Grow Mediums Timing for using airdomes

Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
3,356
Reputation
0
Reaction score
9,745
Points
0
Did a search and didn't see a thread on this but I know its been mentioned that we should not turn on airdomes right away. I think the accepted approach is to turn on the air around day 14 earliest.

Just curious what the harm would be if one turned on the air right when a plant sprouts. All I can think of is the air would dry out the medium at the bottom of the pot. So when top watering at first you want the moisture to move down to the bottom by gravity and then the roots can chase the moisture down low and get some nice healthy deep roots. If the lower medium is too dry from the air, then the roots won't go down.

Would that be the reason? Or is there something else going on?
 
Also i started using a moisture meter probe to help me dial in watering better before switching the res on for the autopot system. I also use the knuckle method and weight method, but the probe can do something those two methods can't.

I noticed after 12 hours of having air on my freshly precharged pot that the moisture when from moist to dry as i put the probe tip deeper down the pot. So that's when I realized what I think is the main reason for waiting to turn on the air.

Anyone else dabble with what airdomes do down below besides looking at the roots around the dome after harvest?
 
I think most of us don’t turn them on because it’s a waste of electricity. Roots are not down there yet, so there really isn’t any reason to be oxygenating your growing medium if there are no roots there to benefit from the added oxygen.

As for feeding, that’s easy, precharge before planting, then every five days water. I start with day five 250 ml, day ten 500ml, day fifteen 750ml, and day twenty 1 liter and then turn your rez on. Easy peasy. Autopots are the bomb if you don’t overthink them.
 
I think most of us don’t turn them on because it’s a waste of electricity. Roots are not down there yet, so there really isn’t any reason to be oxygenating your growing medium if there are no roots there to benefit from the added oxygen.

As for feeding, that’s easy, precharge before planting, then every five days water. I start with day five 250 ml, day ten 500ml, day fifteen 750ml, and day twenty 1 liter and then turn your rez on. Easy peasy. Autopots are the bomb if you don’t overthink them.
Bullshit! U overthink more than i do!
[emoji16]
 
I have just scanned the comments and there are already some more experienced growers advised already. Wait until the plant has reached the sides of the pot. This should be day21 to day 28 depending on the strain. Also turn the autopots on at the same point if you like. I normally turn the air on a couple of days before.

Peace
 
I think most of us don’t turn them on because it’s a waste of electricity. Roots are not down there yet, so there really isn’t any reason to be oxygenating your growing medium if there are no roots there to benefit from the added oxygen.

As for feeding, that’s easy, precharge before planting, then every five days water. I start with day five 250 ml, day ten 500ml, day fifteen 750ml, and day twenty 1 liter and then turn your rez on. Easy peasy. Autopots are the bomb if you don’t overthink them.

@HemiSync I'm still overthinking ovah here. Most of my autopots are the half size ones so the roots will hit the airdome faster than the normal size pots. But that also means the air would be drying out the medium above the domes and the seedling roots would likely be affected when they hit a wall of medium that isn't moist. Kind of makes me pause and think about that.

Shifting overthinking gears a bit and about what you said, I also think about how the system is some much more moist once the system is turned on. At first you're top watering and not that much and not that frequently. So the pots are heavy with moisture when watered, then lighten up as they dry, and repeat. But once the autopots are on its a consistent constant level of moisture for the pots and roots. And the pots are heavy all day long. Its interesting how the watering is one way to start, then you switch it to the autopot system and then the plants take right off and thrive.
 
Back
Top