Frost protection for trees by automation
Whether you’re caring for palm trees down south or pine trees up north, you know that proper monitoring is needed for optimal growth of young plants in any climate. In this blog post, we’re diving deeper into how a Christmas tree farm uses Loxone automation for climate monitoring and frost protection:
Monitoring weather conditions to protect plants
Let’s begin with the basics of frost protection irrigation. If the distributed water freezes on the plants, heat of crystallization is released – the plants are protected this way. By automating this process with Loxone, the Schauerte Christmas Tree Farm owners benefit from putting an end to sleepless nights and crop failures.
At the Schauerte Christmas Tree Farm in Germany, it’s possible for late frosts in May and June that can put a lot of strain on the trees, especially the younger ones. This puts trees at risk of crippling growth or, in the worst case, dying off completely. Weather and temperature are key here.
If the weather forecast announced a freezing night, precautions would be needed such as switching on the sprinkler system. The water creates a protective layer of frozen water, similarly to fruit stands, because it is warmer inside this layer of ice than outside. A sufficient protective effect through the heat of crystallization can only be achieved if the relative humidity is at least 60% and the wind speed does not exceed 12 mph – this can be kept in check by the Loxone Miniserver.
To avoid the unloving night shifts, the Schauerte Christmas Tree Farm owners, turned to Loxone Partner Uniserve, who previously installed the security system. He was looking for a reliable and simple solution that would 1.) activate the antifreeze irrigation in case of imminent night frost 2.) keep an eye on the tank level and 3.) send alerts in case of an emergency.
Solution for frost protection with the Miniserver
The experts at Uniserve immediately recommended a Loxone solution for its simplicity, flexibility and reliability, but also – unlike other market solutions – it already includes comprehensive monitoring all on board. After two working days to set up a WLAN line and cabling the server and sensors, the solution was quickly implemented. By connecting the system to the company’s WLAN, remote control of the system is now possible on the one hand, and on the other hand the Miniserver can alert the owner by means of push messages in the event of a fault.
The customer is very happy with the solution. He can sleep better and doesn’t need to set his alarm clock late at night anymore because the Loxone Miniserver reliably takes control. Plus with the possibility of remote control, he can also activate the system as needed even in very dry conditions.
Full functionality from Loxone
Three factors are important for the automated process of antifreeze irrigation:
- Temperature monitoring
- Automated irrigation
- Notifications to the farmer
Read in our Use Cases example “frost protection for crops” how the automated sprinkling is configured to protect plants and which Loxone products you need for this. You can also find an example configuration for download.
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