auto pots

[burkepaul4]

Hi
auto pots
Coco coir 70%
perlite 30%
pebbles 1 3/4 inches
nutriment

This is my first grow in auto pots
transplanted plants into auto pots left medium to almost dried out which takes 6 days was very dry turned on auto pots.

I have also bought a moisture meter can't think of the name of it but it is green square one with two probes on the meter 1to3 dry 4to7 moist 8to10 wet

My question it is damp at top and when I stick my finger in pots it seems very moist and when I stick the meter in the first 4 inches says moist 6 and when I push it down all the way the meter goes to wet 10 which I presume on the meter it's very wet. in the tray the water level is about 15 to 20ml and the tray go's wet to dry.
I was under the impression that first couple of inches was supposed to be dry so the roots would search for water further down.
Is this normal.

Thanks.

[panik]

I used Auto pots quite a bit,.. I would put 2 - 2.5inch of pebbles in the bottom as I noticed you would get a wick affect and soil/coco would be near sitting in water, I would also give a week odd of water from the top until I knew roots had rooted out a tad before switching on the system then they would just take off , last thing you want is to over water in the early stages,.. you want those pots rooted out good so they are just lapping up the water as soon as the aqua valve lets water in,..  

[crticalcontent]

On 9 August 2018 at 9:00 PM, panik said:

I used Auto pots quite a bit,.. I would put 2 - 2.5inch of pebbles in the bottom as I noticed you would get a wick affect and soil/coco would be near sitting in water, I would also give a week odd of water from the top until I knew roots had rooted out a tad before switching on the system then they would just take off , last thing you want is to over water in the early stages,.. you want those pots rooted out good so they are just lapping up the water as soon as the aqua valve lets water in,..  

Really interested in this system I'm watering by hand every day in soil, not every plant but a few each day and it's a chore. Do you recommend them P? I'm thinking I might switch to coco but I am wondering about salt build up because of no run off etc . Bit confused, although I do remember seeing  your setups a few year back now. Any info is greatly appreaciated 

 

cheers 

cc

[panik]

53 minutes ago, crticalcontent said:

Really interested in this system I'm watering by hand every day in soil, not every plant but a few each day and it's a chore. Do you recommend them P? I'm thinking I might switch to coco but I am wondering about salt build up because of no run off etc . Bit confused, although I do remember seeing  your setups a few year back now. Any info is greatly appreaciated 

 

cheers 

cc

Mate iv used em for years, i wouldnt go any other way now for ease and simplicity id go on holiday for week 10 days and leave plants be , come back theyd be booming,.. I use them with soil mate 2" of clay pebbles in the bottom,.. guanokalong bat guano soil,.. cant beat it,.. 

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by panik

[badbillybob]

Sorry for butting in here, but how would you rate it against your old flood and drain system with the airstones Panik?

[Barneybush]

1 hour ago, panik said:

Mate iv used em for years, i wouldnt go any other way now for ease and simplicity id go on holiday for week 10 days and leave plants be , come back theyd be booming,.. I use them with soil mate 2" of clay pebbles in the bottom,.. guanokalong bat guano soil,.. cant beat it,.. 

 

 

Very nice set up there buddy i have used them for a while to but noticed in summer i got root rot 2 grows in a row for 1st time. Just potted up again yesterday and used more pebbles would say 1 to 1.5 inch in bottom and maybe the problem off wicking a you say im coco not soil. This grow im going to turn tap off for 24 hours every now and again i feel the float valves are keeping the tray full and not sure why .

 

Do you use pot socks? 

 

Barney 

[panik]

3 hours ago, badbillybob said:

Sorry for butting in here, but how would you rate it against your old flood and drain system with the airstones Panik?

I think for ease mate it rips all over it flood an drains are ok if you like spending large parts your day constantly checking everything from ph drifts , EC, water temps, water levels etc its a ball ache I get the same yields with this so its no brainer,..

 

3 hours ago, Barneybush said:

 

Very nice set up there buddy i have used them for a while to but noticed in summer i got root rot 2 grows in a row for 1st time. Just potted up again yesterday and used more pebbles would say 1 to 1.5 inch in bottom and maybe the problem off wicking a you say im coco not soil. This grow im going to turn tap off for 24 hours every now and again i feel the float valves are keeping the tray full and not sure why .

 

Do you use pot socks? 

 

Barney 

Yeah you should try 2" of pebbles in the base of the pots mate as soon as the roots get down and have rooted the pots out I turn the tap on for the valves to fill up the trays and turn them off for a day etc, iv actually adapted the system to have a battery open and close valve on like you can put on water butts or garden taps, so I can set it to open the valve for 15-20mins schedules once , twice ,three, four times a day etc , its very effective stops them over watering and root rot place give that wet dry action going on,..   ill try get a pic of the valve for you,.. an no don't use the socks..

Edited November 27, 2018 by panik

[Barneybush]

15 minutes ago, panik said:

I think for ease mate it rips all over it flood an drains are ok if you like spending large parts your day constantly checking everything from ph drifts , EC, water temps, water levels etc its a ball ache I get the same yields with this so its no brainer,..

 

Yeah you should try 2" of pebbles in the base of the pots mate as soon as the roots get down and have rooted the pots out I turn the tap on for the valves to fill up the trays and turn them off for a day etc, iv actually adapted the system to have a battery open and close valve on like you can put on water butts or garden taps, so I can set it to open the valve for 15-20mins schedules once , twice ,three, four times a day etc , its very effective stops them over watering and root rot place give that wet dry action going on,..   ill try get a pic of the valve for you,.. an no don't use the socks..

 

Sounds good that and next time around i will up pebbles to 2 inches and only using the small butt that comes with the 4 pot system now  but that would be a help as sometime i leave for long weekend 4 days send me in DM if you like and where from 

 

barney

[crticalcontent]

Game changer @panik mate that's my next new purchase cheers bud. Photos speak for themselves. I'll get the zkittzo booming in them after I chop!! 

 

Regards

c

[panik]

7 hours ago, crticalcontent said:

Game changer @panik mate that's my next new purchase cheers bud. Photos speak for themselves. I'll get the zkittzo booming in them after I chop!! 

 

Regards

c

I use double trays but if you can get single trays an pots I’d recommend it my mate uses singles and by what iv observed they work better because each individual plant only drinks what it wants,  if you have one plant in a double tray drinking more than the other , then the one not drinking as much will keep getting flooded because of the other one wanting  more water,  nutes etc if you get my drift, .. just a heads up from experience, if I can help out in anyway with some experience that’s good enough for me  

Edited November 28, 2018 by panik

[crticalcontent]

Cheers @panik... little pearls of wisdom, go a long way rather than finding out for yourself. I noticed that your rig has PVC pipes rather than the flexi tube. Is this a mod you done yourself ? 

[panik]

6 hours ago, crticalcontent said:

Cheers @panik... little pearls of wisdom, go a long way rather than finding out for yourself. I noticed that your rig has PVC pipes rather than the flexi tube. Is this a mod you done yourself ? 

Yeah mate well observed I like everything straight and symmetrical so use straight pipe instead of messing about trying to keep black pipe straight , I also upgraded it all to 22mm pipe work for faster flow rate,..  

[panik]

@Barneybush here ya go mate the timer I was talking about … can set it in 5 min intervals up to 2 hrs,.. and once, twice, three, four, times a day ....etc 

 

 

 

 

On the others side the wall the girls are loving it,....  

 

 

 

 

[crticalcontent]

Looks beltin that @panik I'm properly sold on this setup, funny I was looking at the timers myself and have seen the alien "autopot" system which is well expensive in comparison and the timer is only like £25 . Thanks for the input mate

[panik]

6 minutes ago, crticalcontent said:

Looks beltin that @panik I'm properly sold on this setup, funny I was looking at the timers myself and have seen the alien "autopot" system which is well expensive in comparison and the timer is only like £25 . Thanks for the input mate

 

That timer is a battery timer from hombase for water butts or garden taps,.. not even a tenner £10 .. bit of wickes pipe fittings and modification and your good to go, don't go spending loads on alien systems mate , single tray auto pot set up valve in each tray , 2" clay pebbles , soil or coco,..watch the results