Blumat auto watering

[WasntMe]

Ok, I'm in the game too now. Mine got here in the mail today. Got a patio set for my garden and some jr's for my spider plants ... already had a bunch of 3mm.

Will set my stuff up this weekend.

Was really quick ship from sustainable!!! And their personal communication/update emails were great. Some of the vendors around here could take a lesson.

Thanks again Cheeb for the updated working links.

 

[sunnydog]

today is the day i plug in the mats! i'll post pictures over the weekend.

btw- i got my kit from sustainable village. they were really quick to ship it, and everything arrived in perfect condition. i also appreciated the personal (ie not form) letter that was emailed to me when they processed my order. i wrote back a couple days after receiving the kit, asking if they had 3mm tubing (duh, should have listened to all the advice in here). i got a quick and friendly reply (they are out of stock currently, but ordering more now).

i ended up ordering the 3mm tubing from greenacreshydro, and while they were very prompt getting the order processed, they did some things bass ackwards. first of all their site is down, so i had to give all my CC info to someone over the phone. i spoke to like 3 people, and only one of them was at all helpful. i ordered 20 feet of the tubing, which must weigh tops a few ounces, and they sent it in a 10x10x10 box, filled with packing peanuts, and i had to sign for it when it got here. the shipping was $11!!!! in state! the tube was only 10! i would have been happy receiving it in a padded envelope in the USPS and saved 8-10 bucks on shipping. just thought that was kinda weird/wasteful/inefficient.

Ok, I'm in the game too now. Mine got here in the mail today. Got a patio set for my garden and some jr's for my spider plants ... already had a bunch of 3mm.

Will set my stuff up this weekend.

Was really quick ship from sustainable!!! And their personal communication/update emails were great. Some of the vendors around here could take a lesson.

Thanks again Cheeb for the updated working links.

 

[Lex Dysic]

I've probably said it before, but a peat/perlite/ewc/lime/bonemeal/blood/kelp/greensand mix works great with Blumats too. Benefit with a mix like that is you really don't need to add anything to the reservoir except water. I like to put molasses in every once in a while anyway.

"ewc"???

 

[Wise]

"ewc"???

Earth Worm Castings

 

[Wise]

Can I use Advanced Nutrients using the blumat system? I want to try bloom, grow, micro and month earth tea grow and bloom. I would be bubbling the water to keep it mixed.

 

[Cheeb]

I'm not familiar with the consistency of the Mother Tea, but you'll have no problems using the micro/gro/bloom bases.

 

[heady blunts]

okay i got them plugged in yesterday morning and so far so good!

i used a 16q sterilite bin stacked on a milk crate. this puts the bottom of the res at about 14", or 4" higher than the emitters. my feed line is less than 3 feet so i have adequate pressure in the lines. i forgot who suggested it but since i have such a small situation, i made a vent line instead of going with SD's loop set up for keeping the vapor lock situation under control. seems to be working for now!

the sensors are in far side of the 3 gal air pot (from the light). the dripper extends to the hotter side of the pot to ensure that side doesn't over dry. the lower branches support the drippers and keep them off the ground!

consistent watering has always been my downfall in the garden, so having this finally installed feels like a HUGE relief. thanks for all the amazing advice in this thread!

 

[gdbud]

The first thing I noticed was the vent line like I described in my setup. Then there was the AirPots.
Sir you have a great setup and you will be impressed in how well it will work for you.

 

[heady blunts]

The first thing I noticed was the vent line like I described in my setup. Then there was the AirPots.
Sir you have a great setup and you will be impressed in how well it will work for you.

well then sir it is to you i owe thanks. so thank you. and i hope your prediction is right.

i'm a living soil nerd, all organic, so i already believe in letting my plants feed themselves. it only makes sense to let them water themselves as well. they seem to know best.

 

[nameless]

ok so ive been having a bit of a time getting my hands on some blumats. i ordered a 50 pack from Sustainable village only to receive an email telling my they are out of stock. they refunded me pretty quickly and have excellent customer service in my opinion through email though i could never get someone on the phone. they asked me what i thought they should order so i told them to stock up on 50packs since noone has them. they will be sending me an email telling me whats in stock now and when their new shipment comes in. ill be sure to share with you guys on here. happy new year!

 

[heady blunts]

i avoided disaster today! turned up the drip this morning (too much i guess). came home around 5 to find both my drip trays 2mm from brimming over! i had to syphon the runoff out because they were too heavy to lift (crappy plastic would warp). i'm so lucky i checked it when i did.

gdbud called it. get a big drip tray to avoid accidental floods!

 

[R3ZIN]

Ok so if one orders a couple of these for a small two plant grow and the res is literally 3ft away roughly do I need to order a whole roll of 3mm?

 

[Cheeb]

R3ZIN,

You can get by without the extra 3mm tubing. It just makes it way easier to move your pots around should you need to.

If you go with the deck and patio kit it has everything you need. You'll just need to run the 8mm line near the top of your pots and zip tie it there or otherwise secure it so that it doesnt put tension on the 3mm tubing - causing it to kink.

The extra 3mm tubing just allows you to run the 8mm on the floor - and then have enough 3mm tubing to run up to your pot with a bit of slack for movement.

Extra 3mm tubing allows you to setup like this:

Rather then need the 8mm stuff to ride the top of the pot like this:

 

[heady blunts]

Ok so if one orders a couple of these for a small two plant grow and the res is literally 3ft away roughly do I need to order a whole roll of 3mm?

the deal with the 3mm hosing is that it's MUCH MORE CONVENIENT to have long drip lines, which allows you to move your plants around. the feeder hose (8mm) is difficult to work with, and not very flexible.

EVERYONE SHOULD ORDER EXTRA 3MM HOSE WITH THEIR KITS, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

that said, it works fine on the stubby little bits of 3mm hose they supply in the patio kits, but you'll find yourself constantly annoyed, and possibly experiencing kinking issues.

i have a small grow, so i just ordered 20ft of hose rather than the whole 30m roll. i use about 2.5ft per blumat. i highly recommend it.

EDIT: cheeb beat me to the punch, and with illustrations to boot!

 

[huntingbb]

R3ZIN,

You can get by without the extra 3mm tubing. It just makes it way easier to move your pots around should you need to.

If you go with the deck and patio kit it has everything you need. You'll just need to run the 8mm line near the top of your pots and zip tie it there or otherwise secure it so that it doesnt put tension on the 3mm tubing - causing it to kink.

The extra 3mm tubing just allows you to run the 8mm on the floor - and then have enough 3mm tubing to run up to your pot with a bit of slack for movement.

Extra 3mm tubing allows you to setup like this:

Rather then need the 8mm stuff to ride the top of the pot like this:

A most excellent picture comparison, sir, thx for your contribution.

the deal with the 3mm hosing is that it's MUCH MORE CONVENIENT to have long drip lines, which allows you to move your plants around. the feeder hose (8mm) is difficult to work with, and not very flexible.

EVERYONE SHOULD ORDER EXTRA 3MM HOSE WITH THEIR KITS, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

that said, it works fine on the stubby little bits of 3mm hose they supply in the patio kits, but you'll find yourself constantly annoyed, and possibly experiencing kinking issues.

i have a small grow, so i just ordered 20ft of hose rather than the whole 30m roll. i use about 2.5ft per blumat. i highly recommend it.

EDIT: cheeb beat me to the punch, and with illustrations to boot!

lol!! and high five to u too sir!

 

[cashmunny]

Those blumats remind me of buttplugs.

 

[R3ZIN]

the deal with the 3mm hosing is that it's MUCH MORE CONVENIENT to have long drip lines, which allows you to move your plants around. the feeder hose (8mm) is difficult to work with, and not very flexible.

EVERYONE SHOULD ORDER EXTRA 3MM HOSE WITH THEIR KITS, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

that said, it works fine on the stubby little bits of 3mm hose they supply in the patio kits, but you'll find yourself constantly annoyed, and possibly experiencing kinking issues.

i have a small grow, so i just ordered 20ft of hose rather than the whole 30m roll. i use about 2.5ft per blumat. i highly recommend it.

EDIT: cheeb beat me to the punch, and with illustrations to boot!

Does Sustainable Village sell the 3mm by the foot then?

http://www.sustainablevillage.com/products/tropf-blumat-outdoor-sensor

The Patio kit seems like a good buy for larger grows, but it would largely go unused and would end up being a waste of money since all would not be used on a two plant grow. Also $12.00 + shipping versus $70 + shipping

http://www.sustainablevillage.com/products/blumat-deck-and-planter-box-kit

 

[nameless]

ok so. it seems that this is what sustainable village has in stock.


Here's a list of what we have in stock now (plus the kits).
>
> IG14608 8mm Water Supply Tube for Blumats (10 meters) at $78.00
> (we can also cut this for you so you can order any length)
> IG14609 Distributor Drippers (Ten) + 2m of Drip Tube at $15.00
> IG15443 Blumat Thru-Hull Attachment at $4.50
> IG14615 Support Stakes for Supply Tube and Drippers (Ten) at
> $7.98
> IG15461 Blumat Elbows (3-pack) at $2.50
> IG14612 Blumat Hose Unions (3 pack) at $2.90
>
> And more on the way soon. I expect to be able to ship the new and out
> of stock orders in 5-6 weeks.


I also just realized that you asked about the singles - they are $2.96
each. And we make in China a version of these that you screw a plastic
bottle onto the top of ($4),

got this email yesterday, jan. 1. sent him one asking how many singles they have in stock and how many 12 pack kits they have as well. will update

 

[Pebbles]

Are the drip tubes listed with the T's the 3mm variety?

For example, IG14609 Distributor Drippers (Ten) + 2m of Drip Tube at $15.00.

Would I get 2m of 3mm tubing?

Thanks! I have the patio kit and want to order some other stuff as well, like another thru hull attachment and a shut off valve.

 

[BRNEYDBVR]

LOTS of great info in this thread!!!

I hooked up my blumats about 2 weeks ago and I love em! I run 100% botanicare coco in #5 smart pots.

If you follow blumat's instructions, the dial-in period is absurdly short.

Make sure you check them after you add to the reservoir. The pressure change can over water the plants and possibly cause a flood.

I'm definately picking up some more for my outdoor veggie garden this year.

My plants have never looked better and I gained some valuable time back.

These things are awesome!!!