AutoPot - 1Pot 4 pot watering system incl. 47L water barrel

The 1Pot system for four pots gives each plant its own tray with AQUAvalve5, and comes complete with four 15 litre pots and the 47 litre tank. What decides the result is not the system but what you build inside the pot.

The drainage layer: 2.5 to 5 centimetres, and no more

The base of each pot wants a layer of washed gravel, perlite or clay pebbles two and a half to five centimetres deep. AutoPot state that upper limit explicitly, and there is a reason behind it.

Water stands only 20 millimetres deep in the tray. From there the medium has to draw it up to the roots. A coarse layer at the base spreads that moisture evenly across the whole pot bottom instead of letting it climb through one spot. Make the layer too thick and the opposite happens: coarse material holds little moisture itself and breaks the capillary column, so water struggles to reach the finer medium above. Your plant then stands dry over a wet tray.

Hence five centimetres as a ceiling. Below it the layer acts as a distributor; above it, as a barrier.

The medium above it

Choose something that holds its structure: coco with perlite is the usual answer because it wicks without compacting. Compost that is too fine or too dense wicks poorly and stays wet at the top. Fill the pot normally, transplant, and water outside the tray with fifteen minutes to drain before the pot goes into place.

Four pots, four cycles

Each tray runs its own fill and dry-back cycle, so four plants of different sizes can stand side by side without disturbing one another. The 47 litre tank feeds all four through one line; how long that lasts depends on crop, temperature and pot size. Top up at roughly a third.

Technical Specifications:

• Pots: 4 x 15 litres
• Trays: 4, each with its own AQUAvalve5
• Drainage layer: 2.5 to 5 cm, never deeper
• Tank: 47 litres with lid, included
• Included: water filter set, fittings, 4 metres of pipe, discs per pot

Frequently asked questions

Why no more than 5 cm of drainage? A deeper coarse layer breaks capillary uptake into the medium above.

Which medium works best? Something structure-holding, coco with perlite for instance.

Can I use ordinary compost? You can, provided it does not compact; dense compost wicks poorly.

How long does the tank last? It depends on crop and temperature. Top up at a third.