Best Automated Watering System

[boroboro]

I'm looking to buy a Tropf Blumat system, but my local hydro store doesn't stock them. Does anyone know of a retailer (hydro or otherwise) within 100 miles of Detroit that carries them?

 

Alternatively, has anyone seen any other brand on the shelves in Michigan? I would really prefer to buy this piece of equipment locally rather than online.

 

The big hydro shop in Livonia carries them. 7 Mile and Middlebelt, as I recall? Somewhere within a few miles of there. I bought their 'starter set', but haven't yet tried it.

[Chronic]

I have never heard anyone complain about how much work it is to grow cannabis. Maybe you should find a caregiver.

 

 

I complain all the time,

 

but then again, I actually have a real business, and work for a living. How bout you? Or is growing cannabis your job;)

[Nix]

You only get one life, so time is of the essence. The first thing I would recommend is going hydro. Once it's set up, all you have to do it top off the reservoir. For my mother plants in soil-less I use a simple drip system.

 

These are the parts you need to make one:

bucket or tote with a lid - $5 or less

cheap pump - $10-20

1/2" tubing (black or blue is best) - $10-15

1/4" tubing (black also is best) - $10-15

1/2" to 1/4" dripline manifold or 1/4" splitters - $10

 

This stuff is optional, but recommended:

digital timer - $15 and up

air pump and airstone - $15

dripper stakes - $1 a piece

 

Put the pump in the bucket with your nutrients. Chemical nutes are recommended as organics can create slime and smell. Put the pump in the bucket. Drill a half inch wide exit hole in the top for the 1/2" pump line and one for the powercord. Attach the 1/2" hose from the pump to the manifold. I had to buy a little part at the hydro store that converted a 1/2" barbed connector to a typical screw on hose and then that attached to the manifold. The manifold just splits the water from one stream into as many as you need via 1/4" tubing. I use the cheap little drip spikes that stick in the dirt and attach that to the tubing. If you have less plants then just run the extra tubes back to the res. If you need more get a cheap aquarium airline splitter.

 

Use an aquarium air pump and air stone to aerate the water. It's not necessary, but the plants will like it. You could easily just plug in the pump whenever you wish to water, but I prefer a timer because I'm never home at the same time every day. Digital timers are great because you can set an entire week of waterings. I water absently with the same schedule I did by hand: twice a week. To find out how much the plants needed I just put one of the tubes in glass and turned the pump on. It filled up in four minutes which is around how much the plants need to get a good soak. By the time the next watering comes around they're dry again.

 

This might seem expensive, but time is priceless, so it's totally worth it to me. BG is right in that every plant needs its own special care and attention, but as long as you take a look at the grow room every day for problems you'll be fine. I water six plants this way and they're all at different stages of growth and are different strains as well. The only problem I had was that one big plant wasn't getting enough water so I extended the time from four minutes to five and they're fine now.