An automatic watering system

You are tired of spending hours watering your garden with your watering can or hose. You want to install an automatic watering system to make your life easier, but you don't know which watering system to choose?

Which watering system do you need for your garden, your vegetable garden, your flower beds, your trees? Choosing the right watering system for your garden when you are not a handyman, or when you have very little knowledge is not always easy. Before buying a watering system, list your needs (plants to water, lawn, hedge ...), they will allow you to determine the system that suits you.

Do you want precise watering?

You have a vegetable garden, a hedge, fruit trees, as well as flowerbeds in your garden. Do you want precise and water-saving watering? Then drip irrigation is for you. It allows you to water the different plants in your garden or vegetable garden in an optimal way without having water running off or overdosing. The water is distributed directly to the plant and only on it.

The installation sometimes seems perilous because of the many parts to be assembled for the installation (fittings, drippers, tees, elbows, plugs, programmer ...), but the drip system does not require any particular knowledge, it is therefore accessible to everyone.

It allows you to save up to 50% compared to other watering systems, moreover it avoids the proliferation of weeds and diseases.

Do you have a large lawn area, a large garden to water?

You have a large garden with a lawn and you like your lawn to be as beautiful as a golf course? Then the underground watering system is for you. It is completely hidden in the ground, it connects to your city water or to a pump, all depends on the flow you have at the tap. In this it is important to know the pressure and flow rate of the pump you have. The installation can also be done from a well if you have one on your property, or from a stream.

Your underground watering system is linked to a programmer that allows you to regulate the frequency and duration of watering your garden. This allows you to control costs and water consumption. Your lawn is watered continuously even when you are at work or on vacation.

Automatic watering allows you to go on vacation with peace of mind, no need to ask your neighbors or family for help. You just have to define your watering hours and it will start automatically. In the summer, we advise you to water mainly in the morning when it is cool or at the end of the day once the heat of the day is over. You can also couple your installation to a rain gauge that will control the opening of the solenoid valves in case of rain, so that your garden will not be over watered and the distribution of water will be controlled.

10 tips for proper watering

Plants are 90% water. To live, they draw water from the soil through their roots and this water brings the necessary elements for growth. Like us, plants lose water through transpiration. A continuous supply of water is therefore essential to the life of plants.

Water stress (lack of water) has a direct impact on the growth of the plant, it also causes wilting and makes the plant more susceptible to diseases.

At the same time, water is a precious resource that we must save, which is possible by adopting good watering habits.

1) Prefer rainwater

Rainwater has the advantage of being economical but not only that. It is also at room temperature and does not contain chlorine unlike tap water.

If you water with tap water, remember to let it sit for a few hours in your watering can to warm up and let the chlorine evaporate.

For the sake of the planet, your plants and your wallet, think about collecting rainwater in cans or any other system adapted to your garden.

2) Water in the morning or evening

Never water in the middle of the day when it is sunny. Indeed, the heat will promote evaporation (by the soil) and transpiration (by the plants) and your water will be wasted. The combination of water and heat also risks burning your plants.

Water preferably in the morning in mid-season when the nights are still cool. If you water in the evening, any wet foliage will not have time to dry, which will encourage the appearance of diseases (fungi, etc.).

Watering in the evening is to be favored in summer when it is hot, it allows to cool the plant, to limit transpiration and losses by evaporation. The plant will also be able to take advantage of the night to hydrate itself.

3) Remove the head of your watering can

It is absolutely necessary to avoid wetting the leaves of disease-sensitive plants like curcubitaceae and tomatoes.

Therefore, you should not water in rain but rather water at the feet of the plants by using the neck of the watering can (remove the apple).

However, some vegetables like to be watered in the rain, such as cabbages and salads. The same goes for your seedlings; watering them from the neck of the watering can could break them.

4) Follow the weather

Rain is the natural watering method par excellence. But it doesn't always rain enough...

Don't water if rain is forecast for tonight, and on the contrary, water enough if your soil is already dry and the forecast is for lots of sun tomorrow.

5) Check your soil moisture

You should only water if the soil is deeply dry, not just on the surface. You can stick a stake about 30 cm into the ground and if it comes out without soil stuck to it, your soil is dry.

Another simpler and more technological solution is to use PinParco. It is a small probe to be planted in your soil that will inform you in real time of its moisture status. The data will then be displayed on your smartphone and thanks to the weather forecast, the application will also tell you the ideal time to water. 

6) Analyze your soil

The type of soil you have has a direct impact on the way you will have to water. Light sandy soils need to be watered frequently and in small quantities because they do not retain water well and dry out quickly. Heavy clay soils retain moisture better and should be watered less often and in larger quantities. Knowing your soil through a soil analysis is therefore important on this point but also to plant the right plant in the right place.

7) Study your plants

Each plant is different and has its own water needs. You must at least know the main families to know if the plant you are watering needs more or less water.

Cucurbits (zucchini, cucumbers, ...), salads, tomatoes and cabbages are for example demanding in water whereas onions, potatoes and asparagus can be watered sparingly.

Think of "designing" your garden to group plants according to their water consumption and thus facilitate your watering task.

8) Water less often but more

Generally speaking, it is better to water less often but in greater quantities. Watering every day is excessive, promotes disease and depletes the soil.

By watering less often, you will force your plants to develop deep roots, they will depend less on surface watering and will be more resistant to drought.

Seedlings, on the other hand, are very sensitive and should be watered regularly in small amounts to keep the soil moist.

9) Hoe

One hoeing is worth two waterings! Avoid letting a hard crust form on the surface of the soil under your plants, water will penetrate less easily and evaporate more quickly. So remember to loosen the soil around the plant by hoeing.

10) Mulch

Mulching prevents the soil temperature from rising and limits evaporation. Your plants will thus be able to better resist to drought.

For your mulch, you can for example use straw, RCW, flax or hemp chaff. Grass clippings that you dry first are also suitable but they decompose quickly and can create a good playground for slugs.

Mulching will also help control weeds that compete with your plants.

How to save water and limit watering?

Water is becoming scarce and consequently more expensive, so let's save it. Here are some tips to preserve it.

Limit water loss through evapotranspiration by mulching or sowing green manure (you also encourage the phenomenon of dew), these practices increase the absorption capacity of the soil during heavy rains and prevent the growth of "weeds" that compete for water with your cultivated plants.

Make sure that your soil has a good clay and humus content by making regular compost contributions, you will thus optimize its water and nutrient storage capacity. The use of a root stimulator expands the root exploration zone in the soil and allows plants to better resist periods of water stress.

Prefer underground watering, drip systems localized at the foot of the plants or microporous hoses to avoid wetting the foliage and risking cryptogamic diseases.

Choose plants adapted to the climatic conditions and in particular to the periods of drought if they are common in your region, always keep in mind not to go against nature.

Some examples of plants according to their water needs

Vegetables requiring almost no watering: garlic, onion, shallot, potato, asparagus, artichoke.

Vegetables requiring a lot of water: cucurbits, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage.

Trees that require a lot of water: willows, alders, poplars, ash trees (they are a real pump to drain your soil; in summer, one of these trees can take several hundred liras per day).

Plants that require relatively little water: gorse, lavender, rosemary, fescue, arbutus, broom, tamarisk, boxwood, houseleek, euphorbia, sedums and, as a general rule, rockery plants, aromatic plants, ornamental grasses, conifers.

Which water to choose?

As far as possible, do not use tap water: it is cold, chlorinated and increasingly expensive!

Prefer rainwater: many models of rainwater harvesters and cisterns are available in stores. Do not hesitate to choose a large storage capacity: the investment will quickly pay for itself.

Did you know that?

1 m2 of roof space can recover about 600 liters of water in one year (depending on the region).

Tips for efficient watering

Watering is necessary during the summer period. But water is an expensive and scarce resource, so it should be economical and efficient.

Here are some tips to save water

Prefer watering in the evening, as late as possible, so that the soil is cooled to avoid immediate evaporation on contact.

For young plants, it is advisable to be more vigilant and to water more regularly than well established plants.

In pots and tubs, your plants require almost daily watering during hot periods. Water gently, so that the substrate soaks up the water.

When your soil is heavy, it is better to water heavily and less often because it retains moisture longer. In a light soil, you will have to water more often, because the water does not stay.

Let your plants suffer a little between two waterings so that the root system develops in depth. A superficial watering favors a surface development of the roots and thus makes them more sensitive to drought.

Do not wet the foliage of plants sensitive to fungal diseases such as roses, tomatoes or curcubitaceae in the vegetable garden.

Water your heather plants with recuperated rainwater. To do this, install a tank under a gutter outlet. Or simply leave a trash can open in a corner of the garden.

Hoe at the foot of the plants when the soil is compact. The water will penetrate deeper into the soil. "One hoeing is worth two waterings". This advice also applies to planters.

Remove weeds that compete with your plants.

To prevent water evaporation, mulch your soil with pine bark, grass clippings, cardboard or newspapers for example. The mulch will form a protection against the rays of the ground that heat the soil and will allow to keep a certain humidity underneath. Mulch will also prevent weeds from growing.

Mulch is also very effective for pots and planters in full sun.

Did you know?

• Approximately half of all water treated during the summer is used to water lawns, gardens and vegetable gardens.
• A lawn sprinkler that sprays 19 liters of water per minute uses half as much water in one hour as it takes to flush 10 toilets, take two five-minute showers, run two dishwasher cycles and do a full load of laundry.
• The human body loses 2.4 liters of water per day. We replace some of it by drinking and the rest by eating.

Source: Environment Canada

Watering outdoor plants in winter

In winter, the first reflex of the gardener would be not to intervene in the watering of plants installed in the ground or in pots in the garden. Of course, rainfall is sometimes sufficient, but this parameter must be modulated according to the regions, the nature and the positioning of the plants.

Which outdoor plants should be watered in winter?

When the plant is flowering (hellebore, camellia, winter jasmine, cyclamen...) or bearing fruit (citrus, pomegranate, apple tree...) watering will be necessary, especially if it does not rain. The same goes for recently planted plants which will need very regular watering so that their root system forms properly before the summer heat.

Beware of some southern regions where it may not rain for several weeks. Winter drought, although less destructive than summer drought, can destroy many plants if you are not careful enough.

Be particularly wary of potted plants whose mixture dries very quickly, especially if the weather is windy. Pay special attention to them and water them as soon as the mixture starts to dry. To avoid asphyxiation of the roots, remove all the cups in autumn.

Which outdoor plants should not be watered in winter?

Generally speaking, it is not necessary to water plants that are at rest, as rain is more than enough for them. Recognizing a plant in rest is quite simple:

• its foliage is faded, and only the underground part remains;
• the tree or the shrub has lost its foliage ;
• the plant is no longer growing and does not produce flowers or fruits.

Never water succulents and cacti in winter. These very particular plants should be installed in very well drained soil and in a very warm exposure. Succulents grown in pots should be placed in a cool and bright room without watering from October to April.

How to water outdoor plants in winter?

• Always water with water at room temperature to avoid thermal shock.
• It is best to water in the late morning so that the water can be absorbed before the cold falls in the late evening.
• Water only if you feel it has not rained enough. A rain gauge can help you measure the amount of rain that has fallen, but you must remember to empty it often to avoid distorting the data.
• Beware of frost. The main concern with winter watering is frost. Indeed, if the soil is waterlogged, the roots are less resistant to cold. For this reason, beware of mulches in regions where it rains very often, because once soaked, their protective effect is reversed. A good solution is to stop all watering operations in case of an expected heavy frost.

Ollas, an ancestral watering technique

An ancestral and very efficient watering technique, the olla allows to supply the plants with water directly at the roots level. Ecological, economical, it has only advantages. Discover it...

Ollas, a proven irrigation system

Proud of its 4000 years of existence, this watering technique still works wonders especially in Southern Europe where it is still widely used.

The term "olla" comes from the Spanish word for "pot". The olla is a microporous clay container, usually in the shape of a jar. It has an opening in the upper part and a lid on top.

The olla is buried at the foot of a plant, then filled with water and closed. Only the neck of the jar protrudes slightly from the ground in order to replenish the water.

Its porous constitution allows the water to escape slowly and directly to the roots of the plants thus ensuring a targeted and very effective watering. The plant only gets what it really needs and no longer suffers from water stress.

Savings in perspective

Since the planet's water resources are limited, this watering system offers a solution to preserve the resource. It is a water saving of 50 to 70% that is achieved by using this system. Not to mention the energy you usually spend watering, since the olla is only filled once a week on average!

The different types of ollas

The system can provide water to all kinds of plants, from a geranium in a window box to an olive tree in the ground.

For planters and pots, we use 'planting' ollas. Shaped like a spinning top, they have a pointed lower part that is planted in the substrate. The water is placed in the reservoir of the upper part, which remains on the surface of the mixture. These small volume ollas (0.25 l) are available in natural, enamelled or even patterned versions. They are very practical when you go on vacation to ensure watering for a week to 10 days.

In the open ground, ollas 'to be buried' are preferred. They are available in all volumes:

• 0,30 liter for small plants or pots;
• 1,5 liters for isolated plants;
• 5 liters or 10 liters for shrubs or trees, or even for the vegetable garden.

Advantages of the technique

This watering technique has many advantages:

• It allows for significant water savings and reduces watering work to a strict minimum.
• It ensures a deep water diffusion; the soil is not wet on the surface, the 'weeds' do not germinate, which reduces the weeding work.
• The roots draw the quantity of water necessary to their needs. Their growth is harmonious since they are no longer subjected to water shock.
• The plants are less exposed to the diseases propagated by the water drops on the foliage (oomycetes).