{"id":82870,"date":"2024-10-25T08:34:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T08:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/?p=82870"},"modified":"2024-10-25T08:34:04","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T08:34:04","slug":"air-to-the-throne-with-airdome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/2024\/10\/25\/air-to-the-throne-with-airdome\/","title":{"rendered":"Air To The Throne – With AirDome!"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want to increase growth and yield with AutoPot you really have to take a look at AirDome. There is probably no other way of boosting health and productivity so effectively, inexpensively, and simply. <\/p>

Consider the other commonly promoted methods for improving your plants. Unlike switching your nutrient regime, the cost of AirDome is minimal, it requires little setup, and is easy to grasp. <\/p>

Unlike switching your grow media, you\u2019re not 100% committed with AirDome, you can activate it as and when required (provided you potted up with one!). <\/p>

Unlike the latest in lighting or environmental enhancements, AirDome is inexpensive, directly aids root development, and directly stimulates uptake. So, \u2018what is AirDome?\u2019<\/p>

\"AutoPot
Above: AutoPot MD Jason Ralph-Smith shows off in the undercarriage of an AirDome<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

What is AirDome?<\/h2>

Physically an AirDome<\/a> is a small semi-spherical plastic cage with four porous pipes inside. The pipes are connected to pins on the inside of the cage. They are then joined in a cross-shape by a 6mm cross connector in the centre.\u00a0<\/p>

One of the pins doubles as an inlet that passes all the way through the side of the cage. A 6mm pipe attaches to that inlet where it appears on the outside of the cage. <\/p>

The whole assembly sits in the bottom of your pot. You run the 6mm pipe up the inside of the pot, out over the lip, and on to your air pump<\/a>.<\/p>

\"The
Above: The seat of power! AirDome goes in the bottom of your pot with either a layer
of pH stabilised gravel \/ clay pebbles or an AirBase surrounding it – grow media goes on top<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Potting up with AirDome<\/h2>

Once your AirDome is in place in the pot you add a 25mm \/ 1 inch base layer of pH-stabilised pebbles or gravel BEFORE adding grow media. This base layer should surround the AirDome (but not go inside it). The quicker, easier, more efficient alternative to this pebble layer is an AirBase – Square<\/a> or Round<\/a> depending on your module type. You may now add your grow media.<\/p>

You must ensure that the grow media you use is \u2018open\u2019 and allows the passage of air. If you don\u2019t the air will be trapped at the bottom of the pot and blow back at the AQUAvalve<\/a> in your AutoPot module tray. Blowback will potentially interfere with the AQUAvalve\u2019s function and risk a flood.\u00a0<\/p>

To be honest open grow media are a cornerstone of AutoPot growing anyway. We\u2019d never really recommend<\/a> using 100% soil or coco.<\/p>

\"Fasten
Above: Fasten your safety belts! Jason\u2019s mixing up his media 60\/40 Coco Perlite here<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Please let me switch my AirDome on!<\/h2>

All in good time. Very good time. You need to leave your plants to establish properly, ideally for 2-3 weeks. This establishing period is really beneficial to the roots. It trains them to seek out moisture and nutrients and ensures they\u2019re really ready for the added oxygen that AirDome introduces. Your plants will thank you for it. <\/p>

\"Above:
Above: AirBase can be used in place of the usual 25mm \/ 1\u201d base layer of pH stabilised pebbles in your pot – it features a pop-out centre section and air line guides for easy AirDome integration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

How does AirDome work?<\/h2>

Once you\u2019ve set up your AirDome, have your pot filled, and have your plant established you can switch on. <\/p>

Your air pump will draw oxygenated air from your growing space, push it through the 6mm pipe, to the AirDome where it\u2019ll be distributed via the four porous pipes. By now the purpose of the cage should be clear – it keeps the media off the pipes and allows them to do their thing freely. <\/p>

Now air is being introduced to the rhizosphere where its effect is twofold. Firstly, it stimulates root growth and helps cultivate an uptake-conducive root structure. Secondly it aerates the root zone and helps to prevent compacting, keeping your grow media in peak condition. <\/p>

In a hydroponic system you\u2019d be introducing air to the roots via the tank in which your plant is suspended. If you were using fabric pots you\u2019d be allowing some air in via the porous pot sides. AirDome allows you to get that same aeration but with a huge range of grow media. Because you can aerate soil and coco mixes from within you can cultivate a bio-diverse rhizosphere whilst maximising growth and yield. <\/p>

\"Hubble
Above: Hubble bubble! A too-powerful pump can interfere with AQUAvalve function – as Jason demonstrates here, see below for guidance<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Anything to bear in mind?<\/h2>

Bear (!) in mind the \u2018Goldilocks Rule\u2019. Be sure that the air you\u2019re blowing in is warm. Not too hot, not too cold. Temperatures between 18\u00baC \u2013 21\u00baC are perfect. <\/p>

Don\u2019t overdo it with the air pump. Each AirDome needs no more than 1 L \/ 0.25 gal per minute in terms of output. Any more than that risks upsetting the function of the AQUAvalve in your AutoPot module tray. <\/p>

As an aside – we don\u2019t recommend trying to add air to your nutrient solution via your reservoir and pipework. Whilst you might consider an airstone in your reservoir to be an intuitive way of oxygenating your water \/ nutrient solution such a strategy will fail on two counts. <\/p>

  1. When the bubbles hit the surface of the water in the reservoir they\u2019ll burst anyway<\/li><\/ol>

    2) The air can remove CO2 from the water, upsetting your pH levels in the process<\/p>

    \"AirDome
    Above: AirDome setup, all ready to go. Marvellous!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

    That\u2019s all folks<\/h2>

    It\u2019s hard to emphasise how much we love AirDome (although admittedly we\u2019ve given it a good go!) The device is such an affordable, brilliantly straightforward, non-invasive means of improving plant growth and yield that you\u2019d be daft not to try it. With that in mind it behooves us to inform you that AirDome is available from all good AutoPot stockists<\/a> and our online stores!<\/p>

    Here<\/a> in the UK<\/p>

    Here<\/a> in the US<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you want to increase growth and yield with AutoPot you really have to take a look at AirDome. There is probably no other way of boosting health and productivity so effectively, inexpensively, and simply.  Consider the other commonly promoted methods for improving your plants. Unlike switching your nutrient regime, the cost of AirDome is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":82872,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[318],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autopot-news-october-2024"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/Air_To_The_Throne_Main.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82870"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82870\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82879,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82870\/revisions\/82879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}