Blumats. Who's using them?

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
So my Blumat box should arrive today, planning on getting it up and running hopefully tomorrow or later this week. Any thoughts on if I need anything to keep lines or 'sensors' clean? I'll be working with GH Maxi Gro/Bloom, and have been using a little bit of epsom salt too.

Thoughts on the best way to keep the system clean and clear and functional? I think that GH Maxi is pretty clean running anyway and I'll also have filters on both lines from the reservoir.
I ran gh trio in one res and had some minor issues. The other tent had maxibloom. Never had to fiddle with the carrot once.
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I also dose my feed-water ahead of time by a day or two and let it sit to dissolve completely. I know lots of people bitch about the Maxi stuff not dissolving well or completely and having to use warm water or shake it for long periods of time, but I don't seem to have the same issues. I drop the stuff in 24-48 hours earlier, give it a quick shake then maybe one more quick 5 second shake the next day and it's fully dissolved. I don't love the 'chunks' that seem to form in it even with the bag sealed shut, but I just pull those out. In this case, since I'd be doing half strength, it would be something like 3.5g per gallon which isn't that much.

So far since moving from the trio system I find it way easier to deal with and the plants seem to be overall happier. I know I can go straight MaxiBloom but so far have been running Maxigro for my most recent for the first handful of weeks. I'll start a transition right before I flip. But yeah, these little Durban Poisons are pretty damned happy and I've been topping and snipping lowers and all that, and for now they have fans the size of my hand happening.

View attachment 5116628
I actually split my maxibloom.and grow in veg. Seems to have some deficiency if just running maxigrow. I'll do 3 scoops of grow and 2 scoops of bloom in veg and slowly taper to all bloom over the next 2 week
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
I think that many people that are having issues with dissolving dry nutrients are mixing them into to little a volume of water and hit the solubility limit. I had that issue with MaxiBloom dissolving enough for 5 gallons in a 12 oz water bottle. I started mixing the same amount in in a gallon jug instead and it dissolved easily and completely.
The only issue I ever have is a few 'crumbs' at the bottom after mixing. I just crush em up with my mixing stick and mix them in. Voila
 

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
I've tinkered with Maxi quite a bit and a combination of the two works great.

I use 100% Gro until a few weeks into flower, then a mix of Gro and Bloom until harvest.

I've found MaxiBloom alone has way more Phosphorous than necessary.

Probably a topic for another thread but there's no benefit to push P beyond 50-60 ppm or so in any vegetable crop; no reason cannabis would be any different.

MaxiGro 5g/gal
MaxiGro5g.png
MaxiBloom 5g/gal
MaxiBloom5g.png

50/50 MaxiGro/Bloom
MaxiGro2.5gBloom2.5g.png
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
I actually split my maxibloom.and grow in veg. Seems to have some deficiency if just running maxigrow. I'll do 3 scoops of grow and 2 scoops of bloom in veg and slowly taper to all bloom over the next 2 week
I've taken the advice of a few people here that 5-7g of Maxi per gallon is a comfy level. So far that seems true, though I think it's a bit heavier on the nitrogen than really needed. As of right now I've ramped up with my most recent grow, starting around 1.5g on week two up to 6g right now. They probably wanted me to ramp a bit quicker since one plant had a few lowers that yellowed. But I will say that at 6g the plants are healthy A.F. and show no signs of being overfed. No clawing, no burning etc. And they're not blinking at me topping and trimming at will. I have a little digital scale and I've just been weighing everything out these days.

I've tinkered with Maxi quite a bit and a combination of the two works great.

I use 100% Gro until a few weeks into flower, then a mix of Gro and Bloom until harvest.

I've found MaxiBloom alone has way more Phosphorous than necessary.

Probably a topic for another thread but there's no benefit to push P beyond 50-60 ppm or so in any vegetable crop; no reason cannabis would be any different.

MaxiGro 5g/gal
View attachment 5116860
MaxiBloom 5g/gal
View attachment 5116861

50/50 MaxiGro/Bloom
View attachment 5116862
Thank you. This is SUPER helpful. In fact it's one of the few posts I've bookmarked. Once my 'little ones' get a little bigger so I can comfortably LST them and get them set at 8-10 colas, I'm going to start weaning back on the Gro and start adding the Bloom. I see the mix has a good amount of Mg as well...I've been adding 1g to my feeds anyway, but the plants aren't complaining. My water is ~.44-.48EC to start, so I think the calcium is already in place but I've had purple stems, etc. previously and I don't have those any more. Also the plants are taking stronger light more readily...I'm currently at 620umol and there's no sign of canoeing or any leaf trauma.

In fact...the MaxiGro has my tented hot peppers looking super green and shiny and my tomatoes are already nearly a foot tall while usually they're closer to 6" right now.
 

Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
I've taken the advice of a few people here that 5-7g of Maxi per gallon is a comfy level. So far that seems true, though I think it's a bit heavier on the nitrogen than really needed. As of right now I've ramped up with my most recent grow, starting around 1.5g on week two up to 6g right now. They probably wanted me to ramp a bit quicker since one plant had a few lowers that yellowed. But I will say that at 6g the plants are healthy A.F. and show no signs of being overfed. No clawing, no burning etc. And they're not blinking at me topping and trimming at will. I have a little digital scale and I've just been weighing everything out these days.



Thank you. This is SUPER helpful. In fact it's one of the few posts I've bookmarked. Once my 'little ones' get a little bigger so I can comfortably LST them and get them set at 8-10 colas, I'm going to start weaning back on the Gro and start adding the Bloom. I see the mix has a good amount of Mg as well...I've been adding 1g to my feeds anyway, but the plants aren't complaining. My water is ~.44-.48EC to start, so I think the calcium is already in place but I've had purple stems, etc. previously and I don't have those any more. Also the plants are taking stronger light more readily...I'm currently at 620umol and there's no sign of canoeing or any leaf trauma.

In fact...the MaxiGro has my tented hot peppers looking super green and shiny and my tomatoes are already nearly a foot tall while usually they're closer to 6" right now.
I just run with ec levels. .3 calmag then bring that to 1.2-1.5 in bloom with maxibloom no idea the weight. Just got this in tho. Will be trying it in the blumats see how that goes. Supposed to be really clean.
IMG_20220411_193333.jpg
 

jimmytownbound

Well-Known Member
I am looking for a little blumat pump advice. I am running a 3x6 bed with 6 carrots and drip emitters. I have had very good luck with the system and have grown several crops this way. I have almost 10’ ceiling in my room, res is at 7’. I only have a 10gal res which is fine when I am home. I would like to setup a bigger res on the floor and run a pump. I have looked at the pump setup on sustainable and it’s almost $500. Is there a more reasonable alternative? Sorry so long winded.
 

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Jjgrow420

Well-Known Member
I am looking for a little blumat pump advice. I am running a 3x6 bed with 6 carrots and drip emitters. I have had very good luck with the system and have grown several crops this way. I have almost 10’ ceiling in my room, res is at 7’. I only have a 10gal res which is fine when I am home. I would like to setup a bigger res on the floor and run a pump. I have looked at the pump setup on sustainable and it’s almost $500. Is there a more reasonable alternative? Sorry so long winded.
I don't run the pumps but some guys that commented here do and I'm sure they can help. If you go back some pages the info should be there.
 

jimmytownbound

Well-Known Member
Thank you. I have look over the thread can’t find anything specific on pump. Just that the system runs very consistent with it. @McShnutz I see you are running a pump setup. Is sustainable the only or best option?
 

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
I am looking for a little blumat pump advice. I am running a 3x6 bed with 6 carrots and drip emitters. I have had very good luck with the system and have grown several crops this way. I have almost 10’ ceiling in my room, res is at 7’. I only have a 10gal res which is fine when I am home. I would like to setup a bigger res on the floor and run a pump. I have looked at the pump setup on sustainable and it’s almost $500. Is there a more reasonable alternative? Sorry so long winded.
The issue with pumps and blumats is that you need constant pressure so a pump alone won't cut it.
You can use use an accumulator tank similar to what's included in some RO filter kits. A pump will run periodically to maintain the pressure in the accumulator tank.
 

jimmytownbound

Well-Known Member
I don’t run any nutrients is my blumat just plain water as I am in living soil. Did you source your pump setup up from sustainable? I understand the constant pressure and the need for the accumulator. Just didn’t want to drop the $500 on it.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I don’t run any nutrients is my blumat just plain water as I am in living soil. Did you source your pump setup up from sustainable? I understand the constant pressure and the need for the accumulator. Just didn’t want to drop the $500 on it.
I used a really small pump I bought on Amazon for around $15. It worked fine and didn't heat up the res too much.
 

jkahndb0

Well-Known Member
Now that we can have 3 mature plants per person in NY im going outside!
The plan is each plant gets a 100 gallon fabric pot live soil and doing
2 - Tropf Maxi
1- Tropf standard
BluSoak tape
and ~5-7 drip emitters Per pot. With a gravity fed reservoir may or may not have float valve to keep res topped with water.

For BluMat vets is that overkill or just right?
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Now that we can have 3 mature plants per person in NY im going outside!
The plan is each plant gets a 100 gallon fabric pot live soil and doing
2 - Tropf Maxi
1- Tropf standard
BluSoak tape
and ~5-7 drip emitters Per pot. With a gravity fed reservoir may or may not have float valve to keep res topped with water.

For BluMat vets is that overkill or just right?
Note that home growing won't be legal until 18 months after retails opens in NYS. So, you may want to remain indoors until that time.

...Also, if you read the law, localities can reduce that 3 & 3 plant number downwards if they want, as long as it's not to zero...so you'll also want to check with your local government to find out if it remains at 3 or if they've trimmed it back.
 

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
A little lunch-time prep. Spend most of the break out at the hives preparing them for spring season, but super easy to drill and prep the reservoir...

IMG_3247.jpgIMG_3246.jpg

^^ I chose this 'bin' because it was one of the only that was 'flat' down to the bottom edge, making it easier to mount the bulk-head connects as low as possible so it draws from the bottom rather than half an inch or an inch up the sidewall.
 
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