Grow Mediums Autopot question ...

[steelrat]

Hi, i'm looking at going hydro next grow. One of the main reasons is so i can leave the setup unattended for up to a week, if needs be.

Autopots look like a good solution.

If it's left unattended for a week, even assuming you're bubbling the res and bubbling the pots, don't pH and EC fluctuate? Is it safe to leave it unattended ?


Thanks,

steely

 

[Muddy]

I'm still relatively new to hydro, on my second grow, but I still don't feel confident enough to leave my grow go for more than 2 days without checking it. Yes, EC and pH do fluctuate, sometimes on a daily basis. Everything happens faster in hydro. If there is an issue, it can effect the plants quickly. Not to say it can't be done. I think once you get a system and work with it for awhile you'll have a better feel for how stable the system is and how long you can leave it unattended.

 

[steelrat]

Also the EC, i guess i can't use tapwater since it already has dissolved salts ?



steely

 

[Duggy]

Hi steely...Autopots advice for leaving unattended is to use a water pump to keep res mixed. It adds a little air but has less impact on pH. The airdomes add required air direct to roots. Re...your pot size you could fill to just 5L to reduce overall size. I've left system for 2 weeks with only minor issues...:Sharing One:

 

[Muddy]

Depends on the PPM of your tap water. If it's low you can always add cal/mag to raise it but if it's too high, the best way to bring it down is to use an RO filter. If you're planning on using AN pH Perfect the PPM of your water must be between 100 - 125 for it to work correctly.

 

[steelrat]

Thanks for info, got an idea of a system formulating. I'll post it in hydro section when i think i have it figured!


steely

 

[Dr Who]

I only have experience of this type of system from growing tomatoes, please bear that in mind.

I have found that the standard reservoir (~50 L) is fine left unattended, provided you already have the system set up OK. I aim to have a layer of pure pearlite at the bottom of the pots which is a little deeper than the water level when the system is functioning. The plants need to be a reasonable size before you set the system going.

I usually use tap water to minimise the chances of introducing contamination by bacteria or algae. I think that the water will have outgassed sufficiently before it is supplied to the plants. I certainly haven't seen any problems. I have found it to be an excellent low maintenance system, but can lead to the plants not getting the attention they require in other areas, because they don't need to be watered.

You could try buffering the nutrient solutions if you are concerned about pH, something like Proper pH 6.5 (intended for use in fish tanks) would probably be suitable.

 

[steelrat]

Thanks Mr Pertwee ;+}

I think i have it all wrong, i was under the impression airpot could be used for soilless but there's no lid so nowhere to stick a net pot.

So airpots are more like a wick system, hmm, think i may DIY it, found these smart valves :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Smart-V...00849261&sr=8-1&keywords=holiday+watering+kit


Thanks,

steely

 

[Muddy]

A simple float valve will work just as well and lower in cost. My Current Culture RDWC system uses what they can an Epicenter. Basically just another 8 gallon bucket with a big air manifold the the rest of the system recycles through. It's connected to a 30 gallon top off res. When the system level drops the float valve opens to bring the level back up. You could do the same thing in a DWC by putting a simple float valve in each bucket and connecting them to a common res.

 

[Dr Who]

Hi Steely,

Now I'm a bit confused:
Autopot - gravity fed auto watering system, the reservoir needs to be higher up than the plants
Airpots - just fancy plant pots, with a wick they could be automatically fed from a reservoir below

You could just buy the autopot valve and rig it up in a tray, although you might need to be really careful about debris and stuff getting in the tray. The autopot trays (I have only used the twin 7 L ones) are pretty good for keeping the crud out. As a system its pretty simple to use, although as Muddy says it is fairly pricey. The autopot valves are probably no more expensive than the ones you found in the Amazon. I think they call it AQUAvalve. Some of their systems work with both a valve and a wick to water over a larger area like a raised bed.

On the other hand an airpot with a wick watering system could be equally low maintenance, with no danger of flooding should something break. The main hassle for that would be rigging up a (light proof) reservoir below the pots for the wicks to sit in.

Cheers.
:Sharing One: