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Blumat auto watering

sunnydog

Drip King
Veteran
Add me to the list of people that have a hard time getting these dialed in, but Im also not able to visit the plants every single day and get the blumats dialed in perfectly.

Even though, I have yet to master them, the plants that are on them, have done better than those without. I just can't get it just right to the point where I dont need to hand water the ones with blumats at some point. Eventually, the plants start to show some minor signs of water stress. This is when I water the blumat plants by hand.

What Id like to know is, when I see the blumats aren't giving enough water, should I thoroughly saturate the medium again and crank the blumats open one more arrow from the previous position? Or should I just adjust the blumats without saturating the medium again? The second option is what I often do, and it doesn't seem to be working too well for me.

If anyone can give some good advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

just add an arrow or two.

SD:tiphat:
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Has anyone checked to see how the water level changes inside the ceramic "carrot" over time? I finished up a grow some time back, and I had turned the water off for the last couple of days before harvest. After the harvest, I took the blumats out of the pot and laid them in the runoff tray, and a couple of days later I was cleaning everything up. When I unscrewed the ceramic portion of the blumat's, I found that they were dry. I know they didn't leak out into the tray after removing them from the pots because there was no water in the tray. I don't know if the water leached out of them during the water-off period at the end, or if they had gone dry some time before. I had one runaway near the end, and perhaps this is the reason. I am curious to see if anyone has anyone monitored the internal water level over time.
 

sunnydog

Drip King
Veteran
Has anyone checked to see how the water level changes inside the ceramic "carrot" over time? I finished up a grow some time back, and I had turned the water off for the last couple of days before harvest. After the harvest, I took the blumats out of the pot and laid them in the runoff tray, and a couple of days later I was cleaning everything up. When I unscrewed the ceramic portion of the blumat's, I found that they were dry. I know they didn't leak out into the tray after removing them from the pots because there was no water in the tray. I don't know if the water leached out of them during the water-off period at the end, or if they had gone dry some time before. I had one runaway near the end, and perhaps this is the reason. I am curious to see if anyone has anyone monitored the internal water level over time.

If you turn off the water, the roots will suck the water out of the cone.

SD:tiphat:
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
If you turn off the water, the roots will suck the water out of the cone.

SD:tiphat:

Thanks, SD. That was the only reason that I could see for it. I was just surprised at how quickly it must have taken place.
 

rives

Inveterate Tinkerer
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I have been wondering if anyone has used the Blumats with constant release fertilizers (crf’s). I have been reading on another site about people having excellent results with crf’s, and have been pretty intrigued because my “just add water” soil-less mix has been running out of steam a few weeks into flowering. This leaves me not knowing which nutrients are still in adequate supply and which have been depleted, making it difficult to supplement in mid-grow. CRF’s have worked well on my roses and tomato’s, so I am tempted to try them on cannabis. However, the crf prills appear to need enough water flow to wash the nutrients off of the prill surface and into the media. The only way that I can see to do this is to make a localized pocket to hold the prills, and then direct the water from the Blumat drip line directly over the top of the cache (maybe with two Blumats opposite one another to get a nutrient “plume” down each side of the pot). Anyone have experience or suggestions with this?
 

redbudduckfoot

Active member
Veteran
got mine today. they were out of the 12 pack, but they had the 3 pack w all the accessories of the 12 pack. only 35$. i was pleasantly surprised when i strolled into my hydro shop and there they were, in a lesser traveled corner. they were a bit dusty.

its gonna be perfect cause i can leave the 20 gallon rez outside of the flower room, in my veg room, which runs 10 deg cooler. i can also top off the rez when the plants are in the dark.
gonna test them for my 20 gallon/scrogged/ smartpot/chemdog ibl

wish me luck....................
 

sunnydog

Drip King
Veteran
got mine today. they were out of the 12 pack, but they had the 3 pack w all the accessories of the 12 pack. only 35$. i was pleasantly surprised when i strolled into my hydro shop and there they were, in a lesser traveled corner. they were a bit dusty.

its gonna be perfect cause i can leave the 20 gallon rez outside of the flower room, in my veg room, which runs 10 deg cooler. i can also top off the rez when the plants are in the dark.
gonna test them for my 20 gallon/scrogged/ smartpot/chemdog ibl

wish me luck....................

They are ALWAYS DUSTY!!!!:peacock:
 

BadRabbit

Active member
I haven't grown in soil for many years, but back when I did, I tried the blumat stuff when there was no way to 'avoid' an upcoming 2 week vacation with the female unit.

I don't know about any of the detailed 'nute questions being asked, but I do remember that when I got back, I was surprised to find that my plants looked better/healthier than they ever did when I was in there messing with them every day.

The little tubes and taps are a bummer to deal with, but blumat is a cool little system.

best,
rob
 

gdbud

Member
lol dusty would be an improvement to 'wtf is a blumat'

Just tell them that the Blumats are the future in automatic watering
systems and if you do not beleave me than try them you self and then your shelfs would never be empty of the Blumat devices.
 

615

Member
This thread is looooong. Just finished, took me forever but thank you guys, gained a lot.

I tipped off my local hydro store about them a year back or so and I believe they should have em waiting for me somewhere under the usual coat of dust.
 

sunnydog

Drip King
Veteran
but I do remember that when I got back, I was surprised to find that my plants looked better/healthier than they ever did when I was in there messing with them every day.


best,
rob

Plants LOVE them!
Far superior to "drench and dry" watering.
 

McSnappler

Lurk.
Veteran
Blumats rock, have stood the test of time for me, and have since been recommended to and used by other local growers with great success. Though I've dropped by this thread before to say it, it warrants saying again, respect to sunnydog for informing the world about these things.
 

huntingbb

Member
In reverse order:

Blumats rock, have stood the test of time for me, and have since been recommended to and used by other local growers with great success. Though I've dropped by this thread before to say it, it warrants saying again, respect to sunnydog for informing the world about these things.

Agreed, the potential in these things bends my brain..

Plants LOVE them!
Far superior to "drench and dry" watering.

Is there no equivalent with a mechanical pump?
Is it primarily the even watering that makes you so die-hard on these?
I ask as I am trying to decide between something like this and something with a pump so i can regain another slice of my life - i work a 9-5, be glad to know if i forgot em they were good..

Also, in 2-3 years of use how do they hold up?

 

Lapides

Rosin Junky and Certified Worm Wrangler
Veteran
Is there no equivalent with a mechanical pump?
Is it primarily the even watering that makes you so die-hard on these?
I ask as I am trying to decide between something like this and something with a pump so i can regain another slice of my life - i work a 9-5, be glad to know if i forgot em they were good..

Also, in 2-3 years of use how do they hold up?


Well, each individual dripper site goes on and off depending on how much water the plant needs. I think that's the key in the success of the blumats.

I can't see how a mechanical pump can do that. I've designed several mechanically-pumped plumbing systems with the hope of regaining a few slices of my life back. While they were functional and did the job OK, what it all came down to is that not every plant in my garden needs to be watered at the same time, with the same amount of water. I was never able to get that part down perfectly, until I found this thread.

I have started my second year with the blumats, and they hold up very well. As far as I can see, the only thing in the system that can really break is the ceramic cone. And I can only see that happening if you dropped something really heavy on it or threw it against the pavement.

I'll say it again, Blumats are THE BEST thing to come into my garden in 15 years of growing....and I have some REALLY good strains...
 

Dr.Young

K+ vibes
Veteran
Wow Sunnydog. I must thank you for educating me on these things.

It is far too much work dunking 36 pots into a 5 gallon bucket of my nutrient filled water daily :) (SOG)

Let alone my vegetating stuff.

I think this will probably save my whole grow, and several strains that would otherwise be lost due to being away from the plants for a single day.
 

Lapides

Rosin Junky and Certified Worm Wrangler
Veteran
I think this will probably save my whole grow, and several strains that would otherwise be lost due to being away from the plants for a single day.

LOL, what strains are you running that die off if not seen for one day?
 

huntingbb

Member
Wow Sunnydog. I must thank you for educating me on these things.

It is far too much work dunking 36 pots into a 5 gallon bucket of my nutrient filled water daily
smile.gif
(SOG)

Let alone my vegetating stuff.

I think this will probably save my whole grow, and several strains that would otherwise be lost due to being away from the plants for a single day.


LOL, what strains are you running that die off if not seen for one day?

heh its sog - maybe they are just 8oz pots of roots!!

@dr.young Can we get a pic?
 

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