Auto pots, thoughts please.

[Watweed_2009]

Pebbles? Not a good idea growbro. Especially with sub-irrigation, coarse drainage material in the bottom of the pot can cause problems. Water tends to move poorly across a quick change in particle size. In any case, pebbles can also bring chemical mischief with them - not all of them are as inert as you think. If you insist on putting "pebbles" down there, you are better off with hydroton, but don't use the cheap stuff, it sometimes causes issues with nutes or pH.

I can't help you with managing the light mix, my only attempt at a light peat mix was a mess. If I use a peat mix again, I will start with straight peat and amend it myself.

Good luck with it.

OK but the auto pot guidelines say clay balls at bottom of pots, what do you suggest perlite??

 

[Olderfart]

OK but the auto pot guidelines say clay balls at bottom of pots, what do you suggest perlite??

Yeah, I know about the autopot guidelines, but do not agree with them. Clay balls in any case are not pebbles, they actually wick water to some extent, but pebbles don't.

I suggest that for a peat mix in autopots you can go with no less than 30-40% perlite throughout the pot, and you could consider an inch or so of 50-60% perlite mix in the bottom of the pot. The extra perlite in the bottom is just insurance to make sure that the zone actually flooded by the autovalve has extra aeration. For coco, the extra perlite in the bottom is not necessary, at least it was not in my coco grow with ~40% or so perlite and fabric pots.

You could also use a portion of vermiculite to help with aeration. If I do another peat grow, I may use the 50/50 peat vermiculite mix recommended by Dr. Bruce Bugbee. If you don't know who he is, check him on Youtube. If I use his mix, I may have to change the liming to deal with my water source, but his mix seems to have been well thought out, and since it starts with straight peat, I would have a better idea of exactly what is in there than is possible with prepared mix.

Anyway, bottom line in my books is that there needs to be a substantial portion of the peat or coco medium all the way to the bottom of the pot. The presence of smaller particle size all the way down will ensure that wicking will work the way it needs to.

Good luck with the grow.

 

[St. Tom]

I've used 60/40 canna pro cooco and pebbles on lots of grows they seem to work very well but I've done 100 pcent Coco this time but I'm still top feeding now as there very young

 

[Watweed_2009]

Yeah, I know about the autopot guidelines, but do not agree with them. Clay balls in any case are not pebbles, they actually wick water to some extent, but pebbles don't.

I suggest that for a peat mix in autopots you can go with no less than 30-40% perlite throughout the pot, and you could consider an inch or so of 50-60% perlite mix in the bottom of the pot. The extra perlite in the bottom is just insurance to make sure that the zone actually flooded by the autovalve has extra aeration. For coco, the extra perlite in the bottom is not necessary, at least it was not in my coco grow with ~40% or so perlite and fabric pots.

You could also use a portion of vermiculite to help with aeration. If I do another peat grow, I may use the 50/50 peat vermiculite mix recommended by Dr. Bruce Bugbee. If you don't know who he is, check him on Youtube. If I use his mix, I may have to change the liming to deal with my water source, but his mix seems to have been well thought out, and since it starts with straight peat, I would have a better idea of exactly what is in there than is possible with prepared mix.

Anyway, bottom line in my books is that there needs to be a substantial portion of the peat or coco medium all the way to the bottom of the pot. The presence of smaller particle size all the way down will ensure that wicking will work the way it needs to.

Good luck with the grow.

You should pop round and sort this for me hahah. But cheers for the advice, in going to use coco I think, I'm trying to get my head around the feeding though, I'm going to use shogun nutes a and b and bloom for flowering and I'll need to add cal mag won't i, but how much cal mag or do I just follow the guidelines, and another thing do I feed 500ppm strength nutes soon as I've planted some clones into the pots or do I just feed them light till established?? Then turn the system on and give 500ppm strength, if you or anyone can give me a round guide on all this would be awesome.

 

[Watweed_2009]

You should pop round and sort this for me hahah. But cheers for the advice, in going to use coco I think, I'm trying to get my head around the feeding though, I'm going to use shogun nutes a and b and bloom for flowering and I'll need to add cal mag won't i, but how much cal mag or do I just follow the guidelines, and another thing do I feed 500ppm strength nutes soon as I've planted some clones into the pots or do I just feed them light till established?? Then turn the system on and give 500ppm strength, if you or anyone can give me a round guide on all this would be awesome.

@Dell boy @Mañ'O'Green and any other pros welcome haha

 

[Watweed_2009]

I've used 60/40 canna pro cooco and pebbles on lots of grows they seem to work very well but I've done 100 pcent Coco this time but I'm still top feeding now as there very young

What's the 60/40 ratios Tom?? Coco soil or, and also on this nutrient thing can you help I need to top feed while they are young but with what (I'm in the UK) and then I was just going to use shogun hydro feed a and b and some bloom for flowering or boost whatever one they do, plus I'll have to feed them cal mag, how much cal mag, and how do I mix the feed up to 500ppm, sorry for the million questions but I can't seem to find any info in this. Do I just do a little then test it, then add a bit more till its 500ppm in the reservoir. Help a guy out please.

 

[St. Tom]

This is what I use also Coco/clay pebbles also nutrients wise I used to use remo and they do a supercharged kit with everything in 1 box but the newts are your choice also and with you running photo plants not autoflowers you will be able to go higher feed with photos also Shogun nutes are meant to be good and my friend @Trichome farmer uses that and he also grows photo plants so he may be of help also I'm UK based myself

 

[Watweed_2009]

This is what I use also Coco/clay pebbles also nutrients wise I used to use remo and they do a supercharged kit with everything in 1 box but the newts are your choice also and with you running photo plants not autoflowers you will be able to go higher feed with photos also Shogun nutes are meant to be good and my friend @Trichome farmer uses that and he also grows photo plants so he may be of help also I'm UK based myself View attachment 1313222View attachment 1313223

Ah I see lol. OK ok so I got that bit. Any ideas on the nutrient side a b bloom cal mag etc. Mixing to 500ppm, a guy who used to do mine for me (we fell out lol) had rhyzo system and it was always a b and boost, and it came out banging. That was in coco with all the crazy shit controllers etc etc for everything. But he used to mix about 100ml of both a and b into the 400 rez and away it went

 

[St. Tom]

Ah I see lol. OK ok so I got that bit. Any ideas on the nutrient side a b bloom cal mag etc. Mixing to 500ppm, a guy who used to do mine for me (we fell out lol) had rhyzo system and it was always a b and boost, and it came out banging. That was in coco with all the crazy shit controllers etc etc for everything. But he used to mix about 100ml of both a and b into the 400 rez and away it went

I have just sent you a pm but going by that your mate used canna nutes there great as they have a calculator to just put your water type in ect

 

[Del boy]

@Dell boy @Mañ'O'Green and any other pros welcome haha

Hello never done auto pots or photo plants so cant help you but i have switched to clay pebbles instead of perlight on my new grow