Tropf Blumat Sensor (complete with 25 cm dripper hose + t-piece)

This is the single Tropf Blumat sensor: the ceramic cone the whole system is built from, supplied with 25 centimetres of drip hose and a T-piece for the 8 millimetre supply line. One sensor per plant.

How the cone meters the water

You fill the sensor with water and push it into the root ball. Ceramic is porous, so the water inside the cone is in contact with the moisture in the soil around it. As the root ball dries, the soil draws moisture out of the cone, the pressure inside falls and the diaphragm at the top opens. Water flows in until the soil moisture is back up, and the diaphragm closes on its own.

That is the difference from a timer. A timer waters because it is Tuesday; a Blumat waters because that plant is dry. Two plants on the same line therefore receive different amounts, according to their own consumption, position and pot size.

Setting it

The adjusting screw on top decides how dry the root ball may get before water arrives. To grow drier, close it further. The position of the drip point counts too: place it nearer the sensor and it closes sooner, giving less.

What else you need

A sensor alone delivers nothing. An 8 millimetre supply line has to run past it, and that line has to be fed: from a reservoir through a tank fitting, or from a tap through a pressure reducer. Never straight onto the tap.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: standard Tropf Blumat sensor
• Supplied with: 25 cm drip hose and T-piece
• Connection: Ø8 mm supply line
• Adjustment: screw, continuously variable
• For: pots up to around Ø30 cm; above that, the Maxi

Frequently asked questions

Does it need power? No. It works on soil moisture tension, with no electronics.

How many sensors per plant? One per pot. In wide troughs you run distribution drippers from one sensor.

Will it work in a large pot? From around Ø30 cm and 25 cm deep, choose the Maxi with its longer hose.

Can I feed nutrients through it? Yes. Expect drip points to need more frequent maintenance if you do.