Gardening & Auto-Watering

[Madrona]

I am wondering if someone has a picture of their sprinkler-watered garden they wouldn't mind sharing? I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around what I need to do to lay out the plants to get watered automatically.

The sprinkler seems to water in a circle, but it takes up a larger square than it waters. So the plants out at the corners do not get watered by the sprinkler. Is that correct?

I assume the sims need at least a half-square to walk between rows of plants to tend their garden?

Any tips on this would be much appreciated. :)

[lfria]

I don't have any pictures, but I just add lots of sprinklers. I'll put a sprinkler down to hit as many plants as possible. If any plants in the corners aren't getting hit, then I'll add a random sprinkler there to make sure they get watered.

[QueenJimmyIV]

I've had problems with sprinklers, honestly. I update them to autowater. If I turn them off, they never water the plants. If I turn them on, they water them constantly. They're supposed to be automatic! My sim spent HOURS out in the garden beating them with a screwdriver, so why won't they work? :(

[ksstrek]

Silly sim forgot to install the timer. Ok for real, if your sim has upgraded the sprinklers to autowater, they should turn on when the plants are dry. I have not had this be an issue when I have upgraded my sprinklers. Having said that since SHT, I have not upgraded any sprinklers and I have had problems with plants getting dry even with the sprinklers going 24/7

[lisfyre]

Silly sim forgot to install the timer. Ok for real, if your sim has upgraded the sprinklers to autowater, they should turn on when the plants are dry. I have not had this be an issue when I have upgraded my sprinklers. Having said that since SHT, I have not upgraded any sprinklers and I have had problems with plants getting dry even with the sprinklers going 24/7

Ewww.. glad I never got SHT.

My sprinklers are working just fine (only up to Generations EP and patched to 1.33). To the OP, just make sure your plants are one grid square apart, your sprinkler can sit in the middle of it. Sprinklers cover 5 x 5 so you can arrange your plants in this configuration. I don't have any pics of my gardener sim's garden handy but I group plants on the sprinkler footprint. If you can follow that description I just gave you.

[ViviSims2]

The sprinklers actually WORK?

I thought they were just for Zelda Mae's bony butt.... Silly me.

[ocorreia]

Sprinklers work perfectly even in Showtime with the latest patch 1.34.

You need to upgrade the sprinklers to automatic watering, and they will water your plants automatically every night from 4am to 7am. Make sure you have enough sprinklers to cover all the plants and you won't need to water your plants again.

That's how I've been doing and never had a problem with plants not getting water...

[hannahmh87]

Sprinklers work perfectly even in Showtime with the latest patch 1.34.

You need to upgrade the sprinklers to automatic watering, and they will water your plants automatically every night from 4am to 7am. Make sure you have enough sprinklers to cover all the plants and you won't need to water your plants again.

That's how I've been doing and never had a problem with plants not getting water...

Plants got on my nerves so much I just downloaded the gardener (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=459967) mod.

I am not a green thumb in real life ;)

[Madrona]

Thanks for all the replies. :)

I ended up making a rectangular-shaped garden and put sprinklers in a little closer than I probably needed to, but it all seems to be working now.

I always wondered why there was no Gardener service -- at least someone to water & weed. What an awesome mod!

[QueenJimmyIV]

I think there is a Gardener mod on here. I would check it out and see if it's up to date with your game. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=459967

EDIT: D'oh! Ninja'd!

[lisfyre]

I am not a green thumb in real life ;)

I'm not either. Even plastic plants die on me :rofl: But seriously, the only thing I can grow is crab grass and dandelions, everything else dies so I never walk thru a garden or any green space.

[Tasselcat]

I used to just place sprinklers in between rows, super close to all the plants. Now, I use the Magic Water Pump (http://linna.modthesims.info/download.php?t=402818) . It's not updated, but it functions in my 1.33-patched game.
(That sounded a little like an infomercial. Oops.)

[Anniversary]

As long as all the plants are inside the dome when you place the sprinkler, they'll be watered when it is used.

As for harvesting...that's the real problem. Without Ambitions (Servos and Harvesters), harvesting is basically impossible without ruining your sim's life.

[Kestie Freehawk]

I have 3 sprinklers in under the apple trees covering the brown spot. I use one space for one plant and leave 2 to 3 spaces between the trees, but I want it to look real. The sprinklers come on at night for me and sometimes stay on all night but in the day they are off. I have played the Nectar maker game for 10 thousand bottles or more and sometimes the sprinklers get screwed up. They always do when you move a lot. In that case you have to remove them and add new ones back. You have to upgrade them again but it doesnt take as long after the first time. Micheal loves to play in the sprinkler and screws them up on purpose but he just wants a new one to upgrade. He has the handy trait and can be mischevious. Like he walks through the bathroom and everything leaks until its unbreakable. The picture is a Sims 3 version of the Riverblossom Hills McGregor farm. KiwiTea's map is incredible. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=429780