Hi… I think I know the answer, but figured I would ask anyway. For my veg garden, I used to have it water
3 times a day for very short time. It helps the tomatoes not to get the cracks. This is an issue in Colorado.
I guessing I need to make 3 schedules for the garden. (morning, mid day, and evening) On my old controller,
I just had that zone water the 3 separate times each day. So the question is can you make the garden zone
water 3 times per day, or go with 3 schedules.
Great question. The Iro doesn’t currently support multiple start times of the same watering time. Therefore, to water the veg garden 3 times a day, 3 different watering times would need to be created.
Let me know if I have any other questions I can help answer.
I just want to add my support for this feature. This is the one thing that I find I miss from my old timer. It was actually easier to set up multiple watering times using the old dial than it is with the Rachio.
Hi @mjdport, good morning. I appreciate your feedback.
Was there anything else related to creating a watering time that you found easier to do on your old dial? I’d love to know how we can continue to improve the app and make it easier to use for everyone.
No, definitely not. Don’t get me wrong… overall my Rachio is MUCH easier to use than the old timer. In this particular case though, my old timer supported up to four times per watering schedule. It was just simpler to set up the watering schedule and tell it to run that schedule at four different times of day rather than creating four separate schedules with different names and such. With the Rachio, instead of having one schedule named “Flowers and Veggies” that runs four times each day, I have to create “Flowers and Veggies 1”, “Flowers and Veggies 2”, etc. It’s just a very minor annoyance.
I agree with MJD Port. about multiples my old RB dial would allow for multiple start stops by just moving one dial. additionally, In setup there is no option for vegetables or raised beds as mediums or soaker hose…
can these options be added Veggie gardens on irrigation systems are pretty normal in my area.
@leeowen@mjdport Thanks for the feedback! I’ve added these requests to our product backlog. After 2.0 is released (May) we will be reviewing our backlog (to-do list) and determine what is prioritized for our next release (2.x).
Here in the desert, it’s very important to keep veggie beds from drying out. Tomatoes are especially susceptible to splitting caused by fluctuations in watering. On our old controller, we set up multiple start times for the same zones.
With the Iro, we just set up different watering times. Easy Peasy! The tomatoes are thriving!
I think someone mentioned above, but since there’s not a setting for containers, the automatic settings are waaay different than what I set manually. For my containers, which are 6’ x 2’ and about 2’ off the ground, I water 4 times each day for 1 minute with drip emitters. After 1 minute, water is already dripping out of the bottoms. When I set my Iro up, it recommended 3 hours which is obviously way too long. But, that’s what I expected since it thinks my garden is in the ground.
Hi @mjdport, thanks for commenting. Some thoughts/feedback below:
This is very common for drip zones unfortunately as their precip rates can vary dramatically from a drip per hour to a gusher! The trick is selecting the right nozzle type, but even those can usually be manually adjusted, sometimes numerous times throughout the season. Fine tuning the system is always recommended to make it smarter and more effective. The better the data into the Iro, the better the results.
Hope this helps. If ever in doubt, please email our support team (support@rachio.com) and they’ll help you double check your account settings.
We did begin with the default settings, but have “tweaked” things a bit as the daily temps have gotten hotter. Gardening can be a bit of a challenge in the desert.
As far as tips–gosh–there’s so many variables such as soil composition, hours of sunlight, wind conditions and types of veggies being grown.
I guess one tip might be deep watering is best. Shallow watering promotes shallow roots. Another tip: amend the soil. Compost and mulch can help reduce the amount of water needed to keep veggies happy.
BTW, thanks for your suggestions on creating watering times. As the temps have climbed near 100, I added another.
Very true! The Iro does it’s best to account for these variables with it’s Water Budgeting feature, but it is dependent on the information provided by the user, weather station, etc. Even then, local site conditions can add further complexity. I have a lot of respect for anyone that has a green thumb, in particular gardeners and farmers.
We couldn’t agree more. Few people consider the impact soil has on their lawn or garden’s success. It’s a science and the results show.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
Was there anything else related to creating a watering time that you found easier to do on your old dial? I’d love to know how we can continue to improve the app and make it easier to use for everyone.
