Watering Timer Can Save Time & Water

If you have a green house, poly tunnel or in fact a garden of any form then a water timer is a very useful gadget that you should consider if installing an irrigation system. Watering plants is a constant chore and in the summer months it is something that cannot be left undone for more than 24 hours in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

A Solar powered watering timer will prevent your plants from the inevitable; drying out. Compost within plant pots dries out very quickly for many reasons. Firstly compost itself is very prone to drying out and can be difficult to re wet after it has dried out. Secondly pots and container will dry out faster than the ground soil be pots have a smaller volume and size, pots are raised leading to quicker drainage and because pots are generally black in colour and absorb heat. Thirdly the heat inside greenhouses can rise to 18 degrees on a sunny day even when the temperatures outside are as low to 10 degrees or less. All these factors combine leading to drying soils and less water for your plants to absorb and use.

With a water timer you can set your own tailored watering schedule to suit your polytunnels or green house size, your water pressure, your number of plants and the way in which you water them.

With any irrigation system you will need to take the time and investigate the best setup for your plants. A water timer is connected to an existing tap, the other end of the timer is then fitted to a garden hose or irrigation system which will feed water throughout your greenhouse.

Water timers allow for a regular water supply to plants which is essential for good and steady growth, making crops healthier and stronger. Regular watering prevent unsustainable growth spurt, sudden stunting of growth, irregular fruit growth, drought and water logging.

Water timers allows for reduce man hours and maintenance of your polytunnels as they are fully automated and don’t require manual turning on or off. They also prevent any human error such as forgetting to water, under or over watering all of which could be detrimental to your crops.

By using an automated irrigation system such as a slow drip flow system you can provide a slow and steady water supply to your plants meaning that they are never to dry and never too wet allowing maximum growth rates at all time. A system like this also prevents any wasting of water as most of the water will be absorbed by the plant’s roots and not washed down a drain or absorbed into the polytunnel air.

Even if you don’t have an external tap you can connect your water timer to the down spout of a water butt given you water on a regular and steady basis when you need it and for as long as you need it.