Blumats

[Dr. Who]

I'm with T macc.

I run water only organic's and use it the same way when on vacations or long weekends.

I run a pressure controlled system. Thing is, I like seeing my kids everyday. So I only run the Blumats when going on vacation.

Somebody asked about their use with nutrients. As long as the nutrients are clean. Run them!
The synthetic runs have been run by blumats while on vacation this year....I have had no issues that way. This last 10 day vacation was the first for the synthetics and Blumats. I had one of my son's monitor it while he tended his projects. There where no issues.

BTW, that was with a dbl 55 gal drum set up and a pressure regulator.
for the synthetic runs.

Direct pumped pressure regulator for the organics.

 

[macsnax]

View attachment 4381664
This is a picture of my blumat res. It's a 5 gallon bucket with a float valve connected to the sink. Pump to reducer to pots.

I passed on blumats before cause I didn't have anywhere to hang a bucket of water. So I came up with this in hope that it would work



I like organic soil cause it's just easy. I dont get into the teas and all. I top dress instead and use innoculants every once in a while. My soil could use a touch up now after running for 2 years.
Are you thinking of implementing your nutrients with an organic soil? Or do you mean separating water res from nute res?

More like two seperate systems for flower. One for my salts and one water only. I'm still kinda committed to my salts for now. They're helping me get through seeds a lil quicker, lol. I think I'll go through build-a-soil for my organic stuff, they're located not too far from me.

 

[macsnax]

I'm with T macc.

I run water only organic's and use it the same way when on vacations or long weekends.

I run a pressure controlled system. Thing is, I like seeing my kids everyday. So I only run the Blumats when going on vacation.

Somebody asked about their use with nutrients. As long as the nutrients are clean. Run them!
The synthetic runs have been run by blumats while on vacation this year....I have had no issues that way. This last 10 day vacation was the first for the synthetics and Blumats. I had one of my son's monitor it while he tended his projects. There where no issues.

BTW, that was with a dbl 55 gal drum set up and a pressure regulator.
for the synthetic runs.

Direct pumped pressure regulator for the organics.

I hear ya. But just because your plants are on a system like this doesn't mean you can't go check on them. I spent an hour last night doing res changes, instead of a few hours broken up through the week mixing and hand watering. I'm digging it because I get more time for other stuff and with running coco I don't have to worry about anything drying out because I was preoccupied. The quicker growth rates are just a bonus, lol.

 

[xtsho]

I've been running blumats for a long time. Once their dialed in all you need to do is keep the reservoir filled. I use an 18 gallon tote with a small pond pump to keep the nutes stirred up and aerated. I'm running synthetic nutes and don't use any drip clean or product that supposed to keep the lines clean. I haven't had any issues at all. When I first started using them I had a couple of runaways but since then I check them for the first day and adjust them as needed and I haven't had any runaways since.

I'm growing in 100% coco and I couldn't imagine going back to hand watering.

 

[xtsho]

 

[macsnax]

I've been running blumats for a long time. Once their dialed in all you need to do is keep the reservoir filled. I use an 18 gallon tote with a small pond pump to keep the nutes stirred up and aerated. I'm running synthetic nutes and don't use any drip clean or product that supposed to keep the lines clean. I haven't had any issues at all. When I first started using them I had a couple of runaways but since then I check them for the first day and adjust them as needed and I haven't had any runaways since.

I'm growing in 100% coco and I couldn't imagine going back to hand watering.

I like to hear that. I was just told this morning that mega crop can clog these. I don't go super high on the ppms either though, 700 tops in flower. What kind of ppms are you running? What line? I have a wetting agent that I used in my greenhouse if problems arise.

 

[xtsho]

I like to hear that. I was just told this morning that mega crop can clog these. I don't go super high on the ppms either though, 700 tops in flower. What kind of ppms are you running? What line? I have a wetting agent that I used in my greenhouse if problems arise.

I'm running between 700 and 800 in flower. I'm going to lower that though down to between 600 and 700 on my next run.

 

[macsnax]

I'll take that back, I have a couple plants that I'll take up to 750ish, I guess now is a game of matching plants to each res, feed wise. I'm going to have to figure out that works between that and plant heights. I see nets in my future, lol.

 

[mattman089]

I'm running between 700 and 800 in flower. I'm going to lower that though down to between 600 and 700 on my next run.

Can't figure out why but ran 3 gallons of floraa kleen through a 3 gallon pot over the course of 2 days (2gal day 1;1 gallon day 2) and still OVER 800 ppm.. Unbelievable.

 

[macsnax]

Can't figure out why but ran 3 gallons of floraa kleen through a 3 gallon pot over the course of 2 days (2gal day 1;1 gallon day 2) and still OVER 800 ppm.. Unbelievable.

Salts stay in the medium for a good while. I can switch my plants to water only and they stay green for weeks, and that's in 1 gal pots.

 

[Thundercat]

I'm gonna have to keep looking into this. When I set up a new garden I would like to get as dialed in and automated as possible.

 

[mattman089]

Salts stay in the medium for a good while. I can switch my plants to water only and they stay green for weeks, and that's in 1 gal pots.

Copy that. I guess I thought the point of florakleen was to remove the salt from the soil LOL. I'm switching to water this week for the next week for a final flush although the more I read it's not really necessary LOL

 

[xtsho]

Can't figure out why but ran 3 gallons of floraa kleen through a 3 gallon pot over the course of 2 days (2gal day 1;1 gallon day 2) and still OVER 800 ppm.. Unbelievable.

FloraKleen is just sugar water. You don't need it.

 

[mattman089]

FloraKleen is just sugar water. You don't need it.

So no different than some blackstrap molasses?? Lol

What a waste of time and money florakleen was I read a lot of good about it.

 

[xtsho]

So no different than some blackstrap molasses?? Lol

What a waste of time and money florakleen was I read a lot of good about it.

It's just sucrose, fructose, sucanat, or other sugars.

 

[macsnax]

Copy that. I guess I thought the point of florakleen was to remove the salt from the soil LOL. I'm switching to water this week for the next week for a final flush although the more I read it's not really necessary LOL

No flushing really isn't necessary if you're not up there at 1600ppm

 

[macsnax]

I'm gonna have to keep looking into this. When I set up a new garden I would like to get as dialed in and automated as possible.

Dude I am loving these, it's still early for me. But I'm pretty sure it's my new thing.

 

[Dr. Who]

I've been running blumats for a long time. Once their dialed in all you need to do is keep the reservoir filled. I use an 18 gallon tote with a small pond pump to keep the nutes stirred up and aerated. I'm running synthetic nutes and don't use any drip clean or product that supposed to keep the lines clean. I haven't had any issues at all. When I first started using them I had a couple of runaways but since then I check them for the first day and adjust them as needed and I haven't had any runaways since.

I'm growing in 100% coco and I couldn't imagine going back to hand watering.

Warning: Drip clean will turn your soil into a brick.
Soil-less, not sure about that one.

 

[CAPT CHESAPEAKE]

@xtsho is that strait coco you are running ? If so does that have any bearing on the Blumats? Also that shot of the coco with the Blumat in it if i wanted to flush that plant for any reason could just pour water on that carrot and surrounding coco would just not water until signaled to do so from the original setting

 

[xtsho]

@xtsho is that strait coco you are running ? If so does that have any bearing on the Blumats? Also that shot of the coco with the Blumat in it if i wanted to flush that plant for any reason could just pour water on that carrot and surrounding coco would just not water until signaled to do so from the original setting

Yes that's 100% coco. I don't flush but I imagine that you could. The blumat would likely stop releasing water until it sensed the coco was dry.