Flowki
Well-Known Member
I gave blumats a go a little while back but had mixed results, sometimes amazing, sometimes I had to disconnect certain ones and return to manual feeding. Back then I was using single 5L buckets to each individual pot in order to limit the damage of a single large run away res. In hindsight they were just too small, getting the correct flow rate due to lack of pressure as the water began to run low seemed to be the issue (I assume).
This time I wanted to try again but with 20L buckets, although they will only be filled to 15L. This hopefully means I only have to refill them every second or third day, while pressure can be maintained. Again, this is in order to reduce the flood risk of a single large res. I do have the capacity to catch any run away from the single buckets, but I do not at any point want to deal with a single 150L run away res and have to reset everything, along with all plants potentially suffering badly.
A large slave res is used in a cooled separate space, with a pump system to fill up the buckets that are in the grow space. This does mean heat within the buckets may be an issue, and I may need to add a drop or two of ph down on daily checks. I am using blumats mostly for the even and constant water distribution, rather than the idea of not having to enter the space for days at a time. Simple because the results when the blumats work were very good.
I have a good filtration system to ensure nothing enters the buckets, which have the lids on with access ports. I may top them up ever other day to reduce temps in the buckets while also levelling out the PH, and give things a little stir. I didn't notice any issues around heat last time, but the position of the bigger buckets are less shielded from direct light now. I know that heat has not been an issue otherwise, but how many days do you think would be too many, before heat and ph rises too much in the buckets?.
When the blumats worked well, roots would grow out of the coco in 2-3 inch mounds. They got so high they began blocking the drip lines. Although very annoying, I though that was a ''good sign'', but, could it actually mean the flow rate was too low and the roots were searching harder for water, and I should take that as a sign to increase flow?.
Back then I also read quite a few blumat users who preferred a smaller distance from blumat to the end of the drip line, somewhere around 4-7 cm if I recall (I followed that advice back then). The pots I am using are around 15L, and I have the drip lines a little longer this time at 9cm. The pots are on a slight incline due to the floor, with the blumat on the lower side and dripper facing out to the higher point. Would you say the drip line is too long?. I was hoping the longer line and the slight incline would seep some of the water back toward the carrot, but also allow a deeper watering in the pot. Or is it destined to flood that way?. I did not want to get into using 2 blumats per pot since it doubles the chance of a flood in my eyes. I do have the blumats to do that, if I am badly mistaken?.
They have only just been set-up so I can reduce the drip line distance as they are not really feeding yet. I followed the recommended hanging drop > 2 arrows back. I do wonder though, with a bigger pot can I just assume loosening the screw a full arrow after the initial wet phase is going to be a very likely starting point?. I seemed to be forever backing the screws off last time, in small increments.. but maybe that was due to the combination of low pressure and too short a drip line?.
I also reduced nutrient strength from manual feeding down to 3/4 strength. Off the top of my head the manual feeding was somewhere in the region of 800-850 elemental ppm total (correction, it is just under 600ppm being used now). I don't know if reducing it to that level is the right thing to do or not, given no run off. If you are using blumats with good results can you state what nutrients you use and at what strength (also general RH-temp levels?), so I can try and figure out a ball park range.
That aside, what are peoples opinions on manually feeding once per month to run off, as a safety measure against build ups or potential deficiency?. I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what a plant needs through every single phase in a pot that does not have run off. It does seem likely that I can add more plain ph'd water to individual blumat buckets that are building a toxicity. I noticed that issue last time, not all plants feed the same or are getting the exact same light intensity, N was building up in those lower feeders, but they are locked into what ever over all ppm would be in your master res. Reducing the N amount the meant those that were fine were begging to show issue. Did anybody else have this kind of dilemma?.
This time I wanted to try again but with 20L buckets, although they will only be filled to 15L. This hopefully means I only have to refill them every second or third day, while pressure can be maintained. Again, this is in order to reduce the flood risk of a single large res. I do have the capacity to catch any run away from the single buckets, but I do not at any point want to deal with a single 150L run away res and have to reset everything, along with all plants potentially suffering badly.
A large slave res is used in a cooled separate space, with a pump system to fill up the buckets that are in the grow space. This does mean heat within the buckets may be an issue, and I may need to add a drop or two of ph down on daily checks. I am using blumats mostly for the even and constant water distribution, rather than the idea of not having to enter the space for days at a time. Simple because the results when the blumats work were very good.
I have a good filtration system to ensure nothing enters the buckets, which have the lids on with access ports. I may top them up ever other day to reduce temps in the buckets while also levelling out the PH, and give things a little stir. I didn't notice any issues around heat last time, but the position of the bigger buckets are less shielded from direct light now. I know that heat has not been an issue otherwise, but how many days do you think would be too many, before heat and ph rises too much in the buckets?.
When the blumats worked well, roots would grow out of the coco in 2-3 inch mounds. They got so high they began blocking the drip lines. Although very annoying, I though that was a ''good sign'', but, could it actually mean the flow rate was too low and the roots were searching harder for water, and I should take that as a sign to increase flow?.
Back then I also read quite a few blumat users who preferred a smaller distance from blumat to the end of the drip line, somewhere around 4-7 cm if I recall (I followed that advice back then). The pots I am using are around 15L, and I have the drip lines a little longer this time at 9cm. The pots are on a slight incline due to the floor, with the blumat on the lower side and dripper facing out to the higher point. Would you say the drip line is too long?. I was hoping the longer line and the slight incline would seep some of the water back toward the carrot, but also allow a deeper watering in the pot. Or is it destined to flood that way?. I did not want to get into using 2 blumats per pot since it doubles the chance of a flood in my eyes. I do have the blumats to do that, if I am badly mistaken?.
They have only just been set-up so I can reduce the drip line distance as they are not really feeding yet. I followed the recommended hanging drop > 2 arrows back. I do wonder though, with a bigger pot can I just assume loosening the screw a full arrow after the initial wet phase is going to be a very likely starting point?. I seemed to be forever backing the screws off last time, in small increments.. but maybe that was due to the combination of low pressure and too short a drip line?.
I also reduced nutrient strength from manual feeding down to 3/4 strength. Off the top of my head the manual feeding was somewhere in the region of 800-850 elemental ppm total (correction, it is just under 600ppm being used now). I don't know if reducing it to that level is the right thing to do or not, given no run off. If you are using blumats with good results can you state what nutrients you use and at what strength (also general RH-temp levels?), so I can try and figure out a ball park range.
That aside, what are peoples opinions on manually feeding once per month to run off, as a safety measure against build ups or potential deficiency?. I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what a plant needs through every single phase in a pot that does not have run off. It does seem likely that I can add more plain ph'd water to individual blumat buckets that are building a toxicity. I noticed that issue last time, not all plants feed the same or are getting the exact same light intensity, N was building up in those lower feeders, but they are locked into what ever over all ppm would be in your master res. Reducing the N amount the meant those that were fine were begging to show issue. Did anybody else have this kind of dilemma?.
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