Agreed, me neither. Folks put lots of things in there that are absolutely unnecessary. When I see it make a marked difference, mabey I’ll change my mind. I’m sure loving the Autopots though, they’ve definitely made a huge difference. Got back two hours of mixing and feeding a night…..
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So how exactly would you check the run off since the water doesnt run off it bottom feeds?
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For sub feed there really isn’t a way. Can’t really even do a slurry test because salts get pushed to the top. Realistically the best way to test such a thing would be to get a medium probe. Bluelab offers one, you stick it way down into the medium and there is a screen like in a typical pH meter. Another way is routine flushing, but that kind of negates the autopot set up. This is kinda where you want to weigh the pros and cons of amendments, should an issue present itself are you willing or able to correct it?
@Growdoc
Exactly. I haven’t found anything that really makes a difference beyond standard feed practice and root control. Aside from bacteria’s and such.
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Right on. I appreciate the info my guy. Looks like i have some contemplating to do.
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Right. It clearly has some potential benefits but isn’t going to make or break a grow. Falls into same categories as supplemental lighting spectrums, bloom boosters, microbial inoculants, and probably 75% of the other shit you will see people tell you to buy.
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And I’ve bought 15% of that 75%… 
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Good looking stuff 
…I still have RH challenges throughout grows so I always have to look closer on the frostiest stuff like that because it looks like mold sometimes 
.
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Evening Cultivators,
@dbrn32
Absolutely. I think the key is knowing when to use things, if it’s appropriate for method used, and if the environment supports it. You can throw everything at a plant and still get average results if everything else isn’t in line.
@Mozzy
Only have ran into rot a couple times always on monster colas 
luckily I don’t think we had any this last run, growing in the winter helped.
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That’s a nice label man. I’ve sipped that a few times.
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Been a minute since I’ve had some bonded old granddad. Can definitely taste the ethanol in this one
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We’ve been really enjoying it, we’ve been trying random bottles and this is the first re purchase of our streak.
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Nice! Anything else you remember liking?
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Me too! 
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Mmm… gosh… let me me think about it for a minute, mm, nooo… but I’ll get back to ya. We’ve been drinking a bottle a day…
@kaptain3d
Calm down Kap, you haven’t said the safe word, keep the indiscretions in the bedroom.
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In chambers where sensors whisper secrets of light,
We cultivate verdant kingdoms with scientific might,
Digital guardians measure pH and EC with care,
Nutrient streams flow precisely, engineered to dare.
In hydroponic symphonies where MSA lends its grace,
Silicon’s subtle strength fortifies each resinous trace;
Robotic arms and LED hues in spectral perfection blend,
A ballet of data and design that few can comprehend.
Our fields, a realm of micro-controlled art,
Where every droplet counts and every molecule plays its part,
Command a mastery of nature by calibrated decree,
A testament to innovation and botanical supremacy.
While simpler methods echo in nostalgic refrains,
We compose harvests of brilliance where precision reigns,
An ode to progress, where every bud is a scientific verse,
Kindly shutting down lesser mimicries with our superior universe.
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The only purpose I know of for adding silica is to strengthen the stalks and stems and thereby avoid the need to add mechanical support for heavy colas. I don’t believe it has any other benefit.
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Supposedly, silica increases trichrome production. For that reason, I add 12-15 ml each feeding. Will find out in a few weeks.
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That’s interesting. Any idea what the underlying mechanism is, i.e., how silica produces that effect? Are you doing an A/B comparison?
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I think it is @MidwestGuy that I got that from. Sorry if I am mistaken. I’m not qualified to explain the biological reason behind it, but I’ll try it. I got that information on this forum.
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I found one study done by New Zealand Horticulture alongside phosphate that saw a better overall resilience and cell structure. I find it harder to supercrop when using it so I’ve stopped.
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