Automatic garden irrigationfacilitates the care of any garden, especially one rich in diverse and demanding vegetation. It is not even about the fact that it frees you from dragging a long watering hose around the garden, but above all it saves time, and if there is an automatic controller in the system, it remembers about watering for us. An additional benefit ofautomatic garden irrigationis also the economical use of water and its optimal use by plants. Establishing an automatic irrigation system is not cheap, but it can be built in stages, as the extension of such a system is not difficult and can be done at any time."
Automatic garden irrigation
How to design an automatic garden irrigation
To designautomatic garden irrigationmark the outline of the house, paths, driveway, lawn, rebate and water intake on the plot plan. Based on this information - knowing the efficiency and pressure of the garden irrigation pump or the water pressure in the water supply, as well as the efficiency of individual sprinklers and their water pressure requirements, we determine the location of the sprinklers, the number of independent irrigation lines, i.e. sections, as well as the diameter and length of the pipes .
Automatic garden irrigationconsists of three basic elements:
- irrigation devices - sprinklers, emitters, drip lines,
- water supply lines and connecting parts,
- of solenoid valves and electronic control device.
What does automatic garden irrigation consist of
Distribution shaft
It is a plastic box, which is placed in the center of the garden, but in such a way that it is invisible - preferably on the flowerbed. A pipe from the water intake is led to the box, and inside, a manifold with outlets (connections) to individual sections is mounted. Each section is connected to the manifold with a solenoid valve, which will open or close under the influence of an electric impulse sent from the controller - therefore an electric wire is led to the sump.
Irrigation lines
The individual parts of the system should be connected with plastic pipes to form irrigation lines. Flexible polyethylene pipes in a dark color are used for this - so that algae do not develop in them. The pipes have a wall thickness of 2-3 mm and an outer diameter of 16, 20, 25, 32, 40 or 50 mm; this diameter is selected according to the length of the line and the number of spray tips installed thereon. Pipes and fittings are placed on the ground according to the design and individual sections are screwed with special connectors. After they are combined together, with a trial watering and possible correction of the irrigation lines, they are buried. Pipes should be buried using gravel or sand bedding.
Watering tips
Automatic garden irrigationshould be designed so that watering is as beneficial as possible for plants and most convenient for garden users, therefore the types of tips are selected for planting. Only one type of tip is installed on one irrigation line: either pop-up or non-pop-up sprinklers, or micro-sprinklers or a drip line. Before installing the fittings, all lines are flushed so as not to contaminate the delicate ends of the installation with sand.
ControllerIt is an electronic device in which the times of switching on and off of individual sections of the system (opening or closing of solenoid valves) are programmed.The controller is placed on the wall of the house - both outside the building and inside, for example in the kitchen. It can be powered by mains or battery power. Regardless of the programmed watering times, selected sections or the entire system can be turned on manually outside of the set time. Using this controller function does not require reprogramming - it will work in accordance with the previously saved settings.
Rain SensorThis is an electronic device that prevents the watering system from turning on when it is raining - or has recently rained - raining. The sensor does not react to the first drops of rain, but only when it falls from 3 to 25 mm. In order for the system to start working again after rain, the moisture from the sensor must evaporate.
Soil Moisture SensorControls system operation by water saturation in the soil. In home gardens, however, rain sensors are used more often.
How to Automatic Garden Watering
Irrigation devices are designed to supply individual plants or the area they occupy with water. Properly doneautomatic garden irrigationis reliable and easy to use. It allows for even watering of the area on which it was installed and is invaluable, as it saves the host's time.
Different types of sprinklers are designed to water your lawn and plants in a way that mimics rain. On the other hand, the use of drip lines allows watering plants with single drops of water, which slowly flow out of the irrigation device mounted on the ground surface. Thanks to this, an area with a diameter of 40-70 cm is kept around the plant. The use of this type of irrigation is the most economical method. Drip lines for watering wider beds are arranged in such a way that they form a network of parallel lines spaced 50-70-140 cm apart. To prevent them from being visible, they are placed on a non-woven fabric and covered with bark, crushed stone or stones.
When using this type of irrigation for lawns, the lines should be buried in the ground, they are laid 3-5 cm deep at a distance of 40-50 cm. Thanks to such irrigation, water will be directly supplied to the roots.
Devices that createautomatic garden irrigationshould be installed in such a way that the distances between them are equal to their ranges and partially overlap.
All sprinkling devices should be divided into sections and connected to the solenoid valves installed in the pit. In order for the water pressure to be adequate, each section must not be overloaded and therefore not be too long. Each should be controlled by one valve. The valves are connected to a controller that manages the entire system. It should be installed indoors. The controller allows you to program the time of switching on and off the installation and the length of operation of individual sections. The individual sections can also always be started manually.An essential element of the irrigation system is the rain sensor. It is responsible for turning off the system if it is raining. It should be installed in such a way that it has direct contact with any rainfall.
The lines of the irrigation systemshould be placed in trenches 20 cm wide, at a depth of 30-40 cm. After arranging the irrigation, the excavations are covered with earth and trampled. For the safety of the system, at a depth of 10 cm from the ground surface, a material such as non-woven fabric or foil should be spread along the lines of the trench, informing that it is forbidden to dig in the place of its installation. Failure to comply with such information may damage the system.
Automatic garden irrigation in an existing garden
In order to perform automatic irrigation of green areas in an already existing garden, we do not necessarily have to damage it. To lay the wires on an existing lawn, a strip of turf must be removed to the width of the trench (20 cm).Sections of turf may not be longer than 1 m. This makes it easier to pry the turf and lay it on the foil spread along the trench. Then, it is made into a trench 30-40 cm deep. The soil from the excavation is placed similarly to the turf on the foil. Next, the wires are laid. The laid cables are covered with earth from the trenches and trampled. Strips of turf are laid on top, trampled on and watered abundantly.
Installation of cables in the area where pavements have already been laid is possible thanks to the passages left for this purpose. In order to install the system, find the places where there are culverts and pass the cables through them.
