I reached out to Tad and he connected me directly to a Blumat tech who then helped me design a custom system for my setting. This was one of the most positive customer service experiences I have had and I work in a service role! I just finished installing my system using this video and it answered every question I had. Took me 30 minutes. Thanks for all you do Tad.
Great video, Tad! A few comments: 1. In living soil, people don't need to use the distribution dripper in between the carrot and the BluSoak. In soils though that have lots of perlite, volcanic rock, sand, or when you can't loop the BluSoak back... it can be very important. 2. The factory in Austria strongly recommends letting the carrots sit in water for at least 10 minutes after you put the tops on under water. 3. The other advantage to using the SuperFlex instead of the black tubing is that it makes it really easy to take the fittings on and off. Unless the black tubing is hot from being in the sun, it's really hard to taking the fittings off 4. The white tubing can also be a better choice if there is a long run between the water source and the beds and if it can't be buried or put under mulch. It will keep the water from getting too hot.
Great video. One of the most informative I’ve seen. The last year, I’ve used Blumat with great success for my houseplants. I’m definitely looking into a Blumat system for my garden and scrapping the idea of tapping into my irrigation sprinkler system.
Tad, first, great video! Thanks for all the information you share about Organic gardening! What has been your experience about leaving the BluSoak on the surface of the soil vs burying it? I initially buried mine in my 3x3 bed, but it’s been a couple years now and with each subsequent crop they get buried deeper and are harder to access. So I’m planning on digging them up at the end of my current grow, but am debating whether I should bury them shallow again like I did the first time around or leave them on the surface. Also, do you have a recommended depth for setting the Digital Moisture Meter at 100 mBar when the tape is on the surface vs buried? Thanks again. ✌️
I would lightly bury them to protect them from UV if you're outside, unless the plant canopy will shade it rapidly. I would also dig them up every season and store them for the winter. That will keep them in good working condition and also prevent any damage from cold. And no I don't have a recommended depth, but I would want it relatively close to the surface so feed roots near the surface could get water. Keep in mind that 100 mbar is good for our soil but every media will be slightly different.
@@kisorganics thanks for the advice! I am currently using Blumats for an indoor grow actually which at the moment does not include any UV in my grow light spectrum. But that need to protect them from UV is definitely good to know in case I ever introduce it. If growing indoors where no UV was present and there would never be a Winter season where they could freeze and burst, would you still recommend burying them? Thanks again! ✌️❤️🔥
It’s not call pulse in the irrigation world, they call it Cycle and Soak. Water 💦 cycle, And Soak. Out here in the Desert our souls don’t absorb hardly any water when bone dry. And our infiltration rate just isn’t enough. So that where we cycle a little bit of water, soak, repeat till optimal. ;)
Can you cut the drip tape? Say I bought a big roll and I plan to use it for multiple areas. Can I cut the drip tape and attached something at the end of it?
Yes absolutely. You will need a couple of pieces for each section that you cut but yes that’s how it works. In the video I believe I demonstrate that part too.
I'm so confused with the tubing! I have the orange tube you mentioned but I don't see the black tube you say you have in the video. Does the wider tube go around whatever smaller tube is inside of the tape? I've had this thing for months and can't figure it out no matter how many videos there are :(
It can be confusing at first! There are 2 sizes to the tubing, the 8mm and the 3mm. The 8mm can be a more rigid black tubing or the orange "super flex" tubing. That's what will go from sensor to sensor and connect to your water supply. The smaller 3mm tubing is what connects the sensor to the 8mm line as well as "downstream" from the sensor where the drippers or soaker hose go. Does that help?
I'm having a bit of trouble trusting my system. I open the carrots to fill the hose, close the carrots, and then calibrate the carrots with the hanging drop method. Within 12-24 hours the hose is almost completely empty and my reservoir doesn't seem to drain much if at all. Is the hose supposed to be at a semi full state at all times? Is the hose supposed to be almost empty when the carrots aren't releasing water?
Tyler, great question! If you saturated the beds to field capacity and then did the hanging drop then 1 turn clockwise you should be close to dialed in. Minor adjustments may be needed still over time but it will be close. That being said, the hose will look empty at times, that's perfectly normal.
@@kisorganics Great. My impatience led to a little flood. I have the carrots cleaned, soaked, and put together waiting to be reinstalled and calibrated tonight when lights come back on.
The basic formula for reservoir/gravity systems is that for every 1' vertical you drop down from the water level, you can run 10' of horizontal supply line to the plants. If that doesn't work, there is a complete pressurizing pump system for $389.
Supposedly they can last for up to 25 years when buried under the soil. My plan is to bury these at the end of the season and then keep them buried for successive years, but I'll probably standardize the layout to something that covers the entire bed so I can do better crop rotation in future seasons.
I'd go with probably 2 distribution drippers in a 3 gal pot but I typically use Blumats only with larger containers due to the time and labor of setting them up.
We can get them through Blumats. I believe you can order direct from Sustainable Village if you just need a few packs and not a full custom design like we provide.
You don't need to attach right away, but I like to soak the carrots right before I go to use them so there's no issue of them drying out prior to use. If you don't attach the dripper lines, the carrot will just drip out the 3 mm line.
@@kisorganics Thanks a lot :) Yeah I still have them soaking because I don't have the right connector for my tank. I guess that shouldn't be a problem though. Will attach the lines as soon as I get everything ready, hoping my 2ft height difference can maintain enough pressure for the system to function properly
I reached out to Tad and he connected me directly to a Blumat tech who then helped me design a custom system for my setting. This was one of the most positive customer service experiences I have had and I work in a service role!
I just finished installing my system using this video and it answered every question I had. Took me 30 minutes.
Thanks for all you do Tad.
Johan McCloud thanks for the kind comments, I think you’re going to love the Blumats! 😀
Great video, Tad!
A few comments:
1. In living soil, people don't need to use the distribution dripper in between the carrot and the BluSoak. In soils though that have lots of perlite, volcanic rock, sand, or when you can't loop the BluSoak back... it can be very important.
2. The factory in Austria strongly recommends letting the carrots sit in water for at least 10 minutes after you put the tops on under water.
3. The other advantage to using the SuperFlex instead of the black tubing is that it makes it really easy to take the fittings on and off. Unless the black tubing is hot from being in the sun, it's really hard to taking the fittings off
4. The white tubing can also be a better choice if there is a long run between the water source and the beds and if it can't be buried or put under mulch. It will keep the water from getting too hot.
Thanks Steve!
Hey Steve what is the logic behind not using distribution drippers between carrot and blusoak? And do you advice to loop it back to a carrot?
@@larsmils6600 did you ever find out?
@@larsmils6600 With a distribution dripper in between, the water tends to turn off too quickly.
Great video. One of the most informative I’ve seen. The last year, I’ve used Blumat with great success for my houseplants. I’m definitely looking into a Blumat system for my garden and scrapping the idea of tapping into my irrigation sprinkler system.
Thanks! Shoot me an email at tad@kisorganics.com and I can help out with a design.
Awesome video. Thanks!
Tad, first, great video! Thanks for all the information you share about Organic gardening!
What has been your experience about leaving the BluSoak on the surface of the soil vs burying it?
I initially buried mine in my 3x3 bed, but it’s been a couple years now and with each subsequent crop they get buried deeper and are harder to access. So I’m planning on digging them up at the end of my current grow, but am debating whether I should bury them shallow again like I did the first time around or leave them on the surface.
Also, do you have a recommended depth for setting the Digital Moisture Meter at 100 mBar when the tape is on the surface vs buried?
Thanks again. ✌️
I would lightly bury them to protect them from UV if you're outside, unless the plant canopy will shade it rapidly. I would also dig them up every season and store them for the winter. That will keep them in good working condition and also prevent any damage from cold. And no I don't have a recommended depth, but I would want it relatively close to the surface so feed roots near the surface could get water. Keep in mind that 100 mbar is good for our soil but every media will be slightly different.
@@kisorganics thanks for the advice! I am currently using Blumats for an indoor grow actually which at the moment does not include any UV in my grow light spectrum. But that need to protect them from UV is definitely good to know in case I ever introduce it.
If growing indoors where no UV was present and there would never be a Winter season where they could freeze and burst, would you still recommend burying them?
Thanks again! ✌️❤️🔥
Can you use nutrients through the blu mat system? Love the pod cast!! Keep it up 👍🏼 I can’t seem to find out any info on how they work 🤔
You can, though I don't recommend it. Much better in my opinion to water the nutrients in over the top. Thanks!
It’s not call pulse in the irrigation world, they call it Cycle and Soak. Water 💦 cycle, And Soak. Out here in the Desert our souls don’t absorb hardly any water when bone dry. And our infiltration rate just isn’t enough. So that where we cycle a little bit of water, soak, repeat till optimal. ;)
Can you cut the drip tape? Say I bought a big roll and I plan to use it for multiple areas. Can I cut the drip tape and attached something at the end of it?
Yes absolutely. You will need a couple of pieces for each section that you cut but yes that’s how it works. In the video I believe I demonstrate that part too.
I'm so confused with the tubing! I have the orange tube you mentioned but I don't see the black tube you say you have in the video. Does the wider tube go around whatever smaller tube is inside of the tape? I've had this thing for months and can't figure it out no matter how many videos there are :(
It can be confusing at first! There are 2 sizes to the tubing, the 8mm and the 3mm. The 8mm can be a more rigid black tubing or the orange "super flex" tubing. That's what will go from sensor to sensor and connect to your water supply. The smaller 3mm tubing is what connects the sensor to the 8mm line as well as "downstream" from the sensor where the drippers or soaker hose go. Does that help?
I'm having a bit of trouble trusting my system. I open the carrots to fill the hose, close the carrots, and then calibrate the carrots with the hanging drop method. Within 12-24 hours the hose is almost completely empty and my reservoir doesn't seem to drain much if at all. Is the hose supposed to be at a semi full state at all times? Is the hose supposed to be almost empty when the carrots aren't releasing water?
Tyler, great question! If you saturated the beds to field capacity and then did the hanging drop then 1 turn clockwise you should be close to dialed in. Minor adjustments may be needed still over time but it will be close. That being said, the hose will look empty at times, that's perfectly normal.
@@kisorganics turn one whole turn clockwise? I've been doing two triangles.
@@rage_of_t I call one of the triangles a "turn"
@@kisorganics Great. My impatience led to a little flood. I have the carrots cleaned, soaked, and put together waiting to be reinstalled and calibrated tonight when lights come back on.
GREAT INFO
Awesome video! Thank you! If I need to use a reservoir: Does it have to be above the level of the bed or could I use one standing on the ground?
The basic formula for reservoir/gravity systems is that for every 1' vertical you drop down from the water level, you can run 10' of horizontal supply line to the plants. If that doesn't work, there is a complete pressurizing pump system for $389.
Steve Troy thank you for that answer! All I needed!
Tad, what’s the life expectancy of blusoak over something like John Deere Rodrip drip tape? Thanks!
Supposedly they can last for up to 25 years when buried under the soil. My plan is to bury these at the end of the season and then keep them buried for successive years, but I'll probably standardize the layout to something that covers the entire bed so I can do better crop rotation in future seasons.
Whoa! That way better. Drip only lasts 2 or 3 tops plus the voles and mice chew it. Would like to do my 30x72’ HT in blumat.
great video, do you think one dripper is wetting the entire volume of soil or it would have some dry part ? if yes how would you do in 3gal pot ?
I'd go with probably 2 distribution drippers in a 3 gal pot but I typically use Blumats only with larger containers due to the time and labor of setting them up.
where can i get those hold down hooks?
We can get them through Blumats. I believe you can order direct from Sustainable Village if you just need a few packs and not a full custom design like we provide.
@@kisorganics alrdy had them just didnt look the same. Ben at kaizen knows what hes doing
Would I need to attach the dripper lines already? Or is it just about soaking the carrots?
You don't need to attach right away, but I like to soak the carrots right before I go to use them so there's no issue of them drying out prior to use. If you don't attach the dripper lines, the carrot will just drip out the 3 mm line.
@@kisorganics Thanks a lot :) Yeah I still have them soaking because I don't have the right connector for my tank. I guess that shouldn't be a problem though. Will attach the lines as soon as I get everything ready, hoping my 2ft height difference can maintain enough pressure for the system to function properly
BTW, tell us how you made those garden boxes!
They're called GreenBeds, they're made in Portland, OR. I used to sell/distribute them at our farm store.