please help - show me the best auto water!!! Do you know a better way, Do they work well ? Capillary Mat Systems

[acespicoli]

Ebb and flow is just so damn easy. Fill a res once a week and add nutes. Top up here and there. Drain it once a week. Set a timer for floods. Easy as hell.

Im gonna try this one day for some of G's Chem
Using rockwool ? I worry tho pump failures power outtage too much too little water
Even the blumats can experience runaways tho they say... regulation line above may prevent that
The constant air bubbler of some systems dont think I can do that too noisey, atleast for mine

Like this?

 

[CocoNut 420]

Hope the root thing is better with the top layer may also keep evaporation down... prob still gets lots of airflow

It has a plastic cover it's not exposed to the environment that would affect the ec and the humidity.

I received that weed control fabric tbh I'm less than enthusiastic about it stopping roots it's very thin and easily torn?

I've covered the the matt with 2x sheets and sat a pot of coco on it, hopefully it's wet by the morning, if it's wet I can test it further for root repellency.

Has anyone worked with root control fabric, it's seems very thin for something that's meant to repell roots?

I might wrapped a clone in it to see what happens with the roots, I'll be pissed if roots grow straight through it lol

 

[LostTribe]

I hated the blumats. They were completely unreliable and always had some run outs. Prefer pond pumps and open 1/4 inch lines. You can catch the run off or recirculate it if you are in soiless. I'd do drain to waste and just catch it in peat or coco. Otherwise you could go up to 1/2 inch or bigger depending on pot size and media choice.

 

[acespicoli]

It has a plastic cover it's not exposed to the environment that would affect the ec and the humidity.

I received that weed control fabric tbh I'm less than enthusiastic about it stopping roots it's very thin and easily torn?

I've covered the the matt with 2x sheets and sat a pot of coco on it, hopefully it's wet by the morning, if it's wet I can test it further for root repellency.

Has anyone worked with root control fabric, it's seems very thin for something that's meant to repell roots?

I might wrapped a clone in it to see what happens with the roots, I'll be pissed if roots grow straight through it lol

The only thing I understand about it is it lets water thru, should block algae growth on your felt/pad
Outdoor is semi reliable for weak weed prevention like a plastic mulch
Should also keep your felt cleaner

 

[420PyRoS]

I hated the blumats. They were completely unreliable and always had some run outs. Prefer pond pumps and open 1/4 inch lines. You can catch the run off or recirculate it if you are in soiless. I'd do drain to waste and just catch it in peat or coco. Otherwise you could go up to 1/2 inch or bigger depending on pot size and media choice.

Interesting. Like the drippers wouldn't shut off for you?

 

[CocoNut 420]

Autopot but essentially bottom feeding.

I used black and white over my capillary it's cheap and perfect.

I also cover up my pots with it to for humidity mostly but there's bonus root growth aswell.

Edit...a pic from the top.

back plants are bottom fed, front is dtw 2/3 time's a day.

Don't ask about the front right, long story.

 

[acespicoli]

Autopot but essentially bottom feeding.
View attachment 18957931
I used black and white over my capillary it's cheap and perfect.

I also cover up my pots with it to for humidity mostly but there's bonus root growth aswell.
View attachment 18957932
View attachment 18957933
Edit...a pic from the top.
View attachment 18957934
back plants are bottom fed, front is dtw 2/3 time's a day.

Don't ask about the front right, long story.

DTW pictures are worth a 1000 words!!!
Bottom feeding prevents alot of problems!
Those look great! The one, yeah it looks a little larfy
They cant all be winners

 

[flylowgethigh]

The SWICK system I am using works pretty well. 10 gallon bag of soil on a wick. Described in the Sip not slurp thread.

 

[CocoNut 420]

DTW pictures are worth a 1000 words!!!
Bottom feeding prevents alot of problems!
Those look great! The one, yeah it looks a little larfy
They cant all be winners

I've grown mostly dtw but I tinkered with capillary and autopots over the years.

I'm completely fkg baffled by the autopot, I've been feeding it 1.8ec and the tray nutrient ec isn't rising.

Right next to the autopot the dtw needs run off 2/3 times a day, generally the ec will be 0.2 higher than the input nutrient, so htf can the bottom feeding continually take 1.8ec while not ever needing run off...that shouldn't happen, I would've gambled that couldn't possibly happen?

I'm past think about it now, it's too much of head fk when laws of evaporation aren't working lol.

There's a explanation for that happening but don't have it?

 

[Turbo5]

I’ve done Blumats carrot, drip ring (this is fairly new), their capillary mat and I’ve also done autopots. Watering took up too much time so I invested heavily in watering systems
They’re both great! Don’t overthink it too much. It’s literally doing a simple job of watering on demand. I’m organic in 20g pots so I use both well water(225 ppm and 7 to 7.8ish PH and R/O) If you want to use organic liquid nutes you MUST weekly clean out ALL of your lines else they will clog! It’s doable with a few plants but not practical with many. If you’re using salts you can maintain relatively clean lines, but maintenance will still be involved to a lesser degree.
Autopots are great for either salts or organics but at the time I think the biggest pot they had was a 6 gallon I think. As I evolved in growing I needed bigger pots so I went all in with Blumats. I first did the gravity set up and that worked ok, you just had to be sure that your tank is at least a quarter filled else pressure loss. I now have their pressurized pump set up and it’s great, no pressure losses what so ever! If your water is decent you can just use the pressure reducer on your water source.

 

[Ca++]

I've grown mostly dtw but I tinkered with capillary and autopots over the years.

I'm completely fkg baffled by the autopot, I've been feeding it 1.8ec and the tray nutrient ec isn't rising.

Right next to the autopot the dtw needs run off 2/3 times a day, generally the ec will be 0.2 higher than the input nutrient, so htf can the bottom feeding continually take 1.8ec while not ever needing run off...that shouldn't happen, I would've gambled that couldn't possibly happen?

I'm past think about it now, it's too much of head fk when laws of evaporation aren't working lol.

There's a explanation for that happening but don't have it?

In coco?
The dtw waste is probably the ec you put in, plus what the coco adds. It's constantly releasing salts. I once removed the K from my feed, and the plants carried on, with the runoff testing for K, about 100ppm.

The bottom fed coco pots are accumulating what the coco gives off, or the plants are being forced to eat it. The EU coco tends to be quite high in sodium, as the coco crop can use land by the sea, where other things don't grow. It's evolved to lock in sodium safely, which is why it's dominant along the coast. The US coco is often grown inland.

It's a possible explanation. That 100ppm is about 0.2ec, and there would be sodium also coming out, adding to the 100ppm considerably. I can easily see 0.2ec gained, without digging out the paperwork

 

[acespicoli]

Found this article I was surprised by the recommended NPK not what I expected
Plants 2023, 12, 422. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030422

 

[gmanwho]

Im gonna try this one day for some of G's Chem
Using rockwool ? I worry tho pump failures power outtage too much too little water
Even the blumats can experience runaways tho they say... regulation line above may prevent that
The constant air bubbler of some systems dont think I can do that too noisey, atleast for mine
View attachment 18957350
Like this?

Ace , i appreciate the time you take in all your posts. The amount of energy it takes to rally up all the documents you post could be a full time position. Some really educational articles in the infirmary.

So with some 2cents and in no particular order.......

the down side of aerating a reservoir 24/7 is the the carbon dioxide will raise the ph constantly. An alternative is placing a small (low watt low heat generating) mag pump in the reservoir. If you want to aerate the water before its feed, have a feed pump with a venturi. U want to up you DO game? use a venturi that injects welding grade oxygen into the feed. (I say welding grade because last time i ran oxygen it was like 98% pure oxygen for welding at a 1/3rd of the price, and medical grade was 99.9 something %)

A system that recirculates runoff can spread possible pathogens from one plant to another. It may not be a problem at first, but after sometime it will be. The variables of pathogens varies so greatly environment to environment.

A small uv light sterilizer in the reservoir or feed line can help greatly reduce the spread.(check ebay) Or a constant chlorinating of the nutrient is advised. Or an ozone air pump

if plants are in a side by side system, and dont have individual separated drains, things can spread this way.

Fungus gnats are a nasty vector and an often overlooked potential of spreading pathogens

To truly master recycling nutrients, it adds the need for a deep understanding of the nutrients role. Its deeper then often realized. Whats being absorbed and used, verse whats being left behind. Whats being left behind in the nutrient solution now increases to unsure levels. Every stage of growth, environment, or genetics can vary greatly.

What is being left behind in the nutrient now becomes in concentration, an unbalanced feed. antagonisms form between minerals. Possible bonding of minerals that are now useless to the plant and only cause issues.

Your ec meter reads say 2.5 ec, but what part of that 2.5 ec is usable to the plant after it has already picked through it? Untill we get an affordable meter that can read atleast 15 different minerals in a solution, it can be a gamble recycling nutrient. Then the other points of spreading pathogens.

to each is own.

 

[hamstring]

One trick I learned with the gravity system is to add an extra line, basically to create an inner circle or infinity symbol with the hose. It will level out the pressure/flow so all the carrots get even pressure. Like this:

View attachment 18957150

Interesting, I use blumats in this config without the "pink" hose you have added. I didn't know about this trick and that it makes a difference.

So you are saying you get uneven pressure with the standard loop? I am interested, can you explain the difference you saw? I am currently running a 8 x 3gal set up with blumats.

 

[flower~power]

@acespicoli … I don’t know how you do it ? but your threads consistently contain massive amounts of information… talk about paying attention to detail…. U r it

 

[Zero Hedge]

@hamstring
I actually got the tip from someone at Sustainable Village. The issue that brought it about was my reservoir wasn’t giving me enough pressure (I was using soaker tape at the time. Also my res was not high enoug or big enough when the water level dipped down below a certain point). They suggested the extra line to balance out the pressure, and it worked. I’ve kept it there even though I went back to carrots. I kept it because it did in fact even out the gravity pressure and I liked that.
Best to you

 

[acespicoli]

@acespicoli … I don’t know how you do it ? but your threads consistently contain massive amounts of information… talk about paying attention to detail…. U r it

@Sam_Skunkman @Tom Hill so many others you know who you are
You guys lead me with one little pointer
Then it has to be explored thoroughly and everyone here is the soundboard to bounce the ideas off
Working together were all gonna have the best gardens I enjoy seeing others succeed
Most of the glory belongs to my ICfam and people like you flower~power,
To everyone that contributes here, Big Thank You!!!

Ace , i appreciate the time you take in all your posts. The amount of energy it takes to rally up all the documents you post could be a full time position. Some really educational articles in the infirmary.

So with some 2cents and in no particular order.......

the down side of aerating a reservoir 24/7 is the the carbon dioxide will raise the ph constantly. An alternative is placing a small (low watt low heat generating) mag pump in the reservoir. If you want to aerate the water before its feed, have a feed pump with a venturi. U want to up you DO game? use a venturi that injects welding grade oxygen into the feed. (I say welding grade because last time i ran oxygen it was like 98% pure oxygen for welding at a 1/3rd of the price, and medical grade was 99.9 something %)

A system that recirculates runoff can spread possible pathogens from one plant to another. It may not be a problem at first, but after sometime it will be. The variables of pathogens varies so greatly environment to environment.

A small uv light sterilizer in the reservoir or feed line can help greatly reduce the spread.(check ebay) Or a constant chlorinating of the nutrient is advised. Or an ozone air pump

if plants are in a reside by side system, and dont have individual seperated drains, things can spread this way.

Fungus gnats are a nasty vector and an often overlooked potential of spreading pathogens

To truly master recycling nutrients, it adds the need for a deep understanding of the nutrients role. Its deeper then often realized. Whats being absorbed and used, verse whats being left behind. Whats being left behind in the nutrient solution now increases to unsure levels. Every stage of growth, environment, or genetics can vary greatly.

What is being left behind in the nutrient now becomes in concentration, an unbalanced feed. antagnosims form between minerals. Possible bonding of minerals that are now useless to the plant and only cause issues.

Your ec meter reads say 2.5 ec, but what part of that 2.5 ec is usable to the plant after it has already picked thruough it? Untill we get an afordable meter that can read atleast 15 different minerals in a solution, it can be a gamble recyling nutrient. Then the other points of spreading pathogens.

to each is own.

for sharing time ideas !!! Im honored to know you!

 

[flylowgethigh]

Ace , i appreciate the time you take in all your posts. The amount of energy it takes to rally up all the documents you post could be a full time position. Some really educational articles in the infirmary.

So with some 2cents and in no particular order.......

the down side of aerating a reservoir 24/7 is the the carbon dioxide will raise the ph constantly.

My reservoir will revert to 6.8 from the target 6.3 pH after some time. I have an air bubbler running 24/7 to oxygenate the water. Just check the pH and adjust as required with acid (orange colored pH down). The pH will stabilize after a while, but by then more water is needed.

 

[acespicoli]

Gravity: Analog Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor - Corrosion Resistant

This soil Moisture sensor is made of a corrosion resistant material giving it a long service life. Insert it into soil and impress your friends with the real-time soil moisture data! The product includes an on-board voltage regulator which gives it an operating voltage range of 3.3 ~ 5.5V. It is...

store-usa.arduino.cc

Overview​

This soil Moisture sensor is made of a corrosion resistant material giving it a long service life. Insert it into soil and impress your friends with the real-time soil moisture data!
The product includes an on-board voltage regulator which gives it an operating voltage range of 3.3 ~ 5.5V. It is compatible with low-voltage MCUs (both 3.3V and 5V logic).
Perfect for checking your plant's health, you can get text if your plant is getting too dry and you can use this sensor for other awesome projects.

Gravity: Analog Electrical Conductivity Sensor / Meter For Arduino

DFRobot Gravity: analog electrical conductivity meter V2 is specially used to measure the electrical conductivity of an aqueous solution, and then to evaluate the water quality, which is often used in water culture, aquaculture, environmental water detection, and other fields. You may also check...

store-usa.arduino.cc

Overview​

DFRobot Gravity: analog electrical conductivity meter V2 is specially used to measure the electrical conductivity of an aqueous solution, and then to evaluate the water quality, which is often used in water culture, aquaculture, environmental water detection, and other fields. You may also check Liquid Sensor Selection Guide to get better familiar with our liquid sensor series.
This ec meter product, as an upgraded version of the electrical conductivity meter V1, greatly improves the user experience and data precision. It supports 3~5v wide voltage input, and is compatible with 5V and 3.3V main control board; The output signal filtered by hardware has low jitters; The excitation source adopts AC signal, which effectively reduces the polarization effect, improves the precision, and prolongs the life of the probe; The software library uses two-point calibration method, and can automatically identify standard buffer solution, so simple and convenient.
With this product, the main control board (such as Arduino), and the software library, you can quickly build an electrical conductivity meter, plug, and play, no welding. DFRobot provides a variety of water quality sensor products, uniform size, and interface, not only meet the needs of various water quality testing but also suitable for the DIY of multi-parameter water quality tester.
Conductivity is the reciprocal of the resistance, which is related to the ability of the material to carry the current. In the liquid, the reciprocal of the resistance, the conductivity, is the measure of its ability to conduct electricity. Conductivity is an important parameter of water quality. It can reflect the extent of electrolytes present in water.
Tips:
In order to ensure measurement accuracy, it is strongly recommended to add a temperature sensor to measure the temperature and achieve automatic temperature compensation.
Features:

• 3.0~5.0V wide voltage input
• Hardware filtered output signal, low jitter
• AC excitation source, effectively reduce polarization
• Gravity connector and BNC connector, plug and play, no welding
• Software library supports two-point calibration and automatically identifies standard buffer solution, integrates temperature compensation algorithm
• Uniform size and connector, convenient for the design of mechanical structure

Applications:

• Water quality monitoring.
• Aquaculture.
• Hydroponic & Aquaponic

DIY Hydroponics - With Raspberry Pi

DIY Hydroponics - With Raspberry Pi: Hello! I am making this instructable to document my journey in making a Hydroponics Setup. With schools shut, and the UK on lockdown, I thought, 'What better of a time than now to start a project?' so I set to work looking for ideas. I have had a Ra…

www.instructables.com

Arduino - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Raspberry Pi - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Category:Single-board computers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BeagleBoard - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

ODROID - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Operating systems​

Name	Focus	Kernel	Userspace	C2	XU4	U2	U3	N2	N2+	C4	HC4	GO Advanced	H2	H3/H3+	M1	N2L
Ubuntu	Desktop/Server	Linux	GNU/Debian	Yes[13]	Yes[27]	?	?	Yes[28]		Yes[29]		Yes[30]		Yes	Yes
Karmbian	Penetration testing	Linux	GNU/Debian	Yes[31]	Yes	?	?	Yes		Yes		?
Armbian	Desktop/Server	Linux	GNU/Debian	Yes	Yes	?	?	Yes[32]		Yes[33]		?			Yes

Armbian

Linux for custom hardware

www.armbian.com

DistroWatch.com: Armbian

News and feature lists of Linux and BSD distributions.

distrowatch.com

enough diy for one day... maybe I just buy one premade ?

 

[acespicoli]

$14.99

$7.88
one valve each or one valve with bulkheads and hoses

bulkhead fittings

nipple npt
heavy duty ptfe tape and pipe dope

craigslist ebay...

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/65205/industrial-drums.html

VS

4Pot XL System - AutoPot Watering Systems USA

The 4Pot XL System is extremely versatile and can be used for a wide range of plant types and sizes. Seasonal flowering plants and perennial shrubs thrive

autopot-usa.com

Price: $303.99 – $437.99