Clicio
Masterpiece
Ah, thank you very much! This is the info I was looking for!
Overwatering, small needles and automated watering systems.
- Thread starter Clicio
- Start date
Ah, thank you very much! This is the info I was looking for!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
If you need links to timers or heads I can post you links. I think I may have a thread about my system, let me go look...
Here is that thread. I no longer have the twist to clean filter, we got a whole house filtration system, so I pull my water for this system directly off that, before the softener. I also have used the timers in such a way that I have a few misting cycles in the heat of the summer.
https://bonsainut.com/threads/automatic-watering-system.19516/
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
In horticulture, we use container size reduction to initiate leaf size reduction, together with heavy leaf/branch pruning. Root reduction is only done when necessary or not at all. But it doesn't have that much result.
Never back down on the fertilizer and water, because if a plant doesn't make it, all the work was for nothing.
Never back down on the fertilizer and water, because if a plant doesn't make it, all the work was for nothing.
WNC Bonsai
Masterpiece
I just ordered the components for a drip irrigation system from DripDepot.com. They have a lot of info on the site about different drip and mist heads, etc. I decided to go with pressure compensated drip heads that put out .5 gal/hr. You can get a range of drip rates, and other options that allow you to fine tune the amount of water each plant gets. It will take a little adjusting over time but I hope it will be the answer to my travel issues. I got a timer that allows you to customize when and for how long the system runs and you can program in several cycles a day. You can even get a system that will operate off a rain barrel. There are a variety of kits that can be customized for you needs. Worth a look if you are considering an automated system.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Your memory fails with old age. Please see Bristlecone Pine, Douglas fir. Plenty too many trees/no more room to grow
. Attempting to post any pictures huge problem here.
Clicio
Masterpiece
@Cofga @JudyB thanks a lot, excellent information, but...
Oh my, how I wish I was closer to the sellers!
We can get those systems here, but of course imported and very, very expensive. And if one tries to buy them from let's say Amazon, up comes the warning: "This item does not ship to Brazil." Tough but creative life, we just have to improvise!
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
Automation has limited value in this case. Even systems that have rain sensors do not know if the rain fell in the pot. I think it is best to use automatic systems for general purposes ensuring minimal delivery during absences and busy times to ensure the trees do not dry out. Over the past decade of adjusting my system and zones it has become evident that it is a useful part of my watering routine, not the answer.
Needle reduction is best accomplished with other techniques in my opinion. The only time i use the automatic watering all the time is with grow beds that have excellent drainage layers and fast growing young pines in free draining media. Essentially zero risk of overwatering the trees because they never sit in water.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
I have soil probes that, when water levels drop below 20%, turn on the tap. All are arduino based, so basically programming the entire system is a matter of copy and paste.
They sense all water inside the soil, rain or not, and they can even be cut to size.
Only thing I need to do/remember is to fill the water tank.
Drip irrigation system was 20 bucks (but could be done for less)
The arduino and components were about 45 bucks.
They sense all water inside the soil, rain or not, and they can even be cut to size.
Only thing I need to do/remember is to fill the water tank.
Drip irrigation system was 20 bucks (but could be done for less)
The arduino and components were about 45 bucks.
River's Edge
Imperial Masterpiece
That sounds great. how have you determined the placement of probes. Pick sample pots, areas?
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Do these work with inorganic substrate?
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, they work with any substrate that holds water.
The probes measure electrical current resistance between a + and -. Adjustments for those values can be made in the software. It took some adjustments to be honest, the code I got was meant for potting soil. The first setup was an LCd showing the water content, later that became a message: "I don't need water f*** off"or, when water levels dropped; "I need water master."
Don't judge me for programming my own LCD-messages ;-)
First thing after that I did was to build a data logger, it logged all information about moisture, humidity and temperature and generated an excel file. After a while I found that this kind of measurements are pretty useless because leafless trees don't drink much, domancy is an issue, and it only generates information based on a set of conditions. It was hard to plot a line to, in human language, do this: If temp=w, water loss per time=x and humidity=y, then evaporation=z so watering needed=amount A.
Right now, it basically does:
if water content is
>20%, then Do nothing
<20% then water until >20% or pump a fixed amount of water (run a pump for x-seconds).
With 2-hour intervals of measurement.
There's a lot of code stuff out there, for free. Most Arduino kits are getting cheaper by the day.
The probes measure electrical current resistance between a + and -. Adjustments for those values can be made in the software. It took some adjustments to be honest, the code I got was meant for potting soil. The first setup was an LCd showing the water content, later that became a message: "I don't need water f*** off"or, when water levels dropped; "I need water master."
Don't judge me for programming my own LCD-messages ;-)
First thing after that I did was to build a data logger, it logged all information about moisture, humidity and temperature and generated an excel file. After a while I found that this kind of measurements are pretty useless because leafless trees don't drink much, domancy is an issue, and it only generates information based on a set of conditions. It was hard to plot a line to, in human language, do this: If temp=w, water loss per time=x and humidity=y, then evaporation=z so watering needed=amount A.
Right now, it basically does:
if water content is
>20%, then Do nothing
<20% then water until >20% or pump a fixed amount of water (run a pump for x-seconds).
With 2-hour intervals of measurement.
There's a lot of code stuff out there, for free. Most Arduino kits are getting cheaper by the day.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
Also, I have 0 experience in coding or electronics. It took me 3 weeks to get it running and working, and to make things worse, i lost the code.
But I'll be rebuilding and expanding it again this summer. I have changed a lot of soils, so I'm going to have to dive in the code again. I'll see if I can post something about it as soon as it works properly again.
But I'll be rebuilding and expanding it again this summer. I have changed a lot of soils, so I'm going to have to dive in the code again. I'll see if I can post something about it as soon as it works properly again.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
IMO....
You can Flush Potty Thoughts and get Nowhere.....
Or decode them and advance.
It is very rare that Potty Posts....
But postings by potty have a pattern.
In this pattern, the entire pattern, it is clear to see the value in SOME of the posts...
That the pattern continues tells of jokes that went over heads...and teachings that went untaught.
This...."tree looks unhealthy, perhaps the fert was washed out"...
Right or wrong...
I decode this as..
Looks Healthy! How did you do that with no fert?
I take it as a small reminder to fertilize all the time....
We know Yoda is wise....
We Know Star Wars fans are Freaks...
So we know there IS wisdom in these potty words that shouldn't be flushed.
We just must overcome this thing that "seems" but isn't.
Sorce
You can Flush Potty Thoughts and get Nowhere.....
Or decode them and advance.
It is very rare that Potty Posts....
But postings by potty have a pattern.
In this pattern, the entire pattern, it is clear to see the value in SOME of the posts...
That the pattern continues tells of jokes that went over heads...and teachings that went untaught.
This...."tree looks unhealthy, perhaps the fert was washed out"...
Right or wrong...
I decode this as..
Looks Healthy! How did you do that with no fert?
I take it as a small reminder to fertilize all the time....
We know Yoda is wise....
We Know Star Wars fans are Freaks...
So we know there IS wisdom in these potty words that shouldn't be flushed.
We just must overcome this thing that "seems" but isn't.
Sorce
John in Toledo
Mame
This!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
In everything everywhere.....
Oooohh its the day....
But she says that all the time...
"Seems like"..
Which only tells we are unsure....
Which only means there is a truth to be discovered...
A truth that brings happiness...
But we dont care to discover it...
Relationships...bonsai...work affairs...world affairs....
It's the same "seems like" that people just roll with as ok even if it severely affects their lives.
"Seems like" their trying to take our guns so they can control us...
Why do people find it so hard to believe that maybe one person in this political line didn't get the memo...doesn't care about our rights and has been successful in manipulating the right people to Hitler our asses...
Too Woke.
Sorce
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
WTH are you saying. Sometimes it's just too much, maybe you should moderate yourself over to the teahouse...
We are talking about automated watering systems here.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
There will be a day when it seems like someone's watering sprinkler is working so they dont go fix it and kill a tree.
Unless of course they understand how deeply bad "it seems" goes.
If growing trees is the battle, and knowing is half of it...
"It seems" is not knowing enough!
(Loud childish rendition of chopsticks!)
Sorce
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
That's not true either, needle size can be controlled by allowing the tree to become slightly root bound, in other words do not repot so often. Do not fertilize until mid summer, and it is possible to remove new shoots in early July to produce a batch of small new buds that will produce small candles then shoots the following Spring. This process can be repeated three years in a row then the tree must be allowed to rest for a season.
. But definitely scrawny/weak. All stems no foliage
.
