Indoor How low (maintenance) can you go? Blumat and Kindsoil test

[Ozone69]

Finally kicking off my test grow using Kindsoil to provide the nutrients, and a Blumat system to supply the water. Hopefully if all goes well I shouldn't have to do much other than keep an eye on the water level in my reservoir and add more when needed. I'm using my Berkey water filter as the reservoir, which then feeds into the 8mm line that came with the Blumats using the little bulkhead fitting they give you in the kit. Ran the lines down and under the door, tacking it up so I should be able to open/close without having to worry about it running into the lines. Got the four carrots setup in the pots and starting to get 'em dialed in.

I already have one seedling for a Blue Amnesia XXL from Dinafem going in the far left pot that will be the initial test. Since my other three seeds didn't germinate, I'll be trying out starting three more directly in the soil to see if I get better luck that way.

This will also be the first grow under the new, home build LED lamp, so excited to see how that goes as well.

HERE WE GOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[All I HAVE]

I would love to do this set up.. A need details......

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[Ozone69]

Suppose some more details would be in order. Since it's a new log, new closet setup, and all. :smoking:

Converted bedroom closet, approximately 5x2ft in size. Tiled the floor in with a little riser/divider across the doorway, painted all the insides white, had a dedicated 20amp circuit ran to it for some power, and installed an @100CFM vent fan circulating air back into the room (wish it ran outside during hottest part of summer, though).

Overhead I'm using a newly built, DIY LED lamp using Cree CXB3590 32V COB's. Spectrum is 3500K and they're currently running at a hair over 50W each.
There are four 3ft T5 HO fixtures in the corner of the closet that I used for side lighting on previous grows. With it being mid summer I'm not going to use them due to heat on the upgraded LED and not needing them as much with the new lights.

Setup on the current grow is that I split two 5lb bags of Kindsoil between four Root Trapper II 5 gallon tall soft side pots. Then split a 1.5cubic foot bag of Roots Organic Original potting soil between the four bags on top of the Kindsoil. Rough calculations I figure around 3-4 gallons of total medium in each pot.

I planted four seeds to start, but three of them barely cracked open and then went nowhere. Was trying germinating in Root Riot plugs for the first time, so currently rethinking that approach. The one that popped, an Auto Blue Amnesia XXL from Dinafem, broke surface on 6-12 and was moved into the pot from the seed tray on 6-19. So currently right at around 11 days today with 4 in the pot.

For watering, I'm doing my first run using the Tropf Blumat auto watering system, which was just installed and started in use today (seedling was previously hand watered). They are being fed by a 5 gallon bucket reservoir outfitted with a home built Berkey carbon filter to remove bacteria, chlorine, and other nasty's from the water. Feeding the filter tap water and going to try running without adjusting the PH until there is evidence of need. Running at the high end of good range with my tap usually around 6.9-7.0, so one of the things I'll have to keep an eye on.

That's about all the details I can think of for now. I've read good things about folks results with Kindsoil on AFN, and with Blumat's on some of the other grow forums, so I'm hoping they will prove to be a great combo together.

 

[Ozone69]

Replacement seeds have been planted. *crosses fingers*

Trying to get another AutoMazar from Dutch Passion going as well as another Devil Cream Auto from Sweet Seeds. Since the Vertigo seed was my last of those, I'll be replacing that with an Amnesia Auto from World Of Seeds that was part of a freebie pack, and one of the strains that did better than others in my bacteria ridden hydroponic attempts. So really looking forward to seeing what it can do with (hopefully) more ideal conditions (provided it sprouts).

Starting straight to soil this time. Just seem to have better luck so far with that over cubes, tray, warming mat method so we'll see how it goes in the Roots Organic.

 

[Ozone69]

Things are moving along nice. Two of the three new seeds, Devil Cream and Automazar, sprouted in the last day and a half or so. The third, the Amnesia seed, looks like it germinated, I can see the shell on the surface, but looks like it's have problems sprouting. Going to give it another day or two before thinking about replacing it. The first seedling is growing a little funky looking. Seemed to have a rough go transitioning into the soil in the pot from the seedling tray. Looks to be getting going again now, albeit a bit slowly for now. Kind of thinking that with that and the low germination rate on the first batch and the good germination rate on the new batch that I'm just done with seed cubes and trays and going to sow straight to soil from now on. Kept wanting to make the cubes work because being about to use the warming mat to bring some heat would supposedly help thing happen faster. But I just seem to have horrible luck with that method, and decent luck starting straight to soil so gotta go with it.

As for the Blumat's. They are seeming like they will be as awesome as I was hoping. Really simple system, I just need to keep myself from fiddling with them. Can see things drying out, and then will start seeing little drips from the Blumat's. Come back a while later and will be a nice little wet spot between the drip line and the cone sensor, and the drips have stopped. Then once it dries out enough again the drips start back up. So just a matter of getting them adjusted for the right moisture levels for your plant(s).

 

[Grim Reefer]

This looks like the ultimate lazy boy grow. Im subbed man.

 

[Ozone69]

The Blue Amnesia plant has started to really take off nicely in the last couple days. Good growth on the two seedlings as well. I planted another Amnesia Auto seed on the 30th, but still waiting for it to germinate and sprout. Liking the Blumat's so far. Think I've got them dialed in so mostly just leaving them alone. It's nice that you can adjust them. I've been running them more open when I plant the seed to keep it good and moist until germination, then slowly dialing it back as the seeling get's going until I feel the level is right.

I've also started adding some PH down to the source water before pouring it into the filter. Since there isn't much to do with this system but sit back twiddling my thumbs and watching stuff work, I decided to brush off the old PH meter, get it calibrated, and pay a little better attention to the PH of the water. Water in the reservoir (post filter) was pushing the high 7's, so I drained it and ran some that I adjusted down to 6.5-6.8 range before pouring in. I think the filter process may be raising it a little. Since it removes some stuff but leaves others and doesn't make pure water like a R/O filter, it's totally a possibility that it could raise. So I'm going to start lowering the source water to around 6.6 or so before pouring in since that seems to be giving me around 6.9-7.0 coming out.

 

[Grim Reefer]

I bet its nice just being able to sit back and watch it all happen. Not having to lift a finger as your set up does it all for you.

 

[derek420colorado]

The Blue Amnesia plant has started to really take off nicely in the last couple days. Good growth on the two seedlings as well. I planted another Amnesia Auto seed on the 30th, but still waiting for it to germinate and sprout. Liking the Blumat's so far. Think I've got them dialed in so mostly just leaving them alone. It's nice that you can adjust them. I've been running them more open when I plant the seed to keep it good and moist until germination, then slowly dialing it back as the seeling get's going until I feel the level is right.

I've also started adding some PH down to the source water before pouring it into the filter. Since there isn't much to do with this system but sit back twiddling my thumbs and watching stuff work, I decided to brush off the old PH meter, get it calibrated, and pay a little better attention to the PH of the water. Water in the reservoir (post filter) was pushing the high 7's, so I drained it and ran some that I adjusted down to 6.5-6.8 range before pouring in. I think the filter process may be raising it a little. Since it removes some stuff but leaves others and doesn't make pure water like a R/O filter, it's totally a possibility that it could raise. So I'm going to start lowering the source water to around 6.6 or so before pouring in since that seems to be giving me around 6.9-7.0 coming out.

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Holy shit @Ozone69 now this is something that just might get me back into growing in dirt, I mean theoretically you could have a 500 gallon rez and LITERALLY not have to lift a finger for the whole grow, the true Ron Popeal style of Growing "Just set it and forget it folks"

 

[Ozone69]

Yep...you could even skip the res if you really wanted if there is city water available. They make an adapter to tie it in with your house water and regulate it down to 6psi or so for the Blumat's. :smoking: