The path from purchase to first irrigation runs through six steps. Verdi handles steps 0 and 2 with you; you (or your install partner) handle the rest.
Step | Who does it | What changes when it’s done |
|---|---|---|
0. Prep call | Verdi account manager + you | Site is confirmed buildable; install plan and parts list are agreed. |
1. Unboxing & inventory | You | Every device is accounted for; quick-start guides are open. |
2. Account & farm setup | Verdi (with your input) | Org, users, fields, zones, and irrigation assets exist in the dashboard. |
3. Connectivity foundation | You | Gateway is online and farm-wide coverage is confirmed. |
4. Add devices | You | Every controller and sensor is online, validated, and assigned to a zone. |
5. Configure core value | You | First real irrigation is scheduled and notifications are confirmed. |
Step 0: Prep call with your Verdi account manager or support
Before any hardware ships, your account manager runs a short call to confirm the site is ready: cell coverage at the gateway location, power at the gateway, pump details, and a zone map for the farm. You’ll also pick the install plan, either DIY or with a Verdi-approved partner and confirm the tools and parts you need on hand.
Done when the install plan is chosen and the required tools and parts are confirmed.
Step 1: Unboxing & inventory
Lay everything out, check it against your packing list, and confirm you have what you’re expected to supply (mounting posts, antenna masts, DC latching solenoids if not bundled, etc.).
Done when every SKU is accounted for and the quick-start guides are open and ready.
Step 2: Account & farm setup
Account creation is currently handled by Verdi. Please reach out to your account manager or support@verdi.ag with your farm’s coordinates. The Verdi team will:
Create your organization and add the right users with the right permissions.
Lay out your fields (AOIs), zones, and irrigation assets (valves and pumps) on the map even rough boundaries are fine; you can refine them later.
Set your timezone, units (metric or imperial), and the phone numbers that should receive SMS notifications.
Done when the farm exists in the dashboard, zones are defined (at least roughly), and the right people can sign in.
Related: Account Creation, Account Settings, Add Verdi to Your Home Screen.
Step 3: Install the gateway
The Verdi Gateway is the wireless bridge between your field devices and the cloud. A single gateway typically covers a 1-mile radius (up to 3,000 acres on flat, open terrain) and supports 200+ devices. Choose between AC power, AC with a mast for extra height, or solar + mast for off-grid locations.
To install:
Connect the included fiberglass antenna using the 20-foot LMR-240 cable. Mount the antenna as high as practical, away from metal, ideally with line of sight to your future device locations.
Power on — plug into the 120V AC adapter, or wire up the 50W solar kit per its installation guide.
Mount the gateway to a post or pole with the included zip ties.
Set up the internet connection: cellular is plug-and-play if you subscribed to a data plan; Wi-Fi is configured via the gateway’s built-in access point; Ethernet works out of the box.
Confirm the gateway LED is solid green (powered and online). Blinking green means it’s still booting; solid red means it has no network — contact Verdi Support.
Once the gateway is online, do a quick coverage check by walking to the furthest planned device location and confirming you have a cellular signal there (you can use your own phone). This catches dead zones before you install hardware in them.
Done when the gateway LED is solid green and you’ve confirmed coverage at the farthest planned device locations.
Related: Gateway Introduction, Gateway Installation, Gateway Spec Sheet.
Step 4: Add devices
For each Block Controller, Micro-Block Controller, SDI-12 Node, or sensor kit, work through the same loop:
Provision in the dashboard. Open app.verdi.ag on your phone or tablet (camera and location access enabled in the browser). Tap Add Device, scan the QR code on the device or the box, and select the device type (you typically don’t need to know the exact model — pick from Sprout Single Valve, Sprout Dual Valve, Sprout Block Valve, Sprout Sensor Only, SDI-12 Node (Dragino), or the wireless sensor option). Drop a pin where the device will live and assign it to its zone(s). Save.
Install the hardware. Follow the wiring diagram in the box. Block Controllers mount above-ground (stick antenna) or below-ground (roadway antenna on the valve-box lid), wire to a DC latching solenoid with the included 3M IDC connectors, and run on a 9V battery. Micro-Block Controllers mount on a post or pipe with zip ties. SDI-12 Nodes connect to a sensor (kit or hand-wired), power on with a 5-second button hold, and join the network.
Bring online. Tap the calendar-icon button on a Block Controller to run a combined network and battery check — blue then green means good battery and good network. For the Micro-Block, swipe a magnet across the top to wake it and pull the latest schedule.
Validate. Open the device card in the dashboard and confirm:
Battery status looks healthy.
Network signal status is reported.
Telemetry is flowing (you see fresh timestamps).
Sensor readings look plausible — not flatlined, not stuck at 0 or out of range.
Firmware version is current.
Don’t leave the site until every device on that valve box reaches OK. Coming back to fix a bad install is the most expensive way to do it.
Related: Device Addition, Block Controller Installation, SDI-12 Telemetry Node Installation, Sensoterra Single-Depth Soil Moisture Sensor.
Step 5: Configure the core value
You don’t need to turn on every feature on day one. The minimum safe configuration is:
Scheduling basics. Create at least one real irrigation event in the Schedule tab so the system is actively running water. Use a duration you’d normally run for that block. Try the manual Force Open and Force Close buttons on a device card so you’re comfortable with manual controls.
Irrigation verification defaults. Where you have pressure or flow sensors, set conservative min/max thresholds based on a few clean irrigations. You can tighten them later. Leave the 3-minute ramp-up period at default unless you see false alerts.
Sensor reading frequency. Start with the recommended presets in Settings > Change Sensing Frequency. Faster reading and uplink frequencies cost battery life, so only turn them up where you need them.
Alert rules. In Settings > SMS Alert Settings, add the phone numbers of the people who should be notified, and turn on critical alerts only at first: offline device, failed verification, sensor reading below threshold. Add more alert categories once you’ve confirmed the baseline rate of notifications is manageable.
Done when a real irrigation has been scheduled, the right people received the test notification, and you’ve confirmed in the Irrigation Report (after the event) that scheduled, expected, and actual hours line up.
Related: Account Settings, Irrigation Verification, Irrigation Report.
If something goes wrong
Use Docs AI. Click the Docs AI icon in the top navigation bar to ask questions in plain English or Spanish — “How do I check if my Block Controller is online?”, “How do I stop an irrigation?”, “What solenoids are compatible with the Verdi Block Controller?” It pulls answers directly from this documentation.
Check the device card. The Verification, Valve History, and Notes sections summarize the most recent events for any device.
Reach Verdi Support at support@verdi.ag or (855) 945-5628 — available 24/7 in English and Spanish.
Related: Docs AI, Customer FAQs.