AutoPots Reviewed. Hydroponic Container Gardening for Small and Not Small Gardens

Last year, I began experimenting with a hydroponics system for growing vegetables and I've been very happy with the results.  This review covers key features and benefits of the AutoPot system.  AutoPots will work for both indoor and outdoor gardening in pots.  If you have an interest in growing vegetables in containers, this may be the product for you.

How It Works

The heart of the AutoPot system is the  3" x 4" plastic "Smart Valve" which regulates the amount of water and nutrients supplied to your plants.  The Smart Valve sits in a saucer and the pot containing the plant is placed in the same saucer.  Water and nutrients stored in a reservoir (large plastic tank) flow to the Smart Valve via plastic tubing and the Smart Valve feeds water into the saucer.  Water and nutrients are then pulled into the pots via capillary action where the roots of your plants can absorb them. 

What's cool about the Smart Valve is that it uses a unique air pressure system to control the amount of water/nutrient mixture dispensed into the saucer.  As the plant uses this mixture, the level in the saucer drops, causing the air pressure within the valve to change.  The Smart Valve responds to the change in pressure by releasing more water/nutrient into the saucer until an equilibrium is met and then the flow stops.  The Smart Valve keeps the water level constant and responds to the unique needs of each plant; Watermelon and squash that demand lots of water get more water, and lettuces that need less get less.  Yeh, very clever! (see below videos)

 

 

Advantages Over Other Hydroponics Systems

• Ease of Use -- All you need to do is to keep the reservoir filled with water and nutrients.  The Smart Valve fills the saucer based on the plants needs.  If you typically have a problem with over or under watering, this product will suit you well.
• Simple To Maintain -- Oh, so elegantly simple!  Other hydroponics systems are designed to recirculate water and nutrients to the roots of your plants.  As the plant uses nutrient, the concentration of nutrients in the water changes.  So recirculating systems need to have nutrient levels monitored and adjusted.  With AutoPots, there is no recirculation.  Once you mix the nutrients into the water you don't need to think twice about it.
• No Complicated Set Up -- You don't need pumps to run the system.  Just raise AutoPots about a foot above the ground and gravity pulls water to the Smart Valve.  That means you can put your Smart Pots anywhere because you are not dependent on being near an electrical outlet.

Last year, I successfully grew tomatoes, watermelon, winter and summer squash, salad greens, pepper and other vegetables.  I was also able to grow beets in AutoPots, but I think root vegetables like beets and carrots grow better in traditional soil beds. 

For enhancements to this system, see my posting:  Improvements to Auto Pot Hydroponic systems.

Comments

[Mark Delman]

I wanted to provide an update to this post on the AutoPot to provide as balanced and fair a picture as possible. A hydroponic gardener from Greece was kind enough to provided a link to a research paper that compares the yields from the AutoPot system versus to that of rock wool run-to-waste systems:

http://www.actahort.org/books/694/694_32.htm

The research indicates that the yield from AutoPots is 60% of the run-to-waste system. This suggests that users of AutoPots might get higher yields with other systems. That said, I would also point out that the study was done by commercial growers. For home gardeners, maximizing yield may not be as important as easy of use. Autopots are dead simple to operate and you don't need to be checking and adjusting nutrient levels (something a commercial grower might be better at doing). If you have additional information to share, I would be happy to post it.
-PlanterTomato.com

[Hydroponics]

That was a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing! Articles like this keep my updated with the current situations in our society or different body of knowledge that a human must know. I admire you guys for sharing your post.

[Hydroponics]

That was a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing! Articles like this keep my updated with the current situations in our society or different body of knowledge that a human must know. I admire you guys for sharing your post.

[H. Mark Delman]

Thank you for the kind words and the encouragement. Please feel free to drop by again as I will add additional reviews -- I like doing these types of posts because I think people value unbiased reviews when making purchase decisions.
-Mark

[Dave]

Hello! Good Article, nice and informative. One point that I feel needs to be made is that the round pots are the original Australian designed, patented and constructed models. The square pots are an unlawful copy, I think they originate from the UK. The original designer of the Autopot system is Jim Fah from Melbourne, Australia. Here is his website - www.autopot.com.au you will find in the FAQ section a reference to the theft of his intellectual property. Folks, please do not support the lazy thief who stole this wonderful concept. Buy the original and the best and support creative innovation.

[H. Mark Delman]

Hi Dave:

I cant speak knowledgeably about the patent issue you mentioned, but thank you for pointing this out to my readers.

-Mark

[small garden ideas]

I think these kind of pots are selling like pan cakes out there because of container gardening which is the IN thing now a days.

[Steve]

Dave makes a good point about the US/UK version which is copycat of the original AU design. Jim Fah the inventor of the Autopot wrote this letter about the copycat version -> http://www.autopot.com.au/content/documents/UK%20copycat%20letter%2025.5.2008.pdf

[H. Mark Delman]

Hi Steve:

Thanks for providing the link which is a service to those that read this blog.

Patent and trademark claims are notoriously thorny matters. Im not a lawyer and cant evaluate the legal claims of one or the other parties to this dispute. Therefore, I take no sides in this matter. I really believe that this is for the US and UK AutoPot companies to settle.

[Jason Ralph-Smith]

Hi there......you seem to have all your wires crossed Future Garden are not the US manufacture of the AutoPot....we are and based in the UK.....It would be nice to hear from you as you seem to be writing articles that are quite misleading.....I am sorry you are having problems with Future garden........if you go to www.autopot.co.uk....outlets......you will see where else you can buy the products......as for the isssue with ourselves and Australia I would have a chat with me before you write articles that are totally wrong....I can be reached via email or if you like you can Skype me at Jason Ralph-Smith......

[H. Mark Delman]

Hi Jason:

I currently use a hydroponic system that uses gravity and valves to supply nutrient solution to plants. This type of system is manufactured by your company in the UK and another company located in Australia. I am aware that you and this Australian company both call your products AutoPot and that there is a dispute between you over the right to use this name. I cant speak to the legal issues here. I feel it is up to you and your competitor to work this out.

What I can tell you, is that I have used your product and the Australian one. In my opinion, both systems work well. Again, its up to you and your competitor to explain the specific differences to consumers and let the market determine whether these differences are compelling.

The review
on my web site is not a negative product review. It is a review of FutureGarden, a distributor located in New York state. This retailer has distributed your product and that of your competitor. I was a customer of FutureGarden for about 1 year and was very patient with them considering how poor their customer service is. For perspective, I am not only customer to have problems with this supplier. Since 2007, the company has gotten 7 reviews on the Garden Watch Dog review site. Only one of these reviews was positive. Here is the web address (http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3020/ ) but Ill save you the trouble of clicking
through: