The AutoPot Watering System has established itself as a versatile and efficient irrigation solution for gardeners of all levels. But could it be even more adaptable and accommodating? Enter the AutoPot PotDivider, an innovative insert that multiplies your planting capacity without increasing system size or demanding significant investment.
The PotDivider provides a variety of benefits and features so you can make the most of your existing system.
Above: PotDivider in the 8.5 L / 2.2 gal pots of an AQUAvalve5-equipped easy2grow module
Divisible Benefits
Quadruple Your Plant Count: Each pot, equipped with PotDivider, can now house four plants in distinct compartments. This is ideal for smaller varieties like herbs or for cultivating seedlings before they graduate to individual pots.
Tailored Compatibility: PotDivider seamlessly fits both 2.2-gallon and 3.9-gallon AutoPot systems, and is compatible with 1Pot and easy2grow modules, offering extensive application possibilities.
Pre-Veg Perfection: PotDivider excels at nurturing young plants until they’re ready for their own pots. This ensures AutoPot caters comprehensively to the pre-vegetative stage, whether within modules or garden trays (like the easy2GO Kit).
Maximizing Output: Utilize PotDivider to leverage your system’s modules to their fullest potential, maximizing plant count per unit.
Above: PotDivider lifts in and out, slots together, and is disassembled with ease
Convenient Features
Easy Assembly and Disassembly: PotDivider snaps together and disassembles effortlessly, making setup and cleaning a breeze.
Clean Transplanting: The insert lifts out cleanly, gently transferring your young plants to their next stage of growth.
Pebble-Free Base: The double floor eliminates the need for a pebble layer in the pot’s base, simplifying setup and maintenance.
Above: The double floor in the PotDivider removes the need for a layer of pebbles or gravel in the base of the pot
The PotDivider is not just an accessory – it further enhances the adaptability and efficiency within your existing AutoPot system, empowering you to cultivate and experiment more. Get your AutoPot PotDivider here or find it at your local AutoPot retailer.
Whether you’re going across the country or staying local this holiday season, you want to come back to thriving plants. AutoPot has exactly what you need to be worry-free during your time away – all power-free and without the need for running water, meaning you can leave them unattended for weeks.
Above: easy2GO allows you to use your own potted plants with AutoPot
While any of the AutoPot Watering Systems can be left alone for extended periods, how about something that turns what you already have into a watering system? Something really simple? Maybe you’ve got a great little selection of plants potted up and looking fine. If you want automatic watering and feeding without having to purchase new systems. easy2GO solves this in minutes.
The easy2GO Kit turns any flat-based garden tray into an AutoPot Watering System. Assemble the kit, connect to any water butt or reservoir, pop your plants in the tray, and you’re free to go. This has been one of our best-selling, core products for years – all because of its beautiful simplicity.
Above: The easy2GO Kit includes AQUAvalve5, a weighted AQUAvalve cover, 9mm pipe, a 16-9mm inline filer for water butts and a 9mm grommet and Golf Filter if using with drilled reservoirs
At the heart of easy2GO is the AQUAvalve; a power-free, self-regulating float valve. The valve meters out a supply of water and/or nutrient solution into the tray. Only once the plants have exhausted that supply will the valve reopen to admit a fresh fill. There is no need for pumps or timers because the AQUAvalve is controlled by plant demand t. Free from any requirements of electricity or running water, easy2GO can be used practically anywhere; in your home, greenhouse, porch or balcony.
Above: easy2GO allows you to leave plants unattended for weeks – making it the ideal solution
to holiday watering and low-maintenance growing
Such simplicity means fewer limitations and, with that, greater versatility. Thus the possibilities with easy2GO are practically endless. Set one up, put your feet up on some faraway beach (be it physical or mental), and dream of your next move. In the spirit of easy2GO, we’ll leave it at that.
What if we said that indoor growing typically involves more focus and refinement than cultivation outdoors? While we’re fans of horticulture in all arenas we tend to agree with this statement. And we’d suggest that the reasons for the ‘heightened’ nature of growing indoors are twofold.
Above: Born free, AQUAbox Spyder feeding and irrigating an outdoor raised bed
The first reason is mental. Outdoors your plants are exposed and at the mercy of the elements. Because of this, an outdoor growing mindset can emerge. You tend and shepherd your plants, encourage and support them wherever possible, but accept that they are ultimately free. By comparison indoor growing can be more intense and immediate. Simply by dint of the fact that your plants are right there in front of you can easily become obsessed with them. And it’s not all in your mind.
Above: Anything is possible indoors, but striking a balance is key
Indoor growing requires forms of plant ‘life support’ that are not necessary in the great outdoords This brings us to the second reason for greater attention to detail when growing indoors. You may have to introduce light, heat, ventilation, humidity, water, pest control, and feed, and do all this whilst maintaining a stable, growth-stimulating balance. How might we help you with that you ask yourselves? Good question.
Above: AutoPot Tray2Grow systems with reservoirs elevated to induced gravity pressure – negating the need for pumps
Firstly, by keeping it simple. With a gravity-fed system such as AutoPot there’s no need for pumps. This actively helps to reduce excess heat and noise in your growing space which, in turn, allows you to reduce your reliance on climatic and acoustic countermeasures.
There’s simply less kit with AutoPot modules too. This space efficiency gives you the option of getting more plants into your growing space or giving yourself more room to work around the plants. The modules are also truly modular in that they can be added to or removed from the system without any disruption to the rest of the system itself. If you ever did have a problem plant or wanted to expand quickly there’d be nothing to stop you from sorting that out.
Above: With less kit required AutoPot systems such as easy2grow are an incredibly space-efficient way to grow indoors
Because no running water is required you can set up just about anywhere, making your system incredibly flexible and allowing you to take full advantage of whatever space you have. Smaller systems come with compact 12.4 gallon plastic reservoirs while larger ones are available with collapsible FlexiTank reservoirs that can be set up easily and tucked away discreetly.
The way the systems irrigate can also be a great help when growing indoors. In AutoPot modules water and nutrient solution are introduced via the pipework and fittings to the module tray and up into the pot. This means the top layer of your growing media is often dry. Without a wet top layer of grow media in the pot, certain types of fungus and pests are denied a foothold, reducing the need for intervention on this front too. For first-time AutoPot growers, the dry top layer can be a cause of concern but it is nothing to worry about, all the action is taking place deep in the pot.
Above: Whilst simple and compact the systems remain highly effective – as demonstrated here by Plantasia
Further simplifying things is the elimination of recirculation with AutoPot. Each module sits at the end of its own individual ‘branch line’. Water and nutrients travel to the module on a one-way ticket. There is no onward journey for your solution, it gets admitted to the module tray as and when required, consumed, and replenished with a fresh supply every time. The three big benefits to this are: 1) there’s no requirement for waste plumbing (as there is no waste), 2) there’s zero chance of one plant passing root disease to another via nutrient solution, and 3) there’s less chance of the nutrient concentration becoming depleted without you noticing.
Above: Truly modular by design, all plants are independently fed and you can add or remove pots and trays at will with zero impact on the rest of the system
Finally, how about some peace of mind? Without electricity, running water, pumps, or computers you just don’t need to be there all the time. You can go outdoors even if your plants can’t, send them a postcard maybe. Go! Enjoy a bit of headspace, it’ll help you focus on the things that really matter.
Elevate your plants effortlessly with an AirBase! This convenient plate seamlessly integrates into the base of your pot during setup, eliminating the need for a drainage layer of clay pebbles, perlite or hydroton. While simple, cheap, and effective, the preparation, pH balancing (clay pebbles), and use of a drainage layer can be a chore. With an AirBase, it’s as easy as dropping it in, and you’re good to go. This indispensable addition includes a pop-out center section, providing a simple and optional integration with AirDome.
AirBase Square will fit our 2.2 gal 3.9 gal pots while the AirBase Round is designed for 6.6 gal pots and 3 gal or 5 gal fabric GeoPots. A beautifully intuitive and effective innovation, AirBase is fabricated from tough ABS plastic making it highly durable and thus extensively reusable.
Our growing range of affordable ‘pot mods’ allow you incredible scope to diversify within your existing AutoPot set up. AirBase joins the ranks of Pot Divider, AirDome, Strawberry Topper, and our bespoke Propagation Lids.
Now you can multiply your plant count within each pot using Pot Divider, boost growth and yields through root zone oxygenation with AirDome, let your fruits hang low for ease of plant care and picking with Strawberry Topper, and generate the humidity that young plants crave with our snug-fitting, fully adjustable Propagation Lids. What a world we live in! Follow our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube feeds for further announcements on the launch of AirBase and other forthcoming products!
In a recent YouTube growth series, we tried Beanstalk CRF (Controlled Release Fertilizer) to test the viability of using this unique fertilization method with the AutoPot System.
Beanstalk CRF Fertilizers
Controlled Release Fertilizers are mineral-based fertilizers enclosed within specialized capsules that release various elements at different times as the coating dissolves. Beanstalk CRF employs a unique porous polymer coating to encapsulate its exclusive fertilizer blend. This coating enables nutrients to dissolve into a solution at a rate equivalent to the plant’s water consumption. This consistent nutrient availability empowers the plant to efficiently utilize the nutrients as and when it requires them. The concept of enabling the plant to access what it needs, precisely when it needs it, closely aligns with the principles of an AutoPot System, which offers plants the freedom to drink as much as they want, whenever they want. With this synergy in mind, the decision to embark on a trial grow with Beanstalk CRF was nothing short of a logical choice!
The goal of the trial was to see if we could use a CRF fertilizer in an AutoPot with only water in the reservoir. If successful, it would make growing in an AutoPot even easier, as we would eliminate the need for mixing, measuring, and monitoring nutrients. Beanstalk is mixed into the substrate when you fill the pots and feeds your plants throughout their entire life cycle.
The two approaches we used when mixing Beanstalk CRF into our blended substrate
Before we started the process, we had to understand an important concept of an AutoPot system. In AutoPots, the top few inches of the substrate are designed to remain dry because that’s where residual salts end up at the end of the grow via capillary lift. Salts continue to wick upwards throughout the grow cycle and end up in this area where roots are not present, serving as a ‘flush zone.’ This is why it’s essential never to feed from the top after you turn the system on if you’re using mineral-based fertilizer. It will push those salts that have accumulated in the top few inches back down into the root zone and cause your plant to overfeed. On the contrary, if you’re using something like living soil, this concept is not relevant, and you can even add a moisture barrier at the top (mulch, a pot cover, or something similar) to utilize every inch of the soil in the pot. This just highlights the many different uses of an AutoPot System.
Back to Beanstalk… We had to determine whether we wanted to mix the Beanstalk throughout the entire pot (in the wet and dry zones) or just in the bottom ¾ where it stays saturated with dense root growth. In the end, we thought, why choose? So we did both! More on this later.
Measuring Beanstalk CRF
Here are the rates at which we added Beanstalk to each pot, regardless of which method we chose:
• Absolute Flower: 15 grams per gallon (60 grams total for a 3.9-gallon pot)
• CA-Fortify: 5 grams per gallon (20 grams total for a 3.9-gallon pot)
• K-Boost: 5 grams per gallon (20 grams total for a 3.9-gallon pot)
Beanstalk CRF out of the bag about to measured
In addition to Beanstalk, we used our favorite rooting additive, Regenaroot from CX Horticulture, at a rate of 4 ml per gallon throughout the veg and bloom stages. This product is very clean, pH stable, and easy to use. It always helps to use a rooting stimulator to help your plant establish a healthy root zone and keep it that way.
We first filled our pots with our substrate blend of coco + clay pebbles/perlite. We like to use a light, well-blended substrate with AutoPot, as that maximizes the system’s performance. Anything too heavy can cause oversaturation. Once we filled our pot to the desired height with our blended substrate, we weighed out our Beanstalk and dumped each product into the pot. Then, while wearing gloves, we mixed everything to evenly distribute the Beanstalk throughout the pot.
Beanstalk CRF before mixing
Beanstalk CRF after mixing
After mixing the Beanstalk into our blended substrate, it was time to pot up. We potted up our plants using the solo cup method, which involves placing the exact same cup you’re using for your seedling into the substrate, packing it down, and then removing it so you have the exact-sized hole needed for a smooth transplant.
Getting ready to transplant seedings in the AutoPot System
After we potted up our plants, we top-fed for 7-10 days to establish our root zone before turning on the system. Once we turned on the system, it was smooth sailing the entire time. Throughout the entire grow, very little needed to be done from week to week since we didn’t have to mix a full line of nutrients, check EC, or worry about feeding schedules. We were honestly surprised at how well the product performed and the quality of the plants, considering how easy it was!
Unbridled gardening adventures are possible wherever you are. Picture having your very own garden that can produce beautiful flowers, delicious fruits, microgreens, fresh veggies and water your seedlings without needing an outdoor garden space or electricity. It’s a hassle-free, eco-friendly system that lets you grow whatever you desire, whenever you desire. Folks, please welcome the Tray2Grow to our collection.
Above: Tray-bien! Our latest addition to the AutoPot lineup offers a wide array of growing options for gardeners of all types.
While our pot and tray modules enable you to do all of the above, they’re designed to work on a plant-by-plant basis. The Tray2Grow, on the other hand, has been created to yield a bountiful and diverse assortment of plants all on one spacious yet space-efficient, AQUAvalve-irrigated tray.
Tray2Grow offers at least five different applications with more coming (lettuce trays are on the horizon). You can use it for seed trays, small pots, grow bags, microgreens, coco slabs, and planters, making it the most versatile product in the AutoPot collection and one of the most flexible irrigation systems around. This system feeds and waters various containers with two easily switchable configurations.
Above: A veritable self-contained allotment! The capillary mat configuration also allows you to grow with our new 23.5 gallon collapsible fabric planter!
When we say “grow anywhere,” we mean it. Just like the XXL, the Tray2Grow has an overflow plug that allows growers to use the system indoors or outdoors. When growing outdoors, simply remove the overflow plug to let excess water escape during rainfall. If you’re growing indoors, leave the overflow plug in place.
Above: With optional capillary spikes fitted Tray2Grow irrigates and feeds grow bags from below
In the grow bag/coco slab setup, capillary spikes are attached to the inside of the Tray2Grow. These spikes puncture the bottom of a grow bag or slab, drawing water and nutrient solution from the tray to irrigate the substrate within. By removing the spikes and adding capillary matting, Tray2Grow can accommodate up to four standard-sized seed trays, two micro herb trays, as well as any number of bottom-perforated or biodegradable pots, or our large 23.5-gallon framed fabric planter. The capillary spikes and capillary matting are included, ensuring you’re prepared for any situation. Three guide holes on each side of the tray are provided for garden stakes if you’re trellising your plants, and there are three built-in spirit levels to ensure everything is perfectly level.
Above: With a capillary mat and root control sheet fitted Tray2Grow can accommodate all manner of plant containers – pots is just the beginning!
If you’re a business-minded gardener, the Tray2Grow’s capacity and adaptability make it a compelling choice. Measuring 44″ x 16.2″, the Tray2Grow will easily fit onto a Danish trolley or any other type of rack or rolling bench. A single AQUAvalve controls all feeding and irrigation for each tray, reducing maintenance significantly compared to servicing independent modules. With no waste or recirculation, minimal plumbing is needed. And here’s the kicker – you get all this functionality with proven high yields, and you don’t need electricity, pumps, timers, or running water!
Above: Tray2Grow works superbly well when propagating or cultivating microgreens and is ideally sized for racking or rolling benches
We won’t keep you in suspense any longer! American growers can now get their hands on the Tray2Grow from all reputable AutoPot retailers. Check out our Store Locator to find a location near you.
Alternatively, the Tray2Grow system, along with all the necessary fittings and accessories, is available now through the AutoPot online store (for U.S. customers).
How to tap into the immense economic opportunities of farming without the labour and hardship faced by many farmers? Make it simple and accessible. Make it low maintenance. Reduce overheads. Get your crops to market before anyone else can. Grow Life Supplies have been working with the youth of the Bahamas to do all of this using AutoPot Watering Systems supplied by AutoPot USA.
Above: Grow Life Supplies are getting new generations of growers familiar with horticulture, using AutoPot Watering Systems to show just how easy it can be!
Based entirely in the Caribbean archipelago, GLS aim to revitalise the Bahamian horticultural industry. They want to get young people on the islands a share of the two billion US Dollars the Bahamas spends on imported foodstuffs every year. In the words of Germaine Turnquest, Co-Owner and Operations Manager of GLS, ‘We seek to do this via innovation, example and education. We purposely target the youth of our nation in an effort to demonstrate to them that farming is not only needed but also lucrative.’
Above: The team promote independent farming, home growing, and food security through events, outreach, and their own farm
As GLS have found, when it comes to a grassroots effort the need has never been greater. ‘In terms of food crop production The Bahamas is definitely lacking despite many recent efforts by our government and a few private entities. It is no secret that we are extremely dependent on food importation.’
Outsiders might wonder why such dependence should occur. After all, surely practically anything can be grown cheaply and easily in equatorial climes? Not so, everything from fresh water access, land quality, weather, and loss of skills presents a challenge. Put these challenges together and you get one hefty obstacle to food security. In AutoPot GLS believe they have found the means to overcome this problem.
Above: Set up of easy2grow modules continues at one of GLS’ tunnels
Take water use for example. Traditional, in-earth cultivation demands significant quantities water on a regular basis and assumes that a large proportion of that water will be lost to the ground. As Germaine points out, in the Bahamas that’s just not tenable. ‘Access to fresh water can be a challenge especially for our more southern islands such as San Salvador and Inagua. Some growers are lucky to have access to a fresh water well. For those without a well, the utility cost can be unfeasible. AutoPot systems have been amazing in this regard due to their minimal-to-zero water wastage.’
Above: Underway with tomatoes in easy2grow modules, like all AutoPot Watering Systems these modules require no electricity or running water and are extremely efficient.
Germaine reports that AutoPot Watering Systems have also helped growers make their crops far less vulnerable than their land-grown counterparts. ‘Two years ago hurricane Dorian swept across our islands leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Because the systems are modular we were able to easily relocate all of our crops grown in AutoPots indoors. All of our in-ground crops were unfortunately lost due to high winds and torrential downpour.’
Above: Success! Imagination captured, fruits in abundance, everyone’s a winner!
Despite being more efficient, more flexible, and easier to master than in-earth cultivation, irrigation systems often have their drawbacks, chiefly the cost of overheads. As Germaine says, ‘the electrical billing here can be astronomical, substantially ramping up operational cost.’ However GLS have found AutoPot offer an answer there too. ‘The easy2grow systems we use have been critical to the success enjoyed by both our clients and ourselves due to their electricity-free operation and not having to run power hungry pumps.’
Above: More easy2grow modules underway at the home of a GLS customer.
It’s always fascinating to find out what growers around the world use in the systems and GLS’s insights are no exception. ‘Most of our clientele typically utilize a 50/50 blend of soil/perlite with some form of gravel such as washed pearock or lavarock at the bottom of the pots. This choice of substrates is the most economical due to the cost related to importing hydroponic substrates.’
GLS offer an extensive service for growers who are just getting started in order to ensure they get the best possible results. On-site they show clients how to blend their own soil-based growing mediums with granular fertilizers and how to use supplements such as iron or calmag via the reservoir. At their own farm they’ve tested ‘a variety of hydroponic nutrients with MegaCrop by Greenleaf Nutrients being a firm favorite.’ Next up they’re looking forward to trialing HortAmericas OMRI-Listed, fully organic Pre-Empt nutrient with AutoPot.
Above: Making it all happen, (L) Sales Manager and Co-Owner Carlene Miller and (R) Operations Manager and Co-Owner Germaine Turnquest from Grow Life Supplies.
Eggplants, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, herbs, and all manner of other crops are grown by Bahamian farmers. Many are now doing so in AutoPot thanks to GLS’s tireless efforts to introduce and assist with the systems. Germaine says that AutoPot has proven an excellent way to engage with those who have no previous experience of farming. ‘We just make sure we are accessible and available. We also have an awesome support system for clients and free education is provided to those who volunteer at our own farm. Our social media platforms also go along way into garnering interest.’
Yet more wonderful work with which we’re proud to see our systems associated. Our profuse thanks to GLS for their efforts and insights!
Daz from Night Owl shares his thoughts on automation with AutoPots
Our first Instagram live is in books! We had so much fun chatting with Daz from Night Owl about how he uses AutoPot Watering Systems to grow and breed his world famous autoflower plants.
In the world of cultivation, success is often measured by the quality and yield of the final product. When it comes to growing autoflowers, precision and consistency are key. In this exclusive interview, Manny from AutoPot Watering Systems sits down with Daz from Night Owl, a seasoned breeder known for producing top-tier autoflowers that are grown all over the world.
The Marriage of Expertise: Daz, the mastermind behind Night Owl, is renowned for his exceptional ability to breed autoflowers that consistently exceed expectations. He attributes much of his recent success of pushing the boundaries of the size and potency of his autoflowers to the partnership he’s developed with AutoPot Watering Systems.
Daz’s Journey with AutoPot: Daz’s introduction to AutoPot Watering Systems was a game-changer in his cultivation journey. He shares how the automated, gravity-fed system allowed him to maintain a precise watering schedule tailored to the unique needs of his special autoflowers. This hands-off approach to irrigation not only saved him time but also eliminated the stress of manual watering, ensuring his plants received consistent care. His autoflowers are bigger than ever and the genetic expressions of each plant have never been better thanks to the plant-driven automated watering technology of AutoPot.
Daz uses our XL Systems with 6.6 gal pots at his breeding facility
The Role of Consistency: Consistency is a mantra in the world of cultivation, and Daz’s autoflowers are no exception. He discusses how AutoPot’s technology allows him to get the most out of his plants, while reducing his time/labor spent on maintaining the system or watering, which in turn results in him spending more time with his plants and doing more important things. He emphasizes that the ability to fine-tune his soil blend/feeding regimen with AutoPot’s system has been instrumental in achieving the best results of his career.
Daz talks about what automating his watering has allowed him to do…
We love Daz and Night Owl! Daz is a very humble guy despite his incredible talents and work ethic toward perfecting his craft. We can’t wait to see what he has on deck for Night Owl.
Be sure to check out the full episode at our YouTube Channel or click here.
“With only a couple of staff it’s a godsend to have the AutoPot systems to water and feed our 10,000 sq ft greenhouses. Cultivating an ever-changing range of plants is simple thanks to the responsiveness of AutoPot. The AutoPot system allows plants to draw exactly what they need, when they need it. So feeding is always perfectly in synch with each plant, regardless of type – we call this Plant Driven watering. There’s zero wastage on water and fertilizer and it’s 100% power-free, meaning we can afford to experiment and grow to our heart’s content.”
A word from AutoPot…
For nearly two decades Ben has been working with AutoPot Watering Systems. The length and strength of this relationship is a testament to the systems reliability and versatility, and to Ben’s growing prowess.
Ben knows how to get the very best from the system with a multitude of plant species, growing mediums, and nutrient formulations. He is the trusted go-to man for major nutrient and medium brands who come to verify and demonstrate their products harmonious compatibility with AutoPot watering systems.
This made teaming up with Ben to form the AutoPot Demonstration Center a total no-brainer. At the Center, Ben and his team create exquisite living displays of outstanding quality for AutoPot’s annual showcase trade expo. The displays at Plantasia are the true center piece of the expo each year and a firm favorite with visitors and exhibitors alike.
