I want Advice on Choosing the Right Components for a DIY Smart Garden Project

Using Arduino Project Guidance
1

Hey everyone,

I am working on a DIY garden project and could use some guidance on picking the right hardware components. The idea is to monitor soil moisture, temperature & light levels while also automating irrigation when needed. I have got an Arduino Uno ready but I am still figuring out the rest.

Does anyone have suggestion for accurate and long lasting sensors that integrate well with Arduino? I am looking at soil moisture & light sensors but I have read conflicting reviews about some of them being unreliable or inaccurate over time.

Also for the irrigation system, I was thinking of using a small water pump but I am unsure about the power supply setup. Should I go with a relay module or is there a better way to control it?

As well, I found these resources when doing research on this; https://forum.arduino.cc/t/advice-needed-on-component-selection-for-a-small-battery-powered-sound-projectrpa & if anyone have any resources, tutorials or personal experiences please share with me, It would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you……. :slight_smile:

2

Did you post the right link? That one doesn't seem very relevant for your garden project.

Finding sensors that are tough enough for long term outdoor use can be difficult.

Measuring soil moisture reliably can also be tricky.

There is this type which can measure temperature and humidity:

51SZ9jF1YDL.AC_SL1001
51SZ9jF1YDL.AC_SL1001931×889 48.8 KB

I have one of these in a couple of my projects.

It could be good to use 2 of these, one to measure air temp & humidity & the other for soil temp & humidity. Problem is they are not designed to allow more than one in the same circuit, so an i2c multiplexer might be needed.

For light level, I use this type:

s-l1600 (54)
s-l1600 (54)800×800 40.5 KB

Problem is, you need to mount them into a sealed enclosure and carefully seal between the dome and the enclosure.

3

Understand that the Uno is not a power supply. Yes, it can power some sensors and a few LEDs, but not motors/pumps. You probably know that and Arduino pin can't run a pump, and so a relay or MOSFET is needed, but I mean that the power for the pump should not pass though the Uno at all. Don't forget to add a flyback diode to the pump to prevent damage to the whole circuit when the pump gets switched off.

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At the end of the line comes pumping water. Investigate the needs there, capacity, electrial data. That specifies the data for a relay or other driver.

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While you are at it, think about the source of the water and think about safety features when the pump stops for any reason and think about water leaks in your plumbing. And think about how the water will siphon out of the pump and supply when the pump is off.