• Anyone use Autopots? What’s the best wicking media? I have some 13gal xxl fab pots that the top 5 inches are always dry as a bone. Tried cover crop but that ant helping. Currently using fox farm OF with some additional added perlite. I got these to stay hands off but as an organic grower I need those microbs to do there job. Does this happen with Real Buckets?

      oldestschool and timeoner
      10 Comments
      • Coco is the best wicking material

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        • I use the autopot two system with Coco and they work very well. I left them for ten days and went on holiday. When I came back they were all still great and thriving. I like the system alot so would recommend 👊🏻💚💥💥

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          • freedizzgrows (edited)

            I use build a soil 3.0 heavy amended with 40% extra coco mixed in. My secret sauce to keep the entire media moist was using some wicking lines 2 per pot, ran from the bottom to about 1 inch under the top. My media stays very moist

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            • @freedizzgrows do you put the rope straight in or do you tie anything to the bottem, like an anchor to make it easier to stay in place as you add media?

              • @KennyHxC after I filled the holes and covered the bottom tray with 1/2” of pure coco I took a long wick line across the entire bottom and then ran it up each side and hung over the outside of the pot until I filled with medium about 2.5” from the top I then ran the wick line back over the medium and then filled the last 1-1.5” with medium leaving about a 1” lip. Hope that makes sense.

                • @KennyHxC

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              • Thank you DGC! I’m going to try adding in some canna coco and wicking lines on my next run.

                • Check out Grass Roots living soil bags, built to hold in moisture while still allowing aeration and root pruning.

                  https://buildasoil.com/collections/equipment/products/grassroots-living-soil-pots

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                  • @backyard-boogie great solution there. I forgot to mention, I just got similar pots from New Moon Grows who teamed up with NightOwl. It’s a fabric pot with middle lined just like grass roots but has a drawstring to cover the top soil around the plant stem, similar to the earthbox black cover. This next run I’m doing everything possible to get that moisture to the top.

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                  • DGC talked about lining fab grow pot with liner to slow down heavy and/or fast drying soil