Do-it-yourself automatic watering system for a greenhouse

Almost every gardener comes to a point when he wants to do automatic watering in a greenhouse with his own hands. This desire is easy to explain. In the summer, in addition to gardening, there are many exciting activities for which you need to leave the country house, or which do not allow you to come to the dacha. Cucumbers and tomatoes planted in a greenhouse and left unattended can lose color due to lack of moisture, get sick, or simply die. Automation of watering will eliminate the need to tinker with hoses; automatic watering will save the summer resident energy and reduce water consumption.

Types of irrigation systems for country greenhouses and their features

It is necessary to consider all the currently popular automatic watering schemes, before starting to create automatic watering in the greenhouse. In the form of an enlarged diagram, any irrigation system consists of the following parts:

• source;
• equipment for forced supply of water under pressure;
• water purification systems from mechanical, chemical and other impurities;
• automation (controller);
• pipes and shut-off valves.

Everything about organizing drip irrigation

Drip irrigation in a polycarbonate greenhouse is the dream of every summer resident. For water, large-volume containers (barrels made of metal or plastic) are usually used. A barrel (tank) is a source of water. To better heat the water and create pressure, the tank must be raised above the ground. The number of bars (pipes) required to construct a stand for the tank is calculated based on the size of the tank (capacity) and the height of its elevation above the ground. The recommended height for a pressure of 0.2 atmospheres is 1 m or 2 m.

To create automatic drip irrigation in a greenhouse, pipes are needed. Through pipes, water from a natural reservoir or central water supply is supplied to the barrel. You can use plastic or metal pipes. It is more profitable to use plastic pipes, since they do not corrode, last a long time, and are easy to install.

To supply water, a pump is installed; if the dacha already has an operating pumping station, then the container is connected to it using pipes.

The scheme must include a cleaning system - a filter for rough water purification from mechanical impurities. The filter is installed at the outlet of the barrel, next to the ball valve.A controller with an electromechanical valve must be installed behind the filter. Thanks to the controller and valve, water will be supplied (switched off) automatically.

Drawing a diagram of a greenhouse

Before purchasing greenhouse equipment, you need to make a drawing of the greenhouse. The diagram should indicate not only the dimensions of the greenhouse itself, but also the size and location of the beds. The drawing is needed to calculate the required length of the line, the number of fittings for the branches, the length of the drip tape or, if you decide to use droppers, the length of the hose and the number of droppers.

Installation

Installation begins with laying the main hose (pipe), the recommended pipe diameter is 40 mm. It is better to place the central highway at a slight angle to the horizon. When storing the system for the winter, it will be easier to drain the water. You can lay the hose in a trench, the maximum permissible depth of the trench is 50 cm. Using a valve, one end of the line is connected to a water source, and a tap or plug is placed at the other end.

Along the entire length of the main plastic pipe, in the places where the drip tapes are connected, you need to drill holes for installing start connectors. The drip tapes are unwound, laid out on ridges, secured with holders. Attached to the central pipe. It is necessary to cut the tapes with a margin (100 mm). Place plugs on the end parts. The system is washed after completion of work.

Drip irrigation and its advantages

During operation of the irrigation system, automatic water supply will be carried out using the controller. At the signal from the controller, the electromechanical valve opens, and under a pressure of 0.2 atmospheres, the water flow passes through the central line through drip tapes and is supplied directly to the root of each plant. Instead of drip tapes, the system can be equipped with hoses and droppers.

After installing a drip system, significant water savings are observed, on average, its consumption is reduced by 30%. In a greenhouse equipped with a drip irrigation system, the incidence of diseases in tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers is significantly reduced. The reason is optimal soil moisture. For a greenhouse in the country, drip irrigation is a good solution.

Sprinkler irrigation

In a greenhouse with automatic watering and sprinkling, you can successfully grow moisture-loving crops. This type of system is suitable for cucumbers; they love moist air and the absence of drafts. It is not difficult to assemble this model of an automatic watering system in your greenhouse. It is necessary to calculate the required length of pipes, the number of taps and spray nozzles.

Sprayers (nozzles) cover a large radius area. The pipe system for supplying water is often located in the upper part of the greenhouse. The source is a barrel, at the output of which are installed:

• pump for supplying water under pressure;
• tap;
• filter;
• timer.

To organize irrigation using the sprinkling method, pipes with a diameter of 22-25 mm are suitable; they must be installed under the roof of the greenhouse. On one side, the pipe is connected through a compensating loop and coupling to the main pipe coming from the water source; on the other side, a plug is placed on the pipe. Spray nozzles are installed on the pipe with the required pitch.

Underground irrigation system

Watering in a greenhouse can be organized using underground irrigation. To do this, you will have to work with a shovel, since the pipes are laid in trenches. With underground irrigation, water is supplied directly to the root of each plant.

The advantage of such a system is the efficient use of water, enrichment of the soil with oxygen, and the absence of crust.The disadvantages include the difficulty of installation associated with excavation work. Repairing such a system will also require physical effort.

For the central pipeline, a plastic pipe with a diameter of 32 to 50 mm is suitable. To supply water directly to the roots of plants, you need to use special porous hoses. It is better to dig a trench for laying the central pipe in the middle of the greenhouse; the required trench depth is 40-60 cm.

The assembly of a system consisting of plastic pipes is carried out using fittings. To supply water to the pipes, droppers or sprayers are installed. The assembled system is first covered with a small layer of sand, and then with ordinary soil on top of it.

Equipment for automatic watering systems

To automate your greenhouse, you cannot do without special equipment for automatically supplying water from the source to the central line. For this purpose, timers and controllers are used, both of which are equipped with solenoid valves.

Using timers, you can set watering time and frequency. Device controllers are more complex. They are equipped with a display and a set of buttons with which you can set a specific watering program by day of the week.

For a small greenhouse, a timer or an inexpensive controller with one channel is suitable. If there are several greenhouses, you will need a more expensive model of a multi-channel controller. The advantage of expensive models is a GSM module and the ability to control the system using your mobile phone. An alternative to one multi-channel controller can be several timers (single-channel).

Pumps and filters

Irrigation requires settled water, therefore, a metal or plastic barrel performs not only a reserve function, accumulating water. In the barrel, the water is heated to air temperature; when watering, this has a positive effect on the health of the plants. A tap must be installed into the bottom of the barrel. The tap is needed for emergency drainage of water and for carrying out an inspection: cleaning the tank from debris, rust, and sediment. The water supply pipe is mounted in the upper part of the tank, the water supply pipe to the greenhouse is located in its lower part.

There are certain criteria that must be followed when choosing a pump. Purchase a pump if it meets the requirements:

• it is easy to install and dismantle;

• there is a soft start system;
• low noise level;
• The body material is resistant to chemicals contained in fertilizers;
• optimal power;
• possibility of automation.

Automated irrigation systems for greenhouses must be equipped with high-quality filters for water purification. Reliable operation of irrigation systems will largely depend on the quality of the water used. Drip tapes quickly fail when using untreated water. For small greenhouses with a barrel as a storage tank, mesh filters are suitable.

Automatic greenhouse ventilation

You shouldn’t stop at automating irrigation in a greenhouse. For greenhouse plants, certain air humidity and temperature conditions are important. Natural ventilation using vents cannot always provide the required parameters.

The problem can be solved with forced ventilation using fans installed inside the polycarbonate greenhouse. The advantage of a greenhouse with automatic ventilation is obvious:

1. Plants are less likely to suffer from late blight and powdery mildew.
2. The greenhouse maintains a certain microclimate necessary for greenhouse plants.
3. Optimum air temperature is maintained.

Along with the fans, a thermal relay is installed in the greenhouse; they are responsible for automatically turning the fans on and off. Greenhouses with ventilation and watering make the work of summer residents many times easier. The yield in such greenhouses is higher, the percentage of plant diseases is lower.