Blumat auto watering

[Guywithoutajeep]

Ok I've been using these things for a bit now and the only time I've ever had a problem is with precipitates forming and causing a clog. I ditched the airstone and just use the hose to provide the bubbles. I really have to make sure I mix each individual nute well before I add the next or else it gets a little gnarsty.

 

[sunnydog]

Very anxious to see this too. THey have a flat blumat on their site that you can use with a capillary mat and rapid rooters (http://www.blumat-shop.de/Tropf-Blu...sensor--drip-tubing---T-branch-connector.html), or you could put your cuts in a keg cup of coco, put a snesor in the end one on each row and distribution dripers in the other. The reason I say coco is the not being able to over water thing.

That is awesome!!!! I did not know about those!!!


Thanks!

SD

 

[overmyhead]

Great post. Thank You!

I bought my Blumats and my 3/32 parts from Kent systems. I now understand the reason for the long roll of 3mm line from this picture. I am not sure why I missed this post the two times I read this thread. This picture makes everything crystal clear.

This is how I will be running my lines. 1/2 buikhead on my res with the exact same valve shown on the picture. The 1/2 line will run to my table. From there I will have a 1/2 inch T connector. I will run run 1/2 inch line in a circle on my table, connecting both ends to the T connector from the line coming from the res. I will then poke holes into the 1/2 line and insert the 3/32 barbed connectors into the 1/2 line. From there I will use the long 3mm lines to run up to each plant and blumat.

Why do this? It seems that running 1/2 inch line from the reservoir to the table will have less friction and bring more pressure. Also, the 1/2 line is very flexible and easy to work with. Then, on the table, the 3mm (long) lines will be connected to the 1/2 line allowing for easy moving of plants etc. Basically, higher flow and easy working with the plants.

THat's what I did and it works great - much easier than the blumat tubing. One question for you or anyone else, the place I ordered from has the ngw 1/2" shutoff valves, out of the five I ordered, every one leaks. Does anyone know where you can get high quality ones online?

 

[McSnappler]

edit: ignore me

 

[dargo]

with my soil grows I use canna terra vega/flores, I normally water/feed/water/feed..... how should I go about feeding with the blumats? constant vega/flores at lower levels?

 

[Scrogerman]

With Blumats its Drip irrigation hydroponics bro, think the same & you'll be fine! especially in coco.(think im right there) its the same. Check out cheesys coco grows, its the same princible just he uses a topspin 12(i think). I presume your using Canna Coco A+B specific nute line.

 

[dargo]

Im going to be doing a coco grow, but il have some spare probes and was going to set it up a seperate tank with my autos, soil grow using soil nutes (canna terra) is this possible or waste of time?

 

[Scrogerman]

No for sure its possible but you'll need to think soil then. Coco medium is more hydro run/treated!

LOL in other words i dont know lol! Suppose its how its run with soil/soil nutes etc. someones bound to be doing it here somewhere!

 

[Pompey_Monkey]

Im going to be doing a coco grow, but il have some spare probes and was going to set it up a seperate tank with my autos, soil grow using soil nutes (canna terra) is this possible or waste of time?

Dargo, Interesting idea - the Tropf website does recommend using more than one probe for larger pots, so they certainly can be used in tandem. My reservation would be that you might find it difficult, if not impossible, to dial in both probes in each pot to get the correct ratio of plain water to feed...

Personally, I would just feed using a watering can - the blumats will stop any more watering until the coco is dried out enough to need it.

The only downside is that every time you feed, the balance of moisture/air in your medium will be out until the plants have had a good feed. Not ideal, but still better than purely hand watering.

 

[dargo]

Im going to give it a try with a single plant in the corner, if I can get it to work it would mean good things for my greenhouse growing next year.

another is anyone.....

is anyone using these with organic soil grows, just dripping water and top dressing your soil mix when needed?

 

[InlineMax]

I've got a question for sunnydog about his use of the "purge valve" in his blumat system. I have been having great success with these little wonders except for a few floods. You say you are purging a few gallons from the system...is it one a week?

Also, do you think that if I abandoned the use of the blumat "end elbow" and use a blumat T with a valve on the 8mm end? Then I could just purge from the end of the line instead of from the middle of the loop.

As far as nutrients in my blumats, I am running 2 rezes, one with canna coco nutes and one with the rez 6/9 ratio (in a bit higher concentration due to large plants and lighter green leaf colors). One thing I realized after 2 weeks is the amount of sediment fallen out into the bottom of my rez. The canna reservoir has much much less.

 

[sanjuan]

. . . As far as nutrients in my blumats, I am running 2 rezes, one with canna coco nutes and one with the rez 6/9 ratio (in a bit higher concentration due to large plants and lighter green leaf colors). One thing I realized after 2 weeks is the amount of sediment fallen out into the bottom of my rez. The canna reservoir has much much less.

The 6/9 being 6ml/gal micro and 9ml/gal bloom of General Hydroponics Flora. Hmmm, that is what I was planning to use.

 

[sunnydog]

Also, do you think that if I abandoned the use of the blumat "end elbow" and use a blumat T with a valve on the 8mm end? Then I could just purge from the end of the line instead of from the middle of the loop.

should work, (I think)

SD

 

[huntingbb]

well, my buddy ordered 10 of these buggers, got the jr's - but its really nice! he loaned me 4, and i'll be transplanting my moms into coco, and setting up the blumats tonight if i dont get too wasted (and gf lets me live tee he he) - tomorrow worst case. I'll try to take pix, but these look like the siphon type, not the gravity fed type. Says you can adjust flow by height of res; lets see how it goes

 

[One Love 731]

Is there any run off with blumat's? do I still need plants in a tray? I ask cuz I was thinking of setting up a 10-20 3 gal pot grow with a water only soil recipe:

half bail of promix bx
1 bag fox farm ocean forest
1 cup miracle grow bone meal
1 cup miracle grow blood meal
1 cup dolomite lime
1 cup earth worm casings
mix well and only add water.

If the run off is very minimal I was thinking I could just lay down some plastic then pots, blumat's to a rez under a few lights and done. Am I missing something? Peace, pot and karma. One Love

 

[sunnydog]

Is there any run off with blumat's? do I still need plants in a tray? I ask cuz I was thinking of setting up a 10-20 3 gal pot grow with a water only soil recipe:

half bail of promix bx
1 bag fox farm ocean forest
1 cup miracle grow bone meal
1 cup miracle grow blood meal
1 cup dolomite lime
1 cup earth worm casings
mix well and only add water.

If the run off is very minimal I was thinking I could just lay down some plastic then pots, blumat's to a rez under a few lights and done. Am I missing something? Peace, pot and karma. One Love

Runoff is USUALLY little to none.
However, occasionally, one can over-run. Specially on initial dial in.
Therefore I always recommend a tray .

SD

 

[sunnydog]

well, my buddy ordered 10 of these buggers, got the jr's - but its really nice! he loaned me 4, and i'll be transplanting my moms into coco, and setting up the blumats tonight if i dont get too wasted (and gf lets me live tee he he) - tomorrow worst case. I'll try to take pix, but these look like the siphon type, not the gravity fed type. Says you can adjust flow by height of res; lets see how it goes

Let us know how they work out for you.

SD

 

[InlineMax]

The 6/9 being 6ml/gal micro and 9ml/gal bloom of General Hydroponics Flora. Hmmm, that is what I was planning to use.

I would like to comment on this. The sediment was the only thing I recognized as a difference. The plants look just about the same. I would definitely recommend using 6/9 micro bloom. Maybe with roots exel and an enzime....but as a base, I like it so far.

 

[designated]

Any one attached the blumat drip line to pvc sched. 40? I'll be building a blumat system over the next couple days. Do the kent 3/32 barbs leak when punched through the drill bit holes drilled in the pvc? Are you using a 3/32 of 5/64 drill bit to pilot the hole? I'll have between 1 and 4 feet of head at the resin the 3/4 supply line.
Any help is appreciated.

 

[Lapides]

Any one attached the blumat drip line to pvc sched. 40? I'll be building a blumat system over the next couple days. Do the kent 3/32 barbs leak when punched through the drill bit holes drilled in the pvc? Are you using a 3/32 of 5/64 drill bit to pilot the hole? I'll have between 1 and 4 feet of head at the resin the 3/4 supply line.
Any help is appreciated.

No, I think all the Tropf Blumat stuff is pretty much proprietary.