# 2026 Watering Schedule — Single-Zone Sequence

*Generated 2026-05-05. Designed under three constraints: (1) only one zone runs at a time (water-pressure limit), (2) 10 PM–5 AM reserved for the lawn timer, (3) some hose timers accept day-of-week + clock time, others only "every X" intervals.*

## Per-station diagnosed water needs (May–June)

| # | Station | Type | Plants/soil context | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---:|---:|
| 1 | **Gutter Rows 1 & 5** | drip ¼" | shallow gutter soil ~6"; dries fast; strawberries fruit-set | every 2 days | 15 min |
| 2 | **Gutter Rows 2/3/4** | drip ¼" | same; 3× longer rows | every 2 days | 20 min |
| 3 | **Big Container** | drip ¼" (4 lines) | 2 ft deep, holds moisture; garlic finishing + new tomato/lettuce | 3× per week | 20 min |
| 4 | **Middle Containers** | drip ¼" | tomatoes/peppers/squash/cucurbits/legumes — heavy demand | daily | 25 min |
| 5 | **Fenced Garden + Pergola Perimeter** | bubblers | grape pergola posts + back-gate cherries — established, deep infrequent | 2× per week | 30 min |
| 6 | **Fenced Garden Back Patches** | **oscillating sprinkler** | potatoes + brassicas; foliar wet → must run morning so leaves dry | every 2 days | 30 min |
| 7 | **SE Back Patch & SE Fence** | bubbler + drip | brassicas in side-garden Back Patch (#33) + small SE fence row | every 3 days | 25 min |
| 8 | **Blueberry Path** | bubblers | 11 established blueberries; consistent moisture fruit-set | every 2 days | 15 min |
| 9 | **Orchard Row** | drip + bubblers | 4 established fruit trees; deep infrequent | every 5 days | 30 min |
| 10 | **Gazebo** | drip + bubbler | 1 mixed fruit tree, established | every 5 days | 25 min |
| 11 | **Pond Garden** | bubblers | perennial bed, established | every 4 days | 15 min |
| 12 | **Rae's Window & Cherry Tree** | bubbler + drip | cherry + 5×19 ft window planting | every 2 days | 15 min |
| 13 | **Front Flowers** | drip + misters | flower planters + hanging baskets (misters foliar; baskets dry fast) | daily | 12 min |
| 14 | **Raspberry Patch** | drip (multi-line) | raspberry rows, fruit-set window | every 2 days | 25 min |
| – | ~~NW Fence~~ | – | skipping this season | – | – |

**Total daily-average demand:** ~140 min spread across 14 zones. Window 5 AM–10 PM = 1020 min — plenty of headroom.

---

## Master schedule (one zone at a time, 5 AM–10 PM)

### Constants per zone (clock time + duration)

```
TIME       DURATION   STATION                          TYPE       DAY PATTERN
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
05:00–05:15  15 min   Gutter Rows 1 & 5                DoW        Mon Wed Fri Sun
05:20–05:40  20 min   Gutter Rows 2/3/4                DoW        Mon Wed Fri Sun
05:45–06:15  30 min   Fenced Garden Back Patches       interval   every 48h ← only sprinkler
06:20–06:50  30 min   Fenced Garden + Pergola Perim    DoW        Tue Sat
06:55–07:15  20 min   Big Container                    DoW        Mon Wed Fri
07:20–07:45  25 min   Middle Containers                interval   every 24h (daily)
07:50–08:05  15 min   Blueberry Path                   interval   every 48h
08:10–08:25  15 min   Rae's Window & Cherry Tree       interval   every 48h
08:30–08:55  25 min   Raspberry Patch                  interval   every 48h
09:00–09:25  25 min   SE Back Patch & SE Fence         interval   every 72h
09:30–09:42  12 min   Front Flowers                    interval   every 24h (daily)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
11:00–11:30  30 min   Orchard Row                      interval   every 120h (5 days)
12:00–12:25  25 min   Gazebo                           interval   every 120h (5 days)
13:00–13:15  15 min   Pond Garden                      interval   every 96h (4 days)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
22:00–05:00            LAWN (your other timer/zone — reserved)
```

### What runs on each day of the week

| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05:00 | Gutter 1&5 | – | Gutter 1&5 | – | Gutter 1&5 | – | Gutter 1&5 |
| 05:20 | Gutter 2/3/4 | – | Gutter 2/3/4 | – | Gutter 2/3/4 | – | Gutter 2/3/4 |
| 05:45 | – | FG Back Patches | – | FG Back Patches | – | FG Back Patches | – |
| 06:20 | – | FG Perimeter | – | – | – | FG Perimeter | – |
| 06:55 | Big Container | – | Big Container | – | Big Container | – | – |
| 07:20 | Middle Cont | Middle Cont | Middle Cont | Middle Cont | Middle Cont | Middle Cont | Middle Cont |
| 07:50 | – | Blueberry | – | Blueberry | – | Blueberry | – |
| 08:10 | Rae's & Cherry | – | Rae's & Cherry | – | Rae's & Cherry | – | Rae's & Cherry |
| 08:30 | – | Raspberry | – | Raspberry | – | Raspberry | – |
| 09:00 | – | SE Back Patch | – | – | SE Back Patch | – | – |
| 09:30 | Front Flowers | Front Flowers | Front Flowers | Front Flowers | Front Flowers | Front Flowers | Front Flowers |
| 11:00 | – | Orchard | – | – | – | – | Orchard |
| 12:00 | – | Gazebo | – | – | – | – | Gazebo |
| 13:00 | – | Pond Garden | – | – | – | Pond Garden | – |

Heaviest day = **Tuesday** (10 cycles, ~225 min stretched 5:45 AM – 1:15 PM, single zone at any moment).

---

## Per-timer setup instructions

### The 4 day-of-week timers

| Timer | Days | Start time | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutter Rows 1 & 5 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | 5:00 AM | 15 min | Push to **daily** in July |
| Gutter Rows 2/3/4 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | 5:20 AM | 20 min | Push to **daily** in July |
| Fenced Garden + Pergola Perimeter | Tue, Sat | 6:20 AM | 30 min | Established; OK at 2× per week year-round |
| Big Container | Mon, Wed, Fri | 6:55 AM | 20 min | Add Sun in July; drop after garlic harvest unless replanted |

### The 10 interval timers

For each, **the start time you set anchors the recurring slot**.

| Timer | Set "every…" | Duration | First-fire time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenced Garden Back Patches | every 48 h | 30 min | 5:45 AM |
| Middle Containers | every 24 h | 25 min | 7:20 AM |
| Blueberry Path | every 48 h | 15 min | 7:50 AM (Tue/Thu/Sat schedule) |
| Rae's Window & Cherry Tree | every 48 h | 15 min | 8:10 AM (Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun schedule) |
| Raspberry Patch | every 48 h | 25 min | 8:30 AM (Tue/Thu/Sat) |
| SE Back Patch & SE Fence | every 72 h | 25 min | 9:00 AM (every 3rd day starting Tue) |
| Front Flowers | every 24 h | 12 min | 9:30 AM |
| Orchard Row | every 120 h | 30 min | 11:00 AM (drifts on a 5-day cycle) |
| Gazebo | every 120 h | 25 min | 12:00 PM (same drift) |
| Pond Garden | every 96 h | 15 min | 1:00 PM |

### Setup procedure

1. Pick **one calendar day** (e.g., a Sunday) and set up everything that day so all interval timers' "first fires" line up.
2. For each interval timer, **be standing at the faucet at the listed time** when you press "start" — that anchors the recurring slot.
3. The four day-of-week timers can be set any time; they use the wall clock.
4. Test each zone manually (just open the valve) and note GPM at the faucet — make sure even your weakest zone gets adequate pressure.

---

## Why this works

- **Pressure constraint** — every minute between 5 AM and 10 PM has at most one zone open. Gaps are ≥ 5 min so residual pressure clears.
- **Sprinkler-foliage rule** — the only sprinkler (Fenced Garden Back Patches) runs at 5:45 AM, leaves dry by 8 AM — no powdery mildew or slug haven.
- **Hanging-basket rule** — Front Flowers misters run daily before sun gets brutal — baskets stay alive through summer.
- **Established-perennial rule** — orchard, gazebo, pond all on long cycles (4–5 days) for deep infrequent watering.
- **Strawberry rule** — gutters get the earliest slots since they dry the fastest and benefit most from a morning start.
- **Lawn lockout** — no garden zone runs in the 10 PM–5 AM window.

---

## Seasonal adjustments

**July–August (peak heat) — bump frequencies up:**
- Gutters 1&5 + 2/3/4: M/W/F/Sun → **daily**
- Big Container: 3× per week → **4× per week** (add Sun)
- FG Back Patches: every 48h → **every 24h** (still 5:45 AM — that slot is exclusively this station's)
- Middle Containers: 25 min → **30 min** daily
- Blueberry Path: every 48h → **daily**
- Front Flowers: keep daily, bump to **15 min**

**Mid-July (after garlic harvest)** — Big Container drops out for ~2 weeks until you replant fall crops, then resume.

**September** — dial everything back to 60% of summer. By **October**, off entirely except cool-season greens.

---

## Open follow-ups

- Update each station's `current_schedule` field to the corresponding row above so it shows on `/stations/{id}`.
- Re-tune in July when you notice plants asking for more (wilt by mid-afternoon) or less (yellow lower leaves, soggy soil).