Automatic watering for indoor plants: what is it and how to use it?

Houseplant owners, like happy owners of pets, often find themselves tied to their home - their green pets require regular watering, so they cannot be left for a long time. However, the modern world puts forward its own requirements - today it is almost unacceptable to constantly sit at home, not leaving anywhere. The advantage of modern civilization is that it is able to answer most complex questions, and in this case, the best solution is automatic watering.

Auto-watering for indoor flowers is a generalized name for fundamentally different technical solutions that allow watering flowers much less often. The system either provides for multiple circulation of the same water, which otherwise would simply flow into the pan under the pot, or provides for the option of the least moisture loss from evaporation.

Autowatering for domestic plants can be organized in fundamentally different ways. So, today pots are produced that can reuse water, which is convenient not only for those leaving on vacation, but also for those who are able to run so much that they simply forgets about timely watering. At the same time, craftsmen often come up with their own alternatives from improvised materials, which allows them not to pay extra money, but in terms of quality they are often not much inferior to store versions.

There are many types of automatic watering, and they all, of course, have a different principle of operation. The simplest solutions, for example, involve the use of closed water tanks, from where the evaporating moisture can only enter the soil of the pot through the only way out. This option does not provide intensive irrigation, but it is very economical in terms of consumed water and does not depend at all on external power sources. It can be made even from improvised materials, and a small volume of supplied water is enough for a short time keeping in order those plants that do not need moisture too much.

A fundamentally different approach is possible in a situation where the autowatering system is integrated into some more complex mechanism. Take the same modern pots - they are often combined with a lamp, which automatically means being connected to the mains. At the same time, the design of the pots itself assumes the presence of a tray for collecting water, and the presence of power supply allows you to build in a small pump to supply moisture, once already used for the same purpose. If necessary, the unit can be improved by adding programmable watering timers there, so that you can not only water the plant in the absence of the owner, but also adhere to the recommended irrigation regime.

The latter option, at first glance, uses a lot of water, but in fact, it is enough to water the plant just once - these water reserves can be used in some cases up to two weeks. It could have been longer, but a certain percentage of moisture is still lost with each watering both due to absorption by the plant and due to evaporation, therefore productivity is largely determined not even by the model, but by the “pet” that uses the unit.

The problem with flowers left on vacation is not necessarily solved with the help of auto-irrigation - there will almost always be people (good friends or neighbors) who will agree to take on the responsibilities of caring for the abandoned plantings for a short time. Accordingly, it is worth evaluating all the advantages and disadvantages of such a mechanism in order to understand whether it is better than people, and if so, by what means. Let's start with the good.

• Auto-irrigation is a mechanism that has no other worries, it should not refuse its owner. Previously, leaving on vacation, business trip or just visiting could become a certain problem, because not every person has such acquaintances who would both live nearby and love to tinker with plants. Thanks to the simple technology, you can not even look for such - automatic watering will replace all those who do not want or cannot help you.

• No more strangers in your apartment! The overwhelming majority of people are asked to look after the apartment at the time of departure from those people who find it easiest to do this, that is, neighbors. At the same time, the owner of the dwelling may not know these people well, but for the daily watering of the plants, they will have to leave the keys. With auto-irrigation, you will not constantly worry about whether things are being taken out of the apartment, or whether you have organized a noisy party there, and even more so, you will not worry about watering.

• A good model of automatic irrigation from expensive and modern ones often copes with the task of irrigation even better than a person. Some plants require regular watering at approximately a certain time, but people find it difficult to perfectly adjust their schedule, because besides the home "plantation", they have other concerns and responsibilities.

If you are already fascinated by the idea of ​​buying an automatic watering system, we hasten to notify that everything looks interesting, but not as rosy as it might seem. Potential risks may seem exaggerated, but they are always present, therefore it is possible that in some situations a person is still better than even the most "intelligent" mechanism.

• Alas, automatic watering is just a mechanism, and sooner or later any mechanism tends to break down. Any of the varieties of the unit leaves the chances that it will not work - those in which the water evaporates may be in too cool conditions, and the electric ones may end up without mains power or even burn out. A person, of course, can also temporarily fail, but this usually happens less often.
• With all "smart" technologies, autowatering still depends to a certain extent on human intervention. Firstly, it does not work endlessly - sooner or later it will run out of water, and then there will be no sense from it. Secondly, at best, it can be configured for regular irrigation, but the device itself, unlike a person, does not know how to respond to changing circumstances. So, with a sharp increase in air temperature, a person would have guessed to intensify watering, and vice versa, but home autowatering is not yet capable of this.
• A primitive self-watering, self-assembled, is often not a worthy solution for at least a few days of absence, and purchasing an expensive industrial model, especially if there are a lot of flowers, can cost a pretty penny. If you still don't travel very often, then it will often be easier to thank your neighbor grandmother than to introduce technology in your own house.

Home autowatering systems are divided into numerous types, which are united only by their purpose and general name. To understand what they all represent, consider the most common systems.

This is the same irrigation system that is usually used in a street garden, but in a slightly reduced form.It is used if there are a lot of plants in the house, and at the same time they are located compactly - in one room. Water is supplied either directly from the water supply system, or from a special plastic reservoir by means of a pump. The design usually assumes an on and off timer.

This design option is the simplest, and it is it that folk craftsmen usually play up in their creations. The point is that water is supplied to the pot from an elevated reservoir that imitates a water tower - just enough moisture should be supplied from it so that the soil never dries out. Such a mechanism is quite easily clogged, it is difficult to calculate the exact position of the tank for supplying water in the required amount, however, even very cheap ceramic nozzles for simple two-liter bottles are produced, which, at a minimum cost, provides watering for a month in advance.

In this case, the inner vessel plays the role of a classic pot, that is, it contains the earth and the plant itself, while the outer product is a water tank. In the walls of the inner pot there are small holes with a membrane that is able to pass water in limited quantities and only as the earth inside the vessel dries out

It is problematic to compile an adequate rating of automatic irrigation models for indoor plants. Here, and existing models often do not shine with fame, even if they are found in every home, and new designs appear every year, and each consumer needs something special, and not some average option that suits most other buyers. For this reason, we will not distribute places, and we will not even say that our automatic irrigation systems from the list are definitely the best. These are just good product samples that every hobby gardener can find useful.

• Idea M 2150 - pear-shaped polypropylene analogue of the ceramic cone. For a large-scale home plantation, this solution is far from ideal, but for a single plant, and even in the conditions of a short departure of the owner, at its cost, it is definitely the most profitable.

• Automatic watering "Bird" - this is a pure ceramic cone, only significantly decorated with a shape that corresponds to the name. A feature of the model is a very small amount of water that can be poured inside, therefore such automatic watering is more likely not for vacation, but for correcting failures in the daily schedule. However, due to its attractive design and low cost, this accessory has gained significant popularity.

• EasyGrow - a solution of a fundamentally different type, it is a cross between drip irrigation and an automated ceramic cone, which is also designed for 4 plants and even more. The unit assumes the presence of a custom tank in the form of a bottle of any volume, from where water is pumped out using a battery-powered pump, without connecting to an outlet. The microcircuit makes the procedure fully automated, setting the exact irrigation time.

• olGGol - an even more technological solution that is compatible with any type of pot, but requires "planting" in an empty container even before the soil and the plant itself are there. The manufacturer claims that thanks to this design, the water consumption will be minimal, and there will be no puddles on the windowsill at all.

When deciding on a specific model, it is worth answering a few questions for yourself: how long will the plant have to do without the presence of the owner, how susceptible it is to over-watering, how much the owner is willing to pay for the automatic watering system. The answer to the first question should be given not even in absolute numbers, but in comparison with how frequent watering a particular species requires.If you do not leave very often or for a short time, there is no particular point in spending money on expensive models - in a short absence, the inexpensive version can also cope with the task, especially if your plants are not too whimsical to clear watering conditions.

Expensive models like built-in pots or drip irrigation should be purchased only if flowers are your life, and departures are characterized by regularity, or your schedule simply does not allow you to fully engage in a home plantation. When making an expensive purchase, you should be ready to answer questions about whether such a purchase will be really useful, whether it is capable of watering your flowers correctly in the absence of the owner of any duration, and whether such a solution to the problem is reliable. It is also worth comparing the model under consideration with the main alternatives - it is possible that cheaper options, with not too difficult tasks, are able to cope with the absence of an owner no worse.

Most of the automatic irrigation models are quite easy to operate - they function thanks to the laws of physics without any microcircuits, because all that is required from the owner is the timely replenishment of the water supply in the tank. The exceptions are mainly drip irrigation systems and some complex pots with a similar function, since they provide for the presence of a board that regulates the frequency and volume of moisture dispensed. This is a big plus, since the same model can be used for plants with different irrigation regimes and different temperature conditions.

It is customary to supply complex power units with instructions that describe in detail the procedure for setting up a particular model by day and hour - the owner can only correctly calculate the dosage and timing of watering. At the same time, great attention should be paid to safety issues, because electricity and water, as you know, are an ideal combination for the occurrence of various emergency situations. In this regard, the section of the instructions on safe operation should be studied with special care, and ignoring any individual provisions is fraught with very serious consequences, including a fire in the apartment.

For information on how to choose and install automatic irrigation for indoor plants, see the next video.