Mañ'O'Green and GreenLeaf 2 part for Autos

[BII]

No not really, it is designed for drip to waste. I think 20% perlite is plenty?

Are there any downsides using >20% perlite in coco? I presume more (aeration) is good, up to a point (such as ~50%?), particularly in larger pots?

I've been using ≥40-50% perlite for years in ~5 gallon pots, often using 1 and later 2-part MC. I can't even imagine now using >80% coco - holds too much water, poorer drainage and aeration, etc. (compared to double the amount of perlite).

 

[BII]

I am sorry I am a Yank and work in gallons. This was my last schedule:

Read this carefully as the first line is seedlings then the next is 4.5 gallon buckets for soaking the rock wool. After that it is based on a 12 gallon reservoir. Click the link in my signature to read the implementation.

Black Fire, & Russian Winter from Beaver Genetics



View attachment 1525468

Good Luck!

The graphic with your 2-part MC regimen in this thread is getting old, from Oct. 2022. I recall(?) more recent presentations in other threads.

Is there a site where we can always find your current regimen? Or can you post it here?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

The graphic with your 2-part MC regimen in this thread is getting old, from Oct. 2022. I recall(?) more recent presentations in other threads.

Is there a site where we can always find your current regimen? Or can you post it here?

Look at my most current grow posted in my signature.

Coco all by itself does not retain too much water when top watered. You can grow entirely in perlite just like rock wool. Coco will form a better root biome.

 

[coolno9]

The 50/50 mixture is recommended by autopots manufacturers, i was just following directions. After I use up what I have I can experiment with less perlite.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

The 50/50 mixture is recommended by autopots manufacturers, i was just following directions. After I use up what I have I can experiment with less perlite.

Well if it works for you just keep doing it! With the exception of Earth Box type systems I don't like bottom watering. They all seem to end up with a salt line in the soil that becomes toxic to the plants sooner or later.

 

[Olderfart]

Well if it works for you just keep doing it! With the exception of Earth Box type systems I don't like bottom watering. They all seem to end up with a salt line in the soil that becomes toxic to the plants sooner or later.

I've never had an autopot grow on salt nutes that didn't develop an issue, so I have moved on to top watering. The autovalves work great for water only and soil, so that is what I use them for, in summer, for vegies. No more autopots for winter cannabis grows for me. Others here have made them work, most of the time, but top watering works better for me, at least with salt nutes.

 

[BII]

I've never had an autopot grow on salt nutes that didn't develop an issue, so I have moved on to top watering. The autovalves work great for water only and soil, so that is what I use them for, in summer, for vegies. No more autopots for winter cannabis grows for me. Others here have made them work, most of the time, but top watering works better for me, at least with salt nutes.

Unless a good drain-to-waste is done frequently, I presume salts will tend to accumulate whether you feed from top (salts build up at bottom) or bottom (salts build up at top). Wherever you feed, that part of the media/soil will have the highest water/fluid concentration which will tend to flow, diffuse, move by capillary action/adsorption, etc. to areas of lower water concentration, including to distant areas that will dry out faster, where salt concentrations will build up. In nothing else, there will be some salts buildup wherever media/soil is exposed to the air.

Salts buildup may not be a problem, such as if the salt deposits remain dry/drier and undisturbed, or if simply lucky. For ex., with AutoPots many (I've done it) go a whole grow without doing any top feeding or drain-to-waste. But if do top feed and disturb the top salt deposits, need to this as a serious flush, with lots of feed/water, to get rid of all the now dissolved salts.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Unless a good drain-to-waste is done frequently, I presume salts will tend to accumulate whether you feed from top (salts build up at bottom) or bottom (salts build up at top). Wherever you feed, that part of the media/soil will have the highest water/fluid concentration which will tend to flow, diffuse, move by capillary action/adsorption, etc. to areas of lower water concentration, including to distant areas that will dry out faster, where salt concentrations will build up. In nothing else, there will be some salts buildup wherever media/soil is exposed to the air.

Salts buildup may not be a problem, such as if the salt deposits remain dry/drier and undisturbed, or if simply lucky. For ex., with AutoPots many (I've done it) go a whole grow without doing any top feeding or drain-to-waste. But if do top feed and disturb the top salt deposits, need to this as a serious flush, with lots of feed/water, to get rid of all the now dissolved salts.

@BII if you fertigate correctly from the top for the media type you are using a salt line or concentration will not occur.

Soil fertigate just until run-off, soil uses way less nutrients because the only way they exit the container is through the plant. Never let the pot get dry or hydrophobic pockets can form. Many growers over fertilize which makes the whole pot out of balance but not a salt line.

Peat fertigate to at least 10% run-off every time you fertigate. Never let the pot get dry or hydrophobic pockets can form. Peat holds on to nutrients less than soil and more than coco. Dolomite Lime is often used in peat and a large flush really fooks up the balance in the pot because everything immediately available washes out but not the lime, this makes the whole pot a salt line.

Coco fertigate to 15%-20% run-off every day you fertigate. Coco allows for the formation of a root biome that clings to the coco while excess nutrients are washed down and out from the top. Really no chance for a salt line as balanced nutrients are added in large quantities.

Inert substrates like rock wool are fertigated to 15%-20% run-off every day, no chance for a salt line when top fertigated. Flood tables that are not deeper than the top of the substrate will produce killing salt lines. Been there and done that!

 

[Olderfart]

Unless a good drain-to-waste is done frequently, I presume salts will tend to accumulate whether you feed from top (salts build up at bottom) or bottom (salts build up at top). Wherever you feed, that part of the media/soil will have the highest water/fluid concentration which will tend to flow, diffuse, move by capillary action/adsorption, etc. to areas of lower water concentration, including to distant areas that will dry out faster, where salt concentrations will build up. In nothing else, there will be some salts buildup wherever media/soil is exposed to the air.

Salts buildup may not be a problem, such as if the salt deposits remain dry/drier and undisturbed, or if simply lucky. For ex., with AutoPots many (I've done it) go a whole grow without doing any top feeding or drain-to-waste. But if do top feed and disturb the top salt deposits, need to this as a serious flush, with lots of feed/water, to get rid of all the now dissolved salts.

salts don't build up with top watering to sufficient runoff. Runoff is key.

 

[BII]

We all agree on runoff, as I prefaced everything, "Unless a good drain-to-waste is done frequently...."

But I still presume that grows can be done without doing any drain-to-waste, such as using AutoPots, bottom-feeding wicking, drip or other controlled-type feeding systems that never allow any back-flow of dissolved salts from deposits at either the top or bottom. I recall back when I used AutoPots, the predominant guidance was to simply not top feed and disturb the salts layer.