Living organic soil from start through recycling

[MileHighGuy]

Blu Mats are awesome for this reason.

I can leave for a 7-10 days without worry... But I usually have someone stay at my house and check on them daily.

Why spend all the money on a system that is affordable and ready to install asap.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Yep - Tropf Blumats are basically 'plug & play'

Best value for the money, IMHO

 

[Gascanastan]

Chemdog

Decent plant with decent yields and all the kids love it....but from a experienced growers standpoint.... a structural mess and a PM magnate.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Can the Blumats work in larger pots, say 65 gallon pots, or even 300 gallons outdoors?

 

[Gascanastan]

Something to look at......week 8,multiple types...some yellowing going on the types that do so at this stage...then again I think forgot to flush or something...

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Yosemite Sam

Yes and if you hit their web site you'll see some other devices that might work better for large containers. Regardless you can go with the specific Tropf Blumat product and you add more cones per container.

Mine set-up is overkill so this is not what you want to do. The Blumat kit comes with 12 cones and if I'm running 4 plants (#7 or #10 SmartPots) then I use 3 cones per plant.

OTOH, if I'm lazy and only run 3 plants then I use 4 cones per plant.

For large pots like you're talking about there are far less expensive routes to consider from this company - Distribution Drippers that require less 'cones'

The Blumat thread in the Grower's section is where you want to start. Sunnydog has had this thread up and running for a couple of years and it is a goldmine of information.

CC

 

[MileHighGuy]

I use the extra drippers for the larger pots and the normal size blumat not the maxi

 

[ClackamasCootz]

I use the extra drippers for the larger pots and the normal size blumat not the maxi

Best way to go without breaking the bank, IMHO

 

[unclefishstick]

...I'm unfamiliar with blumats...but I've built and utilized every possible pvc configuration I could come up with..

The ultimate automated design will be designed by a guy who designs sprinkler systems for golf courses.

Being that you live in a desert..building a soil mix that holds more water might be more of what you are after in a living soil potted desert environment under HID lighting....more vermiculite,sand,peat,these types of water holding amendments.

You might be able to afford a 3 day weekend if you build the right soil and use bigger pots. Maybe consider some kind of home made automated watering system...I've made a couple types for a one time watering when I was gone. Timers,valves and PVC....Pex tubing and fittings would be a better choice these days.

Big pots watered the day you leave is how I've played it for decades....regardless of my bright ideas.

gravity fed drip was also another idea i toyed around with,just a solenoid valve on a time seems like all it would take...

I need a vacation too man. I have it set up to water every two or three days. 2 day vacation is the best I get. I looked into blumats when CC mentioned it here and I want use them eventually so I can be gone for 5 days or a week, every so often ya know.... But what does one do with clones and seedlings and various stage veg plants?

Seems I need to reorganize and rethink the plan of attack if I ever want some down time....


That's what allows me to be gone a few days as it is. Never fails though, longer than three days and something is drying out....

at this point even a three day break would be like heaven

Blu Mats are awesome for this reason.

I can leave for a 7-10 days without worry... But I usually have someone stay at my house and check on them daily.

Why spend all the money on a system that is affordable and ready to install asap.

that would be the next problem of course,dealing with veg,but given the generally smaller pot sizes flood and drain could work well...

Yep - Tropf Blumats are basically 'plug & play'

Best value for the money, IMHO

plug and play? i like the sound of that,i mc-gyvered everything together for years,sometimes its nice to find a good off the shelf solution...i aint no rocket scientist either...( i did play one on tv briefly in the 70's though)

 

[Gascanastan]

Most people trip when they see my watering set-up...watering happens pretty quick with a 3/4 horse pump,hose,and controllable hand valve on a standard watering wand pulling from 55 gallon food grade barrel. I looked into the blumat thing for a garden my size but it would have cost over a grand...

I was thinking of training monkeys to water.....or carry on the family tradition and train the kids to do it....

 

[YosemiteSam]

Most people trip when they see my watering set-up...watering happens pretty quick with a 3/4 horse pump,hose,and controllable hand valve on a standard watering wand pulling from 55 gallon food grade barrel. I looked into the blumat thing for a garden my size but it would have cost over a grand...

I was thinking of training monkeys to water.....or carry on the family tradition and train the kids to do it....

lol...I do the same thing. Harbor Freight for the pumps, cheap as fuck.

that chemdog is kinda viney eh? Gotta stay on top of your supports or the bitch flops all over itself.

 

[Gascanastan]

Monkeys,orangutans,whatever you can get locally.....makes for faster watering~

 

[Gascanastan]

...and then there's little shit throwing Bonzo here....just couldn't get past chronically masturbating long enough to stay focused on the hose...

..hey I tried man...

You know what they say,"if at first you don't succeed...."

 

[IncredibowlBoss]

For straight watering (ie not act or botanical), I've got a dual chamber garden hose filter coming off the water line with a drinking water safe hose and water wand - so easy I let my wife do it.

For teas, I brew in a 5 gal and hand water with a fancy watering can (cost me $40 and is actually worth every penny considering what i spent the heap of old/leaky cans I have collecting dust)

Mulching my containers (especially my GhettoBeds) with 1" of bark mulch usually gives me up to 4 or 5 days without a watering when I need it - I try not to rely on it too much, but it makes business travel a little less worrisome.

I just seeded a living mulch of clover for a GhettoBed I'm cooking for next cycle - not sure how it'll compare to the bark mulch. Tried to do em both last time, but (no surprise) the clover didn't wanna root in the mulch.

re: Soma's beds - I love his concept, and I think my experiment with active air injection (as opposed to the passive flow in his design) will be meriting some follow up - I'm about 6 weeks out from harvesting it, then I'm hoping to replant it and run it no till immediately thereafter for comparison. Speaking of which: when replanting in no-till, how heavily should I top dress? And what's the suggested planting technique to minimize disturbing the microlife?

 

[unclefishstick]

everyone knows MPE is a bitchin garden additive! (monkey protein extract)

 

[ClackamasCootz]

everyone knows MPE is a bitchin garden additive! (monkey protein extract)

Here's what you want - World Wide Sires offers a wide range of bovine genetics, i.e. semen, bovine baby batter, cum, spunk, cum-of-sum-hung-cow - pick a term.

Located in beautiful downtown Visalia, California - where the local stud-muffins are the manliest of men - known to be able to wrap a gerbil with duct-tape in under 30 seconds (it's a contest at the local county fair each year and it draws thousands of locals) and some of the nicest 'mo-BILE homes' next to the ones found in and around Paradise, California (talk about an oxymoron)

CC

 

[unclefishstick]

luckily we have a local source for DTSE (donkey testicle sweat extract) hand gathered by our talented local virgins (both of them)

 

[unclefishstick]

any of you guys ever hear anything about a new mexico company called trees that please ?
http://http://treesthatplease.us/soil-secrets-llc/

any opinions on the products from progress earth? (steiner method biodynamic compost)

 

[Gascanastan]

Happy fun time photo blast......those are 5 gallon buckets sitting next to the plants.

Some tip burning due to an unfinished compost.....whatev...

..BTW my secret ingredient is freeze dried gerbil stuffing....

I'll work on getting some of these seeds out for the kids to play with...should have some types ready by mid-spring.

TO x SC99 ....looking much better..as in she is starting to catch up to the other landrace crosses.

TO x BMR Bx1

TO x Burmese/Cherry Bomb

BO x NL5/Haze

Kali Mist x Burmese/Cherry Bomb

 

[Durdy]

Gas I would love seeds of any of those crosses!! Also, in that photo you posted a page ago, is there walkways that can't be seen, or do you move pots to get around in there?