Django66
Well-Known Member
It's all good. I'm a healthy skeptic too.
First try with XL Auto Pots. In soil mix with perlite added.
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Django66
Well-Known Member
Conclusion for now, if you know how to use them, they work great. I've seen some crappy looking plants that "turned out awesome" and some that really did look nice. That's true with or without the auto pots. The best results (that I saw) were in organic soil, but it has to be the perfect consistency for the auto pots to work correctly. The base of the pots are round now as compared to what I was seeing in videos. That's a good improvement because I like to make sure every plant is getting equal light and no plant is shading out or touching another. OCD? How many plants do I want to waste on trial and error? Clones would be better for experimenting with. I Get It Now. Bing lightbulb moment!
I can see now how photoperiods and cloning are in my near future. The autos are great when you hit a home run with one, but wow are they unpredictable. I thought it was just me. I have F-5 lemon haze beans regular and another photo called La Alfie which is feminized. I think I might let the auto's run out and start my photoperiod adventures.
I can see now how photoperiods and cloning are in my near future. The autos are great when you hit a home run with one, but wow are they unpredictable. I thought it was just me. I have F-5 lemon haze beans regular and another photo called La Alfie which is feminized. I think I might let the auto's run out and start my photoperiod adventures.
Django66
Well-Known Member
Update; My original plan was to follow the directions. You are supposed to grow the plants to 12 inches and then transplant them into the auto pots. I stunted the plants that I was going to use so I didn't think it would be a fair test if I used them. Since they are autos, I decided to sow them directly into the auto pots. When the plants emerged I watered them lightly making sure the soil stayed moist but not wet. The problem with my soil mix if it gets over dry it will pull away from the sides of the pot. I made sure to keep the sides moist. I started the water flow when the plants were about three inches tall. So far the autopots exceeded my expectations. Never blame the breeder unless you are positive it wasn't you. The Double Grape never came up after a week. I got mad, thought about it and decided to try the last seed I had. WTF why are there two seeds left? I forgot to plant it somehow! I'm glad I didn't go on a forum and blast the breeder. So that's why the Double Grape from Mephisto is a week behind.
In the other tent one plant looks overwatered slightly. One looks dry but the pot is still heavy. the rest look ok for today. In the Auto Pot tent all I have done in the last 72 hours is look through the window and take a few pictures. There will still be l.s.t. and defoliating to do so it's not a free ride at all. the lights will not adjust automatically. Pests and diseases have to be monitored.
In the other tent one plant looks overwatered slightly. One looks dry but the pot is still heavy. the rest look ok for today. In the Auto Pot tent all I have done in the last 72 hours is look through the window and take a few pictures. There will still be l.s.t. and defoliating to do so it's not a free ride at all. the lights will not adjust automatically. Pests and diseases have to be monitored.
Django66
Well-Known Member
Amazing so far. Basic soil and keep an eye on the rest of the environment. That's it basically. More time for fishing! I'll look for your posts.
Django66
Well-Known Member
Update! They suck. Just kidding.
It's been a month since my last post about the Auto Pots. Basically, I watched the plants grow and added water to the tank when needed. I learned about water consumption by the plants as they grow and stretch. As they stretched they started sucking down water. Unfortunately, I did not know that the plants need less and less water towards the middle to end of flowering. So with my inexperience this is what happened and how I fixed it.
I thought I had a nitrogen deficiency in the largest plant. The bottom leaves were yellowing but the rest of the plant was fine. I added some KNO2 to the water. Why not add some cal-mag just because they're in flower. Burn baby Burn. It's my PH! It's the water softener. Guess what happened. Too Much Water on the roots when the plant was no longer sucking it up. Looks just like nitrogen deficiency because it is one result of too much water. The plants were sitting in stagnant water after a while. Also the soil on the top of the pot was very dry.
This is how I solved the problem and how I will proceed with the next run. First I removed the plants from the trays and put them in my 5x5 with a regular drip catching pan. I let the plants dry out for a few days. I shop vacuumed off the rice hulls and some of the dry soil from each plant. Next I top dressed each plant with a vermicompost but I haven't watered it in yet. As the bottom dries and the plants look less droopy I will start watering by hand as normal.
My feeling is that you could make these work with a little trial and error. For a beginner growing auto flowers the Auto Pots got me the best results up until full flowering. I always have trouble over and under watering so they did solve that issue at the most critical stage of growth. No stunting at all. Direct sowing and hand watering until the second or third set of leaves. Turn the pots on until and run them for several weeks until full flower or you notice that the tank is not going down as fast. Remove the plants from the trays and hand water/ top dress as normal.
The plants need at least three or four weeks more. I'll keep you posted.
It's been a month since my last post about the Auto Pots. Basically, I watched the plants grow and added water to the tank when needed. I learned about water consumption by the plants as they grow and stretch. As they stretched they started sucking down water. Unfortunately, I did not know that the plants need less and less water towards the middle to end of flowering. So with my inexperience this is what happened and how I fixed it.
I thought I had a nitrogen deficiency in the largest plant. The bottom leaves were yellowing but the rest of the plant was fine. I added some KNO2 to the water. Why not add some cal-mag just because they're in flower. Burn baby Burn. It's my PH! It's the water softener. Guess what happened. Too Much Water on the roots when the plant was no longer sucking it up. Looks just like nitrogen deficiency because it is one result of too much water. The plants were sitting in stagnant water after a while. Also the soil on the top of the pot was very dry.
This is how I solved the problem and how I will proceed with the next run. First I removed the plants from the trays and put them in my 5x5 with a regular drip catching pan. I let the plants dry out for a few days. I shop vacuumed off the rice hulls and some of the dry soil from each plant. Next I top dressed each plant with a vermicompost but I haven't watered it in yet. As the bottom dries and the plants look less droopy I will start watering by hand as normal.
My feeling is that you could make these work with a little trial and error. For a beginner growing auto flowers the Auto Pots got me the best results up until full flowering. I always have trouble over and under watering so they did solve that issue at the most critical stage of growth. No stunting at all. Direct sowing and hand watering until the second or third set of leaves. Turn the pots on until and run them for several weeks until full flower or you notice that the tank is not going down as fast. Remove the plants from the trays and hand water/ top dress as normal.
The plants need at least three or four weeks more. I'll keep you posted.
Django66
Well-Known Member
The pots worked great for about a month and a half. Soon the largest of the plants would droop by the middle of the day no matter what amount of water was in the pan. The pots never dried out completely on the bottom once the plant stopped using water. That last bit of water that the plant never used just sat and stagnated. It was enough to turn the plant pale and send me down the wrong path. I poured and prayed like an idiot. I did check my water ph. and it was 7.1. I stopped using water from the kitchen sink. I have rusty fart water in my well which passes through an iron and Sulphur filter, a water softener and whole house sediment filter. If I bypass all that and draw water directly from the pressure tank the PH is 6.5. A little better. My soil should adjust any minor PH issues. I think traces of sodium from the water softener backwash builds up after time.
I'll fill up the tank with the well water next time I run the pots. This morning the plants look much happier praying leaves and all. What's done is done as far as grower error. I learned something and didn't kill the plants. No harm no foul. I wish I knew more about HOW cannabis plants consume water during different stages of the plants development. Is it slowly at first then quickly during stretch, and then slow again?? please explain .
Django66
Well-Known Member
Harvested. Great buds, fair yield for small abused plants. Fantastic smoke, Black Strap, Sour Stomper, Ace of Spades and Double Grape. All winners. I wish I didn't screw them up.
I've concluded that my attempts to cure the overwatering problem caused by the pots, by pouring on fertilizers, just about killed my plant's. that's not entirely the fault of the auto pot set up. I'm not sure soil (Baccto lite potting mix) is the best medium to use in the Auto Pots despite following the Autopot directions for soil. After chopping the plants I waited a few days and then turned over the pots to do a root inspection. This is what I found in all four pots. The layer of perlite at the bottom of the pot was a white paste with no roots at all. In the center of the bottom just over the perlite layer a soggy dome of soil remained with very little roots (probably dead). The roots were mainly around the sides and directly under the main stem. Not much of a tap root on any of the plants. There were no foul or rotten odors in the soil.
For getting plants started the pots got them through the first few weeks. That's the time I usually over/under water. It solves that problem perfectly. What I think I need to do is remove any plant from the system that shows any signs of over watering. Let it dry back a bit and/or just start top watering like normal. I'm not giving up on the Auto pots at all. I just picked the two hardest things to begin with. Autopots and Autoflowers.
Master What is Hard First. Then your future will be easier.
I'm trying out cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and mellons in the pots until I get the hang of them. Cheaper seeds to practice with.
I've concluded that my attempts to cure the overwatering problem caused by the pots, by pouring on fertilizers, just about killed my plant's. that's not entirely the fault of the auto pot set up. I'm not sure soil (Baccto lite potting mix) is the best medium to use in the Auto Pots despite following the Autopot directions for soil. After chopping the plants I waited a few days and then turned over the pots to do a root inspection. This is what I found in all four pots. The layer of perlite at the bottom of the pot was a white paste with no roots at all. In the center of the bottom just over the perlite layer a soggy dome of soil remained with very little roots (probably dead). The roots were mainly around the sides and directly under the main stem. Not much of a tap root on any of the plants. There were no foul or rotten odors in the soil.
For getting plants started the pots got them through the first few weeks. That's the time I usually over/under water. It solves that problem perfectly. What I think I need to do is remove any plant from the system that shows any signs of over watering. Let it dry back a bit and/or just start top watering like normal. I'm not giving up on the Auto pots at all. I just picked the two hardest things to begin with. Autopots and Autoflowers.
Master What is Hard First. Then your future will be easier.
I'm trying out cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and mellons in the pots until I get the hang of them. Cheaper seeds to practice with.
MedicinalMyA$$
Well-Known Member
I have found the lighter the soil mix the better i.e. 50/50 mix soil/perlite although now I use pumice and soil mixes that have a high amount of peat or coco, they are lightweight and sold as suitable for hanging baskets. Also make sure to thoroughly rinse your perlite/pebbles etc before use, otherwise you can end up with a mushy paste and sediment at the bottom of your pots and in the trays.
Django66
Well-Known Member
I am trying again with much lighter soil mix. My soil has been way too heavy and holds way too much water. This round I'm using an organic soil with all the buzz words like lobster and kelp meal, vermicompost, green sand, micro rhizomes, chicken crap etc. I screened out all the composted tree bark and other small stones and crap. I think tree bark has a lot of waxy stuff that makes it water repellent. I saved it for the bottom of the pots for drainage along with some pummace. After adding lots of perlite, vermiculite and Amstellite
, one pot of soil made three. Here's my reasoning. A five gallon pot full of water weighs 40 lbs. If I'm struggling to lift a 3 gallon pot then the soil is way too wet and heavy. No matter what medium is in the pot a five gallon pot should probably weigh more like 10 - 12 pounds, not 30 pounds. Also, because I found dry patches with no roots in many of my pots I made sure to screen the soil after wetting it down. I filled the pots with soil like I always do. When I finished I dumped them all out on the screen and worked out all the dry and wet clumps. I was surprised to find dry patches so now I know I have solved one of my problems. I'm not going to screw around with liquid nutes or ph. up and down. My tomato plants look fantastic without any of that crap. I guess I'll have to get a pool to go with my (expensive) ph. meter. p.s. I drank the Amstellite.