Blumat auto watering

[wutwut]

i had the small blumats in 5 gal fabric pots and it didn't work well for longer time. if i'm sure water don't get deep enough to the bottom. or blumat waters it too often. i don't really know but growth stopped and plants started to suffer in a couple of weeks or a month. so now i am thinking about upgrading to autopots but with blumats on top. is this good idea to try? two systems in one. watering from both top and bottom.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

i had the small blumats in 5 gal fabric pots and it didn't work well for longer time. if i'm sure water don't get deep enough to the bottom. or blumat waters it too often. i don't really know but growth stopped and plants started to suffer in a couple of weeks or a month. so now i am thinking about upgrading to autopots but with blumats on top. is this good idea to try? two systems in one. watering from both top and bottom.

I have pretty much fully converted to running 5-gal fabric pots with Blumats. It took me some experimentation and a couple of failures. I run TLO, and my objective is to keep the top layer moist and active with life. The "basic" Blumat setup with a single dripper is, indeed, pretty terrible at this. It also effectively puts to waste a whole bunch of soil around the edges that never gets wet. Adding a second (long) carrot helped somewhat, but felt really crowded inside the pot, and it seemed like the two carrots were fighting each other.

The *much* better solution was to use a good mulch layer with a distribution dripper chain:

Mulch layer helps spread water from a single dripper over a larger area; multiple drippers deliver a more even, predictable, and thorough watering. I still find it better to hand-water to just a bit of runoff once a week, to prevent the area *behind* the carrot from drying out too much. Weekly maintenance also includes unscrewing and wiping each dripper plug with alcohol to avoid biofilm buildup.

 

[Cactus Squatter]

I have pretty much fully converted to running 5-gal fabric pots with Blumats. It took me some experimentation and a couple of failures. I run TLO, and my objective is to keep the top layer moist and active with life. The "basic" Blumat setup with a single dripper is, indeed, pretty terrible at this. It also effectively puts to waste a whole bunch of soil around the edges that never gets wet. Adding a second (long) carrot helped somewhat, but felt really crowded inside the pot, and it seemed like the two carrots were fighting each other.

The *much* better solution was to use a good mulch layer with a distribution dripper chain:

View attachment 18800423

Mulch layer helps spread water from a single dripper over a larger area; multiple drippers deliver a more even, predictable, and thorough watering. I still find it better to hand-water to just a bit of runoff once a week, to prevent the area *behind* the carrot from drying out too much. Weekly maintenance also includes unscrewing and wiping each dripper plug with alcohol to avoid biofilm buildup.

I was just about to order a bunch of the expansion emitters like you have there, glad to see they’re working out well.

Is your weekly cleaning due to the film building up quickly or just as a preventative? I sometimes go away for 2 weeks and hope they can do that without issues.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I was just about to order a bunch of the expansion emitters like you have there, glad to see they’re working out well.

Is your weekly cleaning due to the film building up quickly or just as a preventative? I sometimes go away for 2 weeks and hope they can do that without issues.

Just the other day I was removing one of the plastic screws to clean it after maybe 2 weeks, and pulled out a large pink blob that was attached to the end of the screw. It didn't affect the flow in this case, but in the past, I've had the first dripper in the chain become clogged AND stop up the downstream flow to the other drippers. When I clean the drippers weekly, I see a lot less (if any) fouling. But I suspect the risk is highly dependent on your environment with respect to feeding style and soil life.

I would at the very least test the flow weekly to make sure all of the drippers are even, and selectively clean out the ones that seem slower than the others.

 

[King's Indican]

first time using blumats... nothing to say more. Lemon OG Auto from MSNL at day 47 in 4x4 under 480 watt quantum boards.

this is when i dialed them in at day 27.

this is a week later.

 

[lush]

Hi guys, in the old messages in the thread people have suggested using standard 1/2'' tubing as the manifold instead of the 8mm. Is there any reason beside cost - something to do with the water pressure or the quality of the hose?

 

[Brother Nature]

Pressure in larger setups and availability of tubing from your local hardware store would be my guess if based in the US.

Have moved back towards blumats myself. Haven't run them in soil before so doing a trial in my small tent with a single zkittles.

 

[Ca++]

Just the other day I was removing one of the plastic screws to clean it after maybe 2 weeks, and pulled out a large pink blob that was attached to the end of the screw. It didn't affect the flow in this case, but in the past, I've had the first dripper in the chain become clogged AND stop up the downstream flow to the other drippers. When I clean the drippers weekly, I see a lot less (if any) fouling. But I suspect the risk is highly dependent on your environment with respect to feeding style and soil life.

I would at the very least test the flow weekly to make sure all of the drippers are even, and selectively clean out the ones that seem slower than the others.

If this becomes a regular issue, think about coming off the carrot, to a T-peice. From there, put the emitters in a circle. If one blocks, the others still get water. This circle is also pressure equalisation. So each emitter gets the same water pressure.

 

[GenghisKush]

If this becomes a regular issue, think about coming off the carrot, to a T-peice. From there, put the emitters in a circle. If one blocks, the others still get water. This circle is also pressure equalisation. So each emitter gets the same water pressure.

I take a length of 8mm rigid tubing and bend it into a loop that will just fit within my pot and terminate that loop on either end of an 8mm tee fed by the 3mm tube from the carrot. I use a soldering iron to melt some holes in that loop, and use it as an emitter.

 

[hamstring]

Love coming back to this thread.

I need to try some of the new ideas presented with the blumats. I like the straw and the idea of expansion emitters. Because the only real problem I find with blumats is the soil is left dry in spots. I use living soil so I need to extract nutes from the soil and dry soil is a Bozo no no

Just wondering, if you read this thread all the way through some peeps said not to use the expansion emitters. I guess I am wondering what the pros and cons are?

 

[PCC]

Love coming back to this thread.

I need to try some of the new ideas presented with the blumats. I like the straw and the idea of expansion emitters. Because the only real problem I find with blumats is the soil is left dry in spots. I use living soil so I need to extract nutes from the soil and dry soil is a Bozo no no

Just wondering, if you read this thread all the way through some peeps said not to use the expansion emitters. I guess I am wondering what the pros and cons are?

Do you use fabric pots?
I found that was a problem with fabric pots and not as big of an issue with plastic pots.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

I've been bouncing between my blumats and my autopots. The autopots are alot easier, but I'm seeing weird...growth differences between clones under the same conditions where it seems one can handle the constant moisture of the autopot, and another just doesn't seem to like it.
The blumats on the other hand are growing some of the best looking clones I've had. And it's doing it in 1 gallon pots to boot. They are very uniform, dark green, no weird anomalies in growth.
I've also noticed if you can get over your mental issue of coco coir needing to be 100% evenly moist, that a normal carrot and the single feed off of it are plenty capable of keeping a large plant in the zone.
I don't run a pressurized system. It's a very mild gravity bucket, maybe 4-5 feet off the ground. That system does NOT work well with the blumat drippers, but kicks ass with the single tube dripping by itself.

 

[hamstring]

Do you use fabric pots?
I found that was a problem with fabric pots and not as big of an issue with plastic pots.

Yes, I do use fabric pots.

 

[lush]

About to set up my first Blumat system, so I can do with some help from the pros..

1. In the post below, 2 designs are suggested: a loop and a vented line. Can somebody explain what practical difference I can expect with each, i.e. what gotchas there might be?

i finally drew the diagram for a vented line set up. this is how mine is set up (actually i don't have a shut off valve -- it's not necessary, just convenient). credit goes to GDbud for the idea. works great and especially well suited for micro grows.

also here's the loop diagram again just so it's all in one convenient location.

2. The room would be rather big - it should be able to accommodate 4 or 5 5x5 trays with a 700w LED above each. 16-25 plants on each tray so the plant count might reach a 100. Is one 5gal rez above a bigger one on the ground going to be enough for this set up? Am I better off using 2 sets of rez's with a separate manifold for each? What other considerations might there be with more plants?

Thanks for the great thread btw

 

[Ca++]

The loop is nice. If you look at any single carrot, the length of hose feeding it, is the 3mm line, plus the manifold. The manifold feeds that 3mm, from the tank, in both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction. The sum of these two clock/anticlock distances, is the same at every Tee. This means each 3mm gets the same pressure, if they are the same height from the floor (and you actually have some water in there)

That is the equal pressure manifolds gain, over a linear manifold. In a linear (straight) manifold, each 3mm branch off it, leaves a little bit less water for the next Tee. Eventually the pressure drop can cause distribution problem, where emitters further from the tank, don't get enough juice. Though this is very important with passive drop systems, the carrots regulating nature mean it's more about good engineering, than a must have design characteristic.

With so many emitters, could you move the tank higher. Like up a floor? I doubt you will have problems with such a slow flow, but a bit of pressure wouldn't hurt. Just as the equal pressure manifold would help the long pipe runs expected.

 

[lush]

Thanks, I can elevate the upper rez no more than 8 feet above emitters.

 

[Ca++]

Probably be alright..
About 15 meters, say 20L an hour (lights on). It's really not a big flow rate. The whole manifold should see an even pressure, with even super skinny hose. Though I tend to use 1/2" for everything.

I presume you have seen the 3 phase pump thread. I just posted a $10 pump that produces about 8 foot of head. It's 6-12v so you can run it off a 10$ variable psu. To turn it down a bit, if the carrots don't like that much pressure. I'm not 100% sure on their limits tbh, so the 'upstairs' idea, wasn't very polished.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

I've given up for the time being on regular Bluemats. It's not that they idea doesn't work, it's that there is no room for error. And the number one error is letting the res. run dry.
What happens is it don't take very long at all for the trompf carrot to go fully open if there is no water being added. I don't use the drippers, either.
When the carrot goes fully open, the water will shoot far away, if it even stays in the pot, and you will easily easily overflow the pot and everything else by the time the carrot ever shuts off.
This experience is in less than 3.5 gallons of coco coir. NO input on soil or any other bluemat systems.

 

[Cactus Squatter]

I've given up for the time being on regular Bluemats. It's not that they idea doesn't work, it's that there is no room for error. And the number one error is letting the res. run dry.
What happens is it don't take very long at all for the trompf carrot to go fully open if there is no water being added. I don't use the drippers, either.
When the carrot goes fully open, the water will shoot far away, if it even stays in the pot, and you will easily easily overflow the pot and everything else by the time the carrot ever shuts off.
This experience is in less than 3.5 gallons of coco coir. NO input on soil or any other bluemat systems.

I experienced similar in soil until I adjusted my system.
I run a 32 gallon reservoir that pumps up to a 5 gallon bucket near my ceiling. I have it turn the pump on and refill that bucket every 7 hours. I’ve never had the smaller reservoir run dry doing it this way.

 

[Ca++]

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805023255908.html

$3.75 with free postage.
When the green wire goes dry, the pump runs until the red one gets wet.
The wires need to be decent stainless, but they sell them. Or there are versions use floats, or capacative sensors that sit on the outside of the bucket. That relay will control AC mains, if you really want a ridiculous pump. However, you will get fried with exposed AC mains. You would be better with the Omron 61F

Such a system will keep a constant head of water, so the top tank can be really quite small. Easily sitting on a book shelf, or any other basic support.


I'm too far gone to think how, but I use these not to fill, but to drain. My pots are 36mm off the floor, and drain into a shallow container. When it's 30mm deep, I pump up down to 20mm deep. I know carrots are quite good at flooding, so having such a pump set in your trays could send water back to the tank. Thus working through a bad situation.

I have a water alarm here, that for $10, tells my phone if it gets wet. Tuya Smart stuff. Needs to use wifi though, as it's not a phone call, it's internet based communication. Together, you could hear you have a flood, that was being diverted to your tank. So no rush.