IocTober Day 21 - Garden soil sensor and watering controller

We’re creating an IoT solution for every day of “IocTober”.

It’s been said that I have a “Brown Thumb”, the natural ability to kill plants. As a gadget nut I love designing garden irrigation networks, but then I forget to actually use them, and the plants die within sight of salvation.

Our IoT Brisbane Weekend Workshop project from May 2019 measures soil moisture, which can be used to initiate watering at need. But the water has to get turned on somehow.

The lighting controller seen on day 15 comes to the rescue here, with the addition of a solenoid valve fitted to a garden tap. Program in a daily watering schedule, and also allow remote override so that you can trigger watering from your phone or voice assistant, or have your building automation system adjust watering based on soil conditions.