New Grower G'Day from OZ. 1st time grower here going to use the Auto-Pot Hydro System

[Smeghead]

on a happier note, i just ordered a GN MS0006. I hope this thing grows my meds for me all by it's self.

 

[Smeghead]

Howdy smeg,

Bro, it's all fixable.
Problem is your autopot. Can't grow in those like u do with top feed hydro or soil--and they can be hell, theoretically, for autos. Problem is autos are age sensitive not photosensitive and in autopots u gotta waste time top watering to establish some roots then let the medium dry out for a week to get them to put down root mass and this seems to be when auto flowers wanna boogie but you're stuck farting around with this, essentially, wick system. Common mistakes: hooking valves up too early--leads to conditions too wet low in the pot before roots are big enough to drink quickly; so you're getting salt buildup, not enough aeration, and the pH begins to go nuts! Gotta go real mild on notes bro till mass of plant is almost big as the pot, if u ain't familiar with stress signs on these capiliary systems.

U got hen poo in your coco so give pots a good flush with tap water to dilute it all. U gotta get pH sorted. If pens are giving u the shits get a liquid aquarium pH test kit and dose pH corrected nuts no stronger than 300ppm and pH of 5.5 - 5.8. Water with this every two days --but only a little, not enough to run out the bottom of pot. The aggregate pH will sort itself out over time. Looking at your plants, water liberally with plain pH'd water every six or seven feeds. When the plants have gotten almost big as the pot hook up the valves to pH corrected nuts no stronger than half strength u would use in recirculating systems and run plain water in res every three res fulls. Oh, and dude, lift the lights. Little suckers ain't big enough to need much and u don't wanna stress them

Good luck bro!

I raised the lights to 35 inches 90c in preperation for a new seedling popping out, I'm hoping. Should it be higher for a baby seedling? Ithi'll cause the other 60DW to stretch, I think. This is all causing me too much stress.

Should I just treat these as feeding top down hydro's from now on? Everyone has said to get at lesat 5 gallon size pots (20L) and these are 4 gallon pots. My laundry room water, which is what I've been using to water, isn't chlorinated (i don't believe) and there's an outside water spout which isn't chlorinated either (i also don't believe) and the PH of the laundry room water is 5.6 by itself. I'm using a soil PH meter that I got at Bunnings.

Once I get a PH meter pen I'm going to get the definitive autoflowers in autopot guide from Duggy. If he can do it, so can I!

 

[South Syder]

I raised the lights to 35 inches 90c in preperation for a new seedling popping out, I'm hoping. Should it be higher for a baby seedling? Ithi'll cause the other 60DW to stretch, I think. This is all causing me too much stress.

Should I just treat these as feeding top down hydro's from now on? Everyone has said to get at lesat 5 gallon size pots (20L) and these are 4 gallon pots. My laundry room water, which is what I've been using to water, isn't chlorinated (i don't believe) and there's an outside water spout which isn't chlorinated either (i also don't believe) and the PH of the laundry room water is 5.6 by itself. I'm using a soil PH meter that I got at Bunnings.

Once I get a PH meter pen I'm going to get the definitive autoflowers in autopot guide from Duggy. If he can do it, so can I!

Yeah bro, I know -- I drool over Duggy's grows!
I gave you directions for a system without the air dome, 'cause I can't see one hooked up in your pics. If you wan't yours to function like Duggy's, not that I would presume to speak for him, you gotta hook up your air domes to the bottom of the pots and use clay pebbles down there -- that gives 'em massive air boost and can more than double the growth rates. More air = faster metabolism = more water and nutes uptake = bigger quicker plants. I use the Australian systems and they don't come with air domes but you look to have the English kits there so if you ain't got the air domes -- get them bro.

That light should make a big difference, but your pH and nutes still gotta be right bro. Once they kick you can hook up the valves and they'll be fine, so you ain't stuck using them as top downs. Hey, when you get that grow guide from Duggy -- post it, if he's cool with the idea, and share the knowledge! Good luck man.

 

[Smeghead]

Yeah bro, I know -- I drool over Duggy's grows!
I gave you directions for a system without the air dome, 'cause I can't see one hooked up in your pics. If you wan't yours to function like Duggy's, not that I would presume to speak for him, you gotta hook up your air domes to the bottom of the pots and use clay pebbles down there -- that gives 'em massive air boost and can more than double the growth rates. More air = faster metabolism = more water and nutes uptake = bigger quicker plants. I use the Australian systems and they don't come with air domes but you look to have the English kits there so if you ain't got the air domes -- get them bro.

That light should make a big difference, but your pH and nutes still gotta be right bro. Once they kick you can hook up the valves and they'll be fine, so you ain't stuck using them as top downs. Hey, when you get that grow guide from Duggy -- post it, if he's cool with the idea, and share the knowledge! Good luck man.

I'm in OZ too bro and I got the air domes with the autopots. The 60DW was planted before I got the airdomes, the AGP is now in an autopot with an airdome. Can I kick in the airdome early before switching on the rez? I figure the airdome running from an early stage will help get those roots down and let me kick in the autopot rez early as well.

Here's how the 2nd autopot AGP is setup....airdome at the bottom, 1/3rd the bottom with presoaked "Growstones" from the US then 50/50 Phat coco (mag/cal enriched and prebuffered) and perlite. No chicken poo rockdust in this setup. Do you know of that stuff? Rockaust from Munash? Mineral fertilizer, says no burn and high in mag/cal/sillica. I figure I can use that when I get the LED if there's any cal or mag deficiency.

Sound like a plan, man? I'm in VIC where, I understand there's a 2 plant non-criminal possession law. I have a tent setup now in a rental unit so after this grow it'll have to come down and I'll setup the robe with the LED and some kind of exhaust solution, like replace both of the robe doors with one with a 6" inch duct hole that'll blow out filtered air from the CF and the other robe door that'll suck in fresh air. Then come inspection time I can swap out doors with the original ones.

 

[WEEDOSHI]

Great job so far Smeghead. You're getting the hang of it!!

Any news on that bean you put in last night? Sprouted yet? :dance2:

Pics?

 

[Smeghead]

No sign of her yet. The 60dw is sprouting her 3rd node but still no PH meter yet so i've just been keeping her moist with some diluted seasol foliage spraying. Need to goto the local hydro store today and get some ph up and down solution in preparation for the ph pen.

 

[South Syder]

I'm in OZ too bro and I got the air domes with the autopots. The 60DW was planted before I got the airdomes, the AGP is now in an autopot with an airdome. Can I kick in the airdome early before switching on the rez? I figure the airdome running from an early stage will help get those roots down and let me kick in the autopot rez early as well.

Here's how the 2nd autopot AGP is setup....airdome at the bottom, 1/3rd the bottom with presoaked "Growstones" from the US then 50/50 Phat coco (mag/cal enriched and prebuffered) and perlite. No chicken poo rockdust in this setup. Do you know of that stuff? Rockaust from Munash? Mineral fertilizer, says no burn and high in mag/cal/sillica. I figure I can use that when I get the LED if there's any cal or mag deficiency.

Sound like a plan, man? I'm in VIC where, I understand there's a 2 plant non-criminal possession law. I have a tent setup now in a rental unit so after this grow it'll have to come down and I'll setup the robe with the LED and some kind of exhaust solution, like replace both of the robe doors with one with a 6" inch duct hole that'll blow out filtered air from the CF and the other robe door that'll suck in fresh air. Then come inspection time I can swap out doors with the original ones.

Hey man,

Yeah, sure, sounds like a solid plan. Never heard of rockdust bro, but I'm keen to see what you do with it. Careful venting into your house man if ya got nosy neighbors or lotsa drop ins.....

Cheers.

 

[dingo]

Rock dust is a slow release of minerals to plants. No instant results and is a supplement only to standard nutes.
Suggest rock dust for fine tuning only.

 

[Smeghead]

Baby AGP #2 has hatched! It's like i'm a proud papa all over again.

So, should I run the airdome now while she's a seedling? Some extra O2 isn't going to harm her is it? Might even kick start her a bit more? It's weird, I've been running the airdome 2 days and it dries out the coco fast around the edges of the pot but not the center where the seedling is.

I'm just going to hold out on watering for a week and give her a tiny spritz of diluted seasol every day. PH of the soil is 5.7 or 5.8 according to the soil PH meter.

 

[wwwillie]

:karma Cloud: coming your way! And a big just cause you deserve it!!!