The Gorrilla Water Collar

High friends and fellow growers

Ive gotten so many good ideas from IC members, so I wanted to present this device with the hope that it will spark an idea or provide some insight and relief into the issue. Feel free to use and adapt this at your pleasure.

After suffering extreme drought for 2 staight years and loosing 2/3 of my crop, I collaborated with a couple of other local outsiders to find a solution to our watering problems..

We had all concluded that hand watering at the surface isnt effective unless the amount poured on is considerable. Smaller amounts of water poured on bone dry ground doesnt penetrate and has no real value or effectiveness. Two gallons of water, poured on very dry ground at the surface of the plant, penetrates to a depth of 1 1/4 " after 2 hrs. Observations indicate that cannabis roots began to appear at a depth of 3/4". Sixty percentof the water poured on the surface around a plant is absorbed by the soil above root level, soil off to the side that doesnt contain cannabis roots or, the moisture evaporates off and never becomes available to the plant.
The amount of water reaching the plant using this watering method provides enough moisture to keep the plant from wilting and does allow for some vegatatve growth but is not enough for the plant to mature properly. The buds will always be whispy and thin, even if the plant is a branch breaker. We found the condition to be irreversable and once a plant had experienced several wilting periods, regaurdless of how much water was provided after the repeated wilting events, the plants wouldn't finish properly. The hopeful grower under this scenario continues to work and water plants that are never going to mature properly. Ive been there. We observed this failure to mature properly after extended periods of wilt in 11 different strains.

-Nute absorbtion and fertilization are interrupted and problematic where there is no rain to wash ferts in or assimilate them into the grow spot soil. They tend to concentrate and salt up around the plant in the location they're poured out in and then if rain comes, its like a bunch of fertilizer gets released all at once. An alternate feeding approach is needed during long dry spells.


Our agreed solution: To be effective in this enviroment, the water and nutes have to be deliverd directly to the root sytem where it is needed and can be utilized by the plant just as it is with hydro and drip feeds. This basic premise drove our efforts.

After staring at the cats watering bowl and watching the TV ads for "Aqua globes", we developed and tested the following system device we call the " gorilla collar".


The device cost $1. 48 each to construct and can be built at a rate of 15 collars per hour. The 40 i needed cost me around $60 and took me about 4 hrs to complete them with a smoke break or 2 in the mix. A miniscule cost considering that I lost 15lbs of smoke and unknown gallons of gasoline and wasted labor trying to pack water.. It takes approximately 10 minutes extra at planting time to set the collar but watering efforts are reduced by 2/3 if not more.I would contend that this 10 minutes will save the grower 10 hrs of watering time over the course of the season. Once produced, the collars should last forever.

The collar:

It delivers water and when included, nutes directly and immediately to the root system and holds it there for the plants availablity. This approach solved the problem of absorbtion of the moisture by soil which contained no roots and of the problem of evaporation. It was the testing of this device that revealed the amount of water lost by pouring it on the surface. The collar had 4 obvious and repeatable impacts.

1. It reduced the amount of moisture one must carry to the plant dramatically. Two litres of water using the collar supplied the plants need for 3 full days under extremely dry conditions. Surface watering amounts for the same plant would have been 6 gallons - 2 gals. per day. On one plant were a 5 gallon satellite reservoir was used, the 5 gallons of water fed the plant continuously for over 3 weeks.

2. Because of the capacity of the device to hold water nthe root area, the tendency of plants to wilt between waterings is eliminated and the unreversable damage
to the plants flowering procees is eliminated.

3.The amount of ferts needed is reduced by more than half and what is supplied is immediately available to the plant roots. The effects of nutrient applications using the collar can be seen within 4 hrs of application where deficiencies exist.. It also allows for slow, continuous feeding when desired.

4. Unlike surface water that needs to be applied in the evening or early morning so that the water can soak in before evaporation, plants with the collar can be watered anytime without the problems of evaporation..

The collar installed, buried to the neck and loaded with a solution of nutes:
Burying the collar 3" or so, places the tubes in the soil to release their water at root level.





The collar before intallation:





The single pronged collar we tested with a reservoir system. The line from the reservoir was simply inserted in the neck instead of a 2 litre bottle.




Demonstration of a reservoir water line installation instead of the 2litre bottle





The parts list:

The parts are very simple and cheap. Pvc pipe, 3/4 or 1", whatever your preferance. 2 90 degree elbows, 1 Tee, 1 1" adapter as a mouth, and 2 shop towels, newspaper or other absorbant material and unless you want to use something different, a cellulose sponge. Parts for the single prong feeder are simply a piece of platic pipe and one 90 degree elbow and the end of the tube stopped up with sponge.




Holes must be drilled in the bottom side of the pvc so that the water will leach from the water supply, through the tubes and out the holes into the area of the plants roots. The purpose of the paper towels is to prevent mud from filling the leaching holes and to distribute moisture evenly around the pvc tubing. The roots grow right up to this material. The only qualification is that it be absorbant and unoffensive to plant roots.

Ive used pieces of sponge to fill the end of my tubes and I discovered the plant roots grew right into the end of the tubes and into the sponge. This factor should be explored further as one could entice the roots to attach to the tubes using the right material



Here are the towels encircling the tubing.




We didn't take pictures of the original test simply because we thought it was just a trial and we wouldnt take photos until we had created the final product. The device worked so well that we have done nothing to the basic design, but have created numberous adaptations, including the dumping of the end of the tubing into a platic cup drillled with holes and filled with gravel and sponge pieces which creates a situation where the plant roots grow into and fill the rock/sponge filled cup just as the would deveop in a bubbler system. Theoretically, this design would allow a growe to grow in a location where the soil was very poor.

I have more pics and infor I will post if others are interested. This simple device dramatically changes the watering scenario by increasing water efficiency by 300% or more. For every 100 gallons of water delivered to the plant - this device reduced that amount for us to approximately 30 gallons.

My aching back.

I apologize about the thumbnails, I cant seem to get them out.

Ill be back.

good day silverback, this is a very good idea, what worries me is if this water collar can be seen from the sky... specially if the bottle is left there hanging up-side down... plus the pvc pipe needs to be painted in opaque non-shinning paint... if the bottle is to be left there, it should be properly painted too.
k+
much peace

Looks like a great idea! Guess I may need to build a couple to test myself this summer. I was hoping the device you were talking about would be cost effective, and indeed it is!

Lots of good ideas coming down the "pipe" for this season.

So this thing will soak 5 gallons over 3 weeks? Thats pretty good.

Good job!

P.S. Paz, painting a device that is buried might be kinda pointless? Wrap that bottle in making tape with low glare, and bam! You got stealth.

BC, the pvc pipe sticks out of the soil, a white pvc pipe sticking out in the middle-of-no-where seen from a chopper may spark a lot of interest imo... the bottle has to be camoed if it is going to sit on top of the pipe´s mouth for more than a few minutes for sure...

edit: btw, what sticks out is the mouth-piece so to speak... which cannot be buried i think, or it will get clogged with the surrounding soil, and when that soil dries up inside the pipe, well, you get the picture

peace

Yeah Paz, I have the same concern as you. That would not be an option for me, and any spots found with that in this area would be automatically be tied together.

I much prefer Silverback's previous idea of burying the drink containers with the holes punched in them underground, with only the cap portion above ground.

Neat

Neat

Hey I like the idea SB. I'm confused how the water in the resevoir could be slowly supplied over an extended amount of time though. What is stopping all of the water from leaking out through the holes in the collar once the resvoir is connected, different pressures? Also does a constant water supply cause any problems with over watering or not enough oxegyn for the roots? Thanks for sharing.

Bugg

this is a very cool idea. let me get this right though. say i had the collar set up for a plant. do you just fill up some two liter bottles and back pack them in and quickly water and remove? or do you leave the 2 liter bottle upside down on it and leave?

Sounds like there is no reason to have any of the PVC pipe above ground. Could be buried where the opening is flush to the ground, or could at least be covered.

As far as the bottle is concerned, glue some tattered camo cloth strips to the bottle, leaving them loose.

so do you take a full bottle out with you and just replace the empty one or do you take like 5 bottles out and wait til each drains and then leave the scene?

Wrapping the bottle and the 2 inches of white pipe sticking from the ground should solve the stealth problem, although it seems to me the choppers would notice the Marijuana plant towering over it long before. Lets not let easy to solve problems distract from the novelty of this device.


Silverback seems to be busy, so I'm going to give a basic description of how this genius device works.

Folks who own a automatic pet watering dish own a device that works on the same principle, also there is a watering device for house plants that is pretty much the same.
Notice that the reservoir is a bottle, a container with only one exit, it is connected to the collar, which is buried several inches below the soil. This creates a potentially airtight situation, when the soil around the collar is wet, no air can infiltrate the collar and the reservoir, and since the reservoir is a bottle(and not a open top container) a vacuum is created and no water can drain from the bottle.
When the soil dries enough, air will filter into the soil around the collar, and will enter the collar and then push up into the bottle, replacing a measure of water in the bottle, allowing the water to drop into the collar and into the soil. As the soil soaks up the water, the exchange of air for water will stop, until the soil dries again.

A great basic, foolproof watering system!

yep i think its awesome. i hope it is really effective though without constantly running out more bottles. i will definately be trying it out this year though!

get a tractor trailer tire tube put on ground and plant in middle, take out the valve fill with water put vavle back in and poke holes with a sewing neddle all around the bottom so it slow leaks the water for a few days -week and then fill back up -week later fill up again .just a thought for outdoor plants

this is a good device because the plant actually uses the water it obtains.. I would believe camo would also help the security of the grow because white does stand out much more to a helicopter than green, especially in a a lush area.. but is I believe in the initial set up u must water it from above and moisten the entire root area and then as this dries it will pull from the water reservoir.. without the first crucial moistening it won't work right and if it does it won't be as efficient no? kinda like the earth boxes?

spraypaint the part of the pipe that sticks out to a "earth like" color. and maybe the bottle as well?

so do you always have nutes in the bottle?or do you just put the nutes in and leave for a couple days,then when you come back use water?(nute,water,nute,water)if you use nutes all the time then how weak/strong would the solution be?

Hey!

Yeah BC, releasing the water underground was effective to the point that we were shocked at the efficiency. I still am. I have decided to lay down a 1" thick layer of compost and water crystals under the tubing so that the water remains in the area and available even longer. The only water lost with this method is what is absorbed away buy unrooted soil. This loss control is the key. We buried a 5 gal water cooler bottle up hill from the plant. Its just amazing the effect when evaporation is eliminated.

Good question bugsuperstar. The device cant be used in a closed container without holes because the soil will become oversaturated. The demonstration in the photo's will not work. The box would be soupy by the next day. Outdoors, any excess moisture is absorbed off by drier soil. This is the only water loss with the device.

One of the things that keeps the water from leaching too quickly is the fact that the bottle has no air hole and collapses somewhat as the water is released, but overall, the pressure of the soil against the holes, combined with the drainage resistance of the soil itself, it just takes a while to leach out. We have only done simple, initial tests but it does seem to be the drier the soil, the quicker the release, but the longer one uses the system, the more moisture the plant site contains so the effect is diminished over time. After using for a while, the hole contains ample moisture.

An unitended positive consequence to this approach was the appearance of worms in the planting site. Because the grow hole was the only moist ground in the area , every earthworm in the area wants to live there. Good stuff!


Ganico, this design worked like 100 X better. but the juice container worked well enough to suggest that releasing water below grade was the key.

Hey Paz. The area I live in is searched heavily from the air. Over time, we've learned some things about choppers. Most importantly, we know they CANT see 1 plant. I don't care if its 12' tall and around, they cant or don't see it. Ive had choppers hover 200' off of the ground over 1 big plant and they flew away, and that's happened time and time again. They don't see it- ever. My view, if that cant see a 12 footer, they cant see a pop bottle. Having said that, you could be right about the sheen. Paint it.

YES! The neck can be buried. In fact, the grower that used the device with his irrigatgion system buried the whole collar and his lead from the reservoir. Nothing but the rez, off a little distance and hidden was above grade. The top to a 2 liter bottle fits perfectly to stop up the hole when the device is not in use or you can spend another 75 cents and get a female pvc end and a screw plug.

Good idea AVC. I knew you guy would have lots of ideas.

Chongsbuddy, i followed the weakly weekly method. 1 teaspoon mg, 1 bottle per week. When flowering began, I was immediately able to switch to flowering nutes and the plant started reiciving the nutes within hours of my application

OGgorllila, the rate of absorbtion from the water source is directly related to existing soil moisture and when the soil is dry and u decide u need to start watering, those first bottles will be drank quickly. In my trial, that increased absorbtion rate slowed considerable once the hole had absorbed adequate water. This took about 2 weeks or 4 2 litre bottle worth.

That would probably work Chuckyoufarley, but like the others, i want to keep my device size to a minimum for stealth. That tube is a whopper.

Mixin, instead of carrying gallon jugs, ill be carrying a sack of 2liter bottles. Just exchange out the old bottle. you won't believe how much less water you have to carry.


I was busy BC, thanks for the help. You have the concept nailed down and are exactly right with every word.
And guys, stay focused on the most important premise. Dumping the water out below grade is the key and any efforts that result in that circumstance should be effective. This collar was my effort to achieve that goal but put on your thinking caps because the device and the concept can be improved upon.
We've had a bit more time here to consider possibilities and i have a few modifications that i will provide shortly, but i really cant wait to see what modifications and applications you guys come up with. Im excited about the discussion.

Have you experimented with more or less holes?

How about cloth rags, burlap or other materials besides paper towels?

Capping the ends with endcaps vs sponge?

You could run this pretty darned stealthy to multiple plants from one water source. Octopus multiple buried lines from the water source to these water collars. Heck even the collars could even be underground if they were well connected.

As Silverback stated, the key is to let gravity do the work for us. Just make sure your water source is at a higher elevation than your collar, be a few inches (2 liter bottle) or many feet (buried line to reservoir).

WHEN YOU SAY "DUMPING THE WATER OUT BELOW GRADE)what exactly do you mean.i hope im not asking a stupid question,but i dont get it.

it seems more practical with a rez application for bigger grows,no moving parts or machinery tobreak down,and a 55 gallon drum would feed like....idont know,but a shit load.also,i heard that an inch or 2 of mulch on the top of the soil holds alot of moisture in.that could be a big key to overcoming water evaporation from the top of the soil,do that on top of silverbacks idea of the water crystals on the bottom of the bucket and that would help greatly.

"releasing" the water below the surface of the ground would be a better way to phrase it cb . You are right about the mulch.

blynx, your hot on the track to the......


The Ultimate collar design

While this does double the cost of each collar to about 3$, initial test indicate that it would revolutionize watering.
Even the smallest shwag will produce a couple of oz's and is worth 4-500 $ if you had to buy it, so in my view, the cost is relative.


This material is used by commercial ag growers as a medium for greenhouse growing, but is also sold for other applications. One of those is as a super absorbent towel/sponge material. Sham-WOW, ZORBIE, AQUA DRY, SUPERSORB, and probably other names as well. I get mine at walmart for $3.26, but you can google zorbie and order the high dollar real thing, but this works great.

The material has a quality that is invaluable to this effort. It is so absorbent that it greatly reduces the loss of moisture from the towel material into the soil to a minimal amount because the material is as absorbent as the dry soil that surrounds it. That quality holds the moisture within an inch of the tubing and because of the biofrendly, airy, root friendly nature of the material, roots grow profusely to the material.

The material also has the tendency to distribute water evenly along the length of the material. For example, if 1 drop of water is applied to the cloth, it is immediately dissipated througout the entire area of the material. This has a distributing effect as the moisture is dried away from the tubing.

This towel will absorb 1/2 quart of water. Its amazing.




Notice that with this design, a 3/4 -1 inch strip of the material is threaded inside of the tubing. The tubing square has been completed in this design with the plant going in the middle of the square.









The strip of material inside the tubing holds water very well. It is released slowly to the piece of material wrapped around the tubing and slowly released into the soil. The material has been secured around the collar in this design with hemp twine.





Because of the water retaining qualities of this material and the ability of roots to grow so readily to it, I believe field test will reveal amazing results.


My buddy is working with disposable baby diapers. It seems they also have super absorbent, water retaining qualities.


Folded peices of newspaper under the leaching prongs, seems to hold moisture well where the budget is already busted.







A peek in the grow box during smoke breaks! 40 days and counting.