# Watering equipment for indoors



## swamprad (Dec 13, 2007)

I'm currently growing under fluorescent lights in my mud room in a Fluoro-Cart. Up to now, I mix my fertilizer in a 3 gallon bucket, and use a large plastic cup to dip into the bucket and water each plant. This is not easy! If I'm not careful, all the water bounces off the leaves and very little water goes into the pot. Since my collection has recently grown, um, modestly , I've got to get a better system! I've thought of a 5 gallon pump sprayer, but I'm afraid the force of the water out of the sprayer might damage the leaves.

What do you indoor growers use?


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## Ernie (Dec 13, 2007)

Be sure to switch arms to work out both while pumping. OR buy a good sump pump, drop it into a good sized water reservoir, and hook a garden hose up to it with a thumb valve, wand, and water breaker. Might take some experimentation to get the right water breaker for your pump. Don't skimp on the pump or it might be slower flow than a pump sprayer. 

-Ernie


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## NYEric (Dec 14, 2007)

Umm, he said 'indoor'. I just use a watering pot w/ a spout. I don't sweat getting water on the leaves or crowns as much as I used to. [see threads here about watering] I premix my fertilizer water in gallon containers and adjust the mix w/ R.O. water in the watering pot. How big has your collection grown, if you need a 5 gallon [8.41 lbs/gallon X 5 gallon =42 Lbs to carry around] sprayer maybe you need a dedicated greenhouse!


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## goldenrose (Dec 14, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Umm, he said 'indoor'. I just use a watering pot w/ a spout.


That was my first thought! I have a long spout/neck & it gets into small spaces without splashing water all over! It's a Bemis 1 liter, heavy duty plastic, runs around $12.


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## Kyle (Dec 14, 2007)

Ernie said:


> Buy a good sump pump, drop it into a good sized water reservoir, and hook a garden hose up to it with a thumb valve, wand, and water breaker. Might take some experimentation to get the right water breaker for your pump. Don't skimp on the pump or it might be slower flow than a pump sprayer.
> 
> -Ernie



I would like to move to a system like this. It is getting time consuming to keep filling up a 2 gallon sprayer.

Is there any problems with having he pump run, but not spraying water. Does the pump burn out?

Can I turn on the pump, water a few plants, stop watering (without turning off the pump) examine some plants for 5 minutes, then resume watering? All that without burning out the pump?

Whats a good gallons per hour to look for when buying the pump? what are some good brands?

Kyle


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## Ernie (Dec 14, 2007)

Kyle said:


> I would like to move to a system like this. It is getting time consuming to keep filling up a 2 gallon sprayer.
> 
> Is there any problems with having he pump run, but not spraying water. Does the pump burn out?
> 
> ...



Take that NYEric!  We actually use this system and we're indoors. 

Kyle, most of the sump pumps are made to take a good bit of abuse- way more than I ever plan on giving mine. So, yeah, I water a bit, do some other things, and resume watering without any pump damage. I unplug it if I'll be away more than 5 or 10 minutes, but have forgotten about it once or twice for an entire morning with no ill effects YET. I'll try not to make a habit out of this- i'm sure long term abuse would shorten the life of the unit. Most sump pumps are sold by HP (horse power) instead of gph (gallons per hour) since they are made to be able to defy gravity which drastically alters the gph output of a pump. If a pump has a gph rating, it usually also has a chart on the box that shows how gph changes with height. I currently have a 1/3 hp that does pretty good. Had to exchange a 1/4 hp model that didn't cut it. 1/2 hp would certainly be better. Consider how high it will need to pump water, how far, and how "bendy" the course will be. Height, length, and curves all reduce water flow. You can always reduce the flow with a valve, but to get more, you'll need a new pump. Get the most hp you can afford within reason (I doubt you'd need a 5 hp pump!). Aquarium pumps (powerheads) are way too weak. Pond pumps can certainly be strong enough, but are essentially compact, *expensive* sump pumps. I like hoses designed for boats etc (marine hoses) because they are usually more flexible and less cumbersome than standard outdoor garden hoses. If you have a pump sprayer currently, you might be able to attach the sprayer end (with thumb valve and a section of its native hose) to the garden hose with hose clamps. The cheaper sprayers restrict the flow too much, but we have a nice brass one we rescued from a pump sprayer that does beautifully. Also, we like the nickle-coated sprayer/wand/thumb valve (Fogg-it?) like the one Charlie's offers (got ours at Hausermann's ~$20?). It gives good flow in a directed pattern through a diffuser identical to one that might be on your kitchen sink. Perfect for INDOORS Eric!  Comes with two different diffusers, or you can use any that fits appropriate sinks. For reservoirs, we use storage totes (the heavy duty ones) and garbage cans. Cheap, flimsy ones will bow and eventually break. If you're lucky, you can find 55 gallon blue barrels (you know, the Drew Peterson style ) free or cheap. I wouldn't get a huge reservoir if you'll only need a couple gallons a week. Maybe shoot for a size that you'll need to refill every week or two at most so the water doesn't get foul. Alternatively, think ahead and get a big reservoir, BUT only fill it with enough water for a week's watering. That'll allow you to expand later without upgrading to a bigger container. It's not a bad idea to add some sort of aeration to the container to keep the water from getting nasty, plus the plants appreciate the extra O2 at their roots. Reservoir aeration can be an aquarium air pump and airstone or a powerhead (see your local pet store or www.thatfishplace.com in Lancaster, PA). We use a submersible aquarum heater during colder months as necessary too- be careful, they can 1) melt plastic if too close and 2) break if they get dry when hot. 

I'll have to look at what brand we use- I got it at Farm-N-Fleet, but it's the same manufacturer I've seen at Home Depot and Lowe's. 

-Ernie


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## NYEric (Dec 14, 2007)

swamprad started the thread. I've seen Kyle's set up; I dont think a sump pump and hose would be suitable in his basement w/out some filtration system if he uses the run-off. I bet he doesn't use more than 4 gallons per watering.


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## Candace (Dec 14, 2007)

I have a battery rechargeable 5 gal. sprayer http://www.lawnvac.com/ which just happens to be on sale right now...see the bottom of the page. It may be more than what you'd like to spend Mark, but thought I'd give it to you as an option. I use it in the g.h. but don't see why it wouldn't work inside if you've got a way to catch the run-off water. 

I bought a second 5 gal. container so I can fill that one up with R.O water as I'm spraying. I've had it a couple of years and the only problem so far is I damaged the tubing-my stupid fault. But it's been maintenance free and no pumping required-yay! I love it and it makes watering so much easier.


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## Ernie (Dec 14, 2007)

NYEric said:


> swamprad started the thread. I've seen Kyle's set up; I dont think a sump pump and hose would be suitable in his basement w/out some filtration system if he uses the run-off. I bet he doesn't use more than 4 gallons per watering.



Fair enough. Only 4 gallons? Time to get more plants!  

-Ernie


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## NYEric (Dec 14, 2007)

WHAT!?! I have 250+/- plants and only use 3-4 gallons. We need more sales and discounts to get more plants!


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## Kyle (Dec 14, 2007)

NYEric said:


> swamprad started the thread. I've seen Kyle's set up; I dont think a sump pump and hose would be suitable in his basement w/out some filtration system if he uses the run-off. I bet he doesn't use more than 4 gallons per watering.



You'd be surprised how much I use... My set up is bigger they the last picutre I posted. I have 200 pleuros under my benches. I probably use about 8+ gallons twice a week. I don't reuse the runoff. I collect it into 5 gallon pails and dispose of it. Down the drain in winter, on hte lawn in the summer.

This weekend I'm building a new room in my new house. Should be bigger. Hopefully it turns out...

Ernie, you'll be in Winnipeg judging our show this March, right?
Kyle


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## NYEric (Dec 14, 2007)

Kyle said:


> You'd be surprised how much I use... My set up is bigger they the last picutre I posted. I have 200 pleuros under my benches.
> 
> This weekend I'm building a new room in my new house. Should be bigger. Hopefully it turns out...
> 
> Kyle



Cool-beans! I think we have the similar taste in plants. I'm surprised you're building now; is it for plants?


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## Ernie (Dec 14, 2007)

Kyle said:


> Ernie, you'll be in Winnipeg judging our show this March, right?
> Kyle



Yep. See you there? Should be fun- never been to Winnipeg before. 

-Ernie


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## Kyle (Dec 14, 2007)

I'll be there, ernie. Probably almost the whole time.

Eric, this is the first time I've had a chance to build a new room since I bought the house. Not the best time to move plants, but I'll make it work somehow.

Kyle


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## Grandma M (Dec 16, 2007)

Lowes has a nice selection of pond pumps, all sizes, if you want to go that way. 

I let my excess water drain into a Rubbermaid bucket and use a pond pump to pump it out. My set up is rather hodge podge but it works great for me. I have over 400 plants which I grow in my condo....in carpeted rooms. If you are near a faucet(possibly bathroom) you can use a coil hose to connect to the faucet. We orchid lovers can use quite a bit of ingenuity if we just put our minds to it.

I also have the smallest Dosatron Injector which they make. It just hangs on the wall. I wouldn't part with that for anything. If you build a separate room you might consider that......and have BOTH HOT and cold water come into the room. 

I had a tiny bar sink installed in a closet and have water pipes coming up thru the closet floor, both hot and cold.I have posted a pic of my set up before but I can pm one to you if you want ideas.


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## Corbin (Dec 16, 2007)

So how do you collect the water? Are you growing S/H?


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## NYEric (Dec 17, 2007)

Grandma M said:


> I have over 400 plants which I grow in my condo....in carpeted rooms. If you are near a faucet(possibly bathroom) you can use a coil hose to connect to the faucet. We orchid lovers can use quite a bit of ingenuity if we just put our minds to it.
> I had a tiny bar sink installed in a closet and have water pipes coming up thru the closet floor, both hot and cold.I have posted a pic of my set up before but I can pm one to you if you want ideas.



Man oh man the condo manager is going to have a fit! LOL! :rollhappy: I thought I was plant-crazy! Now I'm just more inspired.


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## Ernie (Dec 17, 2007)

I find the coily hoses get caught on stuff and knock things over. I prefer regular ones and just leave them lying about when done so my wife coils them up for me.  No, just kidding, I coil them... while my wife shovels snow from the driveway!  

-Ernie


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## NYEric (Dec 18, 2007)

Isn't amazing what the rum in the fruitcake can do!


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## jblanford (Dec 18, 2007)

I use tha coil hose all the time, a little trick I did was about 4ft from the nozzle I put on a clip you would use for keys, I hook that on a belt loop, I have no problem walking around watering the hose is on the floor and I have a free hand I can change hands and also reach the wand far back. Hope this helps. Jim.


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## Ernie (Dec 18, 2007)

jblanford said:


> I use tha coil hose all the time, a little trick I did was about 4ft from the nozzle I put on a clip you would use for keys, I hook that on a belt loop, I have no problem walking around watering the hose is on the floor and I have a free hand I can change hands and also reach the wand far back. Hope this helps. Jim.



How about if one does not wear pants while watering???  Err, ones without belt loops that is- i usually water wearing either pj's, sweat pants, or shorts. 

-Ernie


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## NYEric (Dec 19, 2007)

I cant imagine dragging a hose around w/out knocking plants all over the place!


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## Mrs. Paph (Dec 19, 2007)

I might have a nervous fit carrying a hose around orchids - at least until I got used to it  I haven't ever killed anything w/ a hose at work though, so I know it's just overprotectiveness of my Paphs that would make me nervous! I have carpet and a person in the apt. below me now though, so I just stick w/ a large plastic mixing bowl for runoff and a small plastic cup to transfer water from empty juice jugs into the pots. I'm looking forward to the day when I can finance a collection large enough to make my current system too tedious  As for the pants comment hahaha, I'd go w/ rubber waders if it weren't so warm...the hose at my old job leaked at the nozzle connection, and I had a habit of holding it in front of me and using my leg to help drag along the massive length of it around corners etc, so I always got Soaked, all the way down into the rubber work boots!


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