Hi, is impossible access app netro

Why can't you skip less than two rain days if today is included? I have tried everything to do just one and have failed. I cannot enter include today and zero days. If I enter include today and one day, today and tomorrow are rain days.

Once you have programs setup to do your watering, you hardly ever get into this app unless you need to stop watering, change the program, or test a zone with a broken/fixed head. My biggest complaint about this app is that when I need to stop watering for the day (for various reasons), I have to remember how to do that in the Netro app, and fumble through menu after menu to figure it out, because I do not use it every day. I just want to stop the dang watering for the day. There needs to be a button right on the first page that comes up to stop or suspend all watering schedules for the day. I told Moen if they put that in there app, I will switch in a heart beat. Giving you the opportunity to keep a customer and put into your app. 

This would be a supper nice feature to add to NETRO. 

Combining with the whisperers

https://irrigreen.com/

Are there any plans to update the Alexa Skill? ... it's over a year and a half since the skill's been released and does need some urgent attention. One being to be able to run a saved program via Alexa and not just one single zone.  Hugely important.  The other (and quite annoying) is how it is coded into your skill to have Alexa ask "what else can I do for you?" over and over (and it is not Alexa but your skill)..this causes freezing on the Echo Show display so even if one does want Alexa to "do" something it does not respond...again, not Alexa, but your skill. Presently, one has to tell Alexa "goodbye" wait for at least a minute, before using my Show for another purpose...I have follow up turned off on all my devices in my Alexa settings.  No other skill causes Alexa to respond this way - freezing and "what else can I do".  It is unnecessary and needs to be removed for the reasons stated.  Can you advise when the skill will be updated?  Many customers, like myself, purchased your controller because of the Alexa compatibility which presently is very minimal.  Not all of us want to whip out a phone to run a program which is why we have Alexa & Google devices in the first place.  The IOS app has been updated, but the Alexa skill sadly has not.  Thank you in advance and eagerly await your reply,  kind regards 

The Next-gen Indoor Watering System

Stream is Netro's first indoor watering product. It is specially designed to perform accurate drip irrigation for your potted plants. Stream is packed with many advanced hardware technologies including low-noise pumps, hall-effect flow sensors and long-range WiFi connection. It fits seamlessly into the Netro Eco-system and works with the Netro app.

Stream is now released for pre-order. Learn more at netrohome.com/en/shop/products/stream

Hi new HOME ASSISTANT integration of Netro. install it using HACS.

thanks to the developer kcofoni!!

1. Weather thresholds settings are not working

2. Should have thresholds settings by moisture levels 

UPDATE 8/1/2024

I can confirm that the system is working well. The system forecast about 25mm of rain for yesterday , but we had 34mm based on Weatherflow. This morning, the system had corrected the amount in Netro. Well done to the dev team for rolling out a fix so quickly, once the problem was identified.

I can now say that Netro is a smart watering system!

UPDATE: 5/1/2024

Netro have been fantastic. They have updated their system already to make Weatherflow work as you would expect. However, I am yet to see the results of this.

Rain is anticipated tomorrow (7/1/2024) and the following day.

I will monitor the system to ensure that the correct rainfall amount is in the database early enough for the schedule to be adjusted by their algorithms.

UPDATE: 4/1/2024

I have been working with the Netro techs to isolate the problem.

The issue is that yesterday's rainfall is not being calculated using the local time zone. Instead, it is using UTC midnight to midnight and an offset of 1 day. This means that the data can be 1.5 days out for someone like me who is GMT+11.

There may also be an issue with the timing of when then the rainfall for yesterday is retrieved. The Weatherflow API needs to be called just after nidnight so that the Netro scheduling can adjust, ready for early morning watering.

ORIGINAL:

I thought I would write an article to explain why Netro is not a smart weatherstation.

I have two Netros and 7 Whisperers, and use them in all aspects of watering - to water lawn, vineyard, fruit trees, vegetables and even to fill our bird baths.

But the most frustrating aspect of Netro is that is does not use the correct amount of rainfall, even when connected to a smart weatherstation such as Weatherflow Tempest or WU (I have my Tempest send data to WU).

Why is this a problem? Because the rainfall estimate provided by the forecasting models do not predict how much rain your specific area will receive. They provide two numbers: a percentage chance of receiving rain, and a minimal amount of rain that you will receive, if your receive rain at all. What does this mean?

If the prediction is that you are 60% likely to receive rain of 10mm, this does not mean that you will receive approximately 6mm of rain. It means that you are 60% likely to receive rain and 40% likely to receive no rain at all. If you receive rain, you are then likely to receive a minimum of 10mm.

Netro mistakenly combines these values to tell the system that you received 6mm of rain. And then might not water. This can lead to plants dying, as was our case, when rainfall was predicted every day for a week and we did not receive a drop. Other areas around us received varying amounts of rain.

The frustration is that Netro has a connection to both Weatherflow and to personal weatherstations via Weather Underground, and therefore has no excuse as to not use the correct value of rainfall.

Their solution is to use the Discover feature to correct yesterday's (and today's) rainfall manually. I would recommend 100% to use this feature.

https://netrohome.com/forum/posts/357

Unfortunately, Netro still applies a percentage to the corrected number which means that the amount of rainfall collected is still less than the actual amount received.

I have solved this problem by automating this process via Home Assistant, which knows yesterday's rainfall from my Weatherflow Tempest and sends the value to Netro via their API. This has resulted in a much more intelligent watering regime.

So, to Netro and their techs, well done on a great system, but it won't be truly great until you implement the most important aspect of any smart watering station - the ability to know how much rainfall fell on a client's land, and therefore how much to water.

We are so excited to introduce our new product line, Lapland, the Smart Garden Lightening System. We have spent almost a year designing and developing the first model, Lapland S1, the Wi-Fi-connected Spotlight and now it is almost ready to meet the users. 

For more information about Lapland, please visit Lapland Spot Light | Multi-color outdoor spotlight (netrohome.com), email to info@netrohome.com or simply leave a message/comment below and we will send you a promotion code for the first 100 buyers.

How you water your new plants can make all the difference. Deeper, less frequent watering will grow plants whose roots are deeper and healthier, so they are more resilient to drier conditions and stress. Water a plant immediately when you plant it. If watered properly the first growing season, your plants should be well established the following growing season. Their roots should be deep and tough enough to seek out water on their own. You will only have to water these established plants on hot, dry days or if they are showing signs of distress.

The following are general guidelines. How often and how long you water will depend on your soil and other factors.

1.Year One

When planting water plants as soon as you get them in the ground. Allow the water to soak in and drain, and water again, until the soil is thoroughly moistened.

2.For the first week or so after planting

Water just-planted plants frequently - daily or every other day - as the roots will not be able to access soil moisture from a very large area until they begin to grow.

3.After the first week or so

Unless the weather is extremely hot and dry, you may be able to decrease watering frequency, perhaps to two or three times per week, for the next month or so.

4.Years Two to Three

You should need to water deeply only once or twice per week in dry weather if you have selected the right plant for the right place, prepared the soil and planted correctly, and mulched your plants. Exactly how often and how long you water will depend on your soil and other conditions.

5.After Year Three

Properly planted and watered, plants should be fairly well established by now, and can thrive with less watering than you may expect.

Helpful Tips

• Know your soil type, as this greatly affects watering frequency and duration.

• Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry between waterings to encourage deep roots.

• Group plants with similar water needs together.

• Consider using soaker hoses, as you can get water where you need it and lose less to evaporation.

• Young trees will need deep regular watering during their growing periods. During periods of little or no rain, water deeply once a week until they become established. Water established trees during heat waves and drought conditions.

• Spot-water plants with different needs than the rest of the planting bed.

• Remember that shallow-rooted plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, heathers and bedding plants may continue to need more frequent watering than most other plants.

• Mulch for moisture. Mulch reduces water loss and adds humus to your soil to retain more moisture.

• Check for soil moisture before

Before you water:

Generally, you want the soil to be dry an inch or two below the surface before you water, so probe with a spade or trowel to check.

At least one hour after you water (or longer with clay soil):

Probe into the soil again to see how deeply the water penetrated. Did it penetrate all the way to the root zone? If not, you may need to increase your watering time. But if the area looks well-saturated, you may want to cut back the next time.

To the Netro android users,

Our Netro app crashes for android on sending messages though Settings->Support->Contact Us suddently. Our R&D are fixing this issue and we expect to have the fixes in place in a few days. We are sorry about the inconvenience.

If you have any questions, please write to us support@netrohome.com and we will make sure to deliver technical support in short time.

Thanks again for your support and trust.

Regards,

Netro Support

Watering correctly saves time, money, and plants. The heat of summer is coming, and along with it, water restrictions in many municipalities. Summer water restrictions can force us to re-evaluate our watering practices. In many cases we may find that our watering practices are wasteful and inefficient.

Deep, infrequent watering is recommended. In most cases, an inch of water per week (rain plus irrigation) should be sufficient. Applying that inch of water in one deep watering will encourage deeper rooting, which leads to stronger, healthier plants. Watering once a week also fits well into most municipal water restrictions. Shallow, frequent watering, on the other hand, will lead to shallow root systems and high water loss through evaporation. With shallow watering, such as light frequent sprinkling, you actually end up wasting quite a bit of water and still don’t meet the needs of your plants.

The best time of day to water a garden is in the morning, since that gives the plants time to dry off before nightfall. It's cooler and winds tend to be calmer so water can soak into the soil and be absorbed by the grass roots before it can evaporate.Leaving water on plants overnight can lead to mold. Watering your garden at the right time and using the right method will keep your plants healthy.

There may be need to evaluate the device used for watering. While a lawn sprinkler may be a good method for the lawn, it may not be the best way to water a vegetable garden. Pick a watering device that matches the needs of your garden and the time you have available to water. Once a device is selected, know the correct way to use that device, in order to water efficiently.

When faced with summer watering restrictions, save yourself time and money by carefully selecting the time and watering device which best suit your garden’s needs. With Netro's smart watering, home gardeners may not fear that with restrictions in place they won't be able to properly water their gardens. Netro specializes in Evapotranspiration Reduction (ETR) and automatically make seasonal watering adjustments. Even in the hottest summer, Netro takes good care of your garden.

If you must water in the evening, try between 4 and 6 p.m. which should give the grass blades time to dry before nightfall. The later you water, the greater chance of disease becoming prevalent in your lawn. It's worth noting, though, that you don't necessarily have to water your lawn. Lawns are resilient. Established and properly cared-for lawns can survive weeks without water by going dormant (when the lawn turns brown), then recover once the rain returns.

The amount and frequency of watering depends on the root system of your plants. Shrubs and trees -known as woody plants - have the potential to grow deeper root systems than flowers which means they draw water from a larger volume of soil. In general, if you receive a good rain every week or 10 days, these woody plants are probably getting the water they need. They thrive with a deep watering with less frequency than most flowers. When plants are shallow-rooted they will need more frequent light irrigation just like the lawn.

1.How to Water Shrubs

The most efficient way to water woody shrubs is to apply water slowly to the soil allowing it to penetrate deeply to rewet the entire root system without running off. This can be done by repeatedly moving a slow flowing hose from bed to bed or by using a drip irrigation system that allows water to leak gradually along the entire length of the irrigation tubing. It is important that the water reaches the plants roots. It is unnecessary and wasteful to water deeper than the plant's root zone.

If you are using an irrigation system, it is worth noting that woody shrubs need to be watered separately from shallow rooted plants and thus need to be on a different irrigation valve than lawns or flowers.

2.How to Water Trees

Trees need regular water during the first several years after planting, until the roots have grown deep enough to carry the plant through dry periods. Once established, however, most trees require only infrequent irrigation.

Stop watering when runoff starts. Soils high in clay accept water slowly, often as little as 1/4 inch per hour. Water infiltration is especially slow in compacted soils. If water starts to pool or run off, stop irrigating, let the water soak in, and start watering again.

Don't saturate the soil for long periods. Water displaces air in the soil, so long periods of soil saturation can suffocate growing roots. Take a long enough break between irrigation cycles to allow the free water to be absorbed. If in doubt, probe or dig to make sure that the soil isn't soggy below the surface.

3. How to Determine the Right Amount of Water

Don't wait for the plants to tell you with wilting and leaves dropping off. Then you’ll just be watering to keep the plant’s roots alive so it may possible come back later. Inspect the soil. Dig around with your hands, soil probe, garden trowel, or shovel. You’ll be able to tell quickly how far down you are actually watering.

With a little practice, you will be able to maintain the proper moisture balance to ensure your shrubs get the water they need to thrive in your landscape.

Resources

https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/shrubs-and-flowers/basic-care/how-much-water-do-shrubs-need/

https://tomlinsonbomberger.com/blog/how-to-water-new-trees-shrubs-and-other-plants/

Why should we conserve water? Water is under threat from many sides. It faces pollution problems, outdated infrastructure, rising costs, and unprecedented droughts and rainfall patterns as the climate changes. Only 1% of the entire water supply in the world is available for human and animal use. 97% is salt water and the remaining 2% are in forms of ice caps or glaciers. People all over the world use this 1% for agriculture, manufacturing, community and personal household needs, and for sanitation operations.

Nowadays drought conditions occur everywhere. There's been a lot of news and talk about the drought condition we're having and saving water. Depending on climate conditions, California, Texas, Nevada and many other states have strict rules about when and how much water is allowed for home irrigation. States and cities are forced to implement mandatory water conservation programs. However, Netro honors your local watering regulations if exact location is provided and will inform you when restrictions apply. With Netro, you will not need to worry about fees and penalties. Netro will automatically upload your local water conservation regulations to your controller and cut down your water usage based on these requirements. You can go to Settings->Regulations to see your local water restrictions.

You still pay for each drop of water in your home, whether you use it or not. By using water wisely and eliminating leaks, the extra water you save means money in your pocket. To conserve our water, we should be watching our water usage to prepare for future drought.

References

https://phys.org/news/2018-05-america-infrastructure-failingbut.html

Put Sprite in "paused" mode in winter 

To put Sprite in "paused" mode in winter, you will have winterize your system. First you will have to blow out the sprinkler. You can look at this video to find some useful information. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3YRbJYmvgA&t=99s

This video mentioned that you will have to turn on the sprinkler, so you can use the instant manual run feature in the home page to manually start watering for each zone to make sure all the water is out of system.

Then you should put Sprite in "paused" mode just in case some one (for example the kids) accidentally starts a manually run from the app. To put Sprite in "paused" mode, you can go to the Home page->"Enabled". 

Customization->set rain/temperature/wind threshold to skip watering

Netro automatically creates dynamic watering schedules according to local weather, so if you turn on the smart zone feature for your zone, season adjustment will be made with smart watering schedules according to weather.

There are different types of weather restrictions: rain, temperature and wind.

By default, If you turn on the smart zone feature, Netro will skip the schedules (including manual schedules from user programs) when there is a chance of significant rain(>0.2inch).

The default threshold to skip watering when temperature is too low is 0 Celsius degree (32 Fahrenheit) for all the Netro controllers.

You can now customize rain, temperature and wind threshold through Settings->Preferences.

There are 2 different levels of Netro’s smart watering you can choose (For Netro watering controller, please go to Settings->Zones->Smart Zone; for Netro Pixie timer, please go to Settings->Garden->Smart Zone)

 1. Smart watering: Level advanced

This is the default setting of Netro watering controller's smart watering. In this level, your zones will be watered automatically by Netro with smart schedules.

Netro will do everything for you, you do not need to set up the program/schedule.

Netro will skip smart watering and programs when there is large amount of rain(>0.2inch/ 5.08 mm) or watering regulations and manual restrictions.

You can inspect the Smart schedules in the calendar view. They are with the blue water-drop icons.

 

 

2.Smart watering: Level basic

This is the default setting of Netro Pixie timer's smart watering. In this level, no smart schedule will be generated. You will need to add programs manually (go to Settings->Programs to add programs) and Netro will skip programs when there is large amount of rain(>0.2inch/ 5.08 mm) or watering regulations.

 If you do not want smart zone schedule to override your own programmed schedule, you can set up the Smart Zone level from Advanced to Basic, which only skip rainning days for your programmed schedule.

Please note when smart zone is enabled, your local regulations will automatic override your own program if there is any conflict. So when you set up your own program watering time, please do not conflict with your local Regulations if there is any. To check up regulations, please go to Settings->Regulations.

 

 

3.Smart-zone feature disabled

If you want to create your own programs and turn off smart zone feature and rain delay feature, go to Settings->Zones->Smart Zone (Settings->Garden->Smart Zone for Pixie Timer) and toggle the enable button. When the smart zone is disabled, the system will strictly follow the user program to water the zones. There is no intelligence here. Netro will not skip your schedules when there is rain. Regulation feature will not be in effect as well.