I've been using about a 50/50 mix of perlite and coco in my manual systems because I found that it is drier than using more coco. It still allows the coco to wick really well, but I think it is almost ideal moisture level. My recent purchase of perlite on line got me fine perlite, instead of the coarser grade. I haven't gotten it down exactly, but the 50/50 was with the coarser perlite. With the fine perlite, it seems to need more perlite to keep it at the same moisture level, but maybe 60/40 would be better. It isn't a huge difference.
Hey Dennis, I used Coco Pearl since it was on hand. Sounds like your results match mine. 1. The #3 Perlite is better with large pots. 2. The 50/50 is a great blend. 3. The 60% Perlite to 40% Coco or Potting Mix is ideal. 4. The 100% Perlite is too much, but it gives a ball of airy roots 5. The AutoPot container determines changes to blends, along with plant size. 6. After each grow, I evaluate the root mass for changes.
@@MattGarver Some of my kratky plants have the 'netpot' touching the water, so will be constantly wicking up water. I'll find out whether my coco/perlite is going to be too moist for peppers. The tomatoes will probably love it. Those plants of mine that are just barely touching the water are almost the same as your autopot system. I'm not sure my peppers will like constantly damp soil without actual airspace so some will be above water level like regular kratky, and some will be more like the autopots. Depending on availability of water and nutrients, the mass of the root system could vary a lot and not directly relate to plant size, or plant health. But if you get very large plants with low root mass, it validates some of my thoughts on using small containers. I had 5+ foot tall kratky tomato plants producing 1 lb tomatoes in 3 liter bottles under lights, so they had really small root mass. I was having to refill too often once they got big, That is partly why I set up my self watering kratky system. At 5 feet tall, the tomato's roots actually only took up about half of the 3 liter volume of the bottles. And the tomatoes grew air roots above the bottles when I started refilling to the top which I found intersting. I usually leave 'airspace' in kratky, but with the constant refilling, I started covering the air roots in the bottle, and over a few weeks, air roots grew up the stem, so you can grow tomatoes kratky style and leave no airspace IF you let the plants adapt slowly. Now I have the same tomato varieties but outdoors, along with peppers, in self filling 2.2 gallon buckets vs 3 liter, to see how that works, with some set to be like the autopots, some basic kratky. It's nice to see other people exploring different methods. I look more for the cheapest, low effort methods that give good results, more than trying to get great results, so we have different starting points, but we've both come to some form of self watering systems to try, with you testing a retail product, and me making a DIY sytem.
@@dennismac3466 Nice share Dennis! I've grown an indeterminate cherry tomato plant in a 3.5" cup, and was surprised how well it did. With Kratky method and small containers, the boundary layer of water does contain a little oxygen from surface water-to-air gas exchange. I like how the tomato plants root along the stem like a bristle brush. My micro dwarfs in Kratky have crazy amounts of roots under the leaf canopy. I love your DIY approach. Having built lots of systems, I would probably still be doing that. An incredible family enjoys gifting me new retail systems, which is why I have those.
I've been using about a 50/50 mix of perlite and coco in my manual systems because I found that it is drier than using more coco. It still allows the coco to wick really well, but I think it is almost ideal moisture level. My recent purchase of perlite on line got me fine perlite, instead of the coarser grade. I haven't gotten it down exactly, but the 50/50 was with the coarser perlite. With the fine perlite, it seems to need more perlite to keep it at the same moisture level, but maybe 60/40 would be better. It isn't a huge difference.
Hey Dennis, I used Coco Pearl since it was on hand. Sounds like your results match mine.
1. The #3 Perlite is better with large pots.
2. The 50/50 is a great blend.
3. The 60% Perlite to 40% Coco or Potting Mix is ideal.
4. The 100% Perlite is too much, but it gives a ball of airy roots
5. The AutoPot container determines changes to blends, along with plant size.
6. After each grow, I evaluate the root mass for changes.
@@MattGarver Some of my kratky plants have the 'netpot' touching the water, so will be constantly wicking up water. I'll find out whether my coco/perlite is going to be too moist for peppers. The tomatoes will probably love it. Those plants of mine that are just barely touching the water are almost the same as your autopot system. I'm not sure my peppers will like constantly damp soil without actual airspace so some will be above water level like regular kratky, and some will be more like the autopots.
Depending on availability of water and nutrients, the mass of the root system could vary a lot and not directly relate to plant size, or plant health. But if you get very large plants with low root mass, it validates some of my thoughts on using small containers.
I had 5+ foot tall kratky tomato plants producing 1 lb tomatoes in 3 liter bottles under lights, so they had really small root mass. I was having to refill too often once they got big, That is partly why I set up my self watering kratky system. At 5 feet tall, the tomato's roots actually only took up about half of the 3 liter volume of the bottles. And the tomatoes grew air roots above the bottles when I started refilling to the top which I found intersting. I usually leave 'airspace' in kratky, but with the constant refilling, I started covering the air roots in the bottle, and over a few weeks, air roots grew up the stem, so you can grow tomatoes kratky style and leave no airspace IF you let the plants adapt slowly.
Now I have the same tomato varieties but outdoors, along with peppers, in self filling 2.2 gallon buckets vs 3 liter, to see how that works, with some set to be like the autopots, some basic kratky.
It's nice to see other people exploring different methods. I look more for the cheapest, low effort methods that give good results, more than trying to get great results, so we have different starting points, but we've both come to some form of self watering systems to try, with you testing a retail product, and me making a DIY sytem.
@@dennismac3466 Nice share Dennis! I've grown an indeterminate cherry tomato plant in a 3.5" cup, and was surprised how well it did. With Kratky method and small containers, the boundary layer of water does contain a little oxygen from surface water-to-air gas exchange. I like how the tomato plants root along the stem like a bristle brush. My micro dwarfs in Kratky have crazy amounts of roots under the leaf canopy. I love your DIY approach. Having built lots of systems, I would probably still be doing that. An incredible family enjoys gifting me new retail systems, which is why I have those.