Blumats and Coco Coir

seaslug · Apr 21, 2014

UPDATE:
Well, I've done my first grow in thirty years. Over a pound of smoke without even trying for yield so I'm happy enough. OK, MAJOR LESSON I LEARNED:

Hydrogen Peroxide in the Blumat reservoir encourages white mold growth. H2O2 did work great for killing the brown slime caused by the sugar in Veg+Bloom. I finished the grow using GH MaxiBloom; that worked fine (but I've since switched to Jack's).

I kept fighting the mold in my reservoirs and it clogged the lines and caused air gaps. I think I was even dragging in fresh mold from the storage solution for my pH pen. NOW, I use Clorox Bleach, which is currently 8.25% sodium hypochlorite I believe. I'm using a rate of 0.3 ml per gallon when I fill the reservoir. I lift the res lid and take a whiff each day. If I can still smell chlorine the next day, I back off. If no chlorine smell, I add 2 or 3 ml of bleach to nine gallons of nute solution.

Be sure to avoid the scented Clorox.

aksquid · Apr 21, 2014

Thanks for taking the time to post up all the information. I have been debating on blumats or a timer for watering. I really need something that I can walk away and leave on auto pilot for a while and I am still not sure which way to go yet. I am growing in soil and just using tap water and I want to just come off of a hose faucet.

seaslug · Apr 21, 2014

In your case, aksqid, I'd highly recommend the Tropf Blumat system with pressure reducer.

Instead of the Blumat 8mm lines I use the .224 ID silicone but it may be translucent. I now sheathe the orange silicone tubing with black 3/8" split loom tubing.

I was starting think about running plain water in the res, running into amended soil of some sort. Then I remembered Lazyman at IC in the big Blumat thread and his use of bleach. He was using 6% IIRC but he was really blasting it--he started with 1ml per gallon and his last post said he was up to 3ml per gallon.

SECOND MAJOR LESSON LEARNED:
It is very possible to overwater coco using Blumats and Smartpots filled with a fine grain bagged coco like Atami. My bags had been stored for about three years and were damp inside. They have some small centipede type critters inside but the coco doesn't smell. Anyway, I'm sure the coco has broken down some. I was intentionally maxxing out the saturation of the one gallon pots but I now think I just caused root rot. Lots of fungus gnats in that grow and a range of deficiencies in the six phenotypes I was growing.

3/8 Inch Split Loom Tubing Install:

Scalpel3 · May 29, 2014

Some coco bags have an expiration date and I'd assume you were well past it.

I've read through Lazyman's threads before. I haven't read through his blumat thread in a while but that bleach concentration seems high. Are you sure it wasn't 3ml per 55gal?

I had decent success running blumats in 3.5 gal air pots. I used an elevated res in a 12' loft fed by a 55gal drum on the ground. Ran the supply in a loop to even pressure and had a solenoid valve on a timer at the end of the loop that would purge air once a day and feed nutes back to 55gal keeps the feed filled with fresh juice. With the 27gal tote feed res up 12' high, I had plenty of head pressure. (Knock on wood) I never had a runaway and I think that's due to the head pressure and air purge. I ran drip clean at .5ml/ gal and that prevented any clogs. Apparently people are running drip clean at 1ml/gal now but I don't see that need at this point.

I'm planning to start a new grow soon and thinking about blumats in large pots. Thinking 8gal or 15gal but leaning towards the latter. Anyone have experience with blumats in larger pots? I'm thinking 3 regulars in 15gal pot. Pots are wide but not deep so I don't think a maxi is necessary.

seaslug · May 31, 2014

Lazyman went off the deep end with bleach.

I've often seen "Blumats gave me my life back"; for me, bleach gave me my Blumats back. The system really is on autopilot now.

I forget where I got my data but I've written this on my Clorox bottle: 0.3ml / Gallon = 3ppm Cl

CelticEBE · Jun 1, 2014

seaslug said:
Lazyman went off the deep end with bleach.

I've often seen "Blumats gave me my life back"; for me, bleach gave me my Blumats back. The system really is on autopilot now.

I forget where I got my data but I've written this on my Clorox bottle: 0.3ml / Gallon = 3ppm Cl

Your running Jacks and bleach in your res?

Just switched over to V+B

seaslug · Jun 1, 2014

Yeah, Jack's, Drip Clean, GH pH Down, Clorox in city tap water. I'm still impressed by MaxiGro and Maxibloom as one-part nutes, though.

WalterWhiteFire · Jun 1, 2014

Sounds like a lot of gross chemicals you're putting into your medicine.

seaslug · Jun 8, 2014

I don't know how true it is but I found this statement (towards the bottom) here: https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/resources/plant-abuse-chart-and-photos-by-nietzsche.218/

"Chlorine raises the cell osmotic pressure and affects stomata regulation and increases the hydration of plant tissue. Levels less than 140 ppm are safe for most plants. Chloride sensitive plants may experience tip or marginal leaf burn at concentrations above 20 ppm."

BubbaG · Aug 17, 2014

Anyone run Blumats in coco? I've been running soil and am making the switch to coco..... so clean. Any advice on different behaviors between Blumats in soil and coco?

seaslug · Aug 17, 2014

I run Blumats in coco, I've never had 'em in dirt. Keep the reservoir between pH 5.8 and 6.0; some people range between 5.5 and 6.0.

I use bags of Canna and Atami which are already flushed of salt and precharged for proper cation exchange. A simple slurry test is a good idea before using.

seaslug · Aug 17, 2014

Slurry test using pH 7.4 tap water with about 0.16 mS:

691 microS = 0.7 mS = 350 ppm with 0.5 conversion factor

These readings were taken about 10 minutes after shaking up the mixture. (An old bag of Atami and a new bag of Canna.)

seaslug · Aug 17, 2014

They say coco doesn't hold nutes like soil so I've never done plain water flushes, I just taper off the nutes before harvest. I use Drip Clean @ 1ml per gallon all the way through.

BeenBurned · Aug 17, 2014

Hey Seaslug, r u in beds or pots...plastic or fabric? Have u noticed Any issues w/ the combo?
Thanx for the info

BeenBurned · Aug 17, 2014

Hey BubbaG, I am making the switch to some sort of auto water. Any probs with Blumats? Do they dial right in for ya? Any thoughts on cheapest place to purchase? Kit or parts...that kinda shit.
Thanx man...

seaslug · Aug 17, 2014

I'm using one gallon Smartpots. I tried 3 gallon Smartpots when I used Blumat Digital "tensiometers" but they didn't seem worth it (both the larger quantity of coco and the moisture probes). A single, standard model Blumat works fine in either size pot.

Sustainablevillage.com has always been the source for online buying in the US but you really have to search the site to find everything they offer. They resell Kent Systems fittings and have put together different kits for sale.

seaslug · Aug 17, 2014

One of these days I'll get a journal up but here are my thoughts that I've shared before:
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/atami-coco-pros-cons.65165/#post-1303030
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...as-to-much-k-already-what.65250/#post-1305061
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/drip-irrigation-knowledge-wanted.64491/
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/blumats-and-coco.60421/

I now test the total chlorine in my reservoir with a Hanna colorimeter. I was using too much Clorox, I maintain about 3.5ppm total Cl now.

BeenBurned · Aug 17, 2014

Damn I get some good answers around here.
Thank you very much.

YESCA73 · Aug 18, 2014

costco on sale

BubbaG · Aug 18, 2014

BeenBurned said:
Hey BubbaG, I am making the switch to some sort of auto water. Any probs with Blumats? Do they dial right in for ya? Any thoughts on cheapest place to purchase? Kit or parts...that kinda shit.
Thanx man...

On problems with Blumats....Do you have a good floor drain? Lol

j/k (not really) bro but they are finicky. I've been growing with them a couple of years now and have my tech mostly figured out. I believe they would be more consistent if you use them with the tap water pressure reducer and just run straight water and hand feed nutes, but I use a double reservoir system to keep the head pressure stable and I slam the nutes to the gals through the Blumats - kind of like an IV drip.

On research material, I can provide tons. The link to ICMag is a massive thread with tons of great info (sorry moderators if this gets me in hot water, but it's excellent research). IMO the guy that provided the best info and stuck the thread through was a guy named Rives - I would focus on his posts because the total thread is ~3500 posts.... happy reading bro

#1 piece of advice. Don't chase a blumat that the plant won't latch onto after a few days.... just pull that fucker and plug a new one in a different hole. Most runouts I've had have been from Blumats that wouldn't latch up and had to be fucked with throughout the grow.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046&page=237

A sketch of the all important (IMO) plumbing design is attached. Again, this is Rives' design, I just sketched it out.

Blumats and Coco Coir

Blumats and Coco Coir

seaslug

aksquid

seaslug

Scalpel3

seaslug

CelticEBE

seaslug

WalterWhiteFire

seaslug

BubbaG

seaslug

seaslug

seaslug

BeenBurned

BeenBurned

seaslug

seaslug

BeenBurned

YESCA73

BubbaG

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