Grow Mediums New guy with AutoPot questions. Please, come inside.

[Joe2]

Hey fellas, I'm a new grower with a 6 pot AutoPot system. I wanted to get some opinions on what I have so far and find out what I might still need before I get started. Also have some questions that I hope to can get help with. Here is what I have....followed by the questions segment of this post LOL
- 5x5x7 grow tent
- (2) Mars Hydro II 1200's
- AutoPot system (6 pots) 3.9 gallon each
- Airdomes for each pot
- 6" carbon filter
- 6" inline fan
- 6" muffler
- 50 liter bag Hydroton
- Advanced Nutrients Grow-Micro-Bloom, VooDoo Juice, B-52, Bud Candy, Big Bud & Overdrive
- Auto seeds: (3) DP AutoXtreme - Critical Mass Auto Masszar - Kripple Roulette - Kripple Afghan Cow - (3) Advanced Seeds Auto AK - COTC Narcotic Kush & Cash Crop - Barneys Farm Cookies Kush & Vanilla Kush - Blue Dream regular female seed

I'm just waiting on my room to be finished which should be within the next 10 days.
Here are a few questions I have:
1. Should I fill up each pot with Hydroton only or mix it with something else? If you recommend mixing, what do I mix it with and what are the ratios? Also, what is on top, in the middle, on the bottom, etc.
2. Should I put the seedlings/sprouts in rockwool cubes and then into the Hydroton (or mix) or....how do you plant the seedlings into the pots?
3. Will both 1200's be too much for the 5x5?
4. I've read that several auto growers use only half of the recommended nute dosage...is that solid advice?
5. At what point do I stop hand watering and start up the AutoPots?
6. I hear horror stories of 1st time growers and their 1st grows. So, which seeds (from my list) should I "sacrifice" on my first grow? LOL
7. Will the 5x5 even hold 6 plants?
8. I like the scrog idea. Is that recommended on autoflowers?

Ok, those questions should get me started. I'm sure to have more as this thing gets going. I plan on being a regular on this forum and reporting on my grows and findings and I hope to get to the point where I'm pulling super potent, high quality buds like you guys do on a regular basis. Thanks for reading my long ass post and hope to hear from you guys soon.

-Joe

 

[Duggy]

This should answer a lot of your questions..
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/setting-up-your-auto-pots.53151/

 

[Joe2]

Thanks. I read that a couple times already and I'm fairly confident on how to get it set up correctly. My problems start just after set up. Hydroton, coco, perlite, soil, all of them together? LOL

 

[Duggy]

Hydroton is used on base around airdome. ( not everyone bothers)
The soil or coco can then be mixed with 25-50% perlite or hydroton to fill the container giving a light airy mix.
You can start the seeds in rockwool or direct to soil.
You could start under a single light and add the other once they are larger if desired.
General nutrient advice is to start at 1/4 dose and usually dont need to go over 50% of max.
Airdomes and aquavalve normally engaged around 3 weeks.
Tent size should be fine.
Scrog can be effective method.
Any other specific questions just ask...

 

[Joe2]

Awesome info! Thanks alot Duggy!

 

[pop22]

I've used a 70/30 mix of coco/perlite for the 3 grows I've done. couldn't ask for a nicer medium! I've had ZERO problems with it! AndI max my nutes out at 600ppms (Hanna scale ). No need to over fetilize, your just wasting nutes! See for yourself:

This is a Fast Buds Girlscout Cookies

Thanks. I read that a couple times already and I'm fairly confident on how to get it set up correctly. My problems start just after set up. Hydroton, coco, perlite, soil, all of them together? LOL

 

[pop22]

as to your other questions:

The larger strains of autos do very well in SCROG. The Auto Extreme is a great candidate. With some experience, you may be able to pull a pound from one! However... I'd not recommend a SCROG for a new grower. You need to invest time in to learning to grow, studying your plants, and learning plant training techniques, which are needed to do SCROG properly.

I only use the mix in my pots, NO stones in the bottom, they don't improve drainage.

Rockwool cubes work well if your planning on using hydroton. The work in coco also, but I feel there are better ways to start seedlings for coco. I start mine in soil or a 50/50 mix of coco and worm castings. I get excellent early growth this way. I transplant when the seedling leaves are just getting the width of the starter pot or a little more, of the starter pot. I have found minimal root circling that way and my transplants never stall, I usually see growth within 12 hours! I setup and water my auto pots with nutrient solution, 4-5 days before planting in them. I use 12-16oz of solution per pot, applied once.

I stop hand watering when the leaves are the width of the auto pot, its a sign the roots have filled the pot.

Two, 1200 Mars Pro, is a lot of light, but should be great in that size tent!

6 plant may very well be too much! 2-3 Auto Extreme or Auto Mazar. Most of the other... hard to say. Afghan Cow might be good in 6 pots. However, I've grown 4 plants in auto pots, in a 4x4x6.5 tent and 2-3 would have given better yield. Plants will get big in auto pots!

In my opinion, a new grower starting off in auto pots should have a great frist grow1 DON'T over do the nutes and KEEP IT SIMPLE on your first grow or two. Using 57 varieties of bottled nutes and bloom boosters, etc,( all un-needed and 3/4 of them don't do shit ) is a surefire recipe for disaster for most new growers.

 

[Joe2]

Good stuff pop, thanks for taking the time!

 

[pop22]

Your quite welcome! I love all the interest in auto pots! I now have 10 pots lol!

Good stuff pop, thanks for taking the time!

 

[Joe2]

Yeah I can see myself adding pots real quick once I figure it all out.