Autopot Systems Explained: How They Work and Which to Buy
Autopot systems water your plants without pumps, timers or electricity. Each pot feeds itself from a shared tank, so you can leave a room for days. This guide covers how they work, which size to buy, what to grow in, and how to set one up.
How Autopot works
The tank sits slightly above pot height and feeds the pots by gravity, so the system is silent and has no pump to fail. Under each pot is a tray with its own AQUAvalve. The valve fills the tray to 20 mm, then closes and stays shut until the tray is completely empty, then fills it again.
That gives every plant a dry spell between waterings, and because each pot has its own valve, each plant drinks at its own pace - a thirsty plant fills more often than a small one next to it. Most other automatic systems water every plant on the same timer.
Which system?
| System | Tank | Area it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Pot | 47 L | One specimen or mother plant; the tank lasts even a demanding plant well over 10 days. Add-on modules make it 2 or 3 pots |
| 4-Pot | 47 L | About 1 m2 - a 1 m tent. Lasts 4 big fruiting plants 3-5 days, much longer earlier on |
| 8-Pot | 100 L | 2-3 m2: a 2 x 1 m area; 2.4 x 1.2 m tents suit the XL version |
| 12-Pot | 225 L | 3-4 m2 |
| 24-Pot | 400 L FlexiTank | 6-10 m2 |
| 36-Pot | 400 L FlexiTank | 9-15 m2 |
| 48-Pot | 400 L FlexiTank | 12-18 m2 |
Which pots?
- Standard: 15 L square plastic pots.
- XL: 25 L square-to-round pots, for bigger plants - see the XL systems.
- FlexiPot: breathable fabric pots of 20, 35 or 50 L, which air-prune the roots.
The 24-, 36- and 48-pot systems come with Iceline supply pipe, which keeps the feed cooler on its way from the tank to the plants.
What to grow in
For the plastic-pot Autopot systems we recommend a good soil such as Plagron Light Mix or Canna Terra Professional Plus, always on a 40-50 mm bed of clay pebbles in the bottom of the pot. Soil copes with the widest range of pH, and it's the medium we've found works reliably with feeding from below. We advise against coco on its own in these pots unless it's mixed with soil.
The FlexiPot product pages say the fabric pots work with soil, coco or hydro media. If you're unsure, ask us before you buy.
Setting up
- Put the tank slightly above pot height and keep the AQUAvalves level and clean.
- Fill the pots and hand-water from the top for the first 7-10 days, so the roots get established.
- Then mix your feed in the tank and turn the tap on. From now on the valves do the watering.
- Top the tank up when it gets down to about a quarter full: it is gravity fed, so it needs some weight of water to run well.
- Clean the filter in the tank every few weeks, and keep organic or thick, syrupy additives out of the reservoir - they can block the valves.
For which feed, and how much each week, see our Canna Terra feed chart or the Biobizz feed chart (dose it in the tank, not as a thick additive).
Spares and other Autopot kit
- Autopot accessories and AQUAvalves: AQUAvalves, 6 and 9 mm filters, inline taps, top hat grommets, silicon inserts and the 47 L tank.
- FlexiPot parts, Flexi-Tube by the metre and the barbed reducing cross for extending a system.
- Tray2Grow: the same AQUAvalve under a tray with capillary matting, for seed trays, microherbs or the Tray2Grow Planter.
- AQUAbox Straight: waters a row up to 1.2 m long in a raised bed or border, and can run from a water butt.
Quick answers
Do Autopots need electricity?
No. They run on gravity alone: no pumps, timers or power.
How often do I fill the tank?
It depends on the size of the plants. The 4-pot system's 47 L tank lasts four big fruiting plants 3-5 days, and much longer while they are small. Top up at about a quarter full.
Can I use coco?
Not on its own in the plastic Autopot pots - mix it with soil. The FlexiPot pages say their fabric pots take coco.
More Growers' Guides
Not sure what you need? Call the shop on 0117 971 3000 or pop in to the Bristol store and we'll help you pick.