How would we survive without water? It’s scary enough to consider how life on earth would manage in lieu of ‘Adam’s ale.’ But if you take water away from AutoPot Watering Systems, well then we’d really be stuck. Water is our raison d’être. What would one do without?
For this reason we think about water a great deal. We spend a good long time considering how to make best use of water mechanically, chemically, and biologically. Water not only powers our systems but also carries nutrients into your plants and drives any number of internal plant processes.
If you get your water right you stand to enjoy a more effective irrigation system that cultivates stronger, faster-growing, higher-yielding plants. We won’t lie, we know that it’s results like these that ultimately turn people on to a watering system. So it’s very much in our interest to share any info we have on maximising the effectiveness of the original elixir. Happily, that info can work wonders for you too. Win-win!
Fancy skipping ahead? Take your pick of the tips using the directory below:
Looking for something in the way of water-related maintenance? Hit up our dedicated guide here–
One of the great advantages of AutoPot is that you don’t need mains water. This means you can grow just about anywhere. All you need is a suitably-sized reservoir. You can chose a plastic reservoir or a collapsible FlexiTank, you can use a water butt or even an improvised container drilled out and fitted up. So far, so blah. You know this, you know this to be true!
In terms of water supply with AutoPot what you really need to think about is reservoir positioning. Whatever reservoir you choose you need to place it correctly in order to get your system and your nutrient solution performing at their best.
As AutoPot Watering Systems are powered by gravity pressure you must ensure your reservoir is positioned 150mm / 6 inches above the highest of your pot and tray modules. The positioning of your water supply also plays a big part in maintaining the correct water temperature – which has big implications for plant development, harvests, and health.
You don’t want to position your reservoir so that the water inside it gets too hot. When water temperatures exceed 21 degrees C / 70 degrees F the oxygen content in the water starts to rapidly decrease. This in itself may have an adverse effect on plant health.
If you’re adding nutrient solution to your water supply then temperature will inevitably have an effect on the EC / pH of your irrigation and the effectiveness of your nutrients. On top of that, high temperatures are an excellent breeding ground for Pythium – water-borne mould that rots plant roots, wilts leaves, and stunts growth – not nice.
So, if you’re growing indoors, don’t place the reservoir inside a grow tent, close to heaters, or under the full glare of your lights. If you’re growing outdoors or in a greenhouse consider using a heat shield in warmer months.
Conversely, you don’t want your water so cold that it shocks the roots. This is another great reason to keep your reservoir off the floor and closely monitor temperatures during colder spells. In extremis you could use a water heater but be aware that by the time the water reaches the module it may have warmed anyway – be careful not to overheat with reference to reservoir temperature only.
As you’ll no doubt be aware, pH is a measurement of relative alkalinity or acidity. In the case of plant irrigation, the pH of your water supply matters big time. It affects the proper absorption of nutrients and the proper execution of plant processes.
So, you could have everything in your growing space on point, but if your water pH is wrong your plants won’t be able to make effective use of your feeds, lighting, grow media, climatic inputs, the list goes on. Potentially a waste of money and a waste of plants.
Happily, getting your pH right is as easy as it is vital – ie. very. Even if you don’t want to go to the (worthwhile) expense of an digital meter a simple testing kit can make a huge difference to your results. Aim for a reservoir pH of 5.8 if growing with soil or 5.5-5.6 if with coco. However, when using AutoPot Watering System the most important pH level is that found in the module tray. 6-6.5 being the ideal range and 6.3 being perfect.
To fine-tune your pH levels you can use a pH adjuster. These are available in + or – for increasing or decreasing respectively. If you feel a bit squeamish about chemically altering your pH then rest assured, organic options such as Biobizz Up or Down are available. You can also try baking soda, white vinegar, Epsom salts, or citric acid with reference to your meter / testing kit, although these are harder to get right.
If you’re feeding nutrients in solution via the reservoir and pipework of your AutoPot Watering System you’re going to want to monitor your EC levels. EC is the Electrical Conductivity of your water supply. Knowing the EC level essentially tells you how much fertiliser is in your water.
For obvious reasons you don’t want too little or even too much fertiliser in your water supply. Overfeeding can easily cause problems as significant as underfeeding, especially given the natural tendency to add ‘just a little bit more’.
Measuring EC is easy using a digital meter. Correct levels will depend on the variety of plant being grown as all plants have preferred numbers. Adjustments to EC are simply made by adding more pH-balanced water or more nutrient, depending on which way your numbers have swayed.
Because AutoPot Watering Systems are associated with indoor growing there has long been the assumption that oxygenating the water supply might be ‘a good thing’. To be clear – in the case of AutoPot oxygenating your water supply is NOT a good thing.
There is no place in an AutoPot Watering System where oxygen can be effectively introduced into the water supply. People often ask us about using a pump and airstone in the reservoir. This fails on two counts:
1) When the bubbles hit the surface of the water in the reservoir they burst anyway
2) The added air can remove CO2 from the water, upsetting your pH levels in the process
You can, and should, consider using AirDomes to aerate the rootzone. But not the water supply.
Takeaways
Fancy a guide to cherish forever covering these and more essential AutoPot growing tips? Visit the Growers Guides at autopot.co.uk and download our slick and accessible pdf info sheets pronto!
