Description
Power-free AutoPot watering for your biggest plants, in 35 or 50 litre fabric pots
The AutoPot XXL System takes AutoPot's gravity-fed AQUAvalve5 watering into large-pot growing. A wide XXL tray carries a 35 litre or 50 litre FlexiPot fabric pot, and an adaptive collar lets the same tray hold either size, so you can change pot size between crops without new trays. The breathable fabric air-prunes roots at the pot wall, ending root circling and building a dense, fibrous root mass with better water and nutrient uptake, while the porous sides let more oxygen into the root zone. Each tray's AQUAvalve5 lets in a shallow fill of solution and stays shut until the plant has taken it up, so every plant feeds on demand through a natural wet-and-dry cycle – no pumps, timers, electricity or mains water, no run-off and nothing wasted. It is built for large, long-season plants in big grow rooms, polytunnels and greenhouses: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, fruit bushes and specimen shrubs. Choose 1 to 100 pots, either pot size, and the matched AutoPot reservoir or No Tank on systems of 6 pots and more.
What's Included
- XXL trays and lids with 9mm top hat grommet and 6mm blanking grommet – one per pot
- 35 litre or 50 litre fabric FlexiPots
- PotSock sized to the FlexiPot, for root control under every pot
- Adaptive collar for each tray on 35 litre systems, so the smaller pot sits securely
- AQUAvalve5 – one per pot
- 9mm pipe, filter, in-line taps and connectors
- 16mm supply pipe, click-fit tank adaptor and filter, 16mm in-line taps and 16mm-9mm connectors on systems of 6 pots and more
- Reservoir (With Tank only) – 47 litre reservoir with lid on 1 to 4 pots; FlexiTank on larger systems: 100L (6–9 pots), 225L (12–16), 400L (24–60) or 750L (80–100)
Key Benefits
- 35 or 50 litre fabric pots: room for big root systems, with air-pruning for more feeder roots
- One tray, two pot sizes: the adaptive collar lets each XXL tray switch between 35L and 50L pots
- Plant-controlled feeding: each AQUAvalve5 responds to its own plant, with no recirculation and no waste
- No electrics: gravity-fed from a reservoir raised just 15 cm above the trays
- Organic-friendly: the large-bore AQUAvalve5 and 9mm pipework carry liquid organic feeds and additives
- Reusable pots: FlexiPots are washable, fold flat and last season after season
How to Use
- Prepare the trays: fit the adaptive collar on 35 litre systems, place the PotSock on the base of each FlexiPot (gold face up) and sit the AQUAvalve5 in its housing.
- Growing medium: AutoPot recommend roughly 50% perlite or pH-stable clay pebbles mixed with soil or coco, over a 2.5 cm drainage layer – keep it light and free-draining.
- Pot up established plants, water each pot through outside the tray and let it drain for 15 minutes before it goes in.
- Raise the reservoir so the outlet is at least 15 cm above the highest AQUAvalve, connect the pipework and fill.
- Let roots establish before switching on – AutoPot's XXL instructions say 7–10 days after potting up and watering through; lift a pot and wait until it feels light before opening the tap.
- Running: refill at one third full with the tap closed, aim for 18–21°C and pH 5.8 in soil or 5.5–5.6 in coco, and open the end-of-line taps for a minute each week to keep the lines clear.
Watch the humidity
Large fabric pots give off more moisture than plastic ones because their sides are porous – AutoPot flag it themselves. In an enclosed grow room, plan for good extraction and airflow to keep humidity in check, especially when the plants are at full size.
Technical Specifications
- Type: gravity-fed automatic watering system with fabric pots
- Metering: AutoPot AQUAvalve5, one per pot
- Pot options: 35 litre FlexiPot (330 mm diameter x 390 mm high) or 50 litre FlexiPot (390 mm x 440 mm), BPA-free and lead-free
- Tray footprint: 535 x 435 mm per module, including the valve housing
- Root control: PotSock per pot; adaptive collar per tray on 35L systems
- Pots per system: 1 to 100
- Reservoir (With Tank): 47 litre reservoir with lid (1–4 pots) · 100L FlexiTank (6–9) · 225L FlexiTank (12–16) · 400L FlexiTank (24–60) · 750L FlexiTank (80–100)
- Pipework: 9 mm pipe (7 mm bore); 16 mm supply pipe (13 mm bore) on 6 pots and more
- Reservoir height: outlet at least 150 mm above the highest AQUAvalve
- Media: soil or coco mixed with perlite or clay pebbles
- Power: none required
Frequently Asked Questions
35 litre or 50 litre – which should I choose?
Both use the same XXL tray. The 50 litre pot suits the largest, longest-season plants and holds more moisture between fills; the 35 litre pot packs more plants into the same floor space. The adaptive collar supplied with 35 litre systems lets you move up to 50 litre pots later on the same trays.
Which reservoir comes with each size?
With Tank systems of 1 to 4 pots include a 47 litre reservoir with lid; 6 to 9 pots a 100L FlexiTank, 12 and 16 pots 225L, 24 to 60 pots 400L and 80 or 100 pots a 750L FlexiTank. No Tank builds keep the 16mm click-fit tank adaptor and filter so you can connect your own reservoir.
How much space does each pot need?
Each XXL tray measures 535 x 435 mm including the valve housing, and the pots can be spaced further apart as plants spread – the pipework is cut to suit your layout.
Can I feed organics through it?
Yes – with AQUAvalve5 and 9mm pipework AutoPot support liquid organic feeding from the reservoir. Run a small water pump in the tank for about 15 minutes every 2 hours, and clean the tank, pump and filter each time it runs low.
Works Well With
