Blumat system advice?

4ftRoots

Well-Known Member
Yeah I do not have the stakes, I just lay mine right on top of the soil. It would be nice to have them raised so that you can see them drip, I just lift them up to check once in a while.

I would imagine you could come up with something DIY like some toothpicks to keep them up off the soil. They really get you with the accessories, can get pricey quick.
I've tried laying them on the soil but worms get inside and die. You've never had that issue? I'm doing something wrong... or right? :D
 

iPerculate

Well-Known Member
I've tried laying them on the soil but worms get inside and die. You've never had that issue? I'm doing something wrong... or right? :D
I have had a few of them get clogged over time, but I figured that was from a buildup of minerals from the tap water or something. Yours dont get clogged as often since you raised them from the soil?
 

4ftRoots

Well-Known Member
I have had a few of them get clogged over time, but I figured that was from a buildup of minerals from the tap water or something. Yours dont get clogged as often since you raised them from the soil?
I remove and soak in vinegar after each run to keep them clean. I don't remember where I read it but it was recommended. The blumat won't need re-adjusting or anything. But from run to run I don't have clog issues. I also run from tap, so that could be part of it.

With pressure reducer.
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
You can get away with one carrot per 10 gal smart pot but two 180 deg across from each other works much better. I’ve had it happen more a than a few times where I’ve had water puddling on the floor. Takes a couple weeks to dial it in. Now that I think about it it’s been quite some time since I’ve been puddled.....
Do your self a favor and get an extra shutoff valve; my kit came with one but the res has 2 outputs. Ended up getting another so when I need to move plants I can shut it off so no water is wasted; no muss no fuss.
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
You can get away with one carrot per 10 gal smart pot but two 180 deg across from each other works much better. I’ve had it happen more a than a few times where I’ve had water puddling on the floor. Takes a couple weeks to dial it in. Now that I think about it it’s been quite some time since I’ve been puddled.....
Do your self a favor and get an extra shutoff valve; my kit came with one but the res has 2 outputs. Ended up getting another so when I need to move plants I can shut it off so no water is wasted; no muss no fuss.
Thanks for the advice!
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I got these setup yesterday, and put 4 drippers per pot. When I set them up, I did the thing where you give the pots a good watering (I watered until I got runoff and then waited for dripping to stop), plumbed the carrots to the line, bled the air from the lines, opened up the valve on each carrot and then slowly closed them until I saw the last drop hang, and then plugged that line until the drippers.

I marked the water level on the bucket so I could see how much water is being used at noon yesterday, and the water is still at the same level today, which I’m thinking is normal and a sign that I at least set them up in a way to where they won’t over water. Is that correct? So I’m guessing I just need to make sure the water does go down over the next week and that the pots don’t dry out too much during that time?
 

iPerculate

Well-Known Member
Yeah if you gave the soil a good soaking then it might be a day or 2 before they start to drip.

Keep an eye on the moisture level of the soil. If you see it start to get dry then increase the level on the carrot until it starts to have a slow drip.
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
Yeah if you gave the soil a good soaking then it might be a day or 2 before they start to drip.

Keep an eye on the moisture level of the soil. If you see it start to get dry then increase the level on the carrot until it starts to have a slow drip.
Thanks for the help!
 
Piggybacking off this thread rather than make a new one...

I want to do four 7 gallon pots (fabric) in a living soil (KIS mix). There doesn't seem to be a consensus on number of carrots per pot, one or two for a 7 gallon (I've even seen 3 suggested). If I went two, would I still need distribution drippers? Is it better to just do one carrot per pot and then 4 drippers? I'll be using a gravity system around 4-6 feet off the ground.

Lastly,for anyone who ordered the 12 tropf kit, did it come with everything you needed for a similar setup? I'm wondering if it would be easier or cheaper to just customize it for my grow rather than buy a kit that may or may not have everything I already need.

Thanks in advance for any help. :peace:
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
Piggybacking off this thread rather than make a new one...

I want to do four 7 gallon pots (fabric) in a living soil (KIS mix). There doesn't seem to be a consensus on number of carrots per pot, one or two for a 7 gallon (I've even seen 3 suggested). If I went two, would I still need distribution drippers? Is it better to just do one carrot per pot and then 4 drippers? I'll be using a gravity system around 4-6 feet off the ground.

Lastly,for anyone who ordered the 12 tropf kit, did it come with everything you needed for a similar setup? I'm wondering if it would be easier or cheaper to just customize it for my grow rather than buy a kit that may or may not have everything I already need.

Thanks in advance for any help. :peace:
I’m running mine in four 10 gal pots. Each pot has a single standard carrot, with 4 drippers evenly spaced around the circumference of the pot, and the dampness of the soil I my pots all seem to be pretty consistent. I bought the 6 carrot starter kit, which does NOT come with any drippers. I bought the drippers, separately, and those don’t come with stakes, so I made my own stakes.
 
I’m running mine in four 10 gal pots. Each pot has a single standard carrot, with 4 drippers evenly spaced around the circumference of the pot, and the dampness of the soil I my pots all seem to be pretty consistent. I bought the 6 carrot starter kit, which does NOT come with any drippers. I bought the drippers, separately, and those don’t come with stakes, so I made my own stakes.
Thx Charlie! I see your running fabric pots as well, so, it sounds like I could get by with 1 plus a few drippers.

When you mention stakes, are you just talking about something to support the line from the drippers? The site I'm looking at sells stakes for a buck each, so I will pick up a few of them as well if needed (or rig something up myself). You've had yours running for a couple weeks now, how you liking it ?
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
Thx Charlie! I see your running fabric pots as well, so, it sounds like I could get by with 1 plus a few drippers.

When you mention stakes, are you just talking about something to support the line from the drippers? The site I'm looking at sells stakes for a buck each, so I will pick up a few of them as well if needed (or rig something up myself). You've had yours running for a couple weeks now, how you liking it ?
I absolutely love the system because you really get a feel for how much the plants need during different temperature and humidity ranges. I may go with plastic pots for my next grow because I am used to growing in 5gal pots and hugely underestimated the extra humidity that would be caused by using 10gal pots. It's under control now but it is a lot harder for me to keep in line. I made my stakes out of plastic "picnic" knives. I just drilled a hole in the handle end that is just a tiny bit larger than the diameter of the hose. Then, when you slide it over the hose (over the barb) it holds the dripper tight enough to hold it at the angle you want. Those are brittle, so I will probably need to replace them eventually, but they are working well for now.
 
Good call on the knives man. 8) Thanks for all the info as well. You wouldn't happen to have a pic of your blumat setup would you? Good luck on the grow!
 

NeWcS

Well-Known Member
I use a 30 gallon plastic storage bin as a reservoir. I believe the recommendation is 10:1 ratio for your reservoir height compared to hose length. I recommend the dripper attachments as well, gets you a lot more coverage out of each carrot. I have 2-3 drippers on each carrot.
When you say 10:1 are you saying for every 10ft of hose in the system you need 1 feet(or maybe you're talking meters?) elevation on the reservoir?
 
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