Today I'm asking and answering a question on behald of myself! First year using Autopots auto-watering and have to say mostly loving it. But ~2 weeks into flowering I am noticing an increasing build-up of calcium on the outside of my cloth pots. Here's what I DO know: Calcium/Salt buildup is why most every approach to hydroponics requires you to fertigate to ~10% runoff with each feed. The ~10% runoff is enough to flush the unused salts and minerals from the medium. Higher concentrations of salts (high EC) forces the plant to make extra sugars for the root to exceed EC of the medium, energy that could be feed growth and buds. BUT: Autpots don;t flood, the use gravity, water tension, and percolation to let the medium & roots pull nutrients up from the bottom. Supposedly the excess salts get pushed to the top ~1/3 of the medium (in my case coco) where it is above the rootball. So this buildup on the outside edges could be harmless caused by evaporation leaving salty minerals, or could be a sign I am over-feeding. Let's see what Autopot has to say !

Calcium build up on cloth pots?

AdirondackGreen

Today I'm asking and answering a question on behald of myself!

First year using Autopots auto-watering and have to say mostly loving it. But ~2 weeks into flowering I am noticing an increasing build-up of calcium on the outside of my cloth pots.

Here's what I DO know:

Calcium/Salt buildup is why most every approach to hydroponics requires you to fertigate to ~10% runoff with each feed.
The ~10% runoff is enough to flush the unused salts and minerals from the medium.
Higher concentrations of salts (high EC) forces the plant to make extra sugars for the root to exceed EC of the medium, energy that could be feed growth and buds.

BUT:

Autpots don;t flood, the use gravity, water tension, and percolation to let the medium & roots pull nutrients up from the bottom.
Supposedly the excess salts get pushed to the top ~1/3 of the medium (in my case coco) where it is above the rootball.

So this buildup on the outside edges could be harmless caused by evaporation leaving salty minerals, or could be a sign I am over-feeding.

Let's see what Autopot has to say!