I just developed a Netro Smart Garden integration for Home Assistant.

Take a look here if interested: https://github.com/kcofoni/ha-netro-watering.

Best regards

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!!

Come posso aggiungere skill netro in italiano grazie 

Frequent, shallow watering encourages a shallow root system. A shallow root system means a lawn is under drought stress when the top inch of soil dries out.

Conversely, deep, infrequent watering during hot, dry weather is important to maintain a healthy lawn. Deep watering encourages the turf to develop a deeper, more extensive root system. The denser root system will make your grass less susceptible to periods of drought. A more dynamic root system will also offer the fringe benefit of discouraging competition from weeds.

To determine how long you have to run your sprinkler or irrigation system, take a flat-bottomed container such as a coffee can and mark off half-inch increments. Place the can or cans where it will be hit by the water, and time how long it takes to gather a half-inch of water. Then run your sprinkler twice as long. You may need to apply water even slower to steep slopes to avoid wasting water to runoff.

Netro's motto when it comes to watering: slowly, deeply, infrequently. Netro's algorithm is based on expert gardening knowledge, one of which is to avoid watering equally everyday and instead to water less frequently but deeply. Netro waters your garden only when the soil is dry enough in order to draw more oxygen into the roots, leading to a lusher landscape. By default, we allow the moisture level to deplete to a lower level before next watering and that is why you might see longer watering duration than the original settings on your old controller.

Netro smart controller gives your lawn the right amount of water, assures that your garden is getting its required amount of water – no more, and no less.

Resources:

Water infrequently, longer for better lawn

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/garden/2009/09/19/Water-infrequently-longer-for-better-lawn/stories/200909190132

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.

Select suitable plants for slope

Growing plants in some area with slopes may be more difficult than level gardens. A lot of challenging factors should be taken into consideration, for example, the different soil conditions, the sunlight condition, the slope condition, etc. Netro's smart watering would take care of these factors. Please go to Settings->Zones , select your zone and choose your soil type, slope condition and other settings.

The top priority is to evaluate the pitch and runoff. If the pitch is more than 30 degrees, it might be a good idea to terrace the area to prevent topsoil from eroding and all moisture evacuating every time you water or it rains. Once you have solved any moisture retention and erosion problems, it is time to evaluate the site further for exposure and zone, and plan what plants grow on slopes. The types of plants you choose will depend not only on your visual preference and vision but also the needs of the area. Deep rooted plants help stabilize soil, trees add dimension and shade to prevent excess evaporation, and low growing ground covers cover up unsightly areas with ease of care.

Although growing plants on a hillside can be a challenge, once established they can transform the area and help keep soil from slowly weeping down into the flatter parts of the terrain. Taller shrubs and bushes add many seasons of interest and will help give the area a sculpted appeal. Just remember that young plants will need additional moisture, staking and training as they establish. To keep maintenance down, choose plants that produce very little mess which would otherwise require extra work to clean up annually. Some plants that work well on slopes include:

Burning Bush 

Fragrant Sumac 

Japanese Yew 

California Lilac 

Creeping Juniper 

Dwarf Forsythia 

Snowberry 

Siberian 

Carpet Cypress

Read more at Gardening Know How: Choosing Plants For Sloping Areas – What Plants Grow On Slopes https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/slope-hill/plants-that-grow-on-slopes.htm

Replacing Hunter system

This page lists some instructions about replacing the common types of Hunter system with Netro smart watering controller. 

Example 1:

To replace this controller with Netro smart watering controller, please follow the instructions.

The white wires are the common wires which should be connected to the C slots in Netro. Then the zone wires (1,2,3, .. 12) are directly mapped to the 1, 2, 3 .. 12 slots in Netro. The last step is to connect the power (the ground wire is not needed for Netro) then you should be good to go. The power adapter wires are the 2 yellow wires on the left side.

The green one below the yellow wires is the ground wire which is not needed for Netro.

The copper wires are rains sensors which are not needed for Netro either because Netro gets the weather information from WiFi network.

Example 2:

For this system, please connect the white wire to any one of the C slots in Netro. You can leave the M slot of Netro smart watering controller and one of the C slot unconnected.

The last step is to connect the power. The power adapter wires are the 2 yellow wires on the left side.

SEN are rains sensors which are not needed for Netro either because Netro gets the weather information from WiFi network.

Example 3:

Please connect the white wire to any one of the C slots in Netro. You can leave one of the C slot unconnected.

This system has 3 wires which connects to 24v lines. To replace it with Netro smart watering controller, you can use the existing 24V power(the yellow wires) for your Sprite. It looks like the thinner 2 are the ones but you might just want to try them on Sprite. Or you can use a voltage meter to determine.

If the thinner yellow wires turn out to be the power, than I think the thinner white wire is the common wire which should go to the C slot in Sprite.

SEN are rains sensors which are not needed for Netro either because Netro gets the weather information from WiFi network.

Example 4:

You should connect the white wire(currently on RS) to one of the C slots in Sprite.

You do not need to connect the black wire(currently on C) and the brown wire(currently on RS). RS terminal is the rain sensor. Therefore, you do not need to connect these wires.

Example 5:

The white wire is the common wire which should be connected to one of the C slots in Netro. The power adapter wires are the 2 black wires on the left side.

RS terminal is the rain sensor. Therefore, you do not need to connect these wires.

Example 6:

The white wires is the common wires which should be connected to one of  the C slots in Netro. The power adapter wires are the two black wires on the left side.

The green one below is the ground wire which is not needed for Netro.

You do not need to connect the rain sensors because Netro get the weather forecast through WiFi.

Example 7:

You do not need to connect the blue one (remote). You can just leave it dangling but please use the tape to cover the metal head. The remote feature in Sprite is through the WiFi.

I am not sure about the red and white one. These are the two AV power wires. Normally there is only one wire for AC1 and one wire for AC2. In your case, it looks like the AC power is also sent to another device. The safest way to handle this is to keep this original connection. You might want to "noodle" the wires and insert them into the two "24 VAC" slots in Sprite. Please check out this connector for wire junctions：

https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-25-AWC-Assortment-Resealable/dp/B000F5TTE8