Hydroponics Made Easy

CHAPTER 2
The Autopot System
The Autopot System is a patented technique of hydroponic that differs from conventional methods in a number of respects that make it versatile, effective, inexpensive to run, capable of operating in a wide range of locations where conventional hydroponic will not be effective and capable of being used by everyone from school age upward. It is the ideal way for busy people to experience the benefits of gardening, and provides a huge return in pleasure and produce without a heavy commitment in time or the problems of requiring a specific program of attention.

An award winning invention

In 1992 at the Royal Melbourne Show, the Autopot System was awarded a first prize and a special prize in the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria farm invention competition for the most innovative use of water. The system has also won the Australian Inventors Society (Victorian division) first prize for the best invention of the year as an automatic watering system.

Patents
Numbers:AUS 630877 AUS 636542 JAP 505681 MAL 100248 MAL 9601649 UK 2284263 US 4864771 US 4557071 US 5337930 US 5671562 Plus many more countries including Taiwan and China.

The system defined

Briefly, it is a fully automatic, unpowered watering and feeding system capable of supplying the needs of a huge range of plants. There are applications suited to growing a single plant in a single pot, right through to applications suited to growing a wide range of different plants in literally thousands of containers in multi hectare installations.

Why plants grow so well in the Autopot System

Plants grow so well in the system for a number of different reasons, but in general it can be boiled down to the fact that the Autopot System is capable of supplying the water/nutrients needs of individual plants within even extensive installations in a way that is unique to, and specific to the exact needs of the individual plant in its individual container. A further advantage is in the way in which water is delivered to the plant. Many Hydroponic systems recognise the fact that nature conditioned most plants to get alternating cycles of moisture so that they start out wet and then gradually dry out before it rains again to supply more moisture. If the water comes too frequently before the plant has dried out the growth of the plant is inhibited. And if the plant dries out
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Hydroponics Made Easy

completely and stays that way for a period longer than it is conditioned to tolerate, it will either die completely or suffer a severe setback in its growth pattern. The common conventional hydroponic system using media are drip to waste and ebb and flow. In a variety of ways and under a variety of systems of control, a water/nutrient mix is supplied to the plants in the system. The control at its simplest is manual, and at its most complicated, computer controlled. Even in the most comprehensive computer controlled Nutrient Film (NFT) systems, the cycle is normally dictated by the needs of the thirstiest of the plants in the system, so the average plant will get more water/nutrient than it needs which is usually also more than is good for it. This is done on the basis that a bit too much water, while perhaps not the ultimate in supplying the best growth rate, is better than too little water. Theres an old farmers saying that you can always grow something in mud but you cant grow anything in dust. Another side problem with conventional hydroponic is that all systems recirculate nutrient which very often accounts for the nutrient becoming corrupted and spreads disease problems through the entire system. To alleviate this problem it is standard practise to constantly monitor and balance the pH and CF level of nutrient which requires a significant investment in both equipment and time, or in many professional systems, excess water and nutrient is run to waste.

Illustration of a 2-pot Autopot hydroponic module.

2 cavity Hydrotray Smart-valve Mark 2

Top View of a Module

10 squat pots

Side View of a Module

To each according to its needs

The Autopot System is designed so that the individual plants in their individual containers can dictate when they get their water, according to their needs. A wide range of different plants in an Autopot System will each take on water at totally different times and cycles, rather than being tied to an automated cycle. This is achieved without the use of electricity, pumps or expensive plumbing, yet the system operates fully automatically as dictated by the plants themselves. For instance, in the Autopot System, a potted cactus that may require water every third day or so will happily thrive alongside a tuberous begonia which in summer is demanding water three or even four times a day, each time getting a wet cycle and each time becoming virtually dry again before the water is replenished, as nature intended. Both plants will flourish. This is the vitally different aspect of the Autopot System and the one that gives the system its great advantages. Even the most sophisticated computer controlled watering cycle cannot come anywhere near matching the advantages of having the plants dictate their own individual needs.
13mm polytube 4mm micro tube

Cross Section of a Module

How the Autopot System came to be invented

The system is the invention of Jim Fah, the author of this book. Jim is an agricultural scientist and was the head of the South East Asian division of a large British corporation that specialised in the development and construction of commercial plantations. He was also an avid home
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Note position of the Smartvalve Mk2.

Hydroponics Made Easy

grower of gloxinias, starting with just ten plants and rapidly achieving a collection of over 200. The gloxinias were raised in small containers using a wick watering system (photo right). Perhaps because his professional interest was also very much his hobby, Jims attention to the needs of gloxinias was rather deeper than that of the average gardener and his observations as to their well being a lot more professional. He noticed that the plants performed the best when the reservoirs were not topped up before they have been allowed to empty completely then refilled to a level of one inch with a liquid nutrient added. Very effective, but also just a tad risky, because when you are patiently waiting for the water to empty completely so that it can be refilled, and you forget for a day or so, you lose the plant. Another observation made was that as the plants increased in size, so did their need for water. With small plants, their reservoirs were topped up once a week. As they grew to maturity and in full flower, they could need topping up as often as twice a day, some even more often. Jim also made a number of other observations about gloxinias and found that these observations were fairly general across a wide range of potted plants. as plants grow, they need water more frequently those potted plants closest to the source of light grew the most vigorously when you have gloxinias of equal size in containers of different capacity, the smaller containers will need to be topped up more frequently.

Picture of one of many Gloxinias raised by Jim.

A carnivorous plant.

Now its relatively easy to bulk water even 200 gloxinias twice a day when youre home, even though this will not suit every plant and you will still experience losses. But if you are dedicated to producing the ultimate i n
Maximum level Minimum level

Orchids flourishing in the Autopot Systems photo KL Malaysia.

plants, a n d only want to add water to each container once each individual plant has started to dry out, the last thing that you need is another job. Plant watering will be your full time occupation and this is something that Jim Fah could not do. Add the need to be absent for weeks at a time on consultancy work, add the problems created by dense foliage obscuring the reservoir inspection ports and the problems of finding anyone with the interest, dedication and time to look after 200 tantrum-prone gloxinias
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Surprise! Even a cactus is flourishing in the Autopot System.

Hydroponics Made Easy

and you can see the problem. The challenge of how to achieve the appropriate watering while remaining fully employed led to the invention of the Autopot System.

The heart of the Autopot System the Smart-valve.

Enter the Smart-valve

The Smart-valve is the heart of the Autopot System. It is this which controls the entry of the water to the reservoir. The original Smartvalves were used on Jims gloxinias, which were soil based plants and the results were excellent. In the fifteen years of trials and refinement that have gone into todays Smart-valve, most casual observers would be hard pressed to notice any difference, although any engineer would soon recognise the refinements. Todays principle remains exactly as it was from day one and the main changes have been to fine tune performance rather than to alter working principles. Soon after its invention the trials of the Smart-valve were widened to encompass hydroponic with results being little short of spectacular although to many hydroponic enthusiasts, the results have been at variance with their fundamental beliefs about how a hydroponic system operates. Jim Fah has long since turned his hobby into his full time occupation and now heads a Melbourne, Australia based organisation making a range of Autopot products that are marketed locally, in the USA, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UK, Israel, throughout South East Asia and a continually growing number of markets. Jim believes that it is not necessary to become a slave to your garden if you can possibly manage to get your garden to work for you. He has made the Autopot System very simple and has removed what until Autopot came along, was the greatest problem for people who wanted to grow hydroponically. That is the problem of conventional hydroponic needing constant attention and the proposition that it was only possible to take a holiday by meticulous planning so that you left a period of the year when you have nothing growing.

Smart-valve Mark 1

The new Smartvalve Mk2

How the Autopot System works

The Smart-valve is the heart of the system. It is small enough to fit on the palm of your hand, mainly plastic construction and consists of two chambers. Its very nature makes it a comparatively low cost item which is very important because its low cost is what makes it practical to have a valve for each individual container and this is the very crux of the systems versatility. It has several patents filed as many of the worlds main growing countries and the exact details of its operation are ones that we do not freely reveal. It is different to the conventional ball cock type of float valve because it allows total reduction of the fluid level before it refills. It is a real revolution in the way it allows water to be applied. When connected to a water supply (which can be from either pressure reduced mains or tank) the valve opens to allow water to enter the bottom of the growing container to a pre determined and pre set depth (usually 35mm). The valve then closes and will permit no further water
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As can be seen above, the Smart-valve Mk2 is less complicated than the Mark1 model.

Hydroponics Made Easy

to enter the container until all the original supply has been conveyed from the water chamber to the pot and consequently to the plant. This absorption is achieved by capillary action that naturally occurs in the growing medium. Once the water has been absorbed to the extent that the film of water under the valve has gone, the valve re-opens and another supply of water enters the growing container. This is how the damp and drying out cycle occurs.

Wet and Dry Cycle

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Max level

Significance of the Autopot principle

The implications of this unique wet and drying out cycle are considerable. The most important factor is that with a separate valve being in each growing container, it allows the plants in that container to dictate the watering cycle rather than the way that conventional systems try to supply the needs of the average plant. Change of an environmental nature such as temperature, wind, sunlight, etc. allow the valve to immediately respond to the needs of the plant.
The tray starts to empty and the Smartvalve opens to let nutrient solution into the tray to a pre-set level of about 30mm.

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Nearly empty

Advantages over conventional irrigation systems

The five major features unique to the Autopot System are:1. Water Efficiency. Every drop of water that goes via the Smartvalve to the growing container is available to the plant. The single minimal wastage of water is through evaporation from the surface of the container. There is no run-off and no recycling of water. 2. Watering According To Demand. The Autopot dictates that the amount and frequency of water provided is exactly as the plants require 3. Electricity Supply Not Critical. The automating forces of the Autopot System are either gravity in the case of a tank fed system or tap pressure in tap fed systems. Absolutely no electricity or battery driven devices are necessary. 4. Inexpensive To Buy And Maintain. There is no expensive outlay in electrical connection, pumps, computers and piping. All the water connections are by a 4mm thick soft plastic tubing that is joined or junctioned by simple press-in types of plastic joiners that are very inexpensive. This small diameter tubing is practical simply because the valves operate independently and seldom will more than one be open at a time. Therefore the demand for water is spread throughout the day. Running the tube over or through walls, under paths, across rafters or wherever it needs to go is very simple compared to the problems and expense of achieving this with polythene, copper or galvanised piping that also normally requires a plumber to install. The thin tubing is normally held in place by simple, inexpensive plastic saddle clamps. Self-scheduling. Conventional irrigation requires expertise in scheduling an irrigating cycle. It relies on human judgement for interpretation of the needs of the plants and at best can only satisfy the needs of the average plant. The Autopot System caters exactly for the plants ever changing needs throughout the year, winter and
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Water level in the tray drops as nutrient solution is consumed by the plant. The tray is nearly empty but the Smart-valve still remain closed.

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Zero

The tray is now completely empty. It will take time before the Smartvalve re-opens to let in more nutrient solution.

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30 mm

The Smart-valve will close once the pre-set level of about 30 mm is reached again and this completes one wet and dry watering cycle.

Hydroponics Made Easy

1. summer.

How an Autopot System can be of benefit to you

Hobby growers will gain the following benefits: Control of over watering and under watering. Look at the various house plants that you have. If you are an average hobbyist many of them will be in poor condition. Usually because of over or under watering through over eagerness to prevent drying out or because you were busy and forgot to water.

Examples of vegetables grown in the Autopot System.

Control of over or under feeding. A common problem. And one

that is hard to handle. Too little feeding and the plant will not perform. Too much is likely to kill the plant stone dead. The Autopot System provides an exact does every time the plant gets water.

A solution of the time problem. Especially in summer when many

plants need water two or more times a day to give the best results.

An Asian vegetable Ipomea.

The ability to take a vacation. Every Autopot System is designed to

give a long period of watering and even the systems with relatively small storage tanks can be switched over to larger tanks for the period that you are away.

Avoidance of the drip problem. Particularly with hanging baskets used indoors, excess watering can be a problem. The Autopot System will not apply too much water.

Commercial growers gain the following benefits: Water conservation. The cost of purification or supply of good quality water is one that increases as time goes by. The Autopot System is the most water efficient system available.

An eggplant.

Avoidance of recycling costs. Particularly where legal or financial

constraints dictate the elimination of pollution by run off or the cost of water supply is high, the Autopot System shines. No capital cost for pumps, ponds, disposal and treatment. No running costs in fuel or power for pumping. Avoiding overhead watering problems. Plants that need subirrigating to avoid damage to flower or foliage love the Autopot System. *****

A cabbage.