Blumats and Coco Coir

[Jarofunk]

I am thinking of using Blumats in an organic soil/coco mix. I have a question about it: When using Blumats, I have heard you want little to no runoff. If this is the case, how do you flush your soil?

Any other advice regarding Blumats in soil would be appreciated.

 

[mike hunt]

I am thinking of using Blumats in an organic soil/coco mix. I have a question about it: When using Blumats, I have heard you want little to no runoff. If this is the case, how do you flush your soil?

Any other advice regarding Blumats in soil would be appreciated.

If your soil is amended, what is there to flush out?

 

[Jarofunk]

in the past I have shot for 5-15% runoff with soil. This means there is some food the plant is not getting. So with the Blumats having very little runoff, it concerns me there could be some leftovers in my smoke. I think I will just lighten my mix

 

[Abek666]

you seem to use the drip version of the blumats 2-5% of runoff is the goal and not flushing is the better way with organics cause you can reuse your soil several times actually its gets better after the first run 3-4 times use is mostly the way i do things after that i mix it with a fresh mix and its good to go again

hope this helps
have a good day

 

[GORCS]

Hello,

I have been searching for a digital drip feed systems to help improve yields in coco, currently hand watering 100% coco first grow. I came across blumats and have been reading the past few days and have a few questions.

In the cabinet there are 2 x 4 gallon pots. Should I use 1 blumat with a feed/dropper line to ensure it is fed equally or 2 blumats (incase of clog) per pot? I understand using 2 blumats takes a little longer to dial in.

Should I be using blumat or blumat maxis? what are the benefits if any of each?

I have read blumats can clog up in use. Which part of blue mats are prone to clogging? Is it the feed line which will clog or the actual ceramic which clogs (perhaps with salt build up) which may cause them to constantly water? This worries me as I do not want to flood the cab. I plan on feeding with nutes (not just water) which some don't recommend. Most likely with a 500-700ppm. Previously hand fed once per day around 1200-1300ppm.

I grow vert scrog so can't move my pots. Is there and precautions I can take to prevent a flood other than drip trays. I am concerned they may spoil my days if they were to flood and overflow my drop trays.

Anyway thanks if you can help with this, I am new here but blumats are more discussed here than the other forums I usually use. I am starting to warm with the idea of blumats over a digital timer and pump.

 

[seaslug]

Howdy Gorcs,
I'm a Tropf Blumat newbie but here are my notes:
1) Make sure you get Tropf, not Blumat Jr.
2) I almost lost a plant due to a clog in the 3mm feed line. I "massaged" it loose and all is OK now. I'm currently using Veg+Bloom RO/Soft but I get a lot of "fines" in the bottom of the reservoir. I just ordered some Jack's last night.
3) A single, standard Blumat works well in up to a 3 gallon pot (so I'm told by users). The fabric pots are most popular, I've got good sized veg plants in 1 gal smart pots right now. It depends how deep your pots are as to whether to use the Maxi model.
4) People report trouble with bubbles in the lines but I haven't seen it. I have a shutoff valve at the end of my run to bleed (clear out) the line.
5) The 8mm supply line is too hard to work with, I'm changing to .224 silicone. (This and other stuff is at SustainableVillage).
6) The proper assembly of the Blumat units must be done under water. Use a disposable 3ml pipette to squirt out all the little bubbles that hide in the green cap. ($5 for a hundred at Amazon).
7) There is a monster thread at icmag about this--filter for posts from "rives".
8) The ceramic cones do not clog but they must be kept wet. I was afraid my clogged one had dried out too much during Xmas but it seems fine.
9) People report runaways but I suspect the units were not properly assembled. I have my smart pots in Botanicare hydro trays and I do have some intermittent runoff. Properly dialed in, there is no runoff.
10) I use an elevated reservoir and gravity. If you don't want or need a constant nutrient feed, people are very happy using the pressure reducer for plain tap water. Some people use washing machine leak detectors to shut off the water supply in an emergency.
11) My current nutrient regime in a 10 gallon reservoir, for every 3 gallons of fill or add-back: 3ml GH pH down (my tap is something over 7), 1 level tsp Veg+Bloom, 3ml H&G Drip Clean, 3ml 29% H2O2 (because I was getting algae once a week and now I don't).
12) I've been keeping the reservoir pH at 6 or slightly below.
13) I need to get back to work on my flower room.

 

[Gamrstwin36]

Howdy Gorcs,
I'm a Tropf Blumat newbie but here are my notes:
1) Make sure you get Tropf, not Blumat Jr.
2) I almost lost a plant due to a clog in the 3mm feed line. I "massaged" it loose and all is OK now. I'm currently using Veg+Bloom RO/Soft but I get a lot of "fines" in the bottom of the reservoir. I just ordered some Jack's last night.
3) A single, standard Blumat works well in up to a 3 gallon pot (so I'm told by users). The fabric pots are most popular, I've got good sized veg plants in 1 gal smart pots right now. It depends how deep your pots are as to whether to use the Maxi model.
4) People report trouble with bubbles in the lines but I haven't seen it. I have a shutoff valve at the end of my run to bleed (clear out) the line.
5) The 8mm supply line is too hard to work with, I'm changing to .224 silicone. (This and other stuff is at SustainableVillage).
6) The proper assembly of the Blumat units must be done under water. Use a disposable 3ml pipette to squirt out all the little bubbles that hide in the green cap. ($5 for a hundred at Amazon).
7) There is a monster thread at icmag about this--filter for posts from "rives".
8) The ceramic cones do not clog but they must be kept wet. I was afraid my clogged one had dried out too much during Xmas but it seems fine.
9) People report runaways but I suspect the units were not properly assembled. I have my smart pots in Botanicare hydro trays and I do have some intermittent runoff. Properly dialed in, there is no runoff.
10) I use an elevated reservoir and gravity. If you don't want or need a constant nutrient feed, people are very happy using the pressure reducer for plain tap water. Some people use washing machine leak detectors to shut off the water supply in an emergency.
11) My current nutrient regime in a 10 gallon reservoir, for every 3 gallons of fill or add-back: 3ml GH pH down (my tap is something over 7), 1 level tsp Veg+Bloom, 3ml H&G Drip Clean, 3ml 29% H2O2 (because I was getting algae once a week and now I don't).
12) I need to get back to work on my flower room.

Sounds Hella complicated. Was interested in the Blus but shit. Id rather just pour my damn self..

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

Blumats are awesome, but kind of superfluous in coco.

You know exactly when and how much water they need from hand watering all the time...

You can set up a drip manifold on a pump and timer for a fraction of the price of blumats. And nutes will be fed easier with this method.

Blumats are for more practical for super soil water only type of drip system. IMO.

 

[seaslug]

After assembly of my 13th cone and fighting with the ultra stiff supply tubing, I thought "MAN that was tedious".
My main motivation is a system I can leave for three full days at a time. Things are good but I'm looking for a more soluble nutrient than Veg+Bloom. I have a bad back and I'd rather have my veg plants up on a bench. For the Blumat reservoir, the higher the better for good pressure.

 

[GORCS]

[@seaslug:

The pots I am using are 1 foot deep. The way I see it is that std blumats that sit at the top would simply feed more often as the top of the coco will dry first. Where the maxis would feed a little less often. Ultimately I suppose if you adjusted the maxi you could compensate for it either way. I guess which ever one will leave me with less runoff but as I can not make up my mind so hoping someone could simply tell me and provide me a reasons I haven't considered. Also, if it is only the feed lines I have have to worry about clogging if I use 2 blumats clogging won't concern me as much. I only need to set up a few pots so I am not concerned if it takes a long time to set up]

As I am strictly limited to 2 plants in the cab maximising yield is critical for me, however to my advantage I can veg as long as required. By hand would be fine however I do not have the time to ensure 3-5 regular feeds per day during veg and flowering, as when I add clay pebbles to the mix I know I will have to feed regular and often to compensate. I feel blumats would allow the plants to feed themselves better than a timer as they essentially have feed on demand but do not know if this is a good enough basis to choose blumat over digital timers. I think blumats may help reduce runoff. But clogging scares me. Other posts reported explosive growth and increased yields from using 25-40% clay pebbles and multiple feedings at lower ppm . I have noticed from hand watering once per day with 100% coco my root ball was not very impressive even with 8-9 weeks veg, although this was my first grow I hope the pebbles will help with this.

For gravity feeding I can sit the reservoirs on top of the cabinets so 5-6ft above the pots, plenty of potential energy down the tubes, will this help prevent any clogs? The nutes I am using are all liquids, the full canna coco range with a calmag feeding 5.6-5.8.

[@ WWF:

If cost is not an issue what do you feel would be the best option based on: Regular feedings at intervals during the day (timers), or letting the plants drink as much as they please (blumat). And opinions on which would be the most reliable?]

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

The problem I ran into with blumats in a soilless medium is keeping the Rez PH'd to 6. Even with a top off Rez it needed constant monitoring since they are more sensitive to PH in a medium like coco and you never really know who is drinking what at what rate.

With pumps and timers you know exactly how much water/solution is used everyday. You'll be able to dial it in perfectly for your exact useage and no worries running nutes and drip clean thru it.

I've never had a blumat fail but I've had a few runaways. And that can be a pain...

The drip manifold will be as reliable as your pump, timer and how well you set it up.

 

[seaslug]

My reservoir is four feet from the floor. The line runs through a wall, across a 4ft tray, another 2ft of space, then another 4ft tray. Blumat spec says you only need 1:10 slope but that seems too gentle. My clog occurred in a pot in the middle of the first tray. Lack of pressure was not the problem. I opened the brown cap pinch valve all the way and no flow. It flowed when I squeezed the 3mm line right next to the 8-3-8mm elbow. I don't know what was in there.

Other than the plant I neglected (I saw it start yellowing but I assumed it was from over saturating the crappy old Atami coco I used), things ran as expected. The yellowing was from starvation--the pot was feather light when I picked it up. Things got overgrown and my back was used up building the flower area but slightly lifting each pot tells you if the weight is good. I started out too dry, the greenest, healthiest plants had the most saturated coco.

I just culled a male. Some people don't like Blumats because they don't make full use of the pot. Maybe a third, the third furthest away from the dripping won't have dense rooting. I haven't had the time to dump the pot and check for sure.

I really haven't had problems with pH drift. Maybe once or twice a week I throw in an extra ml or two of GH pH Down. I've only handwatered dirt before so I really don't know what I'm doing.

You'll have to check sunnydog's Blumat thread at IC for what pot depth works best with the Maxi version. As I recall, a four gallon pot one foot high would call for a pair of reg Blumats.

 

[seaslug]

OK, so I turned the one gallon Smart Pot inside out to check the root formation. Seems real good to me. Only a very few cubic inches of coco sloughed off the top. I don't think it was level to start with. This is the typical setup: plant in the middle, Blumat cone offset by a third of the pot diameter, end of drip hose (3mm OD) at the opposite third. The little white mound is root mass--you want to prop the feed tube with a plastic fork or something so it doesn't clog there.

 

[seaslug]

Tray #1:

(Resurrected plant in middle front.)

Tray #2:

 

[GORCS]

Thanks for the responses. I was almost sold on digital timers but the more I look at them the more possible complications appear and having the high reservoir with blumats is more practical for the space I have, although I may have to invest in a step ladder. That said if I had more than 2 pots I would probably go the timer route. The only disadvantage with the blumats is you miss out on multiple wet dry cycles in a day, I am hoping the clay pebbles will make up for this.

I will order all the little bits needed the next few days and check back when I have it together. That said I don't really think I look forward to setting the thing up.

 

[seaslug]

I used a 3.5 gallon bucket filled with water when I assembled the cones. I love the plastic pipettes. Soak the ceramics over night. Don't store an assembled Blumat in water, though, someone said they swelled over time and cracked the cap. Be sure to pull the feeder hose at least part way through the cap when brand new--a kink forms there.

The 3mm feed tube should be extended 8cm from the cap, according to Blumat. Some people adjust drip rate by playing with this length but I haven't tried that.

I think my intermittent runoff is caused by cold lights-out temperature. It's about 66F in my basement.
From the operating instructions:
» IMPORTANT NOTES:
Always leave the water tap turned
on or replenish the water tank in
good time. Even when it is raining.
With longer interruptions to the water
supply, the roots can suck the water
out of the sensor. Don’t be fooled by
a dry ground surface. The water
spreads underground like an onion.
Often only the ground surface under
the dripper hose is visibly moist.
» TIPS when going on
vacation
• Install the system at least 10 days
before. • Support the plants from
falling down and do not place in
subsoil susceptible to damp.
• Eventual water leaks must also
not cause any other damage (e. g.
flow into cellars or the like)

Tropf-Blumat does not
turn off?
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF THE
PROBLEM:
Membrane has too little tension
(can occur after cold nights).
SOLUTION:
Close the setting screw
approx. 1/2 mark.
No water comes out of
the dripper hose?
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF THE
PROBLEM:
Hose is blocked, stuck or
supply buckled.
SOLUTION:
Withdraw the dripper hose a little
and knead the compressed part
between the fingers.
The sensor runs out of
water?
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF THE
PROBLEM:
Air has entered the system,
poorly screwed together, buckled
dripper hose, poor ground
contact, interrupted water supply.
SOLUTION:
Refill the ceramic sensor with
water and screw together
tightly up to the marking ring.
The watering diameter is
too small?
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF THE
PROBLEM:
Dripper hose is too short.
The water therefore reaches the
ceramic sensor too quickly.
SOLUTION:
Extend dripper hose to 8 cm.

 

[seaslug]

A disclaimer :p
The Tropf-Blumat watering
system has been specially
developed for outdoor
plants. Therefore please do
not use indoors.

 

[seaslug]

Just from what I've read, you will be happier with 100% coco rather than a mix with perlite, etc.
Oh, Celtic reminds me, my flower room has 45 mil EPDM liner. (Remnants from ebay)

 

[CelticEBE]

I run Blumats on my Mom's 2ga smarties with straight Coco. I use Mother Plant from Hydrodynamics at 1/2 strength. If you don't have them in a tray....I strongly suggest a pond liner. Like Walter said....runaways are a bitch.

One last thing....do NOT....let me repeat...DO NOT add perlite to your coco.

 

[seaslug]

I guess there is a time limit for editing posts here, so to get back to the topic of pH drift in the reservoir:
My tap water is soft, 3 grains per gallon. The city adds sodium hydroxide to raise the pH.