Hello I am a teenager who loves plants and robotics. I have 70+ potted plants on my terrace but only a watering can to water them. I want to design a system so that using the least number of pumps i can water all the plants. There are outlets on the terrace so power is not a problem. Water is also not a problem as we have multiple taps on our terrace. I cannot figure out how to distribute the water to each plant. I dont want to complicate it by using different soil moisture sensors for each of them. I want that for a specific duration of time, the pump will be active and the plants will receive water. Once the system is setup, I can change the duration of the pump according to my needs. I also have a rtc module so i can also automate it according to the time. All I need help is in the designing of it.
Have you considered drip irrigation tape?
I have, but the reviews arent great for that. Some of the reviews state that sometimes the water is some pots overflow...This can lead to the plant dying of excess water. Hence I don't really want to do it. Also my father wants me to make one instead of buying one and i dont know how to.
Using one pump gives one issue to solve, balancing the water between the different pots. Making simple "valves" that can be applied near each pot, clamps pressing a flexible tube.....
One way could be, if possible, to move the most thursty pot to the outlet giving a little more water than the other outlets.
If you don't have a sensor in each pot, there will always be a danger of over or under watering each pot. The pots, their position, the soil composition and the individual plants in them will mean that no two pots will need the exact same amount of watering.
I know that but then by using a different sensor for each them, I will first have to have enough sensors which is above 70, I would need 70+ pumps for each individual pot and then I would need to have multiple different arduinos/ microcontrollers which are a bit expensive.
Hi, my watering sistem.
This year, despite the intense watering, the plants are suffering a lot because of the heat.
watering1 overview 1
watering2 overview 2
watering3 Box with an ESP8266 and an SSR controlling the water valve.
watering4 Water valve and outlet in PVC pipes
watering5 PVC pipes at floor level and outlet pipes for plants.
watering6 PVC pipes at floor level and outlet pipes for plants.
That is a nice solution but I dont know how to create a simple valve and the whole over all system.
I also want to create a system like this. But for me it would be pretty big. Also how do tend to the different watering needs of different plants?
And what if a pot already has a lot of water and you give it more as it is not tending to the needs of one pot but rather all the pots.
Hi
Use outlet tubes with different diameters for each type of plant or use small plastic taps like the one in the photo at the end of each outlet to regulate the amount each plant should receive in the period programmed in the ESP.
The ESP irrigation time and schedule is programmed via wifi on a web page and ESP
updates its schedule once a day using NTP access.
Projects like this tend to evolve as you discover what works and what doesn't.
I'd start with an Arduino, an RTC, a valve to cut off the water and a length of drip tape. You'll likely need external power for the valve - maybe a relay module to control it or a mosfet. Perhaps do five plants to start with and see how you get on.
In the past we did not have to use an Arduino or pumps or electricity but just let physical principles like gravity and capilarity
In the very old days (2 to 4000+ years ago) our ancestors were already using Oyas / Ollas (unglazed clay pots for sub-surface irrigation) to water their plants without wasting water.
nowadays you can get the water out of a recycled bottle container by just adding a cheap tip
and you can tailor the water flow to your needs by adjusting the opening
it works pretty well and each pot will collect what it needs.
of course it's more fun with an Arduino 
Hi all
This is an irrigation system that does not depend on clocks or electricity.
It was developed by a Brazilian company.
Sorry, I couldn't find the document in another language, I only found it in Portuguese.
But the pictures speak all.
Irrigador-Solar-V08-15-ok.pdf (1.6 MB)
Actually my father wants me to build these valves etc on my own but i dont how...he will not buy these so these are pretty nice solutions but i cant use them.
Yea ok I will try that first...I will only use an arduino, relay and a submersible pump i have to begin with. Then I will try to automate it with like rtc and etc
Actually I understand only english so...
that's OK, it's a good exploration.
start indeed with 1 relay and a (submersible or not) pump and progress from there through experimenting.
Building a valve? How does he expect you to do that? Machine something out of brass?
idk