Got two seedlings ready to transplant in a week or so into autopots. Pots are mixed at 50% perlite and 50% cococoir. The pots are full of the dried out mixture. Looking for step by step information on transplanting and firing up the system. I’ve learned I’m capable of screwing up most anything so I’m hoping for some good guidance from you all.
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Here is how I transplanted seedlings started in solo cups into the AutoPots. I pre moisturize the the coco with full strength nutrients, (Jacks). Use an empty solo cup to form the hole in the coco for the seedlings. This works perfectly, as the hole fits the root ball on the first try. After transplanting water the coco to a run off. Wait to turn on the AutoPot reservoir, and flood the trays, until the pots become light. And the roots can become established somewhat. About 7 to 10 days. Open the reservoir and it is game on from there.
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I do this very same method with the exception of run off. I transplant at 14 days above ground and top feed but go to run off once the 4th node is visible. Nice illustration Grow Bro 
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Very nicely illustrated.
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If I may add a nice tip, a second solo cup inside the first that has pre cut sides, allowing you to just lift the 2nd cup out of the first for transplanting, like peeling a banana with the precut sides. Easy removal of seedling. Someone has picture to post an example of.
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@Mosca Good tip, the splits in the cup will allow air to the roots. I have learned that you need to put plenty of holes in a solo cup. Usually punch four holes in the bottom edges, and four through the sides about 1/3 from the bottom.
Also Canna brand coco bricks comes with a very well made plastic bag for hydration and mixing the coco. This is very handy, and works very well, as the coco expansion is about times four. One can order Canna from Walmart at a very good price, and no shipping charges.
Looks very damp under that cover. I would put a couple small holes in the cover. Also if my room humidity is above 60%, I don’t use a humidity cover. As it seems to more harm than good.
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Humidity is above 60 so I removed covers, this is the type of information I was hoping to receive. I really don’t want to screw this attempt up. Thanks.
When I started using the larger humidity covers, this enabled me to put a humidity sensor under the cover. I was surprised at how high the humidity was under the covers. At 85% or higher it seems to cause problems, for myself anyway.
As a visual check a little moisture fogging up on the inside of the cover would be OK. But the big drops forming is indicating that you are so moist in there that it is at the point of saturation. Much like rain forms in our atmosphere. Coco gives up a lot of moisture. I like to set a humidity sensor at base of the stem if possible. I have found the humidity about 5% higher there than elsewhere.
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I’m using distilled water this time around and got me wondering about proper pH levels( I will attach a photo of fertilizer I’m using) . Also using 50% cococoir and 50% perlite my questions is will proper PH take place naturally or do you somehow have to ad something for pH?
I adjust the ph with coco to 6.2 during veg and 6.0 during flower.
If I water with RO or distilled water only there is no need to adjust ph. Since this doesn’t have enough ppm needed to hold a consistent ph. When adding nutrients to the mix you will need to adjust the ph before feeding the plants.
For coco I add silica. The Jacks that I use has enough cal mag so I don’t add it.
But rule for the mixing all in the mix is this.
First mix in the silica, then add the cal mag, then your nutrients as recommended by manufacturer, and finish by adjusting ph. Most of the time the ph will need to come up. Also in coco I would use store bought ph up. In soil I use baking soda.
Jacks nutrients will change the order somewhat, they want you to put additional calcium if needed after the nutrients. Since Jacks has calcium in part A. This is setting the water hardness with the the first nutrient ingredient. If you don’t set the water hardness with calcium early in the mixing process some of the nutrients will not dissolve.
I hope this make sense.
With autopots do you measure directly in reservoir for pH? I have a Bluelab pH pen witch measures liquid only. If you need to measure in medium how would you do it without a soil probe? Is there a way to do medium with liquid only pen?
I tried a sort of medium tea by mixing in water into sample and filtering water out and tested with probe but not sure how well it really worked.
The easiest way to check the medium ph is to just check the run off with your Bluelab. In the AutoPot reservoir. I usually ph a 5 gallon bucket of nutrients before pouring into the reservoir. Then I check the reservoir every couple days, and adjust as needed.
Also if your nutrients have any organics in them you are going to need to clean the reservoir frequently, as well as the fed valves. I am not sure about GH nutrients, but since it is for hydroponics I would think it would be synthetic. But you may want to hear from someone who has run GH in an AutoPot. Jacks runs very clean. On my last grow only needed to clean the reservoir once, and the AutoPots or valves really didn’t need to be cleaned at the end.
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I should add that I know with the AutoPot there is no run off to check. I have found that in coco as well as a good soil like Roots Original if you go in at the correct ph all is good, and there is no reason to check medium or run off ph. A lot of those who water to waste (run off), like to check run off numbers. And I will admit when you go in at 6.5 ph, and the run off checks the same it does give you a very warm feeling.
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