An automatic watering system or an automatic irrigation system is essentially a water reservoir that has a timer, a pump, and tubing. The reservoir can be placed outside of the grow tent that has a water pump attached.
This then pumps water to the cannabis plants that are in the grow tent through the tubing.
In this guide, we will look at automatic watering systems for a grow tent.
How To Automate Watering In A Growing Tent
For your grow tent, you should consider the number of cannabis plants that you have, how large the grow tent is, and how much tubing you will need. Set up the timer so you can get the volume and timing of your watering just right.
What Is The Best Automatic Plant Watering System?
The type of automatic plant watering system you choose for your cannabis plants may depend on what stage the plants are at.
For instance, for fertigating cannabis, you should be looking towards a top-feed irrigation system where the water is distributed by gravity.
A bottom feed system also works well as the cannabis containers will be flooded from the bottom. Be careful with a wicking irrigation system as the water distribution can be lacking and that can lead to nutrient burn.
The Pros And Cons Of Irrigation Options
You basically have two irrigation options for your automatic watering system; individual drippers and halo drip rings.
The pros of individual drippers are that they can be moved relatively easily but the cons include that they may leave dry spots in your substrate.
Then there are halo drip rings which have the pros that they take care to saturate the entire substrate but cons in that they cannot be moved as easily.
One Disadvantage Of An Automatic Watering System
If there is one telling disadvantage of an automatic watering system it is the expense. Not only do you have to purchase the individual components, or the watering system in full, you have to maintain the equipment too.
If you look to do it yourself to save some money, you may fail to set it up properly, the irrigation system may be unreliable.
How Do You Make An Automatic Plant Watering System?
There is such a thing as a DIY Automatic Plant Watering System for a grow tent that is for indoor cannabis. It could be a project that you can easily undertake and may only need a few hours to build and a few components that you can buy yourself.
You still need a reservoir of water outside the tent with a pump that runs on a timer. Once the water is pumped through a waterline into the grow tent it is distributed to your cannabis plants via drip emitters.
Consider the size of the reservoir tank as it should hold enough water to fully run the watering system for one day, or maybe two. That may be as much as six gallons of water and it should be tall to allow for fountain-style aeration.
Make sure that the tank is colored as it should prevent light from penetrating so avoid any clear plastic containers or white ones too.
The irrigation pump does not have to be sizeable but it should be powerful enough to pressurize the water and determine an even distribution. Look for an irrigation pump that has a 300 GPH at least.
However, you could count the number of cannabis plants and have around 60 GPH for each one and that should suffice though you should have at least one pump for around ten plants.
You will also need a digital timer that has one-second intervals, an air pump for oxygenation, and a digital thermometer to look out for the water temperature in the reservoir.
The halo system is also important to look out for the water distribution and you will need a ball valve for each one.
Grab yourself a set of connectors to piece it all together, some vinyl tubing, an end cap, some clamp and pierce connectors, in-line drippers, and adjustable bubblers.
Find some plant elevators and an automatic pumping drain bucket to collect any runoff water. The water is then delivered to another bucket that also sits outside the grow tent and can be placed next to the reservoir.
To set it all up, prepare your reservoir with a hole for the main water line at the top and place a pump at the bottom with an airstone and the thermometer probe.
For the hydro halo system, attach a connector to your poly tubing to connect them all up and run the tubing across the grow tent. Set up the drip emitter system along the main water line and imagine a clock face.
The in-line drippers will be at the 3 and 9 positions with terminal bubblers at the remaining 12 and 6 positions then you can check the flow is just right and adjust it accordingly.
Final Thoughts
An automatic watering system should be ideal for your cannabis plants in a grow tent. Like any plants, they will require watering yet with an automatic system you can take the hassle out of it.
Do make sure that you check the soil to ensure that the cannabis plants do actually need watering first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Maximize The Yield Of Your Cannabis Plants In A Grow Tent?
You can try to prune your cannabis plants to improve the yield. Certain parts of a cannabis plant can actually harbor overall growth.
That includes those bigger leaves that stick over the canopy that can block the light from reaching the rest of the cannabis plant.
How Often Should You Water Your Cannabis Plants In A Grow Tent?
Your watering frequency depends on several factors, notably the number of cannabis plants and the humidity in the grow tent.
Look to water the plants every two to three days but check the soil each time. Should it be dry by around an inch down then you would be advised to water the plants.
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