Grow Mediums Flushing Autopots?

[CannaRuss]

There’s an idea about flushing Autopots that has been around for a bit. The thought being that once a run has started on the system, flushing is no longer an option. Accumulation of salts in the upper level of the media would damage the Rhizosphere if flushed through.

If true. I feel this is a considerable downside to the system.

Anyone out there flush an Autopot? What were your results?

 

[JohnEMad]

There’s an idea about flushing Autopots that has been around for a bit. The thought being that once a run has started on the system, flushing is no longer an option. Accumulation of salts in the upper level of the media would damage the Rhizosphere if flushed through.

If true. I feel this is a considerable downside to the system.

Anyone out there flush an Autopot? What were your results?

Hi CannaRuss,
I have about 6 grows under my belt with Autopots growing both autos and photos and have ran into ph problems due to nutrient buildup while growing in Coco/perlite. Autos seem more sensitive to it.
I was forced to flush until ppm's came down to reasonable levels and my ph was ok.
Some plants didn't like it too much but still produced decent flowers and good quantity. Never lost a plant but did lose some potency and quantity to be sure.
This caused me to learn to feed only as much as much as the plants wanted taking into account temps and humidity. Higher temps with low humidity causing more water loss and concentrating the nutrients faster. This basic problem is common in my dry area.
I have since worked it out so I rarely have to flush. So flushing can be done but it is not ideal.
Hope this helps.

 

[BII]

Yes, salts build up near the surface with AutoPots, much as they normally build up at the bottom of top-fed pots.

Presuming you see an actual need to flush (Why? Should be rare with AutoPots), I don't see why there would be any problem, as long as you actually flush enough water through to dissolve everything out (and make sure to recharge with desired nutes).

I think the real problem with surface salts build up with AutoPots happens when someone does some top feeding and disturbs/dissolves the salts down into the coco/medium. With AutoPots, either do no or serious flushing, not in between; and also totally avoid or do regular enough top feeding such that surface salts build up is not a problem.

 

[Olderfart]

There’s an idea about flushing Autopots that has been around for a bit. The thought being that once a run has started on the system, flushing is no longer an option. Accumulation of salts in the upper level of the media would damage the Rhizosphere if flushed through.

If true. I feel this is a considerable downside to the system.

Anyone out there flush an Autopot? What were your results?

Yes, twice. Rules against it are bs in my opinion. Flush with nute mix, not plain water, and do it until what comes out the bottom is the same as what goes in. Then you know that your medium is where you want it. You can even catch the drainage and adjust the ph and EC, if you want to, at least I have done it with no problems. This does not apply to organic type soil, only to soluble nutes.
Just my two cents of course.

 

[Steppa]

Hey Russ!.. I found with smaller airports if I had a build up I would fill a bucket or bin larger than the pots and slowly submerge the pots and that would breakdown and flush the soil...then when needed I'd add my water/nutes from the bottom up by placing pots in deep trays and let the soil soak up what it needed... worked for me, I always had roots stretching out the bottom of the pots and no build up up top!...
just my 2cents!... haha...Easy now...

 

[St. Tom]

I've grown with these for a long time and I generally have to flush 1 plant out of 4 as i run lots of strains and I just remove it from the res and run low ec feed through till I'm in range again I've found they make life a lot easier also It only ever happens once they go onto flower food

 

[MANNIK]

All good info everyone, this has been on my mind for a while.
What do you do with the pot socks during a flush? Mine are full of roots that I would have to peel off.

 

[CannaRuss]

All good info everyone, this has been on my mind for a while.
What do you do with the pot socks during a flush? Mine are full of roots that I would have to peel off.

Do you fill your 5gal grow bags full of media?

 

[MANNIK]

Do you fill your 5gal grow bags full of media?

They are folded over using about 3 gallons of medium.