Perlite, whether handwatered, or automated drip, is a hydro system, IMO. Nothing wrong with that though. 
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- Thread starter Thundurkel
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Pineydoobey
Member
I agree.Perlite, whether handwatered, or automated drip, is a hydro system, IMO. Nothing wrong with that though.
And by no means is anything wrong with it.
Sorry guys. The confusion is that ....it is dirt. The perlite is mixed at 30% and the first 2 inches at the top of each pot is perlite to stop gnats from reproducing. I use a complete organic mix for my soil medium except as clones when I start them in miricle grow. Sorry bout the confusion and no there isnt anything wrong with hydro. I do that sometimes as well.
lol, thanks for the clarification Rainman. 
Pineydoobey
Member
I see. That's a good idea. It probably helps keep mold and algae at bay too since it will leave the top dressing kind of dry shortly after watering.
So has anyone tried using straight perlite in Air Pots?
Seems like it would work really well with all the O2 exchange.
Thoughts? Experiences?
If you did, you'd have to have very frequent watering.
Pineydoobey
Member
So a drip system maybe?
first time seeing these airpots, but have been using smart pots and love them, more air flow for the roots and even have nice white roots coming out the bottom. makes it easy to see how the roots are doing lift up the bag and check the bottom out. again way better then plastic pots.
I think you could do it no prob and with some good hydro nutes have it dialed in in no time. What about half cocco and half perlite? Or all cocco? Or lava stone in the bottom with one or all of the mediums mentioned above. Then what style hydro? Flood and drain, tables, misters? I have been tinkering with several diff ways to do it up hydro style.
I'll be doing pure coco and 70/30 coco/perlite with Blumat drippers on my next run, with GH Flora series.
Pineydoobey
Member
I like the idea of lava rocks in the bottom for some reason. But if it were my grow I would do either perlite or coco. Not a combination of the two. As far as the style, any of the proposed would work. But I don't know if I like the idea of flood and drain. From what I've seen that works best for mediums that cannot be compacted (Expanded clay pellets, lava rocks). So coco in a flood and drain may compact the medium to much. But that's speculation.
I think a mister or drip would be the best method. Mister may be the best because of the aeration properties and it's gentleness as far as compacting medium.
I kind of have an idea for an Air Pot. Rather, a modification.
How about a square or rectangular Air Pot?
And instead of having the small orange stopper at the bottom just have like what is on the sides of the Air Pot. Seems like the roots would grow the same at the bottom as they do on the sides. Then if you wanted to, you could simply set the "Squair Pot" on top of a bed of medium and the roots would further grow out of the bottom holes.
I predict that they would grow in the pattern producing the thin white roots Air Pot users have come to love. This would basically be like transplanting it since the roots would have another place to grow.
Maybe someone can modify and Air Pot to something similar to this.
![]A[Boss](/data/avatars/m/130/130247.jpg?1649695575){kind=avatar}
WOW! I never seen such a outright copy of the Air Pot but those Rocket Pots are pretty dead on the square one above is cool but thats not the normal line here's what I saw on the site hahaha I'd use em if them were cheaper for sure!! Those are dead on!!
Pineydoobey
Member
Cool, I was thinking a little different though. Maybe take a big 20 gallon air pot and connect the four sides in a long row.
To make a half circle like trough design. or a rectangular box.
The trough design could be good for a long row of plants and a drip system. It's probably look cool to.
If someone has a spare Air Pot you should see if you can line them up and make some sort of leg support for them. Take a pic and post it if you get around to it.
Why the aversion to coco and perlite in air pots?
Starting them off in 1+ gal air/smart pots and then moving to regular pots would have at least some benefit. The root ball will be denser and there will be much less circling than if you had just transplanted from a regular pot to another (bigger) regular pot.
Like the looks of the Rocketpots simply for spacing needs! I actually think you could do better with perlite, cocco or even hydroton pebbles in a flood and drain style rather tan dirt. Dont get me wrong i get great yield with my current setup but im a tinkerer. The root would be able to grow thru the bottom of the pots and into a mat if you so desired. The system is so flexible in my mind and you can add or drop many customized ideas with ease.
xcrispi
Member
Yep ,
I saw lotsa those Rocket Pots in a 4x8 table in my mind , made me hard a little till I saw they were an Ausie company. Bummer.
Gonna run a mess of 3.4 gallon air pots of coco using FNB and Cal Mag soon . Were you the 1 that downed the idea of mixing coir n pearlite a lil ways back ? If so - why ? I'm too stoned to go back and look .
I was thinking a brick of mixed coir and the remainder of the 3.4 gallons pearlite. Is why I ask .
Crispi
Just increased aeration at the root zone with a mix. More room for random air movement vs compacted air zone of a 100% cocco or perlite. The actual act of mixin will create more air at the zone than if you simply used one or the other. I think Lava rock would also give some more aeration if you wanted to go that way. What about air stones in the bottom of the buckets using a perlite or pebble set up? I could go on for days!
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