How do I pot up ?

I get asked a lot on what medium should I use and how do I go about potting up for this system.


Now this is what I personally do you may have other ideas. As far as potting goes, first decide is it a shallow rooting plant and am I going to have it protected from the rain. If its shallow rooted then I am going to use the window box unit this gives me the best result. Think about it the system is a capillary action or bottom feed so if the roots can't get down to the main moisture supply then they are not going to do as well and I am into maximum growth giving me Fresh lush results.  I harvest Green Minuet lettuce in 3 to 4 week max. I prefer to use a premium potting mix in my window boxes as my medium, but this is how I go about it. 

Give the pots a good scrub I use a green pot scrubber to clean inside and out

Make sure you give the Root mats a good wetting and clean

I now add a few cm of 50/50 Perlite / Vermiculite

What I am doing here, is adding what I call a wick that makes sure there is good draw up of the nutrient and I am preventing the potting mix from compacting on the bottom of the pot which it can do, and another reason I like to use the potting mix is I get good retention of the nutrient and less Leching if out side so I have the best of both mediums. (I only use Perlite 50/50 for my Tomatoes if under cover)

Half filled and with a little slow release added

I now half fill the pot and add a few grains of slow release, it's just a general purpose one and quite cheep. Remember I want maximum growth so as the roots are on there way down to the supply I give them a boost so at no time is this plant undergoing any check that may cause it to weaken.

Compressing the medium

Fill the pot to the top,  now use your 2 thumbs working from the center pressing and compacting back to the outside of the pot and creating a cavity for the plant at the same time, the size of the hole will depend on the size of the seedling plug which I want to get as near as possible to the water line but at the same time not burying the plant when it goes in.

Use thumb and 2 fingers to insert the plant

After carefully removing the plant from the cell which should be moist but not to wet or it will break up as I am trying not to disturb the plant in the transition. I grip the plant with my thumb and 2 fingers and press downwards towards the base of the pot placing the root ball down at the food source, I do this quite firmly as I want my plant to be secure and with stand any wind or movement at the same time avoid planting to deep or getting soil over the crown. Now close in all around the plant add extra soil if you need to, I like my plants to sit up! it avoids the under leaves deteriorating when the plant gets more mature.

Planted up and on hold waiting for a window box 

Once they are all planted I will give them a good watering with a soft spray to get out all the air bubbles  making sure there is no soil stuck in the crown that could stunt the plant growth.

                                              AND THAT'S THAT

                                     the Autopot System will now take over

To give you a view of how the pot looks here is one tipped out.

A good example of how I pot up

Now as for my Tomatoes under cover I use the 50/50 mix in the 10" hydro tray, though I have my POT Tomato planted in Potting Mix, so I use both.

With the Per lite this is what I do!

Fill to required level

Remember to wet the root mat, then fill to what you think is about the right depth you will need so that the plant is sitting right. Carefully slid the plant out of its pot without removing any soil and gently place onto the Per lite Mix, now fill in all round, It is now important to give the pot a good wetting with either just water or if you have some Nutrient mix I will use that. I always get my stake or string organised at this point.

I use a thin bamboo garden stick with a cup hook screwed and glued into one end so I can hook onto my overhead support net.

Thought I would try the BLACK RUSSIAN

Look carefully at these 2 pictures the one above the medium level is over filled which is not necessary and can be prone to wind besides being a waist.

The below picture has the level adjusted and is more correct you would also be able to add a thermal foam cover if you needed to

Corrected Per lite level

                       And that's how easy it is with this system. NO tools required, NO digging, 

                                 THE WORLDS SIMPLEST GROWING SYSTEM