A little blumat confusion

[dunkydunk]

I know runoff numbers in coco, especially pH, are generally erroneous, but my experience shows that my plants are at their best when those numbers are at least relatively close. For instance, 5.6-6.0 pH & 600-1600 ppm.

Perhaps my problem is letting the coco get too dry from time to time. I used to have problems with the coco getting too wet - fungus gnats, root rot, etc., but maybe I've gone too far the other direction. Build up a good root mass in veg, and then let the blumats continually replenish the nutes instead of the drip and dry down system I use now.

With blumats and drip clean you just don't have build up problems from your old nute regime?

 

[BlindDate]

Sorry to ask a dumb question, but have you guys used the Blumats in coco? Do they work? Do the valves open and close like they are suposed to?

 

[BlindDate]

OK, I read Sunnydogs thread and confirmed that they will not work in coco. You will get erratic behavior. Sometimes on all the time and other times off completely. Moisture meters depend on water tension to operate. Since coco is such an open medium, its water tension is almost nothing. It's as if for example a completely dry soil were a 0 and a completely saturated soil were a 100 (0-100). Coco, having such an open structure would go from full dry to full wet in the 0-5 range. So now you must adjust a crude meter in such a tiny range that it is impossible or at best unreliable.
Here is a link to a better quality product that "may" work:
http://www.irrometer.com/Default.htm

 

[Guywithoutajeep]

except i think people use and have been using them in coco for a little while now...correct me if im wrong

 

[slowandeasy]

OK, I read Sunnydogs thread and confirmed that they will not work in coco. You will get erratic behavior. Sometimes on all the time and other times off completely. Moisture meters depend on water tension to operate. Since coco is such an open medium, its water tension is almost nothing. It's as if for example a completely dry soil were a 0 and a completely saturated soil were a 100 (0-100). Coco, having such an open structure would go from full dry to full wet in the 0-5 range. So now you must adjust a crude meter in such a tiny range that it is impossible or at best unreliable.
Here is a link to a better quality product that "may" work:
http://www.irrometer.com/Default.htm

No offense dude, but you obviously did not read the whole thread. There are plenty of people using Blumats with Coco, including myself with excellent results. Everything you just said is completely wrong.

 

[Flying High]

I am currently setting up my third cycle using Blumats, Smart Pots, and coco, the Tropf- Blumats have worked flawlessly!!!



just my experience
H

 

[Rasta311]

OK, I read Sunnydogs thread and confirmed that they will not work in coco. You will get erratic behavior. Sometimes on all the time and other times off completely. Moisture meters depend on water tension to operate. Since coco is such an open medium, its water tension is almost nothing. It's as if for example a completely dry soil were a 0 and a completely saturated soil were a 100 (0-100). Coco, having such an open structure would go from full dry to full wet in the 0-5 range. So now you must adjust a crude meter in such a tiny range that it is impossible or at best unreliable.
Here is a link to a better quality product that "may" work:
http://www.irrometer.com/Default.htm

Not to be a dick but you are clueless about blumats and are just spitting random shit. Blumats works great for coco and they are the next best thing to sliced bread. They are very accurate and I have had zero problems (like everyone else in the blumat thread, that you "read") after getting them dialed in. Any how Im not trying to start shit I just hate seeing someone post negative things about a great product that they have no first hand experience with.

 

[dunkydunk]

Yeah, yeah, BlindDate somehow got it completely backwards, probably from over-prescribing his own medicine. But could someone address more fully the questions Dramamine and I put forward? To wit:

Thanks for the replies. It's interesting stuff, for sure. I do understand what your saying about salts not accumulating because of constant moisture. Whether it's stacking or salt accumulation, doesn't the EC that is in the pot rise as more nutes are dripped in, but not out? Guess that's where the Drip-Clean is crucial?

 

[dramamine]

That irrometer Blindate linked to is just a guage, not an irrigation system, per se.

 

[Capital G]

cosign the dude that said, drip clean. drip clean= no salt in your coco, simple. also, roots excelurator. never grow in coco without them.

 

[BlindDate]

Sorry to put a negative post out there about Blumats, but I'm going to stand by what I've said. Using Blumats on coco is no better than watering on a timer since it can only react to the extremes (wet or dry). I've talked to several experts on the subject and they have all said the same thing. No water tension = no measurement.

 

[dunkydunk]

Sorry to put a negative post out there about Blumats, but I'm going to stand by what I've said. Using Blumats on coco is no better than watering on a timer since it can only react to the extremes (wet or dry). I've talked to several experts on the subject and they have all said the same thing. No water tension = no measurement.

I really don't know what you are talking about, I've had a blumat watering my mother plant in coco for two weeks now, and you can dial that puppy to dripping wet to bone dry to anything in between! In fact, the Blumats don't react to extremes at all, but maintain a constant level of moisture of your choosing. My main concern now is salt build up, but the good people here at ICMag tell me Drip Clean will go a long way in avoiding that problem.

So get out of my thread and go start your own on how Blumats don't work, according to your vast team of experts.

 

[dramamine]

Blinddate, you might want to re-think what your saying. Especially since you're saying it o to people who are standing there watching their plants growing. It doesn't make sense to listen to conjecture, rather than people relating actual experience. Stand by what you said if you want, but stand to the side because I like hearing from those who are actually trying them out.

This thread isn't so much about opinion, as it is an attempt to LEARN what the FACTS might be. Maybe there's something your friends don't know yet? Peace.

 

[dunkydunk]

Stand by what you said if you want, but stand to the side because I like hearing from those who are actually trying them out.

Well put.

 

[slowandeasy]

Sorry to put a negative post out there about Blumats, but I'm going to stand by what I've said. Using Blumats on coco is no better than watering on a timer since it can only react to the extremes (wet or dry). I've talked to several experts on the subject and they have all said the same thing. No water tension = no measurement.

Have you used Blumats? You can dial them to whatever moisture level you want. Your Experts are about as smart as you! No offense dude, but your a douche....if you do not know what you are talking about, don't say anything at all.

Dunky, get some Drip Clean and I will gladly give you any advice you need. I just harvested tonight, and I used 1 gal Smart Pots with pure Canna Coco. 4 plants under 1 400watt HPS. All of my buds are bigger than your Forearm and fist. I estimate 3 to 4 oz per plant in a 1gal container....that is pretty sweet IMO. I just upgraded to a 600 HPS, so next harvest I predict a Pound dried. Blumats are by far the best investment on any Grow product I have ever bought in over 10 years. Trust whomever you like, I have no reason to lie. Take a look at some of my vegging plants in 1 Gal containers and Blumats...they are perfect and huge! Good luck.

 

[Rasta311]

Sorry to put a negative post out there about Blumats, but I'm going to stand by what I've said. Using Blumats on coco is no better than watering on a timer since it can only react to the extremes (wet or dry). I've talked to several experts on the subject and they have all said the same thing. No water tension = no measurement.

You suck...enough said.

Now to add to the thread.

I have tried many ways over the years and this is it for me. Soil,ebb and flow, ebb and grow, aero, dwc, coco. Bluemat are truly a perfect system IMO. My roots are ridiculous. I dont go through gallons and gallons of water which is a huge plus for me. I have to adjust them once and then Im done. My plants are HUGE. I just cant say enough.

 

[Cheeb]

hell - in my experience blumats and coco are pretty much made for one another.


Just recently ran 21 plants in 2 gal grow bags under 3 600w lights using blumats in straight atami coco. Harvested a tad under 3lbs total and it was completely hands off aside from initially setting them up. Only nutes were FloraMicro / FloraBloom and a tad of bloombastic. Checked on them once a week - just to look.

Dealing w/ coco or any medium for that matter still involves some work - but these blumats eliminate having to be there to water and DO perform great in coco!

They are superior to pumps because they require no electricity and make no noise at all. Gravity = win.

 

[greentrich]

They are superior to pumps because they require no electricity and make no noise at all.

One more point...they're what I am calling "plant specific". Meaning that each dripper reacts differently to each plant. With a timer and a pump the plant gets what it gets whether it wants it or not. With blumats, the plant only gets water when it needs it...directly related to how you set it. So if one plant wants more than another, then the one that's not as hungry doesn't get watered, the one that is...gets as much as it can handle. VERY advantageous for someone growing four different strains and mixed sat/ind doms.

 

[down2grow]

Have you used Blumats? You can dial them to whatever moisture level you want. Your Experts are about as smart as you! No offense dude, but your a douche....if you do not know what you are talking about, don't say anything at all.

Dunky, get some Drip Clean and I will gladly give you any advice you need. I just harvested tonight, and I used 1 gal Smart Pots with pure Canna Coco. 4 plants under 1 400watt HPS. All of my buds are bigger than your Forearm and fist. I estimate 3 to 4 oz per plant in a 1gal container....that is pretty sweet IMO. I just upgraded to a 600 HPS, so next harvest I predict a Pound dried. Blumats are by far the best investment on any Grow product I have ever bought in over 10 years. Trust whomever you like, I have no reason to lie. Take a look at some of my vegging plants in 1 Gal containers and Blumats...they are perfect and huge! Good luck.

Slow,

Which nutrient line are you using? The smartpot blumat combo is making me think about changing out my square pots.

D2G

 

[slowandeasy]

Slow,

Which nutrient line are you using? The smartpot blumat combo is making me think about changing out my square pots.

D2G

Take my advice...Dont be a Square! I use GH 6/9 with
3ml per gal of Magi-Cal,
.4ml of Drip Clean
1.5ml of pH UP

pH 5.8-5.9 with RO water.

Make the switch and thank me later!