Octopot Adventures: A Community Exploration

[Th34v4t4r]

Got the same issue. I have a hunch this rise is from the plants eating away all the food.

Some days it's really does raise and others it sits steady at 6.2 ... my conclusion was the light hitting the water. But I do also feel it's not so much the plants drinking... but something taking place within the roots, like a hormone when producing growth.. maybe it give off a little toxin that raises the p.h.. or dead plant matter? Within the res.. who knows.. but we know it happens... it isn't alot for me to have to check my res everyday. Just so much that it glides through the scale nicely throughout the week. It's very manageable

 

[SweetSue]

@CraZysWeeD, thanks for the reminder of the value of using H2O2. I always let this slip from my consciousness.

Robin, at Octopot, mentioned that the system will handle pH swings better than some other systems, so I think we have comfortable wiggle room. Let’s hope that holds true.

 

[JustMeds]

This is for hydro but you may gleen some info from it.

 

[BrixNewb]

In my Octopots I also get a gradual pH increase. Octopot advises keeping your pH between 6.3 and 6.7. Once bloom sets in with New Millennium nutrients I could get away with pHing down to 6.3 every two days and still keep it within the parameters. I think the pH swing is simply nutrient uptake causing pH drift.

 

[CraZysWeeD]

Some days it's really does raise and others it sits steady at 6.2 ... my conclusion was the light hitting the water. But I do also feel it's not so much the plants drinking... but something taking place within the roots, like a hormone when producing growth.. maybe it give off a little toxin that raises the p.h.. or dead plant matter? Within the res.. who knows.. but we know it happens... it isn't alot for me to have to check my res everyday. Just so much that it glides through the scale nicely throughout the week. It's very manageable

Had the same issue when running my res at 6.5 they wouldn't drink the water hardly at all and only stall and get discolorations so I did the bold move and lowered my pH to 5.8 now it only dips up to 5.9 at the most and usually stays there for the full week until its time to mix another batch. I use RO water with Canna Terra nutriens, booster and cal/mag. Usually give them an EC ~2.7ms/cm or ~1.5 TDS. Grow with ~500W h InFlux.

 

[Hash Hound]

Of course I want to try the octos because of my quest for the best, but I've been trying new things for 9 years and need to stick with what I know works, enough experimenting.
So other than the size of the reservoir and fabric instead of plastic, what is the difference with the Octos and the other self watering pots on ytube that are just 5g plastic with the same pint sized net pot sitting in water?

Is the reservoir size that important? or is the combination with the fabric pots? Which is as simple as a SWICK right?
And if it takes water as needed, whats the difference between a one or ten gallon reservoir?

I see Pigeons did a review from seed with the Octo, but haven't found the finish results vid, unless I'm missing it.

A lot of my grows are 5g bags sitting in plastic dish pans.
So if I use the right soil/perlite mix and I just leave the bag in the dish pan, and bottom water with some Mega Crop or whatever, shouldn't that be the same as the Octos principal?

I'm not even sure I want to switch to a non organic system since I've been organic from the beginning,
My current GDP with Mega Crop might help to make my decision.

p.s.
its the wine talking today and not the pot

 

[Th34v4t4r]

Of course I want to try the octos because of my quest for the best, but I've been trying new things for 9 years and need to stick with what I know works, enough experimenting.
So other than the size of the reservoir and fabric instead of plastic, what is the difference with the Octos and the other self watering pots on ytube that are just 5g plastic with the same pint sized net pot sitting in water?

Is the reservoir size that important? or is the combination with the fabric pots? Which is as simple as a SWICK right?
And if it takes water as needed, whats the difference between a one or ten gallon reservoir?

I see Pigeons did a review from seed with the Octo, but haven't found the finish results vid, unless I'm missing it.

A lot of my grows are 5g bags sitting in plastic dish pans.
So if I use the right soil/perlite mix and I just leave the bag in the dish pan, and bottom water with some Mega Crop or whatever, shouldn't that be the same as the Octos principal?

I'm not even sure I want to switch to a non organic system since I've been organic from the beginning,
My current GDP with Mega Crop might help to make my decision.

p.s.
its the wine talking today and not the pot

Hey hash hound...

I think the difference with octopot is seizing the best of both worlds.. where as with either system... hydro, soil.. you have to have one world at a time...

I.e

Soil..

Wet/dry periods..

You have to allow for the moisture to go and the plant to breath before watering. This stages the growth of the plant as it has to store it's food untill it can combine and flourish...

Hydro...

Constant wet allowing for more water to be uptake but we have to provide extra air by airstone or other means, that's because we starve the plant of air obviously..

Bubbleponics airponics and the other systems try to give as much water and air at once and are good systems I want to look further into...

But the difference..

Octopot has two growth stages and it's roots adapt to suit each stage..

The roots in the sleeve constantly search for air and breath whilst the roots in your res drink.. it's able to uptake whatever it wants when ever it wants in abundance...

Also the way the res works is it constantly oxygenated itself too.. thus allowing the roots to sit in the still water and not rot..

I think it's benefits are simply. Little maintenance and it uses the best of both worlds

I found when using soil I was rushing things along and not allowing time for the plant roots to dry and breath. Causing problems.. the octopot saved my girls from impending death lmao

 

[Th34v4t4r]

In relation to your questions of pot size depth wick and sleeve fabric..

Most is dependant on the size you want to yield I guess.. the sleeve needs to breath and not mould and retain to much moisture..

The wick doesn't actually soak up the water as suggested.. the roots take the water up Nd transfer moisture to the soils and gradients it through the sleeve wet to dry..

The more the plants drink the wetter your sleeve..

The water level is dependant on stage of growth..

Early you want to fill it.. as your roots touch down you want the level lower so the roots stretch out and fill the res.. as your roots fill the bottom keep the lvlof water just above them..

Then as you move to flower start flooding them so they have whatever they want...

The dish pans I doubt will work as you will be soaking your roots, withoit oxygenated water... adding an airstone wint help either as your p.h will fly up.. .. I think you will end up with root rot in a week. Don't do that lmao... there is a clear divide between oxygen and water on all the working octo systems I've seen. Genuine or d.i.y

 

[Th34v4t4r]

This was my orginal design on the octopot.. and to be fair it worked well I just think the sleeve was to narrow and not deep enough as it's moisture lvl was approx 100% 24/7

So I chucked it in the big sleeve. Which I think was the perfect idea.....

Maybe my res can be smaller next time round though..

I'm going to be building my next one pretty soon as I've just ordered some ammi haze seeds.. so need to start fresh..

All in the journal

 

[SweetSue]

The water level is dependant on stage of growth..

Early you want to fill it.. as your roots touch down you want the level lower so the roots stretch out and fill the res.. as your roots fill the bottom keep the lvlof water just above them..

Then as you move to flower start flooding them so they have whatever they want...

The dish pans I doubt will work as you will be soaking your roots, withoit oxygenated water... adding an airstone wint help either as your p.h will fly up.. .. I think you will end up with root rot in a week. Don't do that lmao... there is a clear divide between oxygen and water on all the working octo systems I've seen. Genuine or d.i.y

I’m working on the assumption that the water level is lowest at the early stages and rises as the plants root hit the reservoir. I found it interesting that you mentioned keeping the water just above the rootmass once it develops in the res. Can you explain why this level? Learning as I go, and you seem to have a better grasp of the process.

I’ve grown in soil, and I grow hempy with perlite now, but I’ve never grown hydro. I’ve also used SWICK, and I can say that the chief difference is the addition of nutrients into the reservoir. With SWICK this isn’t recommended. It’ll stink to high heaven in no time. SWICK is set up to deliver water only. Nutrients are either added to the soil itself before planting or carefully drenched in so as not to pollute the reservoir.

SWICK oxygenates wonderfully and offers the plants a way to water themselves, but it’s not a nutrient-delivery system the way Octopot and like designs are. This method appears to bring the best of all worlds into a happy collision and grows plants that think they’re out in a field.

We’re still making up our minds about Octopot, but the increased purchase of systems by those who already had one or two speaks volumes about how this system works on the ground running. Something’s right here.

 

[SweetSue]

@Hash Hound, Pigeons abandoned the Octopot halfway through the grow when he had issues with the light he was using at the time. He never revived it.

 

[Th34v4t4r]

Nd this is where we ended up lmao... sorry @SweetSue for taking over the page lmao

So hash if you are going to use your pots and pans. Cut a hole in some plastic and sit one above the other lmao. And allow your roots to drop through a small hole that won't cut and slice them up

 

[SweetSue]

The thread and all the pages therein exist for you and the membership Th34v4t4r.

 

[Th34v4t4r]

I’m working on the assumption that the water level is lowest at the early stages and rises as the plants root hit the reservoir. I found it interesting that you mentioned keeping the water just above the rootmass once it develops in the res. Can you explain why this level? Learning as I go, and you seem to have a better grasp of the process.

As I understand

Seedling stage..

1st top watering..

The soil hold the moisture and heat to germinate.. because so much moisture gravity pushes it down forcing the tap root to chase it...

You want to keep this principle through the grow untill mid flower!!!

As the sleeve dries top to bottom the tap continues to drop through until it hits the res..

Now it wants too drop many roots into the water as quick as possible because the phenos and morphing of the plant start to change..

It's now stopped it's search for the drink and is developing roots up top for air structure..

At this point you need to step in and Lowe the res lvl... so the tap roots start thier search again.. you keep the lvl nice and low so they search and spread along the width and breadth of your res. It's important to have the level of water low enough so they continue to search outwards BUT!!! do not let them dry out. They must remain moist otherwise the phenos type will morph into a state where it wants to uptake oxygen.. not water...

So the lvl remains low enough to search and grow otherwise they stop and as with all grows we want more root mass. More root mass means more yield. More space = more root mass. So as the roots grow dense at the bottom you fill up as they fill up and allow a couple to just float around.

As they grow your lvl will naturally increase but it's once you flip to flower that your plants really need the water and nutes...

All the work you have done building the root system will now pay off, don't fill your tank quite yet as we are in stretch mode, so have the level just higher then you are normally comfortable with and then when you get into full flower flood the tank.

The roots will thrive and give you all they can..

If you simply flood the tank from the start. You get what happened with me your roots stop searching and growing, therefore I know I've lost yield because they arnt using the whole of the space given to them to drink.

I hope this helps.

I am still a novice but I have tried to learn all I can lmao. And alot is grasped from using the system..

I won't turn back that's for sure

 

[Th34v4t4r]

I just want to add.. when your roots have hit the sides off the res tank.. they will crawl back up the walls.. And also start to morph into oxygen roots this is why it's important to raise the lvl with the roots.. as they climb so must your water lvl.. never let them climb the sides for to long ....

 

[Th34v4t4r]

Evidentially, I’m challenged about reading instructions before I jump in head first. I made a couple missteps in the assembly, but they won’t make a lot of difference in the end. I neglected to moisten the medium before assembly, and overcame that by doubling the amount of water on the initial - and only- top drench, and filling the reservoir a little higher to allow for more wicking this first time.

I also neglected to pH adjust the water, something I’ll correct the next time. @InTheShed has an interesting thread on why one doesn’t need to pH the water going in, but rather check the medium with a slurry test. A slurry test won’t be possible with this system, since you won’t ever saturate the medium enough to get a read, so it’s safest to keep the nutrient water to the recommended 6.3 - 6.8 range.

Next watering I’ll begin checking pH and adjusting accordingly.

The medium will saturate it self.. mine is half waybuo the octopot sleeve.. It's just as it gets higher it's more concentrated inward to the main stem.. as the roots drink they transfer the moisture as I said earlier..

don't worry about p.h in the soil so much.. And fuck octopot.. treat it as hydro when it comes to e.c and p.h or range them both.

When I lower I lower to 5.4 after 15 days it's about 6.7 that's when I drop it again.

The p.h will transfer to your soil and drag it down as the capillary action send the water upwards.. but if you wanted a slurry test you could go deep and get one..

You can also flush the plants as I said earlier. I doit when I feed my new water and nutes and h202 solution... I pour it straight over the sleeve to fill the tank. Oxygenating the roots in the sleeve and wetting them once in a while..

 

[GanjaPreneur420]

Hello everyone,

Thanks @SweetSue for the invite!! I have just finished my first grow and first grow with the Octopots. What a crazy experience and easy grow. I have a lot to learn when it comes to proper feeding but I am sure the group in here will get me through that!!

Take a look if you like, it should be in the signature below,

 

[SweetSue]

to the thread GanjaPreneur420.

I read through the journal of your impressive first grow. Nice to hit a home run first time up at bat, isn’t it? I’m sure those totals took a lot of stress out of your life.

In contrast, and to give you added incentive, Brix pulled 12 ounces from one plant on his first attempt. Brix is a more experienced cultivator who typically pulls around 6 ounces or more from his plants, so doubling his top yields was enough to grab his interest.

I see no reason not to expect an exponential increase in your harvest totals once you gain more familiarity with both the Octopot system and cannabis cultivation. We call them weeds, but we accept that growing them the way we do in pots is something of an art we love to share. I look forward to watching your evolution.

Brix expanded his Octopot presence today, planting the ever-popular Dark Devil Auto that sprouted last night into a 3 gallon unit.

The veg tent

• SweetSue
• Mar 12, 2019

Beauty mostly by BrixNewb

Octopot Dark Devil Auto

• SweetSue
• Mar 12, 2019

Beauty by BrixNewb

Octopot youngins

• SweetSue
• Mar 12, 2019

Four in veg, two in flower. Oh how the garden grows.

 

[BrixNewb]

Hello everyone,

Thanks @SweetSue for the invite!! I have just finished my first grow and first grow with the Octopots. What a crazy experience and easy grow. I have a lot to learn when it comes to proper feeding but I am sure the group in here will get me through that!!

Take a look if you like, it should be in the signature below,

Great job man, you really knocked it out of the park on your first grow. You should be very happy. I think you will get your yields up with more practice, but you have a hell of a green thumb.

 

[GanjaPreneur420]

Great job man, you really knocked it out of the park on your first grow. You should be very happy. I think you will get your yields up with more practice, but you have a hell of a green thumb.

Much appreciated,