Solution to perpetual watering problem?

[Dr.Spangle]

Hey guys!

I've always had a problem with capricious weather where i live in my growing. One summer the temperature was great all summer trough but there was no rain. So i had to haul heavy water far far. The next summer the whole grow was flooded and drowned the roots.
So i thought fine! Instead of bringing the water to the plants let me bring the plant to the water. So i made a container that uses fabric for capillary wicking the water from the swamp into the container. Sure, this time the plant didn't die or anything. But it didn't thrive either and grew kinda slow. Most of the time it seemed like the soil was saturated. I used only potting soil with chicken manure in this attempt. It's possible that it might have been the weather that was cold that year. But i think it can be done better.

I'm now thinking about using a steep well drained slope to put a container on and then a bit up the slope some kind of other container for a reservoir that i can collect rain water in using a tarp. And let the water flow down as needed. But i don't want the roots to get too much water.

I've even gone so far as considering using a moisture meter linked to a pump sitting in a BIG reservoir and powered by a solar panel to ensure that the plant doesn't get too much or too little water.

How can i ensure that the plant always has water but doesn't get root rot?
I think that the big reservoir is a winning concept. If i after all have to haul water, then at least i don't have to do it every day?

Basically i want it to water itself and not have to worry about any prolonged heat spells or heavy rain to wipe out the plant.

How do you growers who live in very dry climates deal with this issue without having to visit every few days?

 

[Koondense]

Google "water timer"

Good luck

 

[Dr.Spangle]

Not too much electricity out in the bush man ! Unless you can power them with something small

 

[Koondense]

Of course, they usually run on two or four AAA batteries.
I had one last season and it surely saved my harvest.

Put one on a hose between the tank and the drippers(or whatever is on the end), set the clock, select the program and forget about it. It can do multiple programs(depending on model of timer) so you really have nothing to worry about. Only check for how much water goes thru in a given time to avoid overwatering. And another thing, put the timer near the tank, so the water pressure won't be too high for the timer, usually they can handle from 0.01 to 1 bar pressure(again depending on model).

 

[Lapides]

Tropf Blumats. No electricity needed. Plants dictate when to be watered.

 

[soil margin]

If your main problem is the roots staying wet and rotting then just increase the drainage ability of the soil. Add a bunch more sand and mix it in or something, get that soil consistency where it drains in seconds or minutes instead of hours or days. The plants will get slightly less nutrients because sand doesn't have nitrogen unfortunately but that's a pretty small price to pay for no hassle root rot prevention during the whole season.

 

[gmanwho]

Blumats

 

[Dr.Spangle]

Watering timers and blumats sound really good! Thanks for the tip guys!

However this still means that i have to refill a tank now and then. Don't get me wrong it's great to not have to do it every day. But what if i could just leave a container where it is and come back in fall? Visiting the spot several times means that you'll be making trails and risk beings spoted with all that means. So i came up with another idea that i would like some input on.

http://i60.tinypic.com/28jh7qb.png

So basically what i've thought up is a bucket with a hole in the bottom where a pvc pipe is cemented to. The pipe leads to two clay pots that are sealed up so that it creats an osmotic barrier. The claypots are then tightly filled with a capillary active mixture such as soil or other material and a wick runs into the pots and a few feet outside of the bucket.
The idea is that the bucket will be put in a lake, pond or swamp in such a way that the water level is just a few inches from the aeriation holes on the top sides. The container is then covered with plastic so that rain will not fill the bucket and swamp the roots.
If the water level decreases the wick can still transfer water to the soil. But if the water level is almost at the top the self pressure of the water will ensure that the soil stays only moist enough at all times.
The aereation holes ensure that the plants get the oxygen that the roots need. And a layer of leca at the bottom acts as a excess water buffer.

I feel like i've come up with something that will be completley self managing the whole season. If it rains alot the container still waters from the bottom. If the water is almost dried out the wick which is burried in the ground will still take care of it (as long as there is still some water in the ground). And if the place should become flooded this container will allow for quite some tolerance. The container could be fitted with a styrofoam float ring and anchored in the reeds of a freshwater lake.

What do you say guys? Will this work in practice and can it be improved somehow right away?

Cheers!

 

[Dr.Spangle]

Bump! Any ideas?

 

[ILL-IN-GROWER]

search for water polymer crystals

 

[hamstring]

Bump! Any ideas?

What about perlite. I have used it in wet areas for aeration but it also has water holding properties too. Not a perfect solution but it may help.

I bought the large size pellets in the huge bag. The weigh nothing but kind of hard to hide as you carry them to the grow site.

 

[Dr.Spangle]

I was actually thinking more about if i the laws of sciences agree with my theory. But yeah, aeriation is a concern of mine.