Grow Mediums Autopot airdome setup?

[yosim]

Hi - just wondering what to put around the airdome at the bottom of the autopot - i have some perlite so should i surround the bottom of the pot with perlite and then use a 70/30 mix with soil the rest of the way up the pot?
or just use a 70/30 mix around the airdome also?

thank you for any advice!

edit: also if starting seeds in finishing pot probably best to wait until the seedling has grown for a couple of weeks before turning on autopot system, just hand water until then?

 

[welshboy]

Hi yosim I've got both the 15l and 25l autopots I put the air dome in the bottom and fill with perlight till its just covered the airdomes. Yes you mix your soil then how you want I started off with coco which I mixed in a quarter of perlight to the coco mix so 12.5l into 50l of coco. I now use for ease 60/40 blend of coco and clay pebbles with excellent results and no mixing lol. Yes I would hand water for the first 2 wks then turn the system on and see how the plants do then make sure you check on them every day or so as the auto pots feed nipple can get blocked your plants will let you know if this happens

 

[2Stoned2Care]

Hi bro this is how much hydroton i put in the bottom of my pot,but you can just use your soil mix without covering the dome with perlite or hydroton. @pop22 uses just soil mix and has no problems so its up to you bro.and yes the only thing is making sure your roots are big enough to wick up the feed which is about 15-21 days so just hand water till you think the girls are big enough to turn the system on

 

[yosim]

ok cool thanks for all replies!

 

[KonopCh]

Does airpump/airstone raise pH?
Vinegar in water - stays pH at desired level after days?

 

[Frogster]

Hi - just wondering what to put around the airdome at the bottom of the autopot - i have some perlite so should i surround the bottom of the pot with perlite and then use a 70/30 mix with soil the rest of the way up the pot?
or just use a 70/30 mix around the airdome also?

thank you for any advice!

edit: also if starting seeds in finishing pot probably best to wait until the seedling has grown for a couple of weeks before turning on autopot system, just hand water until then?

Here are a couple of things I do.... It works for me...

1. Wash, soak & Ph the pebbles down to around 5.0 to 5.5 before you use them. This may take 2 days to get them stable.... they will drift up to where they should be when in the pot.
2. When the above step has been achieved, Mix 50% Soil, with 25% Perlite & 25% Pebbles (using some of the pebbles from above).
3. Put a root disk in the pot, then the airdome, then the layer of pebbles around the airdome (about half way up the airdome), then the soil mix.
4. Water the soil mix when in the autopot a day before planting up the seedlings.
5. Plant up and water as required.... After the seedlings look as though they have grown some roots and the leaves nearly reach the sides, turn on the Air (continual on 24Hrs is good) .
6. Continue to hand water until the leaves reach the side of the pot, then fill the reservoir half way and plug the pots in... check they fill and drain - i.e. watch them through a cycle (this may take a day or two, depending on how advanced the roots are).

Then.... sit back and be amazed !

 

[PaddyIrishMan]

Does airpump/airstone raise pH?
Vinegar in water - stays pH at desired level after days?

I can tell you that I have used vinegar, lemon juice and pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid) all seperately in the past. With all I experienced a rise of ph as high as from 5.8 in, to 7.8 when measured again a day later. The rise is still significant when mixed with real PH Down. Purpose made PH Down seems to be by far the most stable with the least amount of rise. I have to use tap water in my situation, which means chloramines (why I was using vitamin C as it neutralises the Chlorine *leaves ammonia though*), but my tap ppm is only 65.
Use proper PH Down I suppose i'm trying to say. You don't want to leave your desired PH zone for the sake of a few $$ or Chloramine removal.

 

[Tony21]

Hey, I use nothing but soil or coco in Autopots, I can not see why you wud use the stuff around airdome.
Sometimes I use a flat air stone if no airdome around. Work just as good.

 

[Tony21]

Ph, I have seen the guys use what you say, lemon, vinegar and it never goes well, no stable as he said. I also only use real ph down, phosphoric acid, cheap and easy get.if I need to god up, baking soda does it.