damn i love that ND1 
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2 x 400w stacked multi-strain gimmick with blumats & sexy soil
- Thread starter silver hawaiian
- Start date
Blumats
Blumats
Here's a quick bit on my blumat setup. I got a few questions and PMs looking for details, so I thought I'd share.
First things first, I'm by no means the first guy to use these things, nor the guy to use 'em best. Lots of credit is due to other members here, who've put far more time & effort into sharing the virtues of these things, how they work, how to set up, etc.. The first that come to mind for me, personally, are sunnydog, lazyman, and heady blunts.
Speaking of sunny, here is his thread on the blumats. Honestly, his thread will be far more useful than the quick bit I'll do here, but there's no need for me to reinvent the wheel.
Sunnydog's thread: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046
Instructions & setup info: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046&page=141
The first post at the top of this page (same thread) has some excellent .PDFs - one of a setup guide, and one of the actual paper manual that comes with the patio kit.
With the awesome literature others have made available to us here, there's no sense in me regurgitating what's already in the owner's manual - especially since that's now online for all of you non-owners to read.
The Equipment:
Just to demonstrate the simplicity of these things, here's what we're talking about. The whole thing get jammed down into the soil, up til the dark green "cap". The black barbed fitting (bottom right) connects to the manifold/"main line" to which the other blumats are connected (daisy-chain style).
The water drips out of the end of the 3mm tubing (top left). The most important part of this doodad is the brown dial at the top of the dark green "cap." That's your calibration gimmick.
And that's it. No pumps or timers or anything fancy. I can barely put gas in my own car, but this is a task that's easy enough for me.
My own setup consists of two reservoirs - a large ~22 gallon tote on the floor ("main rez"), and a five gallon bucket on the shelf ("feed rez"). There is a water pump that constantly pumps water from the main rez into the feed rez. The feed rez has a drain near the top of it (back into the feed rez), so that as the main rez pumps water into the feed rez, the water level in the feed rez will remain constant (with all excess going down the drain and back into the feed rez).
This serves two purposes - one, it's essentially ~26 gallons of water that the plants can drink, as they need, without my presence or intervention. Also, the constant water level in the feed rez ensures even, consistent head pressure to the blumats, which ensures a consistent "flow rate" (for lack of a better term).
In a nutshell, that's my setup. There are some fancifications I've made, but nothing that affects the material way in which these little wonders work.
- I installed a shutoff valve between the feed rez and the blumats, just in case I have an overflow/runaway situation that I discover during lights-off. (BTW, it should be noted that the only reason you'd have a situation like this is if you've been f*cking with the blumats & tinkering with the calibration - Once they're dialed in, LEAVE THEM ALONE!).
- Also, I've put a vent into the line that pumps from the main rez up to the feed rez. This prevents a siphon-effect if the pump fails/power goes out/etc. The vent is just a tiny hole in the 1/2 PVC that carries water from the main rez up to the feed rez. The hole is about 2" below the top of the feed rez, which ensures that even in the even of pump failure/power loss, and the siphon effect starts, the siphon will break about 2" from the top of the feed rez, which still leaves me ~ 4 gallons of "time" before the blumats run dry.
Check out Sustainable Village dot Com and Planet Earth Hydroponics dot com for blumats & supplies. The patio kit includes 12 blumats, feed line, a thru-hull adapter, .. Almost everything you need to get started. DEFINITELY pick up an extra wad of 3mm drip line - the amount included in the patio kit is hilariously insufficient.
I hope that helps for some of you folk who may've been curious or wondered about these things, how they work, etc. And trust me, around here, there are better sources of better information on this topic than what I've posted here.
Blumats
Here's a quick bit on my blumat setup. I got a few questions and PMs looking for details, so I thought I'd share.
First things first, I'm by no means the first guy to use these things, nor the guy to use 'em best. Lots of credit is due to other members here, who've put far more time & effort into sharing the virtues of these things, how they work, how to set up, etc.. The first that come to mind for me, personally, are sunnydog, lazyman, and heady blunts.
Speaking of sunny, here is his thread on the blumats. Honestly, his thread will be far more useful than the quick bit I'll do here, but there's no need for me to reinvent the wheel.
Sunnydog's thread: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046
Instructions & setup info: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046&page=141
The first post at the top of this page (same thread) has some excellent .PDFs - one of a setup guide, and one of the actual paper manual that comes with the patio kit.
With the awesome literature others have made available to us here, there's no sense in me regurgitating what's already in the owner's manual - especially since that's now online for all of you non-owners to read.
The Equipment:
Just to demonstrate the simplicity of these things, here's what we're talking about. The whole thing get jammed down into the soil, up til the dark green "cap". The black barbed fitting (bottom right) connects to the manifold/"main line" to which the other blumats are connected (daisy-chain style).
The water drips out of the end of the 3mm tubing (top left). The most important part of this doodad is the brown dial at the top of the dark green "cap." That's your calibration gimmick.
And that's it. No pumps or timers or anything fancy. I can barely put gas in my own car, but this is a task that's easy enough for me.
My own setup consists of two reservoirs - a large ~22 gallon tote on the floor ("main rez"), and a five gallon bucket on the shelf ("feed rez"). There is a water pump that constantly pumps water from the main rez into the feed rez. The feed rez has a drain near the top of it (back into the feed rez), so that as the main rez pumps water into the feed rez, the water level in the feed rez will remain constant (with all excess going down the drain and back into the feed rez).
This serves two purposes - one, it's essentially ~26 gallons of water that the plants can drink, as they need, without my presence or intervention. Also, the constant water level in the feed rez ensures even, consistent head pressure to the blumats, which ensures a consistent "flow rate" (for lack of a better term).
In a nutshell, that's my setup. There are some fancifications I've made, but nothing that affects the material way in which these little wonders work.
- I installed a shutoff valve between the feed rez and the blumats, just in case I have an overflow/runaway situation that I discover during lights-off. (BTW, it should be noted that the only reason you'd have a situation like this is if you've been f*cking with the blumats & tinkering with the calibration - Once they're dialed in, LEAVE THEM ALONE!).
- Also, I've put a vent into the line that pumps from the main rez up to the feed rez. This prevents a siphon-effect if the pump fails/power goes out/etc. The vent is just a tiny hole in the 1/2 PVC that carries water from the main rez up to the feed rez. The hole is about 2" below the top of the feed rez, which ensures that even in the even of pump failure/power loss, and the siphon effect starts, the siphon will break about 2" from the top of the feed rez, which still leaves me ~ 4 gallons of "time" before the blumats run dry.
Check out Sustainable Village dot Com and Planet Earth Hydroponics dot com for blumats & supplies. The patio kit includes 12 blumats, feed line, a thru-hull adapter, .. Almost everything you need to get started. DEFINITELY pick up an extra wad of 3mm drip line - the amount included in the patio kit is hilariously insufficient.
I hope that helps for some of you folk who may've been curious or wondered about these things, how they work, etc. And trust me, around here, there are better sources of better information on this topic than what I've posted here.
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Blumats part deux
Blumats part deux
This is also worth mentioning, in terms of my setup & the blumats. While the blumats deliver straight water to my plants at all times, I also supplement with ACTs every 10 days or so (though the interval doesn't matter)
The application of the ACTs has absolutely zero effect on the blumats. You can brew & apply the ACT, without having to re-calibrate the blumat after the soil's taken up the liquid you just manually added.
What am I saying? You can provide liquid/food/whatever to the pot, manually, and it won't cause a ripple in the Nirvana delivered by the blumat.
Blumats part deux
This is also worth mentioning, in terms of my setup & the blumats. While the blumats deliver straight water to my plants at all times, I also supplement with ACTs every 10 days or so (though the interval doesn't matter)
The application of the ACTs has absolutely zero effect on the blumats. You can brew & apply the ACT, without having to re-calibrate the blumat after the soil's taken up the liquid you just manually added.
What am I saying? You can provide liquid/food/whatever to the pot, manually, and it won't cause a ripple in the Nirvana delivered by the blumat.
D
DHF
All about dialage SH....Don`t matter how yas get there as long as yas get there......
Got many growbro`s that use blumats and straight water with organic medium and ACT`s top dressed weekly......so.....
Many paths to Nirvana , but of course Bobbles is dead on bout leavin a lil grow and micro in the mix till end of stretch with synthetic juice........
Good luck and hope harvey`s good to yas Bro....
Peace....DHF....
....
Got many growbro`s that use blumats and straight water with organic medium and ACT`s top dressed weekly......so.....
Many paths to Nirvana , but of course Bobbles is dead on bout leavin a lil grow and micro in the mix till end of stretch with synthetic juice........
Good luck and hope harvey`s good to yas Bro....
Peace....DHF....
....
DHF - thanks for stayin' tuned! I'll definitely be continuing with a grow-y-profile'd ACT or two once they go into the oven, .. Good stuff 
Update on the Nightmare Diesel #4 (day 54 today)
Lots of senescence setting in on this gal already - looks like she's really rounding the corner..
..Only, her sister (#1, same age) ain't even close. I've got a feeling that this is part user-error resulting in the quick ripening..
The ND#4 had a runaway blumat (user-error, let me make this painfully clear) a while back, and I think when I re-calibrated it, I erred too much on the side of caution (read: dry).
So, I think she's been thirsting for some time (week or 10 days?), and now she really looks like she's begging to come down soon. Buds aren't done swelling, still spitting out white pistils, but holy yellow vegetation!
I'll keep an eye on her, hopefully she can make it to day 60 (at the least), .. But it has set in on me that she may have to come down a bit early. Kind of bummed with how she turned out - I was hoping for this round to be my largest, heaviest plants yet, but this one looks like she may disappoint.
I'll say this when it comes to the blumats, or any automation doodad: It is NOT a suitable replacement for getting in and inspecting the garden! It's convenient to not HAVE to hand-water, but it doesn't absolve the whole "grower diligence" part.
OH! And greenmatter, you'll appreciate this - my jobbered up 1" drain solution (dual-barbage/wrong piece):
(For all y'all: When I modified the 1" drain to go out the bottom of the bucket, I sort of half-assed the setup, out of ignorance for how to do it properly. I just used a barbed 1" straight fitting and a grommet, and just put the 1" flex hose on either end of it (back to the rez & for the drain itself. I ended up siliconing the sheeyit out of the grommet/fitting/bucket union spot..)
Not long after rigging it, it dawned on me that I must've halfassed this, and greenmater was kind enough to show me the way.
So once I was shown the light, it just became a matter of time to get to the damned garden center and get the parts I need..
FAST FORWARD. Come downstairs yesterday, and the bucket is steadily piddling out the bottom drain hole doodad. OOPS.
Fix coming soon.
Update on the Nightmare Diesel #4 (day 54 today)
Lots of senescence setting in on this gal already - looks like she's really rounding the corner..
..Only, her sister (#1, same age) ain't even close. I've got a feeling that this is part user-error resulting in the quick ripening..
The ND#4 had a runaway blumat (user-error, let me make this painfully clear) a while back, and I think when I re-calibrated it, I erred too much on the side of caution (read: dry).
So, I think she's been thirsting for some time (week or 10 days?), and now she really looks like she's begging to come down soon. Buds aren't done swelling, still spitting out white pistils, but holy yellow vegetation!
I'll keep an eye on her, hopefully she can make it to day 60 (at the least), .. But it has set in on me that she may have to come down a bit early. Kind of bummed with how she turned out - I was hoping for this round to be my largest, heaviest plants yet, but this one looks like she may disappoint.
I'll say this when it comes to the blumats, or any automation doodad: It is NOT a suitable replacement for getting in and inspecting the garden! It's convenient to not HAVE to hand-water, but it doesn't absolve the whole "grower diligence" part.
OH! And greenmatter, you'll appreciate this - my jobbered up 1" drain solution (dual-barbage/wrong piece):
(For all y'all: When I modified the 1" drain to go out the bottom of the bucket, I sort of half-assed the setup, out of ignorance for how to do it properly. I just used a barbed 1" straight fitting and a grommet, and just put the 1" flex hose on either end of it (back to the rez & for the drain itself. I ended up siliconing the sheeyit out of the grommet/fitting/bucket union spot..)
Not long after rigging it, it dawned on me that I must've halfassed this, and greenmater was kind enough to show me the way.
So once I was shown the light, it just became a matter of time to get to the damned garden center and get the parts I need..FAST FORWARD. Come downstairs yesterday, and the bucket is steadily piddling out the bottom drain hole doodad. OOPS.
Fix coming soon.
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man this thread is boomin silver!
so how long are you guys expecting these gals to go? cause in my book, where i usually run about 9 weeks, i see yellow starting around day 45 or 50....
because its a sour d are yall expecting 10-11 weeks? just curious, im just getting into the chem hybrids myself, sour d ibl is next, and seems ive got a good bit to learn about their particulars.
so how long are you guys expecting these gals to go? cause in my book, where i usually run about 9 weeks, i see yellow starting around day 45 or 50....
because its a sour d are yall expecting 10-11 weeks? just curious, im just getting into the chem hybrids myself, sour d ibl is next, and seems ive got a good bit to learn about their particulars.
Thanks nameless!
Good question - I usually wait 'til yellowing sets in before I even think about pluckin', .. What's got me a little thrown this time is the disparity between the 1 and 4 phenos. I'm leaning towards user-error because when I kicked the #4's pot yesterday, it was uncomfortably light..
I'd planned on going ~70 days or so, but again, I wish I'd not lost the damned notes with the details!
G
greenmatter
...... one step at a time is the way to travel!the girls are looking good even with a couple kinks in your system!
Thanks oldguy - per always, it's a work in progress..
greenmatter - thanks man! Got that new drain situation all situated tonight. Man, it's a wonder what you can do when you've got the right tool for the job [Beavis].
greenmatter - thanks man! Got that new drain situation all situated tonight. Man, it's a wonder what you can do when you've got the right tool for the job [Beavis].
Nightmare Diesel #4 v. Nightmare Diesel #1
(Same age/stage)
#4
#1
..and, related by mom & dad but not by time (7 days behind the #1 and #4), Nightmare Diesel #2:
(Same age/stage)
#4
#1
..and, related by mom & dad but not by time (7 days behind the #1 and #4), Nightmare Diesel #2:
And while we're at it, some Raptures:
#1
#3
#2
Lousy photo, but the pistils, they are a'changin'.
So, let me ask, for the zillionth time. ~sprout, how long do you usually take the Raptures? 60-65, or closer to 75?
And speaking of the Raptures, their cousin (Old Gradad) is coming along nicely - spotted a good amount of purple calyxes today.
#1
#3
#2
Lousy photo, but the pistils, they are a'changin'.
So, let me ask, for the zillionth time. ~sprout, how long do you usually take the Raptures? 60-65, or closer to 75?
And speaking of the Raptures, their cousin (Old Gradad) is coming along nicely - spotted a good amount of purple calyxes today.
Hey silver, them Raptures are a get'n burly look'n my friend !
As for you question, I'd say closer to 75 days... but again that's
totally up to the plants themselves, I always check the trichs and
when that red fluid makes it's way up to the heads.... their done !
P.S. Lots of good advise being spread around @ your place lately,
and you DIY skills are increasing with each and every run
keep up the great work my friend, I'll be a watch'n... as always !
Peace.
As for you question, I'd say closer to 75 days... but again that's
totally up to the plants themselves, I always check the trichs and
when that red fluid makes it's way up to the heads.... their done !
P.S. Lots of good advise being spread around @ your place lately,
and you DIY skills are increasing with each and every run
keep up the great work my friend, I'll be a watch'n... as always !
Peace.
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Thanks ~sprout! Didn't think you'd be able to hear me from in here, but glad you did.
Lots of good company this time around - I'm very fortunate (err, WE're very fortunate) to have this awesome community as a resource for learnin' and sharing..
And hey, one more gratuitous shot of my favorite lady, Nightmare Diesel #1. Day 54, I reckon yesterday was for her:
Lots of good company this time around - I'm very fortunate (err, WE're very fortunate) to have this awesome community as a resource for learnin' and sharing..
And hey, one more gratuitous shot of my favorite lady, Nightmare Diesel #1. Day 54, I reckon yesterday was for her:
Diesel dreams
Member
:jawdrop: nice
Remember those cuts I'd taken that were in the funky re-veg limbo? Greenheart brought up the concept of "Mostercropping," which is apparently about taking cuts from flowering plants, and once they revert back to veg, they'll be more bushy than a cut taken from a vegging plant.
Here's the pudding:
ND #1, ND #4, and ND #?
Here's the pudding:
ND #1, ND #4, and ND #?
aw damn! those look great!
my entire tray of cuts failed! i need some schooling
my entire tray of cuts failed! i need some schooling
thanks heady!
Check this out - greenmatter linked this earlier in the thread..
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=219683
Next round, I'm going back to the bucket, with fresh tap water (not set-out, .. I want that smidgen of chlorine). Shits and giggles, I suppose. Since gm posted that & I read it, I've also read other folks who swear by the chlorine in the water, to kill off the nasties that lurk in the nooks and crannies and crevices.. Makes a bit of sense.
You're an organic guy, and you know all about necessary beneficial nasties, ..
Makes sense to me, I dunno.
On a side note, I just read a slew of less-than-favorable reviews on the Hashberry. I just sent in for my order (just one pack), .. We'll see. It's like they say, believe half of what you read, none of what you hear.
Check this out - greenmatter linked this earlier in the thread..
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=219683
Next round, I'm going back to the bucket, with fresh tap water (not set-out, .. I want that smidgen of chlorine). Shits and giggles, I suppose. Since gm posted that & I read it, I've also read other folks who swear by the chlorine in the water, to kill off the nasties that lurk in the nooks and crannies and crevices.. Makes a bit of sense.
You're an organic guy, and you know all about necessary beneficial nasties, ..
Makes sense to me, I dunno.
On a side note, I just read a slew of less-than-favorable reviews on the Hashberry. I just sent in for my order (just one pack), .. We'll see. It's like they say, believe half of what you read, none of what you hear.
i support the chlorine theory. i use rooting hormone too. i will look for ways to make my cloning technique more organic after i find a way that doesn't kill them all
weird. iv'e been noticing a few hashberry grows on IC starting up. i still have never smoked it, but my friend recommended it as one of his favorites he's grown.
if my el nino summer rains last year hadn't have killed all my mandala gear with budrot, i'm sure i would have found something delicious. the 8MH that made it all the way to harvest was pretty, delicious, excellent effect, and a ridiculously sexy smell.
i like how mandala starts with landrace genetics and works on their own lines basically from scratch. if i had the room to experiment with breeding i would definitely be inclined to go about it that same way.
ACE seeds apparently does the same thing. i'm thinking of trying out some of their gear in the future.
weird. iv'e been noticing a few hashberry grows on IC starting up. i still have never smoked it, but my friend recommended it as one of his favorites he's grown.
if my el nino summer rains last year hadn't have killed all my mandala gear with budrot, i'm sure i would have found something delicious. the 8MH that made it all the way to harvest was pretty, delicious, excellent effect, and a ridiculously sexy smell.
i like how mandala starts with landrace genetics and works on their own lines basically from scratch. if i had the room to experiment with breeding i would definitely be inclined to go about it that same way.
ACE seeds apparently does the same thing. i'm thinking of trying out some of their gear in the future.
