Automated bottom feeding?

[sterling-archer]

Do most people who water manually literally take hours to get a big water in or feed little and often so its easier?

 

I always water every few days big as i used to find it took way too much time otherwise, especially with air pots as it comes out the sides so easy 

 

Sterl

Edited August 27, 2020 by sterling-archer

[GSZZ]

@sterling-archer Exactly what you've said, you've got to water them through the top. Theres ways you can do it with stuff like capillary matting where if you water quickly any run through will distribute through the capillary matting and then redistribute back up through the pots, but there is alot of guess work and chance of overwatering doing it that way.

 

TBH mate I'd be looking at differen't potting mixes, canna terra pro plus, tropic mix etc are all coir based mixes and have little to no perlite in them, the saturation is lovely in them and they're great mediums to use. If you aren't doing organics or using organic feed I'd be fast to fuck potting mix off in favor of coco or rockwool croutons and just hand water those like I would pots of mix.

 

Or your other option is to grow more plants in smaller pots, I know you'd be watering more plants but I guess if you're putting less solution through each pot you're gonna spend less time waiting for them to soak through. You could start one off and then start the second off and work through them that way?

 

I dunno mate, bottom feeding isn't the way to go and hand watering soil is a real pain in the arse IMO. As I said, if I wasn't using organic feeds I'd sack soil off fast (and even then, if I was using organics I'd be looking at making a coir based potting mix or something similar with dry amendments)

[sterling-archer]

@GSZZ

 

I would go back to the Wilma in a heartbeat if i was not going organic again bud. It was a absolute doddle to use really and not one issue. 

 

But i cant escape the fact organic is my preference so here i am trying to make it easier. 

 

The huge pots i use are so i dont feed until flower, I was going 30l this time so even bigger incase biosys gets the roots mad again

 

This is so hard to decide now. What issues has bottom feeding caused others?  I respect everyones opinions so want as much input as possible.

 

The other option is I try drip feeding on gravity i suppose but how would i calculate when the runnoff is right in the drip tray?  Is it just a case of keep watering until your happy with soil saturation levels like i do now? 

 

I will definitely be going for a different soil mix but because im getting back on the horse im keeping it as close to last time as possible i guess. I always find its a potential hermie surprise if i change too much at once 

 

Sterl

Edited August 27, 2020 by sterling-archer

[seb88]

I'm not a fan of bottom feeding either. Why don't you make an automated top feeding system? Easy enough to make with some lengths of hose, T-pieces, and a pump in your resevoir. You can then feed until run off as required.

 

With airpots I like to compress the medium into the side of the pot a little when transplanting. This stops water pouring out of the holes 

[sterling-archer]

@seb88

 

I hated air pots so much i wrapped them in cling film

 

Wow that was years ago now 

 

But if your having to compact the soil heavily too is that not removing that airy medium you want bud? 

Edited August 27, 2020 by sterling-archer

[GSZZ]

@sterling-archer the issues with bottom feeding are build up of nutrients in the medium because there is no run through, and the soil slowly depletes of oxygen over the course of the grow and severely limits uptake and growth. It can be hard to notice until you come to weigh up and theres fuck all there! Other issues include defiencys showing due to saturated roots, underwatering and whatever else. Ultimately it results in bad yield and bad smoke quality, which kind of defeats the point I'm sure you'll agree.

 

I said in my earlier post, either blumats or the autopot valve with a plan!it watering timer. @seb88 has got the right idea though, a drip feed system that you can manualy turn on and off is a good one, my only concern would be it clogging up with organic nutrients in the drip lines causing issues.

 

 

Or you could just go full living soil, and then all you have to do is add water and the quality is lovely!

[seb88]

@sterling-archer its only the very outside (1cm) of the pot that has compacted soil/Coco. I don't pack it in, just grab a handful of dirt from the bottom of the pot and sweep your hand up the side of the pot so it holds in place. Enough to stop water pissing out but still let's oxygen in.

 

 

[blackpoolbouncer]

Best two options for soil is gonna be living soil and water with blumats or use a non organic feed and use blumats. 

 

4oz in 25l of soil is not great mate. Using a 1 part nutrient and 7.5l pots of compost with blumats, one of my better yileding plants has just done close to 6 oz.

I know your set on organics mate but check out my diary in the grow diary section called "the low maintainance way". Ive been down your road mate, it might make you reconsider organics

[Shumroom]

The water pours out of the airport when they have been left to dry out too much when using soil/compost.

If they're like this then just add a small amount to begin with, then as the compost takes up more moisture you can add more at a time. 

Or

Water less, more regularly. This way you spend more time with them, so you can spot any problems as soon as they develop, and get more yield per plant ast the roots have the right ratio of Oxygen/moisture/food. I'd be unsatisfied with 3-4 ounces from a 25l pot. 

 

A 30l pot is big, it will take a long time to root into. This will cause more problems with keeping moisture in the correct range, plus your plant/s should be well rooted by the time flowering starts. 

 

Like Bb says use smaller pots, consider non-organic(it's not as bad as it sounds). 

 

Organics might give slightly better tatse/smell but I usually use a combination of both types of products anyway. 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but, the whole 'organic' thing is more relevant to the food industry than homegrown weed.(I know, everything organic tastes better), is maybe down to more actual care give rather than anything else.

It's a reassurance that it hasn't been sprayed with nasty chemicals. Unless it's sustainability that's your thing? Imo.

Bb will know better than me 

If I could buy red tractor weed, I would

But I'm not buying

 

Sorry for the long post, once I started 

 

I'm sure you know, listen to @blackpoolbouncer, I often advise new growers to check out his grow diary. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by Shumroom
Eta

[sterling-archer]

ThankYou for all the input everyone. 

 

@GSZZ @blackpoolbouncer

 

4 o is the best buds. I probably get 2 o of chuff on each too but dont weigh it.  I had 8 in a 1.2 and got 3-4 from each which i thought was good to be fair Over 20 from a 1.2m good surely?  I got less in coco 

 

Now from what everyone has said i have some things to clear up... 

 

1. If i use organic soil mixed how i prefer with eco tea feeds and organic feed only then my soil is living isnt it? I thought living soil and organic were the same premise as your creating a environment that is a ecosystem over just feeding salt based nutes direct? Ecothrive stuff is built around it been living im sure? I replaced root granules and bio rhizo with it and had excellent results. 

 

2. From what everyone has said how about i simply use a gravity fed watering system which is just a pipe,  feeding one at a time so i can leave it to slowly feed in through the top soil? And what about adding a layer to the top to prevent floating perlite?Stones perhaps? I could even incorporate a timer long term and link to all 4 for a one off watering if away for a few days? 

 

3. Pots

 

Im my whole time growing i have never used a pot smaller than 15l without been pot bound and subsequently ruining harvest, how the duck do you lot manage with small pots? My roots always fly out of them ? 

 

I was planning to do 4 big girls over lots of girls this time again so really really worry like mad about pot bound issues if going too small

 

I shall heed everyone's advice and top feed somehow though for sure but the pot thing worries me as im scroging and cant pot up again if it goes wrong? 

 

I guess my reference to organic is only a reference to been natural and living mainly over salt based feeds like i have just used in the Wilma 

 

I am coming off the back of a really disappointing harvest here so just want to bounce back better than ever in soil 

 

I don't see any point personally in soil without going as natural as possible (unless for ease) as you may aswell do the planet a favour and go coco and re use it more sustainably.  Maybe that's based on my smaller scale to others though 

 

Sterl

 

 

[Absurdist]

Easy2Go valve in greenhouse tray.

 

Capillary matting on wooden platforms.

 

Fabric pots.

 

I have left a grow unattended for 2.5 weeks with no issues.

[blackpoolbouncer]

1 hour ago, sterling-archer said:

4 o is the best buds. I probably get 2 o of chuff on each too but dont weigh it.  I had 8 in a 1.2 and got 3-4 from each which i thought was good to be fair Over 20 from a 1.2m good surely?  I got less in coco 

If your aiming for 4 oz a plant, which aint bad in that tent, you could get the same yield using 7.5l pots, 11l tops and have happier plants

 

If I was growing in 25l pots in a 1.2 tent id only be doing one plant and expect to fill the tent

Half your problem might lie here, small plants comparatively to the huge pots is gonna do the roots no favours. 

 

 

e2a, if your doing 4 plants then 15-25l is fine but a bit overkill still. Id personally do 4x 11l tbh scrogged

 

 

Edited August 28, 2020 by blackpoolbouncer

[sterling-archer]

@blackpoolbouncer

 

I was happy with 4 each  plus fluff with  6 or so in that space but I want more from 4 bud

 

If I'm honest I wanted at least 5 off each if only doing 4. 20 from a 1.2 space at least on 600w is OK I think for nice quality. 

 

Thats why I'm trying to get a nailed on routine again and ask folk for help. All these changes are just causing issues and wasted electricity. I need to dial things in as we spend hundreds these days to complete a grow.

 

 

 

Dam you warmer climates 

 

 

Sterl

Edited August 28, 2020 by sterling-archer

[sterling-archer]

Has anyone ever used a big drippa system? 

 

They are only peanuts and come with 10l feed bags, two would make a canny little slow drop feeder for £20

 

I was looking on the irrigation sites again and there is a lot of options on a 4mm drop system I could build for £20, hardest part is emulating water pressure on a tank system as they usually rely on it. Regulators for up to 6 feed pipes are pennies though so a perfectly balanced system is feasible 

Edited August 29, 2020 by sterling-archer

[sterling-archer]

20 hours ago, Absurdist said:

Easy2Go valve in greenhouse tray.

 

Capillary matting on wooden platforms.

 

Fabric pots.

 

I have left a grow unattended for 2.5 weeks with no issues.

 

Another good idea bud, but what's the difference between this and bottom feeding? My head hurts