I live in Northern Virginia (outside of Washington, DC) and I am looking
for recommendations for good automatic watering systems that I can use
when I go on vacation. I specifically need names of companies and the
types of devices I should get (misters, drip, etc.) The bonsai that I
have are small and relatively young. I just need something to keep them
watered as it gets hotter and drier here in Virginia when I am not home
to water.



Thank you for your assistance in advance.


************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Valerie,

I purchased everything I needed from Lowes for a complete lawn, landscape
and bonsai bench irrigation system. I found the people at Lowes to be very
helpful in assisting in the design phase and they provided excellent
suggestions for the lawn and landscape...for the bonsai bench, however, they
didn't really know what I needed. I asked a few members of my local club,
and did a little research at Dripworks.com.

SOOoo.. based on my experience, I have some suggestions for when you get the
water to the bench. I assume you are not going to be putting in the lines
from the water main, the backflow device, the manifold, timer and valves,
but, instead, going with one of those pre-packaged deck watering kits that
attaches to your outdoor hose connection.

Buy a very good timer to put on your hose - battery powered and test it for
many days before you leave on vacation... then put fresh batteries in when
you go. It should have several cycles per day, programmable. Ask the lowes
guys - they will point them out to you, and don't be cheap - you'll pay for
it later if you are.

Buy a kit for your on-the-bench piping and hoses, then buy separate parts
bags for any other things you might need. Stock up on Barbed 1/4
connections, T's and such. Buy Extra 1/4 hose. Buy extra dribbler emitters.
They are all cheap and you will use a lot of everything. Buy the expensive
($10) tool for punching holes in the 1/2 piping - don't even try it with
that little hand-held awl.

Stick with either dribblers or the shrubbers (the 1 to 5 GPH emitters)
Don't bother with misters or with the cute little sprinklers - unless
creating humidity is important - In VA. I can't imagine that you need any
additional humidity in summer.

Wire your 1/4 piping to the trees (loosly) - you don't want the wind, or
critters knocking the emmiters off or loose while you are gone. Try putting
two per tree - your just going to get more trees anyway, and you'll
eventually find yourself adding on to your watering system for recreation...
of course, that could just be a guy thing.

Don't leave the system on all summer and assume that it will meet your
watering needs all summer. That's cheating, and you may over water
unnecessarily. You can over water while on vacation, but don't make a habit
of it.

Good luck.
Tony.


-----Original Message-----
From: Internet Bonsai Club ] On Behalf Of
Valerie Perlowitz
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 7:19 PM
To:
Subject: [IBC] Requesting some assistance with automatic watering systems

I live in Northern Virginia (outside of Washington, DC) and I am looking
for recommendations for good automatic watering systems that I can use
when I go on vacation. I specifically need names of companies and the
types of devices I should get (misters, drip, etc.) The bonsai that I
have are small and relatively young. I just need something to keep them
watered as it gets hotter and drier here in Virginia when I am not home
to water.



Thank you for your assistance in advance.


************************************************** **************************
****
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** **************************
****
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Valerie Perlowitz wrote:
I live in Northern Virginia (outside of Washington, DC) and I am looking
for recommendations for good automatic watering systems that I can use
when I go on vacation. I specifically need names of companies and the
types of devices I should get (misters, drip, etc.) The bonsai that I
have are small and relatively young. I just need something to keep them
watered as it gets hotter and drier here in Virginia when I am not home
to water.



I use a "Dripworks" and Dripworks-like system, using about
100 feet of 1/2 inch tubing laid on the ground throughout my
garden and under my bonsai tables with the 1/4 inch tubing
pulled up through holes drilled in my tables and 2
sprayer/misters for each table, then sprayer/misters on
poles here and there in my garden to water it and the bonsai
that are on individual tables. My trees are mostly small,
too. I have a timer set to water every evening. I water
myself in the a.m. for those little trees that always need
it in my climate.

Most garden catalogs sell "kits" but you need to read what's
included carefully. You want a kit with at least 50 feet of
1/2 inch tubing and 50 feet of 1/4 inch tubing and 15-20
misters, plus a few connectors so you can have tubing going
off in a couple of directions, if necessary.

Lowes and Home Depot sell the tubing (1 inch, 1/2 inch and
1/4 inch) all the connectors, a water filter, etc. and the
misters separately, but you'll probably end up spending more
that way.

If you want this just for vacations, you will, of course,
need to test it out carefully for a few days before each
vacation. Tubing that is used infrequently can get clogged,
or critters can chew through the tubing to get at the water
(or something!). ALWAYS replace the batteries in the timer
before each vacation, even if the trips are only a couple of
months apart.

There's a picture or two of my system on the IBC gallery. I
think in the "Not Necessarily Bonsai" section, but it may be
in the "Main" forum where someone else started the thread.
Search for "tables" or posts under my name.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Nature
encourages no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Valerie, the best watering system is a system of knowledgeable friends.
If you are not yet a member of a local bonsai club, join one. The
advice and help and comradery is even more important than the watering.
If your bonsai are small and relatively young as you say, you can even
"board" them out to you bonsai buddies.

Automatic watering systems are subject to failure and I for one would
not recommend one to anyone over the internet. On the other hand,
gaining new friends who share an interest with you and can help is a
no-brainer.

Have fun - jay

Jay Beckenbach - Melrose, FL - Zone 8b/9a -

-----Original Message-----
From: Valerie Perlowitz ]
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 10:19 PM
Subject: Requesting some assistance with automatic watering systems

I live in Northern Virginia (outside of Washington, DC) and I am looking
for recommendations for good automatic watering systems that I can use
when I go on vacation. I specifically need names of companies and the
types of devices I should get (misters, drip, etc.) The bonsai that I
have are small and relatively young. I just need something to keep them
watered as it gets hotter and drier here in Virginia when I am not home
to water.



Thank you for your assistance in advance.


************************************************** **********************
********
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** **********************
********
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/
--
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail
+++++

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Beckenbach,Joseph R wrote:
Valerie, the best watering system is a system of knowledgeable friends.
If you are not yet a member of a local bonsai club, join one. The
advice and help and comradery is even more important than the watering.
If your bonsai are small and relatively young as you say, you can even
"board" them out to you bonsai buddies.

Automatic watering systems are subject to failure and I for one would
not recommend one to anyone over the internet. On the other hand,
gaining new friends who share an interest with you and can help is a
no-brainer.


On the OTHER hand ;-) . . .

If you have more than 20 trees, and if some of them happen
to be GOOD trees, that's a lot of responsibility to lay on a
"friend." And, if that friend has a family emergency, or
something else diverts his/her attention while you're gone,
you can lose a lovely friendship.

Better, I think, is a watering system AND a friend who can
go over every couple of days to see if everything's all
right -- which you may have done in any event these days
with crooks seeming to know when anyone goes away.

Watering systems are reliable enough if you put fresh
batteries in a few days before you leave (assuming, of
course, that your entire house-and-yard/well/city system
keeps going -- no guarantee, as I found out last summer! No
"friend" could have bailed me out of that!).

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only
where people have learned to appreciate and cherish the
landscape and its living cover will they treat it with the
care and respect it should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Kevin Bailey++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++