Pro Tips: Transplanting, Feeding, Harvest & MoreUpdated 2 months ago

Transplanting

The ideal time to install your Blumat system is at the time of transplant, into pre-moistened soil. However, newly transplanted plants may not immediately activate the sensor — especially if the root ball is small relative to the container, or if the plant is root-bound and not wicking water into the surrounding medium.

What to do:

• After transplanting, spot-water the root ball with 200–500 mL of water (depending on container size) to prevent transplant shock
• Monitor closely for the first few days — you may need to hand-water again if the soil surrounding the root ball stays dry
• Once roots grow into the surrounding medium, the system will take over naturally

Top-Dressing Amendments

You can top-dress amendments without removing your Blumat sensors:

• Broadcast dry amendments over the soil surface
• Gently scratch them in using your hands or a rake

If you prefer to incorporate amendments more deeply, remove sensors and distribution temporarily, mix amendments into the soil, then reinstall and recalibrate.

Pro tip: After applying amendments, water them in with a pressurized sprayer or watering wand to drive nutrients slightly into the surface and prevent them from sitting dry on top. This helps reduce clumping and runoff before the Blumat system takes over.

Drenching

Drenches can be applied with the Blumat system in place, but use a smaller total water volume than the system would normally deliver in a day. This ensures the soil moisture level drops enough that the Blumat cycles back on and continues to distribute the input.

Think of a drench as a liquid broadcast — apply evenly across the soil surface using concentrated inputs where possible to minimize volume. The Blumat system will then redistribute moisture and help push the input deeper into the root zone.

Feeding Through the System

Blumat systems can be used to deliver liquid nutrients, but this requires care and regular maintenance.

• Tank hygiene is critical — if you see biofilm or residue in the reservoir, it likely exists throughout the entire system
• Clean reservoirs regularly using hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid, or diluted bleach
• Before pressurizing after cleaning, open a flush valve at the end of your supply line to allow dislodged debris to exit rather than clog sensors
• Only use clean, fully soluble nutrient inputs with no biological or particulate components — compost teas, microbial inoculants, and living cultures should not be run through the system
• Feeding through BluSoak drip tape is not recommended — it tends to promote algae growth in lines, especially at lower pressures
• Clean and monitor all inline filters regularly

Harvest & Between Cycles

At harvest, you can either remove sensors and distribution or leave them in place while containers are fallow.

• Water flow through the 3mm tubing stops when the top of the sensor is removed from the ceramic bottom — this allows supply lines to stay pressurized while you clean or recondition sensor bottoms
• Once reassembled with water-filled bottoms, sensors return to their original set point
• Leaving the system running post-harvest keeps the media moist and biologically active — especially important for living soil systems where biology needs continuous moisture

Winterizing

If your system will be exposed to freezing temperatures, drain all tubing and sensors before the first frost. Water left inside tubing or ceramic cones can freeze and crack the ceramic. Store sensors indoors with the ceramic cone submerged in water to keep it from drying out.