How will the autopot help?
Grow Mediums Minimal runoff coco grows?
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With the Autopots being an automatic bottom feed, it just feeds the plants when they need them, and salt rises to the top of medium. No need to flush them that I'm aware of. That also means no manual hand watering (top feeding) and dealing with vaccuming up run off for me.
I ask because my watering style is very intentionally patterned on what autopots do -- bottom-feeding, but only watering as much as they'll absorb within a day or so, roughly daily and possibly extra when I feel like it -- and it seems to be working pretty well. I still top-water to flush out salt buildup every week or two, and have only been vacuuming up runoff once or twice per grow, diluting it otherwise. It's very low effort, and doesn't have any moving parts that can fail -- I'm a bit wary of my nutrients clogging an autopot valve, I've had it happen with drippers.
I thought the "salt rises to the top of medium" part could potentially still be a problem, but I've never used an actual autopot. Either way, I prefer dealing with runoff less.
I thought the "salt rises to the top of medium" part could potentially still be a problem, but I've never used an actual autopot. Either way, I prefer dealing with runoff less.
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When you top feed, the salts deposit mostly on the bottom. That's what you wash out with drain-to-waste.
I Grow without much run off every grow but only to the end of the Strech point than the plant eats not much anymore and salt built up quick than its necessary to water with 10-20% runoff. You will notice this the plant eats EC and the run off is lower than the income so no worry of salt bulit up kepp the EC low under 1.0
I've been doing coco for the past decade for the most part. I've also done RDWC and Mapito, but hands down my favorite is coco. Right now going back to pure organics in preparation for outdoor growing.
Run-off is a half-myth. It is pushed by nute companies to help sell their products more. But there is good reason for their claims. Salt build-up is a real thing and a potencial problem, and regularly flushing your coco is a good thing. So run-to-waste is indeed an effective was to mitigate this problem. But it is also a LAZY way to deal with it, and typical of super large commercial setups. I've done several runs with the same coco without run-to-waste with great success.
You DO NOT need to apply run-to-waste in your indoor grows. It only wastes nutes.
If you are having deficiencies/toxicity issues, then for sure - flush the coco as best you can and reset.
Otherwise, running a few feeds with plain water, or better, AACT feeds - will 100% take care of your rhizosphere. The majority of the root mass is in the upper 1/3 to 2/3 of the pot. So the most important thing is what you top feed, not what comes out from the bottom. Plant exudates are super important to its self-regulation, so excessive "flushing" does not do you any service. at all.
Having said this - pure hydro doesn't give a damn about exudates. It force feeds the plant.
So in a nutshell, run-to-waste is a factor between your nutrient costs vs final yield ratio. It is not a recipe for better or higher yielding crops.
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Run-off is a half-myth. It is pushed by nute companies to help sell their products more. But there is good reason for their claims. Salt build-up is a real thing and a potencial problem, and regularly flushing your coco is a good thing. So run-to-waste is indeed an effective was to mitigate this problem. But it is also a LAZY way to deal with it, and typical of super large commercial setups. I've done several runs with the same coco without run-to-waste with great success.
You DO NOT need to apply run-to-waste in your indoor grows. It only wastes nutes.
If you are having deficiencies/toxicity issues, then for sure - flush the coco as best you can and reset.
Otherwise, running a few feeds with plain water, or better, AACT feeds - will 100% take care of your rhizosphere. The majority of the root mass is in the upper 1/3 to 2/3 of the pot. So the most important thing is what you top feed, not what comes out from the bottom. Plant exudates are super important to its self-regulation, so excessive "flushing" does not do you any service. at all.
Having said this - pure hydro doesn't give a damn about exudates. It force feeds the plant.
So in a nutshell, run-to-waste is a factor between your nutrient costs vs final yield ratio. It is not a recipe for better or higher yielding crops.
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What does AACT mean in this context?
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I have been running Hempy buckets for a year and I always tried to get 20% runnoff but recently tried to not feed so much and then just flush 1x each week. It seemed to work ok. I have left them for up to 4 days in veg.
I have been toying with adding a pipe into the bucket so I can bottom feed. Are there any issues with the PVC pipe interacting with anything? I mean the container is plastic also.
I have been toying with adding a pipe into the bucket so I can bottom feed. Are there any issues with the PVC pipe interacting with anything? I mean the container is plastic also.
Probably not. Don't lots of people use PVC to add watering tubes for SIPs, or for other hydroponics?
Actively Aerated Comport Tea = beneficial bateria tea = worm casting tea. It will regulate and turbo charge the quatity and quality of nutrient uptake, as well as promote root zone health and defense against pathogens
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