Blumat setup

Midnight Warrior

Well-Known Member
Hello all, getting ready to get the next grow going soon as the weather cools some and I have been eyeing those blumat self watering systems.

Was just curious if the kit that comes with 12 cones and a reservoir would be plenty for 4 plants in a 5 x 5?
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Yes it will. You will only need one "carrot" per plant if they are in like a 3 to 5 gal. I use 2 per plant in 10 gal smart pots for flowering.
Bluemats really work great. I put a source bucket with a pump and recycle timer to feed the reservoir bucket automatically. It goes off twice per day for 8 seconds which keeps up with my plants consumption so I can literally leave my flower room going for weeks without watering. I also added a wooden dowel that is glued inside a cork with a hole drilled in the lid so you can see the level of water without looking inside.
 

mr_c

Well-Known Member
Just make sure you have your reservoir high above the carrots. I followed spec and found that it needed to be higher to insure adequate flow. I'd say a minimum of 4ft for a 12 carrot system, which is exactly what I have (and 3 ft didn't work).
 

Midnight Warrior

Well-Known Member
Yes it will. You will only need one "carrot" per plant if they are in like a 3 to 5 gal. I use 2 per plant in 10 gal smart pots for flowering.
Bluemats really work great. I put a source bucket with a pump and recycle timer to feed the reservoir bucket automatically. It goes off twice per day for 8 seconds which keeps up with my plants consumption so I can literally leave my flower room going for weeks without watering. I also added a wooden dowel that is glued inside a cork with a hole drilled in the lid so you can see the level of water without looking inside.
They will be in 5 gal airpots.
 

mr_c

Well-Known Member
Why run 3 per pot?

If you use 1 and have 3 drip locations that's like having 3 of them in right? Just asking so someone that has more than 4 plants won't put 3 in if they don't have to.
He's running 5 gallon airpots so I'd start with 2, I have no experience with them but have read that they dry out fast.

I use coco/perlite and fabric pots and have done 2 grows with blumats: 5 gallon pot with 2 carrots and 10 gallon pot with 3 carrots.

It comes down to pot size and medium. Soils that dry slowly has different needs than those that dry quickly.
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
In a heavier organic soils you might get away with less carrots per container than a lighter coco based mix. Fabric pots drain faster than plastic does. Ambient temps and humidity are another factor.
There are a few different designs of bluemat "carrots:" the ones made for indoor plants can be set with multiple drip points and are smaller than those with only one drip point but the slightly larger carrots hold more water for outdoor plants. They even sell super long carrots for trees and shrubs, etc.
You'll need to fiddle with the valves to set the proper drip rate. Every so often they will need to be adjusted again. Setting up the valves is sorta like bleeding the brake lines in a car... any air in the system at all and it stops working properly. Never let the bucket run dry or you'll need to reset the entire system again.
Mr C is right; finding proper elevation for gravity feed is key. I would add that keeping the feed hose connecting all the carrots as level as possible helps ensure an even rate of drip for each plant. I had to use wire ties to manage the water feed line. Every so often you may need to refill the carrots if they dry out. When set up correctly the carrots provide both passive moisture to the roots and helps control the rate of drip.
 

Midnight Warrior

Well-Known Member
In a heavier organic soils you might get away with less carrots per container than a lighter coco based mix. Fabric pots drain faster than plastic does. Ambient temps and humidity are another factor.
There are a few different designs of bluemat "carrots:" the ones made for indoor plants can be set with multiple drip points and are smaller than those with only one drip point but the slightly larger carrots hold more water for outdoor plants. They even sell super long carrots for trees and shrubs, etc.
You'll need to fiddle with the valves to set the proper drip rate. Every so often they will need to be adjusted again. Setting up the valves is sorta like bleeding the brake lines in a car... any air in the system at all and it stops working properly. Never let the bucket run dry or you'll need to reset the entire system again.
Mr C is right; finding proper elevation for gravity feed is key. I would add that keeping the feed hose connecting all the carrots as level as possible helps ensure an even rate of drip for each plant. I had to use wire ties to manage the water feed line. Every so often you may need to refill the carrots if they dry out. When set up correctly the carrots provide both passive moisture to the roots and helps control the rate of drip.
Awesome man thanks for the advice. Can't wait to give these things a go.
 

TechnicalToker

Well-Known Member
I only use these when I go away on vacation or the like. Ive had mine for some time. he new ones look a little different. If I follow the directions supplied with my order , my reservoir can be the same level as the pots and work extremely well.
 

Craigson

Well-Known Member
Just make sure you have your reservoir high above the carrots. I followed spec and found that it needed to be higher to insure adequate flow. I'd say a minimum of 4ft for a 12 carrot system, which is exactly what I have (and 3 ft didn't work).
Weird, mine works fine 1 ft above my bed
 
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