plant care
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I'd like to use a stamp to water my plants and possibly eventually light
them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need some kind of
moisture sensor for each plant and then some device to turn water on and off.
I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I don't need to
plumb pipes to my garden.
has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
thanks
bob
them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need some kind of
moisture sensor for each plant and then some device to turn water on and off.
I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I don't need to
plumb pipes to my garden.
has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
thanks
bob
Comments
for about $50.00 each, but can be as much as $300.00. One should
work with a basic stamp; although, depending on the current, you may
want to run it through an opamp.
I would not get into all the plumbing; frankly, you can get modular
soaker hose setups from any hardware or garden store. Running the
solid black hose through a wall or something would be really simple.
There are even hooks one could use to make them more aesthetically
pleasing.
Good Luck!
Mike.
New Orleans, LA
--- In basicstamps@yahoogroups.com, eclecticrr@A... wrote:
> I'd like to use a stamp to water my plants and possibly eventually
>light them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need
>some kind of moisture sensor for each plant and then some device to
>turn water on and off.
> I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I don't
>need to plumb pipes to my garden.
>
> has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
>
> thanks
>
> bob
or so and may be adapted with an ADC.
The cheapy drip irrigation stuff would probably work well for plumbing.
Original Message
> What you need is called a "soil moisture sensor." They usually go
> for about $50.00 each, but can be as much as $300.00. One should
> work with a basic stamp; although, depending on the current, you may
> want to run it through an opamp.
>
> I would not get into all the plumbing; frankly, you can get modular
> soaker hose setups from any hardware or garden store. Running the
> solid black hose through a wall or something would be really simple.
> There are even hooks one could use to make them more aesthetically
> pleasing.
> > I'd like to use a stamp to water my plants and possibly eventually
> >light them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need
> >some kind of moisture sensor for each plant and then some device to
> >turn water on and off.
> > I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I don't
> >need to plumb pipes to my garden.
> >
> > has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
> >
> > thanks
> >
> > bob
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
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>
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>
>
>them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need some kind of
>moisture sensor for each plant and then some device to turn water on and off.
> I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I don't need to
>plumb pipes to my garden.
>has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
>thanks
>bob
Hi Bob,
You might take a look at
http://www.emesys.com/OL2mhos.htm
http://www.emesys.com/smx.htm
Those show interface from the Stamp to soil moisture sensors. You
can put stainless steel or carbon probes right in the soil, and then
observe what electrical signal corresponds to "dry" as you define it
for your plants. For better results, people favor embedding the
conductivity probes in a plaster of paris block. Bury the whole
block. The moisture in the block comes into equilibrium with the
moisture in the soil, and the block acts as a buffer against the
salts and other stuff that affects the conductivity of your
irrigation water. Things like the Watermark sensors are developments
of that principle. There are other kinds of soil moisture monitors
you can find at the http://www.sowacs.com web site.
-- best regards
Tracy
electronically monitored ecosystems
http://www.emesystems.com
mailto:tracy@e...
> Radio Shack used to sell a cheap analog soil moisture meter. They
were $20
> or so and may be adapted with an ADC.
>
> The cheapy drip irrigation stuff would probably work well for
plumbing.
Ditto. I use drip irrigation stuff in the yard.
http://www.onestopgardens.com/osg/taf/displayitem_os.taf?
Itemnumber=46095
It connects to the house hose connection via a standard automatic
sprinkler valve (about $20.00 from home Depot) 24 VAC to power the
valve on and off.
I made points with the wifie by 'dripping' her Fushias daily. Those
plants want to live in a swamp (so she says) so I flood the pots
daily per instructions.
For the tomatoes, I water every other day and skip rain days and one
day after it rains.
Her roses get water every 3 days or 2 days after a rain.
I thought about a moisture sensor, but so far this has worked well
enough to be satisfied.
A note about tubing, you can use garden hose with the fittings so you
don't have to buy more expensive special tubing. And Wal-Mart sells
some limited parts.
Dave
>
>
Original Message
>
> > What you need is called a "soil moisture sensor." They usually go
> > for about $50.00 each, but can be as much as $300.00. One should
> > work with a basic stamp; although, depending on the current, you
may
> > want to run it through an opamp.
> >
> > I would not get into all the plumbing; frankly, you can get
modular
> > soaker hose setups from any hardware or garden store. Running the
> > solid black hose through a wall or something would be really
simple.
> > There are even hooks one could use to make them more aesthetically
> > pleasing.
>
> > > I'd like to use a stamp to water my plants and possibly
eventually
> > >light them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need
> > >some kind of moisture sensor for each plant and then some device
to
> > >turn water on and off.
> > > I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I
don't
> > >need to plumb pipes to my garden.
> > >
> > > has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
> > >
> > > thanks
> > >
> > > bob
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
Subject and
> Body of the message will be ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> Radio Shack used to sell a cheap analog soil moisture meter. They
were $20
> or so and may be adapted with an ADC.
>
> The cheapy drip irrigation stuff would probably work well for
plumbing.
Ditto. I use drip irrigation stuff in the yard.
http://www.onestopgardens.com/osg/taf/displayitem_os.taf?
Itemnumber=46095
It connects to the house hose connection via a standard automatic
sprinkler valve (about $20.00 from home Depot) 24 VAC to power the
valve on and off.
I made points with the wifie by 'dripping' her Fushias daily. Those
plants want to live in a swamp (so she says) so I flood the pots
daily per instructions.
For the tomatoes, I water every other day and skip rain days and one
day after it rains.
Her roses get water every 3 days or 2 days after a rain.
I thought about a moisture sensor, but so far this has worked well
enough to be satisfied.
A note about tubing, you can use garden hose with the fittings so you
don't have to buy more expensive special tubing. And Wal-Mart sells
some limited parts.
Dave
>
>
Original Message
>
> > What you need is called a "soil moisture sensor." They usually go
> > for about $50.00 each, but can be as much as $300.00. One should
> > work with a basic stamp; although, depending on the current, you
may
> > want to run it through an opamp.
> >
> > I would not get into all the plumbing; frankly, you can get
modular
> > soaker hose setups from any hardware or garden store. Running the
> > solid black hose through a wall or something would be really
simple.
> > There are even hooks one could use to make them more aesthetically
> > pleasing.
>
> > > I'd like to use a stamp to water my plants and possibly
eventually
> > >light them. but right now, just water them. so i figure i need
> > >some kind of moisture sensor for each plant and then some device
to
> > >turn water on and off.
> > > I suspect I'd put the water in a resevoir of some sort so I
don't
> > >need to plumb pipes to my garden.
> > >
> > > has anyone done anything like that? or thought about it?
> > >
> > > thanks
> > >
> > > bob
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
Subject and
> Body of the message will be ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >