Indoor Autopots KIS Organics Water Only Soil

[Mañ'O'Green]

Hey terp, I'm going to follow along as I have been curious about this myself.

Main advice I would give is to not top water. Because the autopot feeds from the bottom, anything that is unwanted by the plant/soil is moved to the top. When you top water it flushes all that bad stuff into the root zone. To get around this, turn off the res the night before you want to add the tea. Add the tea into the bottom of the autopot to the normal fill line. Do this a second time once the first go has been absorbed. Turn back on res.

*note: my experience is with autopots feeding salt based nutes. I'm not sure this would apply the same to organic soil.

Just thinking about this. What mechanism of action is involved? How does a plant "move" substances to the top of a soil column against gravity? I assume by "bad stuff" you means excess nutrients?

This is one of those situations where the observed is not described by the proper process. Water will indeed carry dissolved nutrients in soil up to the point where evaporation removes the water and leaves the salts behind. This forms a zone or line in the soil with greater salt density than in the soil above or below this zone. The ions here will actively attract more ions in this salt region. It can become strong enough to be visible and toxic. Then when you top water this salt is washed back into the pot creating an out of balance situation. It can do the same thing in organic soil but takes much longer to form a salt rich zone.

Top watering to good run-off once a week will mitigate this situation.

 

[CannabisMingus]

Top watering to good run-off once a week will mitigate this situation.

Even in living organic (water only) soils? I would assume it would take months for significant quantities of salts to accumulate.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Even in living organic (water only) soils? I would assume it would take months for significant quantities of salts to accumulate.

In this situation it would depend on the calcium content of the source water. If you are talking 20PPM/L or less the plant would probably use that up and it would maybe never happen. That said even TLS has minerals that can leach up and redeposit in a zone from bottom watering yet everything in good soil is in slow motion compared to salt based fertilizers. So yes it could take a long time. If you go with worms, bugs and fungi in an earth box it would never happen. Once you learn to support that eco-system it will grow your plant! It is the Panama Red dabs makes me go there. I wish I could move a pot of dirt. I would be growin TLS Earth Box for sure.

 

[CannabisMingus]

I would be growin TLS Earth Box for sure.

Thinking about that vs autopots. Appreciate your input as always @Mañ'O'Green

 

[St. Tom]

one of my last grows was with sohums live soil in autopots if anyone is interested I have a thread somewhere

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

one of my last grows was with sohums live soil in autopots if anyone is interested I have a thread somewhere

What did you like and not like about it?

 

[Suki]

In this situation it would depend on the calcium content of the source water. If you are talking 20PPM/L or less the plant would probably use that up and it would maybe never happen. That said even TLS has minerals that can leach up and redeposit in a zone from bottom watering yet everything in good soil is in slow motion compared to salt based fertilizers. So yes it could take a long time. If you go with worms, bugs and fungi in an earth box it would never happen. Once you learn to support that eco-system it will grow your plant! It is the Panama Red dabs makes me go there. I wish I could move a pot of dirt. I would be growin TLS Earth Box for sure.

Can you possibly use a rolling riser or even like a pallet on wheels? Then if you have to move them its very minimal lifting? I think you can actually get them with wheels if you want from EB.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Can you possibly use a rolling riser or even like a pallet on wheels? Then if you have to move them its very minimal lifting? I think you can actually get them with wheels if you want from EB.

The only thing I'd be plantin' would be me face in the dirt

 

[Suki]

The only thing I'd be plantin' would be me face in the dirt

That's unfortunate you grow some amazing plants regardless

 

[terp182]

In this situation it would depend on the calcium content of the source water. If you are talking 20PPM/L or less the plant would probably use that up and it would maybe never happen. That said even TLS has minerals that can leach up and redeposit in a zone from bottom watering yet everything in good soil is in slow motion compared to salt based fertilizers. So yes it could take a long time. If you go with worms, bugs and fungi in an earth box it would never happen. Once you learn to support that eco-system it will grow your plant! It is the Panama Red dabs makes me go there. I wish I could move a pot of dirt. I would be growin TLS Earth Box for sure.

Thanks for checking in, MOG. Fortunately, I have pristine source water at 22 PPM. I'm hoping that'll suffice. I appreciate the tip to top water to runoff once a week or so!

After reading the compost tea instructions on the OGBiowar website, which are pretty simple, I'm thinking of just mixing in the compost tea at the diluted level they recommend (1:10 if I understand correctly), and either running 5 gallons of it in the reservoir, or top-watered in when they start to stretch, before switching back to water in the reservoir. I'm open to guidance as to which would be the better option! I'm looking for Tom's old thread now.