the side of the road - grab the tank, and fittings.
A solenoid can be used to 'flush' the tank.
The water can be sent to several pots, and the excess to the lawn, or garden.
Flush your plants once or twice a day.
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Post by lloyd on Apr 18, 2012 20:05:01 GMT -5
Ok, that's a bit TOO cheap. Plus a hard sell to my wife. Maybe a bit higher-tech solutions please. Yes blossom-end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency but it's triggered by low water conditions/hot weather/earlier fruiting. You can treat it by spraying with Calcium (and I do) but it's better to prevent it by keeping the roots moist.
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Post by peatmoss on Apr 18, 2012 20:12:40 GMT -5
Oh my. A toilet tank is brilliant. You really should do that...
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Post by shoggoths on Apr 18, 2012 21:45:25 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd, Sorry, I cannot give any advice regarding the device your looking for but I can share my tomatoes growing experience. I grow them almost like in a mini bog That is, I take a 50-60 L plastic bin. In the bottom, I put 2 shoes box upside down (4-5 inches high). I connect the 2 box with a 1 inch tube then fill the space with vermiculite. Then I put another tube that will go in one of the shoes box to the top of the bin and drill a small hole in the side of the bin just over the vermiculite. I put a geotextile over the vermiculite and fill the bin with a mix of compost and black earth. Finally, I fill the bin via the tube with a nutrient mixture until the overflow leak. You can put a wood stick in the tube to know your water level. With this system, I grow nice big tomatoes and I watered the bin only 2-3 time per summer. It works great for me. It's an homemade bin similar to this commercial one : www.leevalley.com/fr/garden/page.aspx?p=69377&cat=2,66758&ap=1
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Post by helene on Apr 20, 2012 11:37:51 GMT -5
If it were me, I'd try using a cheap or old garden hose with an end cap on the one end. Drape it over the tomato pots, drill one small hole in it per plant, then turn on the water and monitor for a few days to see if it needs more holes.
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Post by jonnybee7 on Apr 21, 2012 12:28:04 GMT -5
Hey Lloyd, Heres some reasonably priced solutions: www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/garden2.shtmlThe second one from the top specifically. Its an american company, but surely someone in canada has something similar for sale. Or maybe you could also use a modified sprinkler system with a timer? But for the cost of that water timer in the link, why bother...
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Post by lloyd on Apr 21, 2012 15:57:36 GMT -5
Hi J/B. Thanks, I'm going to check that out later. I'd really like to have something with individual moisture sensors and drip irrigators to serve multiple pots. Regards, Lloyd
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Post by Apoplast on Apr 22, 2012 18:55:23 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd - I have been thinking about your quandary recently. I haven't figured out the details yet, but it seems that a solution to the moisture sensor problem might stem from time domain reflectometry sensors. You can make the probes using #317 welding rods. It might take some programming and finding a cheap old cable tester but if you run it through a multiplexor you can test multiple pots on a hertz frequency. When the soil dries the resistance will increase and you can have that trigger a watering device. Like I said, it's not worked out yet, though if it does get worked out, it's probably marketable. Now that I'm thinking about it, I might try to figure out if it is feasible so I can do some mini-bogs (I'm too lazy to water them all the time).
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Post by dToad on Apr 23, 2012 4:48:08 GMT -5
Moisture sensors are available, and could be modified for this application. Various irrigation components are also readily available. Why re-invent the wheel?
The biggest problem I see with this is getting low cost, and preferably low voltage, valves for each pot.
I'd like to see an initial cost of less than $20 per pot, and $100 for a controller capable of handling 8 pots out of the box, and expandable. How would control / sensor / actuator communications be handled - cabling or wireless? My preference would be wireless.
Perhaps sensors at the pots is not the way to go. An air temp / humidity sensor, and pump controller, with different drip irrigation heads for each pot might work.
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Post by lloyd on Apr 23, 2012 15:12:31 GMT -5
I'm thinking of trying out the earthbox. Anybody tried them?
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Post by dToad on Apr 23, 2012 18:54:55 GMT -5
Adding a drain to your minibogs will give you the same functionality.
I've used 5 gal pails for tomatos... - punch or drill holes in the side, near the bottom - 6" of gravel - line with groundcloth - fill with soil - add plant - add 2 - 4 cups water daily
If you want, drill the drain holes 5" high on the sides, and put a 4" strip of an old towel from the bottom and drape over the gravel, and under the groundcloth for auto watering. A piece of drian pipe down the side can be your fill tube if you want one.
You can also substitute a rubbermaid tub for the pail or surround it with a nice wooden box to keep your wife happy.
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Post by Apoplast on Apr 23, 2012 21:33:00 GMT -5
Hi D'Toad - I agree cost would be an issue, but mostly for the reflectometer, the probes, if made of welding steel, would be very cheap. I know there are moisture probes available, but they are not as reliable.
The irrigation stop that detects precipitation is a good idea, but in pots, transpiration will become a problem depending the size of the plants as the season progresses.
Of course, this is my problem with overbuilding. Your solutions are far more pragmatic. And reasonable! Still, I can't help but have fun thinking of creative solutions - as infeasible as they may be.
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Post by mike on Jun 13, 2012 6:54:38 GMT -5
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