How To Water Plants While Away For 2 Weeks Uk

Watering plants while you are away can be a challenge. Not all of the states are lucky enough to have willing relations or neighbours. Even if we do, it tin can exist an unreasonable burden to request, recall, you will need to reciprocate and they may have a bigger garden!

Irrigation systems can sound complex and expensive, but moderate cost easy to install DIY systems are available. Garden centres stock the leading ii United kingdom suppliers, Hozelock and Gardena. Their websites have comprehensive instructions and configuration planning tools.

Hozelock irrigation

Gardena irrigation

The bones components are by and large interchangeable. Attractively priced starter kits are worth because. You can add to them as required.

A typical system will comprise of these central components;

Timer/Water computer

This turns the h2o on at preset times per twenty-four hours. Optional pelting sensors on some models relieve water as they only h2o when necessary. For average temperatures, a setting of 5-10 minutes, three times a solar day is normally sufficient with drip caput watering. The entry-level devices will be sufficient for most gardens. Don't spend more on unnecessary advanced features. Multiple output devices allow for more than than one water circuit, such as one for the borders and another for the lawn.

Filter/Force per unit area reduction (Master Unit)

This filters the incoming water supply and reduces it down to the required pressure. Systems vary in size, depending on your garden. The Gardena Master Unit 2000, supports upwards to 1000, 2l per 60 minutes baste heads. The smaller 1000 unit can supply 500 2l/hr drip heads.

13mm piping

This is used for the backbone pipework such as a loop around the garden perimeter. Push fit joints are like shooting fish in a barrel to install. It is black so is unobtrusive. The pipework easily kinks, so avert abrupt bends or use the various joints available.

4.6mm piping

This is used to feed the actual plants. A single piping can connect to multiple drip heads .

Sprays and drip heads

Both spray nozzles and drip heads can be configured with the system. A pick of types and sizes available. Drip heads are very efficient on water usage. Place drip heads close to the main stem of the institute to get water to the roots where it is needed. Adjustable and fixed flow rates types can be used to cater for plants and pots of different sizes.

Other components

A wide range of joints, taps, clips and supports are offered. There are also small "leaky" hoses and sprinklers for larger areas to be watered, these do utilize more than water.

Lawn watering

Lawns are incredibly resilient. An unwatered lawn that has lost all its green in a very hot Summer will usually recover when the pelting returns. If though you want to retain that green lushness, then defended water systems similar to those used at golf game courses can exist installed. A dedicated water circuit is needed to deliver the college volumes of water needed. The pipework will require burying under the backyard to feed the popular up sprinklers. This is not across a competent DIYer. Avoid unnecessary watering past using a timer with a rain sensor.

Planning your system

Decide what you lot need to water. Typically this will be containers, hanging and wall baskets, fruit bushes/trees, vegetables and other water hungry plants such as hydrangeas. You lot can add more than if needed, especially for very sunny corners that quickly dry out out.

Once you have decided on the priorities, yous demand to install the main distribution or backbone 13 mm pipe. This for example could exercise a loop around the perimeter of the garden. It needs to start where the water tap is and where you will located the timer and master unit. It's best to take a dedicated tap for the timer for convenience and to avoid accidentally turning it off! 1 primary unit 2000 can feed upward to 1000 2l/hr drip heads. If possible run several courage circuits from the primary unit. For larger gardens, more than one excursion may be needed, using a second timer, these can be watering at a dissimilar fourth dimension.

Wherever you need to water plants, put a reducing TEE in the backbone pipage, if budgets let you tin add together a small tap. It is possible to by connectors that screw directly into the backbone pipe, in my experience they often leak, and so I avoid them. Run the 4.half-dozen mm feed pipage betwixt the reducing TEE and the plants. Locate the drip head close to the stem, secure it with a stake as they have a habit of moving.

watering

Choosing the heads

The fixed drip heads are the most useful. 2l/hr and 4l/hr Gardena baste heads are orangish and black. Adjustable drip heads go up to 10l/hr. Sprays, misters and many other attachments are on offer. A single feed pipe can supply almost 10 2l/hr heads, less with some of the others. There'due south guidance on piping chapters on the websites or you can rely on a combination of mutual sense and trial and error as I do! For watering rows of fruit or vegetables, the inline drip heads are easiest to use.