We're going away for three days this week, and then for two weeks next month. The old vacation watering problem. I went down to Lowe's today and bought a fancy water timer that I can program to go off every day at the time I choose, and stay on for however long I choose. Got a few of those cheap rotating "ch ch ch" sprinklers too.

Best to set the timer for early morning, but how long would you think I should leave it on for? I'm guessing an hour maybe? Any experience? (Info at bottom.)

I love the timer. Can't vouch for its longevity yet, but it is made by Gilmour, it was $24, and you can set it to go off for however long you want every day, every other day, every three, whatever. That and a few sprinkers got me a whole "vacation watering system" for $34 (I bought an extra $5 sprinkler and an extra $5 hose.) Lots of fun wet experimenting with where to put the sprinklers without dowsing my neighbors!

I have a deck container garden, 35' x 15'. All kinds of things from impatiens and lavender to spruces and sunflowers. I normally have to water a lot - absolutly no shade, total southern exposure, reflective finish on the floor. I have the sprinklers set up so everything is covered.

I'd love to hear the results of your experiment - facing the same vacation watering issues myself :)

Question - does the timer run on AC power, or battery?

Just a thought...when you set it up, might want to put a measuring cup where it will catch the spray and see how much water collects per hour...you could then equate that with how much water your plants generally need, e.g. if an inch collects, it should be roughly equivalent to pouring an inch of water into the pot. Maybe allow a bit more to account for splashing off leaves, wind, etc... ?

Best,
Jen