Grow Mediums Does anyone use soil in their AutoPots?

[Tiny Bubbles]

I know that roots makes a powdered amendment called elemental, but I’ve never used it myself.

 

[pop22]

Most organic soil actually have plenty of calcium. Add a 1/2 Tbsp Epsom salts per gallon of soil for the Mg you need. Don't waste your money on the " gardening" Epsom salts, its nothing more than a ripoff, its all exactly the same. I get mine at dollar general. DON'T water with straight RO or distilled water in organic soil! If your tap water is funky/to high ppms, cut it with RO or distilled, there are micro nutrients in you tap water. And don't worry about chlorine/chloramine there 's not enough to hurt anything to begin with and adding 50% RO, etc, makes even even safer, plants actually use a small amount of chlorine!

Cool...the less I have to mix perlite into anything the better!! I always get it everywhere and find it for months all over my house. HA HA
Yes, I have calmag on hand, but would love to maybe add a little to the bottom of the pot and nip the problem in the bud. what is a good powder source of cal/mag to add to the bottom of the pot?

 

[MassMom]

Most organic soil actually have plenty of calcium. Add a 1/2 Tbsp Epsom salts per gallon of soil for the Mg you need. Don't waste your money on the " gardening" Epsom salts, its nothing more than a ripoff, its all exactly the same. I get mine at dollar general. DON'T water with straight RO or distilled water in organic soil! If your tap water is funky/to high ppms, cut it with RO or distilled, there are micro nutrients in you tap water. And don't worry about chlorine/chloramine there 's not enough to hurt anything to begin with and adding 50% RO, etc, makes even even safer, plants actually use a small amount of chlorine!

cool....yes my water is pretty good from the faucet, just high ph around 8. (I will 1/2 1/2 it with distilled). I will be using Real Growers Recharge filled with lots of benes, and they say DO NOT ph when using it. So I will use some tap water and reap the benefits of the micro nutrients. Cool, thank you! Now, question. Once plants go on the res I cant use recharge in the res because it makes a cloudy/clumpy mess. What PH should the plain 1/2 tap 1/2 distilled water in the res be for organic soil?

 

[Wallflower82]

Did you end up top watering the recharge into the autopots? Doesn’t seem necessary to put it in the reservoir but this is all new to me so I could be totally wrong

 

[pop22]

Sorry, never saw this post. I PH all my water for organics to 6.5

cool....yes my water is pretty good from the faucet, just high ph around 8. (I will 1/2 1/2 it with distilled). I will be using Real Growers Recharge filled with lots of benes, and they say DO NOT ph when using it. So I will use some tap water and reap the benefits of the micro nutrients. Cool, thank you! Now, question. Once plants go on the res I cant use recharge in the res because it makes a cloudy/clumpy mess. What PH should the plain 1/2 tap 1/2 distilled water in the res be for organic soil?

 

[nomadJ]

Cool...the less I have to mix perlite into anything the better!! I always get it everywhere and find it for months all over my house. HA HA
Yes, I have calmag on hand, but would love to maybe add a little to the bottom of the pot and nip the problem in the bud. what is a good powder source of cal/mag to add to the bottom of the pot?

I know this is old but silicosis in no joke. Mix that perlite outside with a mask. It can contribute to some nasty lung issues. Its not dissimilar to glass dust.

 

[A poT420]

Start of week 3 in auto pots with Canna soil, feeding with floramax nutes,
After 3 weeks from seed.

Have air domes and and autobase in bottom of pots.
2nd grow.

 

[Olderfart]

Start of week 3 in auto pots with Canna soil, feeding with floramax nutes,
After 3 weeks from seed.View attachment 1560023
Have air domes and and autobase in bottom of pots.
2nd grow.

looking gorgeous! Just keep that EC/PPM low later in the grow and you will knock it out of the park. I have found anything above ~~900EC is a risk with sub-irrigation. You definitely need to keep the EC lower than with top irrigation.

Good luck with it, perfect so far.

 

[A poT420]

looking gorgeous! Just keep that EC/PPM low later in the grow and you will knock it out of the park. I have found anything above ~~900EC is a risk with sub-irrigation. You definitely need to keep the EC lower than with top irrigation.

Good luck with it, perfect so far.

Cheers Olderfart ,
I'm really brand-new at this completely.
My last and was my first attempt at growing indoors turned out ok but not very good I had lockout most of the grow as well as too wet for 4 or 5 weeks
with 0nly 1 of the 4 plants looking healthy ( good learning grow for me).
So this time round I made sure the plants were well established before turning the system on.
got rid of clay balls and replaced with airdomes and air bases.
I'm over the moon with how these are going this time round.
I need to research EC/PPM as I have no idea at this stage.
I do ph my tank after mixing nutes to about 6.

 

[Olderfart]

Cheers Olderfart ,
I'm really brand-new at this completely.
My last and was my first attempt at growing indoors turned out ok but not very good I had lockout most of the grow as well as too wet for 4 or 5 weeks
with 0nly 1 of the 4 plants looking healthy ( good learning grow for me).
So this time round I made sure the plants were well established before turning the system on.
got rid of clay balls and replaced with airdomes and air bases.
I'm over the moon with how these are going this time round.
I need to research EC/PPM as I have no idea at this stage.
I do ph my tank after mixing nutes to about 6.

EC is easy, and cheap. Unlike pH, the cheap meters are fine, ideally get one that is calibratable, but for the most part anything not reviewed as garbage will be fine for EC/PPM. measuring EC is hugely easier than measuring pH, the hardware is far easier and cheaper than what is possible for pH.

Whether you are in coco or soil, if you are using salt nutes, you will be better off with an EC meter. Adjusting your nute mix is far easier and more precise with a meter, much better than simply measuring the weight or volume of nutes added to your mix.

Good luck with it, and fire away with questions if you need more help.