I enjoy experimenting with grow setups.
My favorite style is multiple plant, large, top feed + DWC reservoirs.
When coupled with an external reservoir and float valve, it is very low maintenance.
If the reservoirs are never changed, it rivals autopots in simplicity.
But my plants are getting too big, and I don't want to prune or train them.
I want to try autopots to see whether I can get shorter plants, but plan on using them in unusual ways.
1. I'll be using 2.2 gallon pots in a 2-pot "Easy2Grow" system in a 2 x 4 ft tent. The pots are 7 3/4 inches tall. I chose these instead of the 3.9 gal version to try to keep plants smaller. If this is wrong, I'm willing to sacrifice 2 plants to learn it.
2. I'm strongly considering using Growpito Sim MIx, and nothing else, so that its extra water holding power will cause some roots to grow higher up in the pots. I've seen pictures and comments about how the roots seem to stay close to the reservoir, and fail to make use of all the pot contents.
3. I can't accept this system if it's more difficult than what I'm doing now, so I don't want to hand water. In my present DWC setups, I sprout in Rapid Rooters, put the sprouted RRs into netpots surrounded by hydroton, then move the netpots into a top-feed hydro system after sprouts are viable. The top feed does the hand watering for me, and the roots reach the reservoir in a few days. The water in the Autopot reservoir rises about 1/2 inch into the bottoms of the 2.2 gallon pots. I'm considering doing exactly what I do in hydro, and set the netpots with sprouts and hydroton on the bottom of the empty pot, with the system turned on. Or if the Gropito won't fall thru 4 inch netpot holes, I'll use it instead. Hopefully as the roots grow, I can raise the pots and put more Gropito mix under them. But I'll have to see how the wicking behaves. The netpots, with hydroton or Growpito will be left in the autopots.
4. Although I bought 2 Airdomes, I've decided not to use them. I suspect they reduce wicking from the area beneath them. Instead, I'll be using a small airstone in the reservoir which holds 5 cups of fluid. And I'll be adding clorox to keep reservoir funkiness low.
I had never touched an autopot until a few days ago, so I might be overlooking important things.
I'd appreciate any criticism, and there's no need to be gentle.
I'm especially curious about opinions on whether Gropito alone can do well.
My favorite style is multiple plant, large, top feed + DWC reservoirs.
When coupled with an external reservoir and float valve, it is very low maintenance.
If the reservoirs are never changed, it rivals autopots in simplicity.
But my plants are getting too big, and I don't want to prune or train them.
I want to try autopots to see whether I can get shorter plants, but plan on using them in unusual ways.
1. I'll be using 2.2 gallon pots in a 2-pot "Easy2Grow" system in a 2 x 4 ft tent. The pots are 7 3/4 inches tall. I chose these instead of the 3.9 gal version to try to keep plants smaller. If this is wrong, I'm willing to sacrifice 2 plants to learn it.
2. I'm strongly considering using Growpito Sim MIx, and nothing else, so that its extra water holding power will cause some roots to grow higher up in the pots. I've seen pictures and comments about how the roots seem to stay close to the reservoir, and fail to make use of all the pot contents.
3. I can't accept this system if it's more difficult than what I'm doing now, so I don't want to hand water. In my present DWC setups, I sprout in Rapid Rooters, put the sprouted RRs into netpots surrounded by hydroton, then move the netpots into a top-feed hydro system after sprouts are viable. The top feed does the hand watering for me, and the roots reach the reservoir in a few days. The water in the Autopot reservoir rises about 1/2 inch into the bottoms of the 2.2 gallon pots. I'm considering doing exactly what I do in hydro, and set the netpots with sprouts and hydroton on the bottom of the empty pot, with the system turned on. Or if the Gropito won't fall thru 4 inch netpot holes, I'll use it instead. Hopefully as the roots grow, I can raise the pots and put more Gropito mix under them. But I'll have to see how the wicking behaves. The netpots, with hydroton or Growpito will be left in the autopots.
4. Although I bought 2 Airdomes, I've decided not to use them. I suspect they reduce wicking from the area beneath them. Instead, I'll be using a small airstone in the reservoir which holds 5 cups of fluid. And I'll be adding clorox to keep reservoir funkiness low.
I had never touched an autopot until a few days ago, so I might be overlooking important things.
I'd appreciate any criticism, and there's no need to be gentle.
I'm especially curious about opinions on whether Gropito alone can do well.
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