Devices for automatic watering of indoor plants: construction and principles of action of different systems of autopolivation, manufacturers
Devices for irrigation of potted cultures are the younger brothers of automatic irrigation systems for country sites. However, almost every dacket heard about the second, but about the first few people know. Our task is to talk about the practical benefits and the advantages of these useful devices.
All the room plants need caring hands, which in time Poland will feed, will remove the dried leaf, if necessary, rearrange the pot closer to the light source or further from it. They are painfully reacting to a long lack of owners who have left on vacation or business trip - without timely watering the green inhabitants of apartments are dying. Clamps for help will come devices for automatic irrigation. Many of them are capable of becoming assistants and in everyday life, replacing classic leaks. Such adaptations produce firms from different countries: Brigadier Werkzeuge (Switzerland), Gardena (Germany), Hozelock (United Kingdom), Elgo (Israel), Uniflex (Italy), Weninger (Austria), "Costa Blanca" (Russia) IDR.
| 
| 
| 
|
Archimedes Soil Humidifier (Manufacturer BRIGADIER WERKZEUGE) is a simple device capable of supplying potted cultures for 5-7 days. It consists of a glass flask tank for water and ceramic cone, which is immersed in the ground (photo 1-3). The cone can be lowered almost at full depth (photo 4) - it is important for plants in large pots. If the danger damage the roots is great, the cone is immersed in the soil partly. Water coats through capillary and porous ceramic walls dropped. |
|
Model designs are different, however, according to the principle of operation, they can be divided into two groups. The first includes devices supplying water to plant roots in the depth of the soil through the porous walls of the hollow ceramic cone installed inside the pot. Their dignity is that they serve moisture directly to the roots. Immersing cones into the soil, you risk damageing roots, so be careful. Systems of the second group irrigate the soil on top of a drip method: drops fall on the ground from thin tubes or special droppers embedded in thin hoses. They consume moisture and nutrients less efficiently, but they allow you to adjust the water supply rate. Supports for the tubes, in contrast to the cones, almost do not hurt the roots of plants, and therefore in the pot it is easy to put a few droppers.
| 
| 
| 
|
Blumat Junior cones are installed in a pot, and the tip of the hose with a weighting agent is lowered into water tank (photo 5-8). Length hose - 80cm. The optimal height of the arrangement of the capacity is determined by the experimental way. These devices pull the water only at the request of the plant: when the soil in the pot dries, the cone gradually gives water surrounding it. The deployed water compensates new from the tank. When the soil moisturizes, Blumat Junior will stop his work. |
|
Nose to the ground
The design of the devices with ceramic cones is simple: the kit includes the cone itself and either the hose that allows you to connect it with an external source or water tank. Such systems produce Brigadier Werkzeuge and Weninger.
The Archimedes soil humidifier (producer- Brigadier Werkzeuge) consists of only two parts of a ceramic cone with a 12 cm and a glass flask of about 150ml. So that he earned, you must first fill the flask and the cone with water, then connect them. The cone is then immersed in a pot, and the flask remains on top and serves as a tank for feeding. The device gives its own supply of water on average for 5-7 days.
| 
| 
| 
|
Archimedes microcapel irrigation system (producer- Brigadier Werkzeuge) for potted plants can be collected taking into account the placement of pots on your windowsill. The compartment includes hose, droppers, splitters, pens and adapters for fastening to the crane (photo 9). Dropper (middle and end) are embedded in the hose on their own (photo 10) through the required interval. Fix the hose in the desired position helps supports that are plugged into the ground (photo 11,12). |
|
Cones with PVC hoses can work independently much longer. The design of the design is not provided with a splashing flask: they receive water through a hose from any autonomous capacity selected by the user, for example, from a can or bucket. In fact, this is a more perfect version of the "grandmother" device consisting of a woolen thread and a three-liter jar. The capacity of Archimedes cones - up to 100 ml / day, the length of the PVC hose is 80cm. Used Blumat Junior (Weninger, price- 180 rubles) The length of the hose is the same. Depending on the type of plant, its size and the Blumat Junior season passes through itself 0.25-1l of water per week. At the irrigation speed affects the location of the capacity with water relative to the pot with a plant: if the first is above the second, watering goes faster, and if at one level is slower. Caring for such devices is easy: 1 time per year you need to wash the hot water hose, clean the inner part of the enshik cone, and externally sandy paper or scraper for ceramic pots.
| 
| 
| 
|
The scheme of the GARDENA 1265 system (photo 13) is as follows: from the pump water on the hose is supplied to the distributors (photo 14), and from them at a thin tube, to plants (photo 15). Water consumption depends on the distributor: at the tubes connected to the light gray distributor - 15 ml / min, gray-30ml / min, dark gray - 60 ml / min. When all droppers are involved, the system consumes 1.3l water per day. The container in which the pump is immersed (photo 16) must be big. |
|
Cap, Cap ...
The microcapelaine irrigation systems are similar to their country analogs: they also serve water to plant roots with small doses. For example, the Gardena 1265 device (Gardena, the price is 2500 rubles) is capable of watering up to 36 plants at the same time. The compartment includes a filter pump, a transformer with a timer to power the pump feeding (length- 9m), three distributors (each with 12 taps), capillary hose (length-30m), pegs holders (36 pcs.), Lower caps ( 20 pcs.). The electronic timer is configured to the only mode of operation - daily watering for 1min. You can bring one or more hoses to the side of the pot. The GARDENA 1266 system also includes a plastic water container with a lid (volume - 9l): in it or any other large vessel immerses the pump. If the water in the tank suddenly end, the pump will turn off automatically, and when the water rolled down, will continue to function. Droppers that are not currently involved are overlapped with plugs.
| 
| 
| 
|
Five thin tubes of the AQUAPOD5 system (photo 17) can work independently of each other. "Sleeping" are closed with plugs. Single pressure regulator with graduation unit (photo 18) Installation is connected to the crane through the hose with a diameter of 4mm (photo 19). If two fittings are plugged with two installations (each with five drops). At the ends of the tubes there are droppers (photo 20). The length of each tube is 1m. The AC1 + timer controls the watering mode, it is installed on the crane in front of the pressure regulator. |
|
Aquapod 5 system is somewhat different (Hozelock, the price is about 2 thousand rubles). Its main element-microcapel plant similar to barrels, with five thin tubes, at the ends of which droppers are located. "Barrel" is connected to the water tap. For this, the kit includes a hose with a diameter of 4mm and a pressure regulator with an exhaust unit installed on the crane. Connecting aquapod5 or other device to the water supply, do not forget that plants with a gentle root system (for example, orchids) do not like cold water.
Opinion of a specialist
For plants, as well as for people, the quality of the water they drink is very important. Watering water should have a neutral acid-alkaline balance and a minimum amount of harmful impurities (chlorine, calcium and magnesium salts, heavy metals). Water water does not always meet these requirements. Therefore, before using, it is defended for 1 day, and ideally filtered. Hardwater, in which many potassium and magnesium salts, first boil or soften: puffs with peat bags, lemon or oxalic acid are added. Softened water is defined in an open transparent canister, it is necessary that the volatile compounds of chlorine, which are formed during the chemical reaction of the compound of calcium salts, evaporated. Calcium salts precipitate falls on the bottom of the ass. With a large content of iron, water acquires a characteristic taste of rust, and when defending it is purre. For plants, an increased level of iron is dangerous. Therefore, in unfavorable areas, some caring owners water their pets with distilled water with special liquid fertilizers. These funds produce, for example, GENERAL HYDROPONICS (France), Greenwood (Netherlands), Etisso (Germany).
Nikolay Vavakin, Mastergrow
The Rosinka device ("Costa Blanca", the price is about 500 rubles) is suitable for irrigation of both street plants on the countryside and indoor pots. The kit consists of a hose with a length of 20m, adapters that allow branches the system, and droppers (50 pcs.). The water source can be a duty water pipe with a pressure of no more than 1 atm or an autonomous capacity (it is set above the pot levels, and the hose is connected from below). Drip dispensers allow you to regulate water consumption in the range of 0-2l / h.
| 
| 
| 
|
The Tropf Blumat kit (Photo 21) is collected according to the individual project, take into account the number of plants, the distance between adjacent pots and their size. Before launching the sensor cones (photo 22.23) to work, it is necessary for 15-20min to pull them into a bowl with water so that ceramics acquire 100% humidity. Drip watering will begin only when the sensor begs the system that moisture in the ground is not enough (photo 24). |
|
Unite and ... Fall
There are systems connecting the principles of operation of both groups, such as Tropf Blumat (Weninger). Perhaps these are the smartest of all devices, because they allow each plant to choose the watering mode on their own. The system works like this: in each pot, a ceramic cone is installed, filled with water. The cap is a membrane-drive for clamping the drip hose located above the cap. Drip hoses assembled into a single network, through the main hose receive water from plastic containers. Cones from water - a kind of sensors notifying the system of soil moisture in a pot. It is the land to dry, and the roots of the plants are accepted to pull moisture from the ceramic sensor (as in Blumat Junior). It is formed a small air loss, the membrane under the action of atmospheric pressure drops down and stops compressing the hose - the drip watering begins. When the soil rises in moisture, the water will rotten into the cone and the membrane raise, turning the hose. On one sensor can be planted several droppers and evenly put them in the area of the pot. Release the sensors of two sizes: 11cm high for the pots of up to 8l and a height of 30cm, more than 8l. Price system- from 500 rubles.
Opinion of a specialist
Each plant needs individually watering. One requires a lot of moisture - these are so-called veloch clubs: Nerder, Asparagus, Hydrangea, Nephrolepp (fern), Selaginell, Juncus, Carex. They must be abundantly riding literally every other day. Others are scarcely irrigate 1 time in a week, almost all succulents (in their fleshy leaves, stems and roots many of their juices), as well as Sheffler, Noline, Pahir, Philodendron IDR.
There are some common principles of watering. In the summer, in the period of active growth and hot weather, almost all plants need more moisture than in the fall and winter. Watering in the winter time partly even replaced with loosening. Potted crops are watered under the root around the circumference, so that the entire root system has a moisture. A small excess water flows through the drain hole in the pallet. The onset of the amount of moisture is evidenced by the drained earth com. If, checking it on the touch, you understand that the ground at a depth of 2 cm dry or the ground leaves the pot walls, - urgently pour the plant. However, it does not relate to lover of arid conditions, it is sometimes necessary to dry the ground. A sign of a serious abandonment of plants - the opposite, crumpled or flowing leaves, which speaks of the loss of the turgora (internal pressure in a living cage, causing the stress of its shell). After watering, the tour is restored, but the new foliage in return grows not so quickly. Ficus, Crasus and other types of marrantists are able to "dress" in summer for 1-2 months, while DRATSEN or Calatea fully foliage no longer restore the trunk they will remain naked, and new shoots will grow on top of the top.
Irina Balashova, a senior biologist of the company "7 colors",
Floristic school consultant "Flowers in detail"
The editorial board thanks the company "7 colors", "7 Colors-Decor", "Brigadier Teknolodzhis", "Sprint-M", "Flowers in detail", Mastergrow for helping in the filming and preparation of the material.