Having got my new greenhouse installed and kitting it out so that I could make the best use of the space, now came the fun part of setting up my Autopot System and getting everything growing. I first came across the Autopot System when I was looking for my greenhouse from Edenlite Glasshouses and it really appealed to me for many reasons:
- it is a gravity fed watering system that is simple and easy to use
- it means that I don’t have to water the plants every day – suiting a busy lifestyle
- I can go away on holiday without my plants dying or needing to get someone to come in frequently (and they just have to top up the tanks if they do)
- nutrients are mixed into the water so that the plants get regular feeding
- the smart valve set-up allows the plants to get the water they need but without getting ‘wet feet’
- the inventor is using his technology for social and environmental good
The Autopot Starter Kit is a great way to get set up initially. The kit comes with a 35 litre water tank and a double hydrotray with all the valves, pipes and taps you need, along with nutrients, vermiculite/perlite growing medium and instructions! One water tank will service 3 or 4 units (depending on the water needs of your plants) so then you can just add extra units as you need them. They have large single hydrotrays, medium-sized double hydrotrays and the window box units with 4 small pots that all come with a smart valve inside an internal reservoir and requisite plumbing to connect them up to the system. I have a selection of different sizes for my various orchids and other plants.
When I was kitting out my greenhouse, I had to make sure that I got stands that raised the water tanks as high as I possibly could to allow sufficient pressure for the water to get to the plants. I have 3 water tanks now that I hope will be enough to service all the pots I can fit in the greenhouse – thankfully my orchids aren’t ‘heavy drinkers’ so that means each tank can support more autopots (or last longer before requiring re-filling). The smart valve allows the reservoir in each hydrotray to fill to a certain level, then allow it to be used up completely letting the plants have some time without water before re-filling.
My orchids absolutely love the autopots! Within a week of being in them, they were sending up new shoots – both flowers and leaves. Even though they were in pretty poor shape from their previous maltreatment (and I divided some) they still put on a magnificent display for me over quite a period of time. And I visited the NZ Orchid Society Show to purchase some more orchids – I couldn’t resist!
As well as the various hydrotrays I mentioned above, I saw that they also made some hanging basket units with the smart valve and reservoir inside (connecting to a water tank) and some stand-alone Smart Pots where you manually fill the reservoir. Although Edenlite Glasshouses don’t yet stock these pots, owner Tony very kindly brought some of each back from Australia for me.
I wanted to use the hanging baskets to make maximum use of all the space in my greenhouse by hanging these from hooks from the roof. There was only one hitch: in order to work the water tank must be higher than the pots. I have solved this dilemma by buying a couple of 10 litre jerry cans, fitting grommets and piping, and hanging them up near the peak of the roof – just above the level of the hanging baskets. Hopefully my Streptocarpus will thrive with plentiful food and water.
I was also given a pitcher plant as a birthday present (thank you Darja!) which would also be perfect in a hanging basket but I wasn’t sure whether feeding it the nutrient solution was going to be a good idea as they are usually in nutrient-starved conditions but survive by catching insects in their pitchers. I have been thinking about putting up insect screens in the glasshouse that might make that a bit difficult, and yet another job of collecting insects to feed my pitcher plant didn’t really appeal. So I decided that I would give it a go – and so far it is looking healthy. I pinched the tip out to make it bush out more and there are new shoots appearing everywhere, although no new pitchers yet.
I want to plant my Moth Orchids in the Smart Pots but think I might have to wait until they stop flowering before I do that. Hopefully they will benefit from a constant supply of nutrients and the right amount of water.
It is really nice to work inside the greenhouse when it is cold and wet outside – now I’m wishing my greenhouse was bigger …
Loving my greenhouse
Hi, its been about a year since this was posted. I was wondering How the setup is going? Do you find it works well, do you have some learning experiences to share? I am thinking of switching over to a similar system and would be interested to hear how this one has been working for you!
The system is still working well for me. You do have to be careful to check for blockages in the lines or problems with the valves (doesn’t happen often but a problem when it does and you aren’t checking). Also you need to plan for the water and nutrient usage of your different plants: don’t put all the thirsty ones together on the same tank and don’t mix plants that have different nutrient needs.