Smart Home Irrigation System with Shelly
Overview
This interesting case comes from a private home of a Shelly fan Steffen Berthold, who turned his love for travel and self-professed “lazy gardening” into the inspiration for a fully automated irrigation system.
His goal: keep plants thriving across a rooftop terrace, raised beds, and a large garden without daily manual watering. By combining Shelly devices with Home Assistant and smart irrigation hardware, Steffen built a reliable system that balances sustainability, convenience, and control.
Challenges
Manual watering of multiple zones - a rooftop terrace, raised beds with 120 plants, and a large garden which was time consuming and inconsistent.
Solutions & Implementations
The Setup
The system combines four Shelly devices, Home Assistant, and smart irrigation hardware into a multi-zone watering network:
Shelly Plug S MTR Gen3 – Controls valves for the rooftop and raised bed irrigation.
Shelly 2PM Gen3 – Powers and monitors a pump in the underground rainwater tank.
Gardena water distributors – Manage up to six irrigation “strings” per zone.
ESP32 microcontroller & sensors – Add intelligence with water level, pressure, and temperature monitoring.
💧 Three-Tier Irrigation Design
1️⃣ Rooftop Terrace:
A simple setup using a Shelly Plug S MTR Gen3 to open and close a valve for a micro-irrigation system which is perfect for balcony pots.
2️⃣ Raised Bed:
An expanded system with another Shelly Plug S MTR Gen3, an electric valve, and a Gardena distributor feeding six separate irrigation lines for ~120 plants.
3️⃣ Garden:
The most complex zone - featuring a Kärcher BP2 Cistern pump in an underground rainwater tank, controlled by Shelly 2PM Gen3. Sensors track water levels, pressure, and leaks, and Home Assistant orchestrates pump and valve timing.
📲 How It Works
Schedules or manual triggers in the Home Assistant dashboard start the watering.
Shelly Plug S MTR Gen3 or Shelly 2PM Gen3 activates valves/pumps, with timers ensuring the correct duration per irrigation string.
Sensors provide real-time data stopping irrigation if the pump runs dry, water leaks are detected, or the tank empties.
Weather integration prevents watering on rainy days, and float switches in the tank help maintain reserve levels.
⚡ Why Shelly?
Steffen chose Shelly for its flexibility, reliability, and Home Assistant integration:
Over 200 Shelly devices power his home - lights, shutters, relays, sensors.
Local control ensures the system still works even if Home Assistant goes offline.
Support and durability matter: only 2 devices failed in two years, one replaced under warranty.
Products Used
Shelly Plug S MTR Gen3 – Controls valves for terrace and raised beds.
Shelly 2PM Gen3 – Powers and monitors the underground cistern pump.
Gardena Water Distributors – Up to six irrigation strings per zone.
ESP32 Microcontroller & Sensors – Monitor water level, pressure, and temperature.
Results
Hands-off gardening: Plants stay hydrated even when traveling.
Sustainable watering: Uses rainwater from a buried tank before tap water.
Smarter control: Weather-aware scheduling, leak detection, and zone-based timing.
Hidden hardware: Most pipes, pumps, and wiring are buried or boxed, leaving the garden uncluttered.
Conclusion
By integrating using Shelly devices in a combination with Home Assistant and smart irrigation hardware, Steffen built a resilient, sustainable irrigation system that supports his travel lifestyle and passion for gardening. This project highlights how Shelly devices can empower any idea to become a smart, reliable solutions for everyday challenges.
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