automatic watering setup for soil growing with nutes

[dustydundee]

Haven't posted in a while, hope everyone's grow is going great.

Looking for advice on automating watering. I grow in soil only, generally sticking with the GH trio of artificial nutes. I've been growing that way for about 5 years now, and I've really not done it any other way. I don't feel I have the comfort level or experience level to go organic at this point in my journey. I have (3) 4x4 tents that I grow out of, that each typically has 4 plants at any one time, in 10 gallon pots. I generally water them every 3 days or so, whenever they are dry. Each 10 gallon pot takes about 2 gallons of water at a time. So when I have to water 12 plants, with 2 gallons each, that I have to sit on a step stool for each plant, it takes a bit of time and effort when I need to water my farm.. I've not branched out to growing in other media, I guess I just started in soil and stuck with it cause its comfortable for me now, and I'd rather perfect that then trying to learn a new way of growing. Call me lazy. What I'm wanting is to come up with a solution for watering my soil if I have to go out of town for a few days.

I don't like the bottom watering systems with a wick type of system, I prefer to grow in plastic pots with a million holes poked in that I can reuse over and over again, and I've just not had good luck with bottom watering. I've ordered (not received yet) one auto drip irrigation kit from mars hydro, which is basically a 13 gallon bucket, with a pump, that will pump water through a sprinkler that I can put in the top of each plant in the tent and irrigate an entire tent at one time. The benefit of this system for me, is that I can mix my nutes the same time each day when it is convenient for me, pour a full tents worth of nutes into a bucket, flip a switch, and walk away. I don't have to bend over each time, I dont have to do it during the light cycle, and I dont have to sit there watering each plant by hand each time. So thats a win right there, and it will probably save me probably an hours worth of labor that it takes to water a dozen plants with 24 gallons of water.

According to GH, I'm supposed to mix the nutes right before watering. Now I'm comfortable mixing my nutes the same day, and setting it to water later that day when the light turns on or what not. But I'd like to have a system where I can mix my nutes for my inorganic soil grow, leave them in this auto irrigation bucket, and remotely turn it on a few days later to water my plants if I'm away. If my plants need water say every 3 days or so, this would allow me to be away from my grow for potentially 5-6 days without drying them out, by leaving the buckets full with the next feeding prior to leaving my grow for a few days.

Controlling the pump remotely is simple, my concern is the nutes and mixing them to the right pH ahead of time and letting them sit for 3 days before they are used. Anyone have an auto watering system for soil growers with nutes that can function for a few days while they are away. Are there other nutes out there that are more stable that you can mix and hold for a few days at a stable pH? I know there are lots of systems out there for hydroponic growers, but what about soil guys like me using nutes? If I can get a system working to allow for just one remote watering with proper nutes and pH, that gets me through a full week long business trip away from home which is always a struggle.....

[Bluey]

I built an auto watering system for my coco grows to last a 7 day supply.

You need to do a nute mix in your water, properly pH it and test it over the proposed period you need.

You also need to ensure your mini sprayers or drippers are below the top of the reservoir to rule out syphoning or install a separate relay. Drippers tend to block, I found sprayers work best.

I had a 240ltr tank I half filled. I used a trash can on wheels for that but also have a 75 ltr trash can also.

You'll need to drain to waste to minimise the risk of flooding from runoff.

[golfnrl]

You've put some thought into what you need. Have you considered a reservoir? I built a system but mine was on a timer. It was an electric gate valve system attached to a reservoir and fed the plants through sprinkler fittings. You can mix/maintain your nutrients easy enough in a reservoir; the PH might be a bit more tricky. I only used my system once and can't remember how I addressed the PH.

I use a PH controller now. That might work for you as well but they are spendy.

[Bluey]

Decent nutes will be fine mixed 7 days prior. Don't use an airstone, that will run your pH up, not good. pH should hold stable but it needs to be tested to make sure because it may not be.

[dustydundee]

Decent nutes will be fine mixed 7 days prior. Don't use an airstone, that will run your pH up, not good. pH should hold stable but it needs to be tested to make sure because it may not be.

I've come to the same conclusions exactly. Just got the Mars Hydro bucket system and tried it out for the first time today. Me likey. Just being able to fill a stupid bucket once out of a hose instead, and not have to fill and lug 8 gallons of water by hand around a tent, and then physically watering them by hand, is worth the price of 80 bucks alone. I turn 50 this year, getting too old for this sh....

I thought of the same about an airstone, I'm trying out a small aquarium wave maker, that will move the water around, but hopefully not aerate it and screw the pH. we'll see how that goes....