Mike's Backyard Nursery

The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Bibs On!

  • Home
  • Recommended Tools
  • Products
  • Categories
    • Complete Guides
    • Gardening
    • Growing
    • Landscape Design
    • Plant Care
    • Propagation
  • Contact
  • About Mike
Home » Propagation » Valve Trouble Shooting.

Valve Trouble Shooting.

Published : May 18, 2017

4 Comments

This post is really for those who have purchased this product, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/ and need a little help getting it set up.

The wiring is pretty simple.  The two black wires coming from the power supply pack (see the video) connect to the two terminals on the left that are marked as “AC”.  The low voltage wire that goes to the water valve in this photo are red and white.  Polarity does not matter so the colors don’t matter.  One goes under the terminal marked “C” for common and one goes under the terminal for valve #1, marked “1” on the right.  If you add more valves one wire from each valve goes under the “C” terminal on the left and the other goes under the “2 through 6” terminals on the right for valve 1, valve 2, valve 3, etc.

The controller itself is pretty complex and getting it programed correctly first time is a bit tricky.  Review to the videos that you received with the system or see the written instructions below.

This video explains how the valve works and how to test the valve if you suspect it is not working correctly.  There are a number of valves on the market and they all do the same thing, but operate slightly different.

The valve I use actually has a little plastic screw that I have to unloosen to get the water to come on manually.

This valve has a little lever.

Controller Instructions

First, pull the battery/batteries for AT LEAST 30 seconds.  It is better if it is longer, because if you don’t wait the full 30 seconds then put the batteries back in, you need to wait another full 30 seconds.  Also, unplug if the timer uses electricity.

These instructions assume you are programming for 10 seconds every 10 minutes.  Adjust these times as needed.

Install the battery/batteries in the controller by removing the cover by turning it to the left (counterclockwise).  Before you begin programming the controller, read the instructions that came with the controller to familiarize yourself with the buttons on the front of the unit and their functions.

Looking at the face of the timer, you will see a time (12:00) and an arrow under a day of the week at the top of the screen.  Use the far right button (arrow) to make the 12 blink, and use the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons to change it to the current hour, being conscious of the AM and PM.  When you have set the hour, use the arrow button to make the minutes blink, and make any needed changes.  Next, press the arrow button again to make the arrow under the days of the week blink.  Use the + or – button to move the arrow under the correct day.

READ CAREFULLY:

This controller will operate six different water valves.  Valve #1 is normally used for your propagation beds.  The other valves can be used to water plants automatically.

Next, press the button on the far left one (1) time. , this will be the screen where you choose which valve to program.   The default valve is 1.  Leave this setting alone unless you are programming a different valve.  Once you confirm you are programming the correct valve, press the far left button once (1).

At this screen, you will see 00:02:00.  Press the arrow button twice (2) to get the 02 to blink.  Use the – button to change this to 00.  Press the arrow button once (1) to get the far right 00 (seconds) to blink.  Use the + button to change this to 10.  This is 10 seconds of mist.  If you want something different than 10, now is the time to do it, but 10 is a good starting point.

Press the far left button once (1).  Press the arrow key once (1) to get the arrow at the top of the screen to blink.  Press the arrow button 8 times until you see the word “once” blinking.  (Press slowly, if you press more than 8 times, you will have to remove the batteries and start over.)  QUICKLY press the + button.  Using the + button, change the number to 10.  This is the time between misting cycles, and 10 is a good starting point.  If you want something other than 10, do it now.  Press the left button once (1).

The next screen will have a time, a number of days, and will say “start 1.”  The time will be the current time plus about 10 minutes.  The number above the word “days” should be 0.  Verify these settings, and make changes if needed by using the arrow button and the + or – buttons.  If everything is OK, press the left button twice (2) until you see the word “off.”

Press the arrow button to make the word “off” blink.  Use the + button to get to a screen that displays a time.  Use the arrow button to get the hour to blink, and change this to the time in the morning you want the system to start misting.  If you want to change the minutes, press the arrow key to get it to blink, and use the + or – button to change it.  Be sure you choose AM.  The optimum time is when the dew on the lawn and landscape plants is just beginning to dry off.  Press the left button once (1) to advance to the next screen.

This step is exactly like the last, except you will be choosing a time in the afternoon or evening to turn the system off for the night, so be sure to choose PM here.  You should choose a time early enough in the evening to allow the cuttings to dry off before the sun fully sets.  Press the left button twice (2).  You should now be back at the main screen with the time and day of the week.

That’s it!  Within 10 minutes, the controller will start the misting cycle.  It will mist for 10 seconds, turn off for 10 minutes, and repeat until the timer shuts itself off for the night.  It will then start again at whatever time you programmed in the morning.

This article is only for those that have This Plant Propagation System.

Questions, comments, mean things to say?  Post them below and I will respond.

Take a gander at these posts...

  • Really Nice Japanese Maples – Crash Course On Grafting and Budding
  • Purple Sandcherry-Pruning and Propagating
  • Forsythia Propagation
  • A Simple Way To Root Plants From Cuttings
  • How To Divide Hostas

Comments

  1. Lyda Savoca says

    June 2, 2020 at 8:54 am

    Hello Mike,
    I am assuming that since this has six valve controllers, and you have valve #1 going on and off all day, the other valves can be working at the same time? Thank you!

    Lyda

    Reply
    • Mike says

      June 3, 2020 at 9:27 am

      Lyda,

      You can use from one to six valves, each programed differently and running at the same time. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/mikes-plant-propagation-kit/

      Reply
  2. Jill Jones says

    July 10, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Hi Mike,
    We are planning our propagation beds and making sure we’ll have everything needed to start sticking cuttings. Will you be getting any more of the Plant Propagation kits? Thank you for your time and effort and you’re a blessing with the wealth of knowledge you share!
    Thanks,
    Jill

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 11, 2017 at 9:23 am

      Jill,

      We will, they are telling me mid August at the earliest.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

'Rockin Raspberry' Bee Balm.

‘Rockin Raspberry’ Bee Balm.

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

'Bubblegum Blast' Bee Balm.

‘Bubblegum Blast’ Bee Balm

Posted On June 26, 2022 By Mike

Blue Angel Hosta.

‘Blue Angel’ Hosta.

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Big Daddy Hosta.

‘Big Daddy’ Hosta

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

'Humpback Whale' hosta.

‘Humpback Whale’ Hosta.

Posted On June 25, 2022 By Mike

Ice Plant, delosperma

Ice Plant, delosperma

Posted On June 9, 2022 By Mike

Electric Red Dianthus

‘Electric Red’ Dianthus

Posted On June 9, 2022 By Mike

Flower bulb care after they bloom.

The Right Way to Treat Your Flower Bulbs after they Bloom.

Posted On June 9, 2022 By Mike

Miniature donkey shenanigans.

Power Equipment, Pain in the Backside!

Posted On June 9, 2022 By Mike

Ice Plant, Delosperma

Photos, Landscaping Ideas from My Butt Ugly Landscape. Worst Landscape Design Ever!

Posted On June 8, 2022 By Mike

Complete Guides

Growing, Rooting and Propagating Dappled Willow in Tree Form from Cuttings.

Growing Seeds, Winter Sowing, in Milk Jugs and Kitty Litter Jugs.

The Correct Way to Pot Rooted Cuttings, Nursery Stock Liners and other Plants.

Training Arborvitae and other Conical Evergreens to Grow with a Single Leader.

How to Propagate, Root Cuttings, of Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

Recent Posts

Flower bulb care after they bloom.

The Right Way to Treat Your Flower Bulbs after they Bloom.

Me and the donkeys made a movie for you about caring for your flower bulbs after they bloom. It seems to be that the standard practice is to roll the tops into a ball, put a rubber band around them and wait for them to turn brown before you cut them … Read Full Article

Miniature donkey shenanigans.

Power Equipment, Pain in the Backside!

Listen up, me and the donkeys, Finnegan and Fergus, made a video for you that just might save you a giant headache when it comes to your power equipment. I made this giant mistake and hopefully this will make sure that it does not happen to you. Not … Read Full Article

Ice Plant, Delosperma

Photos, Landscaping Ideas from My Butt Ugly Landscape. Worst Landscape Design Ever!

A couple of years ago I posted a video and some photos of the landscaping around our house and one guy said something like, "It's a good thing you know how to grow plants because your landscape design skills are terrible. So when I did an update I titled the … Read Full Article

Busting Gardening Myths!

One of Our Members, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, shared this article with the other members. It's a great article about long held gardening beliefs that just flat out are not true. I'd love to display the article here but I just don't have permission to … Read Full Article

How to Move Heavy things the Easy Way.

It's that time of year when I have to put balls on the Japanese maples that we dug earlier this spring. On this page, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2021/04/how-to-put-a-ball-and-burlap-on-a-bare-root-tree-that-has-been-previously-dug/, I show you how I put … Read Full Article

Copyright © 1999-2022 · McGroarty Enterprises Inc. · Privacy Policy · Earnings Disclaimer · Terms of Service