Blumat auto watering

[TheGreenViking]

Bleach? Really? I missed that memo.

Yeah, this strikes me as very odd as well. I'll have to take Lazyman's word for it though. Guess I'll run some bleach after my D/C runs out.

 

[John Deere]

Yeah, this strikes me as very odd as well. I'll have to take Lazyman's word for it though. Guess I'll run some bleach after my D/C runs out.

Here's a recent discussion.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=205186

 

[Lazyman]

How many of these would you need for a 200 gallon smart pot?

I would say probably 4-5 per pot.

Bleach? Really? I missed that memo.

Got the idea from Krunchbubble, but yeah, it works and is tons cheaper than the alternatives from the hydro store. I think it works better than Zone for sure, not seeing any clogs in the drip lines anymore either (but I also stopped using Verde, too thick!)

Just wondering, maybe Maxi's would be better for C-C, as they would sample from the bottom,where it would be wettest.
I do not grow in C-C, other than a bit in my mix, so this is just a thought.
Maybe someone has some input here?

SD

Actually I think those would make the coco drier, as the bottoms are usually wet, so that would turn them off sooner. I think the regular ones are the best bet.

Lazy, what is your Kool Bloom routine? How much, and when? I use a modified 6/9, and hand water Kool Bloom a few times in Flower. But I am wondering using less Kool Bloom, and adding to Res would be better. I am going to experiment this round, just seeing what other people do with Kool Bloom. Peace

So at week four I dump the res, and add Koolbloom to the res FIRST per the label, some GH Diamond Nectar (humic acids for flavor) then add GH Floranectar. If the ppms aren't high enough, I add maxibloom powder anto get to the ppms I want (around 3-400 ppm in soil, 6-700 ppms in coco) A week before the chop I dump the res again and add Floranectar and AN Final Phase. Pretty simple! i do a foliar spray a couple times in the last month with RO, DM Saturator, Safers fungicide and some Greencure, along with some Humboldt Snowstorm Ultra and Gravity to pump the buds up.

 

[Slangheat]

Loving my blumat setup. Currently running them in some Royal Gold Mendo Mix. Next round will be Atami B'cuzz Coco straight.

Per Lazymans great advice, I ordered only the Blumat carrots and the extra 3mm drip line tubing. Running 1/2" poly line from the res, punched holes where I wanted a Tee, and inserted the Tee into the line so that the top of the "T" sticks out and allows me to run 2 plants per Tee. I ordered extra T's to be safe, but using half the T's this way saves me from having to order more from Kentsystems.com too soon, thanks for the advice Lazyman.

Also, went into the room last night (~1.5 weeks after initial dial) and had 2 plants that had dried out. Again - thanks to Lazyman's advice - instead of changing the drip-rate, a simple tug on the 3mm drip line sent things a flowin. Looked perfect this morning.

Can't express the gratitude I feel being able to get out at night, or just having the time to actually check on things, rather than the typical lengthy handwatering sessions. Went out to a local bar and got a shit load of "dude, where ya been?!" lol!

Blumats are a dream for me, thanks a ton to everyone who has contributed and is still contributing to this thread.

ps. Take the time to read each page of this thread! Some good info that can easily be lost in the beginning and middle folks!

 

[Slangheat]

.

 

[Green lung]

Hey when a blumat does "over water".

How much water are we talking about on the ground or pond liner?


Gallon?...multiple gallons?...whole rez?

 

[Lapides]

Hey when a blumat does "over water".

How much water are we talking about on the ground or pond liner?


Gallon?...multiple gallons?...whole rez?

It depends on how many drippers are off and how off they are. I've had a whole rez drain overnight.

 

[Slangheat]

Hey when a blumat does "over water".

How much water are we talking about on the ground or pond liner?


Gallon?...multiple gallons?...whole rez?

I decided before I went the blumat route I would lay down a pond liner with a dam before the doorway, and buy a wetvac incase of a large spill.


Glad I did because the first time I set up the blumats I didn't realize I had a leaky Tee, and overnight I ended up with about 5+ gallons on the floor.

 

[NachoConQueso]

Oh I wish I would have thought to use an on/off valve past the last blumat on the 1/4" line. I highly recommend putting one there and one on the reservoir for easy cleaning. $7 a piece at Home Depot.

I think they should start putting them in the kits. It's the right way to get the air bubbles out and you can test your water pressure from the end of your line.

 

[farmdalefurr]

just some ladies running smoothly on the blumats. im running the hg line, going by their us calculator atm minus shooting powder. they start week 3 tomorrow.

 

[RomulusUSA]

How long do you guys feel comfortable with leaving the plants with a watering system like this? I will experiment for myself before actually leaving, I'm just curious as to others experiences.

 

[Protea]

for my it is the sice of the res. and the number of plants that limits the time. now i have a 70 ltr. res, and four bonzai mums. and the res. needs filling every tree weeks or so.
offcorse now i can look in on them when ever i want. but i have left flowering plants home alone for 20 ich days, then i used a 300 ltr. res and had 10 plants, when i came home the res was almost empthy so they would vilt in four more days or so

 

[Slangheat]

How long do you guys feel comfortable with leaving the plants with a watering system like this? I will experiment for myself before actually leaving, I'm just curious as to others experiences.

Things can always get wacky for no reason it seems but once they are dialed they pretty much run themselves.

I've had one that dripped too much all night, filled a saucer and lightly pooled over onto floor, and 2 clogs on a cycle that is at day 18. So I really still wouldn't feel comfortable leaving for a whole week - but this is my first go with these things and I'm sure as time goes on I'll just "learn 'em" and my confidence will build.

Still, no matter the level of automation, regular checks are a must.

 

[MyGreenToe]

I just ordered my first 15 blumats, and a roll of 3mm drip line. Can't wait to put em to use! Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and tips on them here!

I ordered mine from way to grow. I searched and searched but couldn't find anyone with the 25 count boxes of them in the US. 15 will have to get me started, and I will add more as I can afford it.

I'll be using them with air pots and a 50/50 coco/perlite mix. Woohoo, simplicity at it's finest!

Keep it Green
MGT

 

[rives]

I thought I would pass this along in case it helps other people keep their Blumats adjusted properly. I run blumats and 3-gallon smart pots in a scrog, and find that I have difficulty making sure the moisture level is where I want it. Before the screen goes in, it is no problem - you can just nudge or lift the corner of the pot and get an idea of moisture content if you have been doing it regularly. However, once the screen goes in, those are no longer options. I picked up a "Luster Leaf moisture meter" from Amazon (see attached link), and it appears to hold some promise. Of course they don't list cannabis on their included cheat sheet, so I hand-watered to minimal runoff and waited 24 hours. This is the same way that I do the initial setup of the blumats. I then took moisture reading in 4 places on each of the plants, averaged them, and came up with a reasonable approximation of where I think the moisture content should be. It looks like taking several readings is necessary because the moisture level can be markedly different even in adjacent areas, which I thought was pretty surprising. Anyhow, I hope it helps!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001A5OR5I

 

[Dave Coulier]

Has anyone had problems with brown gunk clogging their 3mm tubing? Ive recently began to experience this, and Im having trouble figuring out the cause. There is no algae buildup in my reservoir atm, but there was before. Ive also started to use bleach at .1ml/gallon to help prevent it.

This buildup is making things quite difficult. I have to open up the blumats full blast to dislodge the buildup, only to repeat a few days later.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[real ting]

What size did you all drill out your reservoirs for the bulkhead fitting that comes with the blumats? The instructions list it as 12mm, which has no exact counterpart in standard drill bit sizes, would it leak if drilled to 1/2"?

 

[Peacefrog]

What size did you all drill out your reservoirs for the bulkhead fitting that comes with the blumats? The instructions list it as 12mm, which has no exact counterpart in standard drill bit sizes, would it leak if drilled to 1/2"?

7/16" is slightly smaller than 12 mm and worked for me. I did have to file away some of the edges to get the fitting through the hole. The rubber washer (on the inside) is the key piece to making a seal. Enjoy.

 

[Peacefrog]

Has anyone had problems with brown gunk clogging their 3mm tubing? Ive recently began to experience this, and Im having trouble figuring out the cause. There is no algae buildup in my reservoir atm, but there was before. Ive also started to use bleach at .1ml/gallon to help prevent it.

This buildup is making things quite difficult. I have to open up the blumats full blast to dislodge the buildup, only to repeat a few days later.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

If the gunk was in your reservoir it is most likely still in your supply tubing. You probably won't be able to get it completely clean by just opening up the Blumats all the way because there will be a bottleneck from the 8 mm to 3 mm tubing. If you have a way to bleed the supply line at the end of the line that would be your best bet. Even if you have to do a partial disassembly it will probably be worth it to clear the line.

Between runs I like to run a weak bleach solution through all the tubing and then rinse with a bunch of water. I also use Drip Clean which is supposed to keep salts from building up in the lines but I don't think it would help with the gunk. Good luck.

 

[heady blunts]

I searched and searched but couldn't find anyone with the 25 count boxes of them in the US.

these guys just started carrying the patio kit plus some extras (like the garden hose pressure reducer): planet earth hydroponics