Baseline Systems BaseStation 3200 - Manual (Page 11)

I n t r o d u c t i o n
Page 9
Baseline 3200
Watering Strategies
Each property is unique, and has unique watering requirements. In order to support a broad
range of climate zones, plant types, landscape designs, and landscape usage requirements, the
BaseStation 3200 supports a variety of watering strategies.
The basic watering strategies supported by the 3200 are shown in the table below. Refer to the
programming sections for details on how to configure your controller to use these strategies.
Timed Like all irrigation controllers, the 3200 can be programmed to run
zones on specific times and dates. Timed irrigation is the default
setting for any zone that has not been associated with a moisture
sensor.
Historical ET The BaseStation 3200 allows the days between irrigation to be set
according to a Historical ET calendar which, unlike typical seasonal
adjustments, will promote deeper root growth and healthier plants
throughout the season. However, Historical ET based watering will
not protect your landscape from unusual weather patterns in any
given season.
Lower Limit Also called Lower Threshold. In this soil moisture based smart
watering strategy, irrigation is suspended or skipped until the soil
dries to the lower limit, which may be set manually, or set using the
automatic calibration process. This watering strategy naturally
waters deeply and infrequently and promotes deeper root growth in
plants. The controller will water for a specified run time each time it
is allowed to water. Care should be taken to assure that ½” or more
of water is applied frequently enough to water sufficiently for the
hottest period of the season.
Lower Limit
Automatic Lower Limit Automatic waters according to a lower limit strategy,
but automatically performs a calibration cycle each month in order
to measure actual soil field capacity. This strategy is particularly
useful for newly established landscapes where compaction and
organic development of soil can cause field capacity to vary
significantly over time.
Upper Limit Also called Upper Threshold. In this soil moisture based smart
watering strategy, irrigation events are scheduled for specific times
and dates, but the total run time is adjusted by the controller to
bring soil moisture up and very slightly over field capacity. This
watering strategy is particularly useful for landscapes that need to
be at a desired moisture level on a regular schedule, such as sports
fields or heavy use parks. On these types of properties, damage to
turf takes place if the soil is either too wet or too dry.
Upper Limit
Automatic Upper Limit Automatic waters according to an upper limit strategy,
but automatically performs a calibration cycle each month in order
to measure actual soil field capacity. This strategy is particularly
useful for newly established landscapes where compaction and
organic development of soil can cause field capacity to vary
significantly over time.