Grow Mediums Process for Maintaining pH & EC/PPM in 70/30 Coco/Perlite Mix - Autopots!

[MassMom]

That looks awesome. Autopots states not to let the rez get less than 1/3 full. How do you get around that? I assume you just let it drain close to bottom, then just fill it with 10 gals of premixed nutrients.

Also, what is the issue with top dressing the pots if growing in coco? Just starting my first grow...

I never mix in my rez~ I mix in my gallons beforehand. This mom has no idea how to do the math if there is already solution in the rez! LOL. When my ladies are just starting on the rez, I mix up no more than 2-3 gallons of distilled water with nutes at a time. (My town water is nasty!) I let the jugs of water and nutes sit out overnight as my ph has a tendency to drift. Then the next day I add them to the rez and test the ph to make sure it is 5.9. As the ladies get older, they will drink more, so then I start having I have 5 gallon distilled water bottles delivered to my house, and do it the same way. Not sure how others do it, but this works for me.

I was taught that using the autopot that salts can rise to the top of the coco. So top watering with anything could bring all those nasties down. If I want to add something, I turn off the rez, let the ladies suck up anything in the base, then add the whatever it is to the base and let them suck that up. Then I turn it back on. Some do it different, but once I turn on the rez I never water from the top at all.

I added an inline shut off valve at the rez, and one at each pot. It's great to be able to shut off the rez to add things to the base...or if one of your ladies is having an issue you can shut her off without shutting off any of your other plants.

BUT, I am just a hot mess, so take what I say with a grain of salt