This is my first grow with autopot I have the 6xl system…I’ve followed there instructions 100percent!. Besides the clay pebbles around the air dome I’m using a living soil that’s 50percent Coco…with a 50 percent mix of clay pebbles. My plants are a foot tall .I turned on my pots 48hrs. Ago , and none of the plants are wicking!!.. I stuck my finger in the pot as far as possible and it was dry. So I gave them all a liter of water at the stem and it came out the bottom of the pot.ive turned the system off right now cause the trays are full…now my light is off for the next 6 hrs…but just wondering…did I do the right thing??.. should I not have watered them through? Should I leave the system off and see if anything starts wicking in the next couple days? And I’m sorry one more question does anyone know how many hours a day I turn on my air comes?? Thank you guys so much for the help!!
I pretty sure reading up on them cause I plan on getting some soon, you’re supposed to wait a few days or a week before turning the system on and just hand water them @Nicky is the master of autopots if you can try getting a hold of him he knows a lot more
I’ve read anything and everything I can find about them and I did exactly what they recommend…I transplanted plants, watered through… let them sit for 14 days… it was 10 days from the water through before they needed any more water, actually that’s what autopot says will happen, watered by hand up until the 14th day… turned them on and nothing…so has anyone had the same problem? Or any experience with the pots not wicking?
I’d check the aqua valve and make sure everything is right and it’s functioning properly as long as that’s working properly you should be good. And I know you said you did everything right but just ensure your flexiTank is on a stand or something keeping it at least 6 inches from the ground in which your autopots are
Pictures of your setup?
Autopots lies about the timeline a bit in my opinion, your plants leafs need to be at the edge of the pots before you turn the system on because the roots need to be established at the bottom of the pot, also you shouldnt have just transplanted or the size won’t count.
Starter jiffy puck/rapid rooter or solo cup. First then into the autopots. Wait till leafs touch the edge and boom turn system on.
I personally have never used air domes because I read alot about how they don’t really help much and thus I run coco perlite with no pebbles.
You could contact autopot support but it sounds to me like your plants just arnt ready.
Top water longer.
@Odie302 thx for the tag here! Much appreciated
One thing I was wondering my self is when using autopots for multiple strains, will they all be good taking in the same water/nutrient supply
Yes.
I mean it’s more ideal. To run the same genetic but you can run different strains and even both autos and photos on the same reservoir, even though photos are way more nutrient hungry.
It gets super complicated running soil in autopots and I did one run before switching to coco.
Autopot should sell a drip Irrigation system that allows you to top feed for those first 2 or 3 weeks, that would be killer but I may have to buy a secondary one.
This is me being lazy/time crunched though
Now I thought you had to top feed for the first couple weeks before turning the system on?
Yeah you do. Why is that in question?
Think I just mistook when you said drip irrigation
So actually today I spoke with autopot USA… according to there instructions on the website it says cover air comes 2/3 way with clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot…they told me on the phone that is wrong!.. They said they have found out no more than 1 inch pebbles at bottom will help with wicking…so they suggested turn off res. Empty water out of all aqua valve.and bottom of pot trays…water through again and top water as needed for another 4or 5 days…and turn it on again. He also asked about my nutrients I told him when all of the nutes were used in my soil I will be using advance nutrients, I let him know the line up I was using and he told me because I’m using bud candy, I need to buy a pro filter off there website and that will definitely help with any lines getting clogged…so back to top watering I guess for a few days…I thank everyone with the good advice…any other autopot tips would be appreciated…I will add pics of plants and set up once the light comes on
Also @Nicky autopot asked how high my res. Is? According to there website says 6in above highest aqua valve…mine is 13in. He said raise it another 12in. And between that and the pro filter I should have no problems with clogged lines…
With your plants being a foot tall I’m sure the roots are deep enough to reach the moisture at the bottom . I have turn the AP’s on at 4-6 inches tall without problems . Most of the moisture stays at the bottom and the top is always dry in my 3.9 plastic pots . If there is water in the valve tray they should be fine . I would leave the system on . As far as the air dome is concerned , I leave mine running 24-7 start to finish . In my opinion the air domes must be doing something the plant likes because they are always stuffed full of roots. I think your fine… Pictures of your set up would help us .Here’s my last grow with AP’s …
@Seeddog while I understand that works for you I think you may have missed the part where he said he is using the XL system, the XL pots are much bigger and thus takes the roots longer to get to the bottom. As well as he didn’t put the 1inch of clay pebbles he put more in.
@CHAD1104
It doesn’t hurt your plants to top water if your system hasn’t been working via bottom feed already so keep top feeding for now.
My system is 18 inches off the ground never had a problem, sounds like autopots support wants it way to high to be ergonomic in my opinion.
You won’t have a clog unless you are using organic nutrients, at least in the first two or four grows.
You want to get a line cleaner or a flushing agent and after harvest run it through your system or soak it all in a T gallon bucket for a day with the line cleaner added it will clear all the saltsand calcium out.
Or you can buy a bulk roll of hose and just replace your lines every couple grows then you only need to clean your aqua valves and filter.
The reservoirs have filters in them and they work good enough unless your running organics or a huge system I wouldn’t worry about a bigger filter to be honest.
I’m running 8 plants off two systems, no issues.
Hydro domes are debatable, but yea only 1inc of clay pebbles.
It’s more cost and work then is worth it, then again you are both in plastic and I’m in fabric so meh idk.
I harvest 4 autos and both were 10 oz or close to
Looks like you have it figured out… gorgeous!!!. I transplanted from 1gallon pots now 16 days ago into autopts. I watered them through per there instructions…they did not need water again for 9 days then I turned on the system…and waited and like I mentioned between 3to 4in down the pot they were dry and aqua valve had not went down at all…also I’m using the 6.6 gal if it makes a difference? So you think I should just turn it back on? I’ll post pics about an hour or so, lights will be on…
Don’t turn your system on yet, regardless of what’s causing the issue your plants just need more time.
Top water for another week.
Next time do only 1inch or just got coco and perlite and toss out the pebbles and hydrodome.
@Nicky…great advice so top water for another 5 days maybe then turn on???.. also I have atami ATA clean that’s is what the UK makers of autopot recommend…but the shipping cost more than the product so I won’t keep ordering it…I also just ordered more lines and fitting so I can trade them out as needed. Autopot was very big about me opening the tap once a week…and of course the pro filter…I figured 22 dollars might as well try …I hope I’m not disappointed with this and all the money I spent…I’m still hopeful this system will be successful…
The system is amazing to be honest.
I did alot of research before starting and that’s why I went XL system, I couldn’t buy the smart pot version here so I sourced my own fabric pots and root socks, I run a dry nutrients like Jack’s 321 (mine is chemgro 4-20).
I did research on mediums and went with 60/40 coco perlite, I water until plants reach edge of pots and then turn the system on.
Itw so little work and so much of an amazing gain on yeild, although since I go away for 10 days at a time sometimes I got 100L flexitanks for my systems. Omg they are so much better then that stupid stock tank if you have 4 monster plants.
Although I’m leaving tomorrow and I had to mix 300L of nutrients, after I filtered the water (carbon filter on my kitch sink cold line for chlorine)
And I setup the inside trays, outside was already setup.
Man that was alot of work!
My personal advice is top water.
And look to switching to fabric and away from the plastic, when you do that get rid of the clay pebbles and hydrodomes. It’s all alot more work that way for less gain…
I also did a ton of research…was already using fabric pots using living soil…I opted for the plastic but now maybe it was a mistake?.. I hear a lot of people doing amazing things with these systems .those plants you showed are amazing…!!
I’m not sure how those came out? My phone doesn’t take great pics
Looking good, yeah plants look good but I Geuss the extra layer of pebbles is your issue. So wait another week.
Soil and plastic sucks…
Fabric and coco /perlite is wayyy better.
I grew in soil until two grows ago. I love soil but not for cannabis