Does anyone use organic fertilizer with autopots? How do you top dress it?

[BooMtoLate]

You should a for a pH of 5.8 in coco.

 

[SmokingWings]

Thanks for the information. That is interesting. I would likely not use the biochar then. You mentioned you know how you would do it if you were going to try organic nutrients in coco. How would you do it?

I was thinking along the lines of mixing peat moss with the coco; possibly 50:50. The peat will hold moisture and so it will hold the water soluble nutrients. Using to much peat and the mix might not dry out enough and then root problems can start. I sometimes think of using some vermiculite and reducing the amount of peat moss. @HaremMasterOG covered a lot of what I was thinking would work for the auto-pot system and some of the problems.

This is not the first time I have read of someone thinking about the auto-pot system and organic fertilizer and top dressing. And, the often they mention the Dr Earth line of fertilizers or nutrients. Looking at the two you mentioned the entire NPK formula is available or water soluble. Other organics have a portion that is water soluble and the rest needs the micro-organisms to make the balance available. The two you mention both have some bacteria, etc added but I do not know if that would help in a coco-peat mix. The more I look at the info from Dr Earth the more I see it as something that could work with the perlite/peat mix. They have the recipe for water to product on the back of the package if someone wanted to make a tea to add to the reservoir and skip the top dressing entirely or in part.

If you want to top dress then add the stuff and maybe mix it into the top inch. Let the wicking action of the mix pull the water up and it will get the top dressing wet. That is not as efficient as top watering but it should work.

There are a couple of people who grow Sea of Green in small containers. There was one person who used 2 liter soda bottles. The drain holes were made in the side and not the bottom. One of the suggested mixes was perlite for decent consistent draining and vermiculite as something to hold onto the liquid long enough for the roots to absorb what the plant needs.

This is a hydroponic set-up so you will have to keep checking the pH like @BooMtoLate mentions.

Good luck. Have fun.

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I may try it but have the liquid nutrients ready if I need it on there.