Blumat auto watering

[Bjorn to farm.]

I have the XL blumats and want to use them in smaller pots.
Can I only sink them in halfway?

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

Ah alright.

But I did understand it right that "having it in a loop" basically means that both the start of the feedline and its end are connected to the accumulator?

Ya (wo)man, the loop allows water to flow from both ends if there is a blockage in your 8mm line.
Not mandatory but it improves reliability.

 

[Bwanabud]

I have the XL blumats and want to use them in smaller pots.
Can I only sink them in halfway?

I would think the water(inside the sensor)would evaporate through the exposed carrot portion...so no, I wouldn't try it.

 

[Jhhnn]

I have the XL blumats and want to use them in smaller pots.
Can I only sink them in halfway?

Which carrots do you have?

https://www.sustainablevillage.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_131

They all have the same ceramic cone. The 5" blumats need to be embedded in the soil to the top of the plastic collar holding the ceramic element. The others are designed for deeper pots but will likely work the same if sunk to at least that depth.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

Which carrots do you have?

https://www.sustainablevillage.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_131

They all have the same ceramic cone. The 5" blumats need to be embedded in the soil to the top of the plastic collar holding the ceramic element. The others are designed for deeper pots but will likely work the same if sunk to at least that depth.

Mine are 9".

 

[Jhhnn]

Mine are 9".

I may be all wrong, but the only problem you may face is keeping the carrot firmly bedded in the medium.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

It doesn’t help me in this instance but you can mount them horizontally near the bottom of the pot, especially good for big plants.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

I may be all wrong, but the only problem you may face is keeping the carrot firmly bedded in the medium.

I just read the description.
Gives a range of 6”-7.5”.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

What is the maximum length I can run of the 3mm tubing? From the 8mm to the carrot?

 

[Jhhnn]

What is the maximum length I can run of the 3mm tubing? From the 8mm to the carrot?

dunno about maximum, but I use 3mm whips that are ~3ft long-

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=52773&pictureid=1715776

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

My first day with them. No wrecks, so far.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

Couple runaways on day 2. Still love them.

 

[Bjorn to farm.]

Got them dialed in, wow!, what took me so long to get some?

 

[Flowki]

Is it possible to run 1 small elevated res per carrot near the pot and run the smaller head/drip line directly from the small res to the carrot?.

I ask this because raising a big enough res is a logistical problem. Is using a 10L res per carrot raised about level to pot going to give enough head pressure?. 5L may be better as to fit in higher between pots (but 1foot height is probably max).

I can also have a res on floor pumping water to the furthest elevated res and then connect all the elevated res's in a chain with hosing so that the closest res will finally drop the over flow back into floor res. I would use a very small pump and have it running continually as to keep all the smaller res's mixing.

Any thoughts?.

 

[Jhhnn]

Is it possible to run 1 small elevated res per carrot near the pot and run the smaller head/drip line directly from the small res to the carrot?.

I ask this because raising a big enough res is a logistical problem. Is using a 10L res per carrot raised about level to pot going to give enough head pressure?. 5L may be better as to fit in higher between pots (but 1foot height is probably max).

I can also have a res on floor pumping water to the furthest elevated res and then connect all the elevated res's in a chain with hosing so that the closest res will finally drop the over flow back into floor res. I would use a very small pump and have it running continually as to keep all the smaller res's mixing.

Any thoughts?.

The water level in the res needs to be at least 3 ft above the top of the carrot to work right, per the instructions.Mine work at 30". Dunno how much lower would work. Otherwise you need a pressure pump & accumulator.

 

[Bwanabud]

Is it possible to run 1 small elevated res per carrot near the pot and run the smaller head/drip line directly from the small res to the carrot?.

I ask this because raising a big enough res is a logistical problem. Is using a 10L res per carrot raised about level to pot going to give enough head pressure?. 5L may be better as to fit in higher between pots (but 1foot height is probably max).

I can also have a res on floor pumping water to the furthest elevated res and then connect all the elevated res's in a chain with hosing so that the closest res will finally drop the over flow back into floor res. I would use a very small pump and have it running continually as to keep all the smaller res's mixing.

Any thoughts?.

How many total plants are on the rez ?

 

[Flowki]

How many total plants are on the rez ?

It would be 1 small res per pot, each res would be near each pot elevated as high as possible (as said 6 to 1foot). Also Why I ask if you can go direct with feeder line from small res to carrot head.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Hi everyone, I've read most of this thread but not everything, so if this has been brought up already, don't pay attention.

These two crucial things I've learned growing with blumats in smartpots with coco based soilless mix (Lavender Cowboy's mix).

1. You have to be careful where in the smartpot you put the carrot, as the smartpot is flexible and when moved around can change its shape slightly(the walls are not rigid). That in return can mean the carrot is not fully surrounded by medium (anyone growing with smartpots will have seen this... the wall of the smartpot warps and moves some of the medium or makes room for the medium to crumble away). Find a spot that's inside the safe zone, where no crumbling happens

...AND

2. If you worried that the outer areas, at the smartpot wall, don't get enough moisture (as the carrot is always in front of this soil and therefore shuts down the drip before the soil behind the carrot can get wet)
- paint one side (the one facing the stem) of the clay carrot with clear coat !
This will do the following: even when the moisture reaches the carrot it won't start absorbing the water and close the valve- because you have painted the outside of the stem facing side of the blumat carrot with clearcoat, effectively closing the pores in the clay that let the moisture permeate into the carrot, the water now has to make its way all around the carrot to the back of the carrot before it affects the valve. This means the drip will be open longer and your whole smartpot will be receiving moisture and no "dead zone" along the walls.


Cheers,
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

It would be 1 small res per pot, each res would be near each pot elevated as high as possible (as said 6 to 1foot). Also Why I ask if you can go direct with feeder line from small res to carrot head.

Theoretically you can go direct feedline, but I think you mean the drip line, not using the bigger black plastic line, right ?...yes.
per foot of line you'll need a foot of elevation for the rez.

good luck
CC

 

[tiffa]

Picture the old guy in Airwolf or the old guy in the chopper in 'Predator' when they see something shocking....."Ohhhh myyyy GAD" !

Has anyone else seen this? it's like a soft jelly solid BLOB on every pot. The BLOB doesn't smell bad. Will it slither into my room when I sleep and kill me?

I normally get nice root mountains on my pots like the rest of you but these are new to me. The only difference in this run is that I occasionally introduce a ml or 2 of bleach or drip clean into my air breather tube (gravity system) instead of messing up my main res with extra crap, to keep the lines clear and free of potential gunge (don't know if I need to but I keep hearing stories of clogs so trying this as a precaution) which is working GREAT. The plants look the most vigorous I've ever seen.

can't rotate the image either on here or my pc for some reason?