Water arrots, water pots...

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

No news i suppose that I'm trying to workj out the best way to go with my small space, and while workin git out, am likley to use a soil-less mix to at least kick off some seeds here to eventually have the mother and clones for the system I will build.

 

Now, I was thinking I'd use coco coir and hand water, might be easier than making a mix 4etc.

That's when the bloke on the telephono from the hydro shop says (he's only just joined the hydro scene himself, so was only limited in advice) he's doing his first hydro grow, and is using the coco, but rather than hand water, is using what he called "water pots". I realised these are the do wa ditties I saw for sale a while back in a catalouge as "water carrots".

 

He reckons he allows gravity to feed 6mm lines to the devices, sunk 4 inches into the pots, and being some piece of black majic, they allow water to eneter the pot when it's dry, and stop flow when enough moiture has entered.

 

Problem with this, is it's too perfgect and exactly what the ad says will they do...never trust advice that's as good sounding as an add to make $$ I always say..not really, but you get the idea.

 

It was after a minute, I figured I'll do it anyway, easy , quick and immediate, while I work out the pros and cons, get the material and assemble what-ever-the-hell I end up doing. (us cripples don't fly nto things you know..)

 

Anyway, just wondering if anyone's used them (they be only 7 bux a piece, and I was going to go for rather expensive alterantive with pump and meres etc..), and if they have used them, would they think they'd work on Perlite.

 

Cause I reckon that'd be even better than what he's doing, "coco" as it's cheaper and a lot more like hydroponic and all.

whatever the reason, just wondering if the hydro-phobic qualities of perlite allow the device to work stillor not.

 

they're a small teracotta device, that swells and contracts with moisture, in turn allowing or blocking gravity fed water. They were designed for the back yard garden I believe, but hav been found excellent hydro gear.

 

Anyone?

 

cheers

rob

[loylty gets u nothing]

hey robbie

ive used something similar

but i think they were made by moss??

not sure but all the best

imo go with a tried and true methods

something u are familiar with and confident using

as its ya 1st grow back imo kiss and then create a new system

just some of my thoughts

all the best anyways

bill

 

wats the strain u runnin??

[bufo marinus]

Hi Robbie, if I'm understanding you those pots you are describing work on capillary action? Perlite is great for that type of thing.

Watch the coco, it's not sterile and comes with it's own unique problems. Stick to the perlite, cheaper and easier imo

[pacificrim]

there are a brand of gravity fed self watering pots called "auto-pots".

they are quite popular here + overseas & seem to be one of the best for this sort of gravity fed pot deal.

(if u read diff forums they're everywhere)

u can get diff' sizes , a res' to water a number of pots & add on-pots.

they have smart-valves that measure the water intake/uptake & water accordingly.

(u also can get filters for them)

some ppl w more knwledge just buy the smart valves & make the restof the system themselves.

 

there is a site by the ppl who manufacture called autopot.com or s'thing (just google if thats not exact addy)

i know Nutriflo sell them (gosford NSW)

this is the url for Nutriflo & the autopots are a few paragraphs down, they're quite cheap, i was looking into buying some for my 1st indoor grow & these guys were very competitive w' cheap delivery cost.

 

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/nutriflo/

 

(that page has a bunch of their hydro kits, autopots are the 2nd bunch of kits)

 

i buy all my hydro stuff off these guys & haven't had any issues........i get deivered in 2 days.

(not spamming, i just have had excellent service,delivery & prices from them............i don;t buy anything from local stores, my whole grow room set up is bought on CC from these guys)

 

good luck Robbie.

[Untitled]

Sounds like what I used awhile ago, they are a bit fiddly. Your spose to fill em with water then soak em for 24 hours b4 you use them, once u not using them I think you need to put them back in water to store them coz all of mine(7 or 8) cracked when they dryed out.

 

If you got over 15L pots you might wanna think about using 2 of em or ad anotehr dripper onto it. I had the problem of only half of the medium getting moist coz by the time it sorta spread out everywhere one side was alot drier then the other.

 

I reckon they work better with just coco coir coz i had some 100% coco some 50/50 coco/perlite and coco seemed to distribute the moisture better.

 

Do you know the offical name for them they are some german name? Can't remember its killing me... Won't b able to sleep til i remember it. its like blaustrumpf or something wacky

[loylty gets u nothing]

the 1s i used were called aquasmart buy moss

hope this link works

http://www.mossproducts.com.au/WateringSys...w-aquasmart.htm

i didnt have great success

found u need to have a few at diff levels in bigger pots

coco worked better than soil imo

all the best

im not sure if thats wat u wanted..

take care

bil

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Here they are here. I knew I saw them on someone's site, about half way down the page (full catalogue page?)..anyway should open right page.

 

Water Carrots? huh..be buggered.

 

They seem to be called Tropf Blumat Systems.

 

Not that unlike the autopots, which I never could take to , seemed too simple (how's that for pride?). Na, most likely just take to much space i think. But rather than work on capiliary, they work on dripper, which one might hope would make better oxygenation, less rot chance. Not a proper system by any means, but might be btter than hand watering, although I am home all day..

 

Anyway, just wondering if they'd work in perilite. Seems like the go is it ought too, but maybe more than 1 will be needed. I might do a pot with a couple, see what happens, leave the others..

 

Anyway, that's the ones, looks like and sounds like what you use bil and chunk

 

cheers

rob

 

Here's a better link (one page on from the last), it even has a specific link mentioning the use of perlite (I ought to have looked harder)..Actually, if you follow the linl it takes you to a place where you wonder just what they're selling at hydroponic warehouse huh...?"

Just joke

 

cheers

[Shithappens]

haha I find it real funny the amount they charge for a static wick system like these ones!!!

 

have a close look and think about what they do yous should be able to slap one together real cheap

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Yeah ya dead right. I was planning to just gravity feed them with 6 or 4 mm lines. Put a screw clamp like what's used on air lines for aquariums and adjust them until it was a constant drip.

 

I was just wondering if these worked as well as they claimed, then the pot would get the dry period I reckon all plants should have from time to time.

 

It's no biggy, I am home all day. I've become such a total shut in the last 3 years or so, I barely leave the house for anything at all, in fact I rarely leave the inside of the house for the pleasure of the outside of the house, and even more still, usually remain within a close area of my bedroom, so it's not like I realy need to automate a system for a passive stop gap crop. I should just stick to hand watering.

 

Anyway, I just saw them for sale, they looked interesting and wondered if anyone knew anything of them.

 

cheers

rob