Blumat watering stakes are the core component of the system, as they are able to monitor and react to moisture levels without the need for electricity. Also referred to as Blumat carrots, these clay devices are inserted into the soil near your plants. As the moisture level drops around the clay carrot, osmotic pressure pulls water from the reservoir and releases it to the surrounding soil. This will happen continuously for as long as the water level in your reservoir is maintained.
Blumat Reservoir
The reservoir holds the water for your Blumat drip system and utilizes the power of gravity to distribute this water as necessary. As the carrots begin to dry out, water is pulled from the reservoir and delivered to the soil.
Larger reservoirs will require less frequent top-ups, allowing you to spend less time on tending to the water needs of your plants. However, keep in mind that your reservoir will need to be elevated a few feet above your plants in order to function properly. You will want to find a balance between size and ease of use, as oversized reservoirs will quickly become a pain to work with. Five-gallon buckets are a common starting point for home gardeners.
Blumat Distribution Drippers
Distribution drippers allow you to expand the area watered by one carrot. When the moisture level drops near the carrot, water will be released to all attached distribution drippers. With the help of Blumat drippers, one clay carrot is able to monitor and supply water to an entire garden bed or multiple containers. This reduces the cost and maintenance required to operate your Blumat system.
Blumat Tubing
The Blumat system operates on standard 8mm supply tubing. Using this size of tubing, the reservoir can be connected to the carrots—8mm tees, crosses, and other adaptors can be used as necessary to craft your system.
Distribution drippers are the only components that operate on a different size of tubing—3mm drip tube is used to connect the distribution drippers to the clay carrots.
Blumat Pressure Reducer
Instead of a reservoir, your Blumat setup can also be supplied by a hose spigot. This requires the use of a hose spigot pressure reducer in order to prevent an overload of water pressure. Utilizing a hose spigot makes life easier when dealing with larger setups, and it also allows the system to operate indefinitely without the need for refilling and maintenance.
Blumat Digital Moisture Meter
The Blumat Digital Moisture Meter gives gardeners the ability to monitor and adjust their system with precision. As soil moisture levels can vary between the surface and root level, it can be helpful to have exact readings at the base of a plant. The Moisture Meter operates on the tensiometer principle and allows scientific gardeners to record concrete data related to their grow. The clay carrots allow for fine tuning of the moisture levels once you have determined that a plant needs more or less watering.
Blumat Kits
If you’re still confused about the components or just want to save time, Blumat kits are readily available for purchase. These kits come in a range of sizes for any gardening application, and they include all of the individual parts needed to put together a complete Blumat system.
