DIY Thoughts on Blumat setup

[RockyRidger]

Just thought I’d share what I’ve learned over the last year with my blumat setup. I’m on the fourth run using them and have changed the setup considerably. I started with 4 - 20L pails plumbed together 7 ft above the plants with two water lines going down to the sensors in the 4 - 15 gal fabric pots(living soil organic). The 4 pot water system was set up in a closed loop fed from both sides. The first two runs (one photo, one auto)I think I got lucky when adjusting the sensors as the plants did fairly well. There was the odd minor deficiency on and off but for the most part they were green and healthy and all the plants except the RQ solomatic yielded very well. On my 3 rd run (autos) , around week 4 all 4 plants started showing deficiencies. Tried to chase the deficiencies with liquid organic fertz. Didn’t help, kept getting worse. Long story short, the blumat system was allowing too much water and I was drowning the roots, killing the biology and making the nutes inaccessible to the plants. Took me way too long to notice and figure out. The soil had been too wet for weeks. I disconnected the blumat system and hand watered for the rest of the run. Managed to salvage a fair harvest from the 4 plants.

The main culprit was my lack of attention. The 4 pails of water joined together made it difficult to keep track of how much each individual plant used. I also didn’t pay any attention to the moisture level of the soil.

On my current run (photos) I totaly revamped the setup and I think it is working much better. I put each fabric pot on its own separate bucket and water line. I built a simple float gauge for each bucket with 1L graduations on a dowel. I can now see at a glance how much water each plant is using.

I bought and installed 4 Blumat Moisture Meters that allow me to monitor each pot’s moisture level. In each pot I used one regular size(jr) Blumat carrot and one XL (senses moisture deeper). Each sensor has 5 distribution drippers. I kept notes to monitor and fine tuned the sensors for a couple weeks until I got the soil moisture averaging in the 100mbar range in each pot. Will adjust a bit drier (130mbar) once flowering gets going.

I also added a 1-6 graduated sticker for the blumat carrot adjustment screw so I can write down the setting and adjustment. I am making some wooden dials to glue on top of the adjustment screw with graduations painted on from 1-6 with 4 lines in between each number( I’ll add a photo when I get them done). The numbered dial is a game changer. Combined with the moisture sensors it makes dialing in and maintaining the correct moisture level much easier.

 

[4d-Rock]

Cool man, thanks for sharing. I have a set which I used for my planters but was thinking of trying them in an indoor cannabis grow.

do you have pics of your setup you could share?

 

[Death The Cultivator]

@PlatinumGrows

 

[PlatinumGrows]

Thanks for sharing I’m gonna use blumat tropf drippers one day and I already know I’m gonna experience a learning curve....individual reservoirs makes sense for growing each plant to its fullest potential though for sure....I just ordered a blumat moisture meter and I have some blumat classic carrots too I might could try one of those in a 1 or 2 gallon bag.....if you have any tips or suggestions on the classics I’m all ears....bump and following ....

 

[RockyRidger]

Ok, found a little time to relax and get on AFN a while.
Hi guys, here’s some photos of the setup.
Below is the 4 - 5gal buckets each watering it’s own plant. Also a look at the float which is 3/4” Ridgid foam insulation epoxied to a 3/8” dowel.



Below is how they are placed in the 15 gal pots. Deep (xl) carrot on the left, shallow on the right and moisture sensor in the middle.


Below from left to right, stock carrot top adjuster dial is plain brown plastic with raised “arrow” graduations, 6 arrows total around the dial. Hard to see under the canopy. Next one moving right I painted to see the arrows better. Easier to see but still hard to document the setting. Next one I measured the dial circumference an cut a white sticker label to size and marked 6 numbered graduations on it. Furthest right, I cut some round wood slices with a hole saw and painted white with 6 graduations in black. Also, each numbered space is divided into 4. So I can now keep track of the setting down to one twenty fourth of a turn increments in a daily watering log.



I’m finding it much easier to zero in on the right setting to keep the media in the optimum moisture range.

Here’s the girls. Photoperiod, just starting to flower 13 days after flip to 12. This is a CBD run. 2 Doctor Seedsman CBD 30-1 on the right. Seedsman Cream & Cheese 1-1 back left. Mamba Negra CBD 20-1 left front.

 

[RockyRidger]

Another tip. Having 5 distribution drippers on each sensor, I found it was important to adjust all of the individual drippers on the same sensor to release water at roughly equal rates. This helps in maintaining an even moisture level throughout the media. Two factors affect the rate that each dripper releases water, elevation relative to the other drippers in the same line and physical restriction within the threads of the drippers. The first dripper in line, 8cm from the carrot is the the one that will determine the moisture of the soil around the sensor carrot and controls how the valve opens and closes in response to the soil moisture around it. I set up the first dripper from the second carrot in the other direction around the pot so that drippers from one carrot don't affect the soil moisture around the other. To set up each individual dripper flow rate I count the time between drops on the first dripper in the line(8cm from the carrot) and adjust the elevations and threads on each additional dripper so all of the drippers on each carrot have roughly the same count between drops. I do this when the carrot valve is open and releasing water or if it is closed and not releasing water I write down my current setting and then open the valve until its dripping slowly, adjust the drippers so they are dripping equally and then turn the valve back to the setting it was at. Also, you might need to unscrew the black dripper plug all the way out if you can't get it to drip equally as a small bit of debris from your reservoir might have got stuck in it and is blocking the flow of water.

Also, another tweak for the carrot adjustment dials---5/8" nuts fit the top of the dial. I used a couple wraps of electrical tape on the plastic for a bit tighter friction fit and then a dab of caulking in the hole on top to hold it together. The nut has six sides matching the 6 arrows on the dial and a larger surface area to paint numbers and lines.

Here's a look at the girls today which is 3 weeks from the flip to 12-12. Starting to form buds nicely and lots of frost already.