I haven’t tried this way with Auto flower but I’m going to try but I have my first plants in flowering now really nice fat huge buds on Them I just put my 5 gallon cloth bags fill it with Coco stick it in larger pan than the Bag.mix my Nutrients in gallon jugs and and fill the pan it wicks it up I wait until it’s low and add it again I don’t let it stay in the pan too long but I haven’t had any problems except trying to keep the buds away from the light . That’s why I want to switch to Auto flowering seeds next grow.it looks like an easier way to keep it under control.can I grow Auto flower in Coco the same way? Or I’m going full Hydroponic.
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I would grow the same way first and then compare notes. As far as the care for the plant and how you water passive wick hydroponics VS a pump or a drip method.
You may find a drip emitter or a timer that does periodic floods to be more efficient use for your time moving forward. As in less hands-on. But if you’re doing just a few plants it’s probably just fine to do it the hand method. Definitely less of an investment in space and equipment.
The main difference with the autos is you just run your lights longer. Like 20 on four off. Or 22 on two off. But I’m sure you already know that . I’ll save you the speech.
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I get 3 plants per pot. Works well.
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Fabric is all I use. I have set up an automatic watering system on a timer. I never worry about root rot.
All autoflower. It’s just for me so I don’t want to much.
Everything I have grown seems to enjoy it.
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Question: with a 10 gallon fabric pot,I’ll have to water more often & starting out with a seedling in a 10 gal. pot, how long you think before the roots hit bottom? Buy then I’m thinking 4 liters of watering a day? I rather not disturb the auto after plantation for shock transporting and looking for watering suggestions from seed to harvest. Thank You~
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@Snay71 Don’t plan for x amount of water. Let the plant tell you what it needs. So many people come here wondering what’s wrong with their plant and 9 times out of ten it’s overwatering. It’s easy to do when you have a baby seedling in a 10 gallon pot.
Don’t be afraid to let the soil dry back a bit. That naturally encourages root growth in the plant. It doesn’t rain every day.
Imagine the canopy of the plant turned upside down. Your root zone looks something like that.
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CurrDogg420,Thank You very Much for your input. I’m a nervous Nelly and tomorrow is planting day after work.Going to fire up the grow cabinet,let it get to optimal temp and just toss in the seed with a light spraying to dampen her down and go from there. I’m somewhat concerned for why I got a big fabric pot to begin with as a 1st timer! Being a Auto, I don’t want to move her and I don’t want to disturbed the roots (NO!). I’ll go 5 Gal next time but for now, a little water mist spraying,I’m thinking every 3 days from seed?? I’m not germinating the seed this time and tossing her in! I’ll be using a Viparspectra va600 grow light set on 40% for seedling and up from there as she grow, (2) 6" fans set on low for when I need them later and humidifier/Temp gauges at fabric pot base, cabinet is: 22"dx28"Lx66"H. Only problem is,I"m on Federal land in a apartment complex and it’s secret grow with no ventilation at this time (Sad). Going to do my best, auto plant is Afghan auto and you guy’s are my grow journal!
thanks!
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No matter what you do, it will smell at flower, good luck and happy growing!
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If you can’t modify the cabinet for an exhaust (need a 4” hole) you could still put a carbon filter + inline fan in there to try to “scrub” the odor. If you can modify the cabinet, the window exhaust parts from one of those portable AC units could make a very discreet vent if you wanted to direct it outside.
Ventilating the cabinet can also help lower the temp in there. If you haven’t tested it, run your light up to full blast and see how hot it gets in there.
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Yes Sir! That was the first thing I did was run a light test for heat! MY GROW Journal says with the lights and fan at high, I’m looking at 79.7 Deg-80.9 Deg. for about 3 hrs. run time for my first test and my 2nd test was @ 78.8 Deg-82.5 Deg for about 8 Hrs. time. I’m thinking 80+ is my max heat with fans on high? I DO have a exhaust hose with inline “Out” fan (suncourt 0.25 Amp, suck good 
) that I can hook up, but front/top/side or bottom is my question if it’s only exhausting air, not taking any new in? I could just open the doors a few times during the day and fan it (Lol). Thanks again!
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For best heat removal, the fan itself should pull air from the top of the tent. The hose can run any way you need.
Happy growing!
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I would suggest Fabric. One key is to keep it breathable for oxygen and proper drainage. I am a beginner, but I learn from others and my mistakes. Hope this helps from a newby.
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I’m curious if anyone has “invented” or designed an automatic floating wicking station. A WHAT???
I’ve thot about making a floating frame out of ether foam (contact cement can glue it, styrofoam can’t be glued…or could use wood but it’s heavier), put your fabric 10 gallon bag in there, and then put wicking material running thru your medium from the top, thru the bottom and into the water below. Don’t know how many (or what the material would need to be made of) wicks you would need, but you could hypothetically set one of these up in a small year-round pond and only need to feed and prune it occasionally. You can always secure the frame so it doesn’t float away, and move it from spot to spot if needed (or from parking area to discrete spot).
One would have to cover the white foam with a form of camo so it wouldn’t stand out, but I bet you could have a nice guerilla grow with little to no maintenance!
Anyone try this yet?
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@spudgunner I’ve done something like this indoor using an old plastic swimming pool. I used a net instead of a float though and a few air stones to prevent anaerobic bacteria growth.
Filled pool with clean water and made a small netted frame with pvc and an old fishing net. Just tall enough to set the net just about an inch under the water.
Then I just set my fabric pots on top filled with my organic soil. Watered from the top once just to “prime” and let wicking do the rest.
It worked decent for a hybrid system but not quite what I was hoping for.
I have since improved on that idea with a full indoor wicking bed setup that I haven’t completed yet but soon.
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@MDBuds Yeah, something like that! But for a guerilla grow in the hills, no power for the air stone pump! I envision about 3" of lava rock on the bottom of the bag, with strands of wicking material (strips of an old cotton sheet maybe?) running from under the bag in the water, thru the bag and the lava rock, up through ALL your soil. The water should wick up the sheet to the soil, and you still have an air layer with the lava rock for drainage. Fabric sides would help with air to the roots.
I’ll try building something this spring and will post pics. This is for the grows away from home, where you can’t get to them every couple of weeks or so. I will have my 4 pampered legal ladies, might be nice to have 10 more on the side!
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@spudgunner felt or canvas would work better for wicking for your idea. They’re sturdier and more absorbent. If you put lava rock in the bottom of the pot you wouldn’t need extra wicks though if you custom netted some “cups” to let the rocks sit in the water just slightly recessed under the float. Porous stones will naturally wick and honestly the simpler the better imo. Just like a wicking bed but set up to float instead of having a basin or reservoir filled.
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Excellent! I didn’t realize lava rock would wick @MDBuds .Or just have 5" of lava rock sitting 2" deep in water, 9" or 10" of ProMix on top. I have a buddy who gets tons of coffee been burlap bags, could get a bunch from him. I’m like @DollarBill , only buy what you need to!
And the floating frame would have some sort of support for the weight of the soil and plant, thinking that green plastic fencing mesh, like the orange snow fencing stuff. Double it up if needed.
Cool! A project for spring!
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@spudgunner, I know an old hippy grower who uses nothing but burlap bags for his weed. I guess it was the original grow bag. Ha He has been doing since way before I was of age.
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And Fox farm stuff would be better for an untended grow…keep my ProMix for my indoor pampered ladies!
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Picture of you feeding in the larger container – soaking up nutes?