Baseline Systems BaseStation 6000 - Manual (Page 104)

BaseStation 6000 Site Controller Manual
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Saturated – Not Drying Out (Watering Too Often)
Characteristics
• The lower threshold (the moisture level where the
water turns on) is set just above the field capacity of
the soil.
• The soil does not have time to dry between watering
cycles.
• The excess moisture applied during each watering
cycle percolates through the soil and is lost to the
plant.
Recommendations
• Move the upper threshold down to the level of the
trough that represents the initial drying out. For
example, set the upper threshold at the point where the lower threshold is currently.
• Move the lower threshold down to enable the zone to dry before watering. For most lawns, we recommend a level that
allows at least three days between watering for most lawns in hot weather. Water less often when it is cooler.
• Never set a zone to water every day (Max Days = 1) or have the upper threshold and the lower threshold so close that the
system waters every day.
Two Watering Peaks (Overlapped Zones)
Characteristics
• The graph shows two watering peaks. Typically one peak represents
one zone watering, and the other represents another zone watering.
• This situation may also happen if a substantial watering interruption
occurred; however, this event is less likely and typically would not
happen with the regularity shown on the graph.
Recommendations
• Find the zone that overlaps the sensor and configure it to water
immediately after the zone with the sensor. The two zones must be
in the same hydrozone.
• Set the soak cycle so that the watering of the two zones overlap. The
sensor will be watered proportionately by each zone and produce reasonable results.
Note: If you cannot make either of these recommended changes, the zone may not be a candidate for automatic watering
and will not be a candidate for automatic sensor threshold adjustment.