Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose 35L or 50L pots with the AutoPot XXL System?
Go 50L if you want maximum root space for big, long-running plants such as tomatoes, peppers and fruit bushes, and 35L if floor space is tighter. Same tray and same AQUAvalve5 either way, the 35L simply sits in an adaptive collar.
Does the AutoPot XXL System come with the adaptive collar?
On the 35L systems, yes: one adaptive collar per tray. The 50L pots do not need one. The collar also means a tray can switch between 35L and 50L pots later.
Does the AutoPot XXL System need power or a pump?
No. It is gravity-fed, so there are no pumps, timers or mains power. The reservoir outlet just needs to sit at least 15 cm above the highest AQUAvalve5.
Can I use the AutoPot XXL System in a polytunnel or greenhouse?
Yes. AutoPot sell the XXL for indoor and outdoor growing, and it suits grow rooms, polytunnels and greenhouses. Keep the reservoir outlet 15 cm or more above the valves and the tank within reach of the pipework.
Can I buy the AutoPot XXL System without a tank?
From 6 pots up, yes: choose No Tank and supply your own reservoir. For 1, 2 and 4 pots the kit is only sold with its 47 litre tank.
Which tank comes with each AutoPot XXL System?
1 to 4 pots get a 47 litre tank with a lid, 6 to 9 pots a 100 litre FlexiTank, 12 to 16 pots a 225 litre FlexiTank, 24 to 60 pots a 400 litre FlexiTank and 80 to 100 pots a 750 litre FlexiTank.
Description
The AutoPot XXL System is a power-free, gravity-fed watering kit for big plants in 35 litre or 50 litre fabric pots. It is for growers of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, fruit bushes and specimen shrubs in grow rooms, polytunnels and greenhouses who want hands-off watering with no pumps, timers or mains power. Choose 1 to 100 pots, 35L or 50L, with a reservoir or without.
How the AutoPot XXL System works
It is the XL idea scaled up. Every pot sits in its own XXL tray, and an AQUAvalve5 in each tray refills the solution only when the plant has used what is there. No recirculation, no waste, and the plant decides the schedule. The fabric pots air-prune the roots, which cuts out root circling and gives you a bigger, fibrous root system to feed a bigger plant. One reservoir feeds the lot by gravity.
AutoPot XXL System specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pot sizes | 35 litre FlexiPot (about 33 cm across, 39 cm tall) or 50 litre FlexiPot (about 39 cm across, 44 cm tall) |
| Tray | XXL tray and lid with 9mm top hat grommet and 6mm blanking grommet, one per pot, roughly 53 x 43.5 cm |
| Adaptive collar | One per tray on 35L systems. Not needed on 50L |
| Valve | AQUAvalve5 float valve, one per pot, plant-controlled |
| Power | None. Gravity-fed, no pump, no timer |
| Pipework | 9mm pipe (9mm outside, 7mm inside). Systems of 6 pots and up add a 16mm supply line (16mm outside, 13mm inside) |
| Sizes | 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 24, 36, 48, 60, 80 or 100 pots |
| Reservoir height | Outlet at least 15 cm above the highest AQUAvalve5 |
| Space per pot | AutoPot rate each XXL module at roughly 1m x 1m |
| Running targets | Solution at 18 to 21 degrees C, pH 5.5 to 5.6 in coco or 5.8 in soil |
Which reservoir comes with the AutoPot XXL System?
| Number of pots | Reservoir with the With Tank option |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 pots | 47 litre rigid tank with lid |
| 6 to 9 pots | 100 litre AutoPot FlexiTank |
| 12 to 16 pots | 225 litre AutoPot FlexiTank |
| 24 to 60 pots | 400 litre AutoPot FlexiTank |
| 80 to 100 pots | 750 litre AutoPot FlexiTank |
The No Tank option starts at 6 pots. For 1, 2 and 4 pots the kit always includes the 47 litre tank.
What's inside the AutoPot XXL System
| Component | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| XXL tray and lid with 9mm top hat grommet and 6mm blanking grommet | One per pot | No standalone page on our site yet, so ask us if you need a spare |
| 35 litre fabric FlexiPot or 50 litre fabric FlexiPot | One per pot | Whichever size you choose, BPA-free and lead-free |
| XXL adaptive collar | One per tray, 35L systems only | Lets the 35L pot sit securely in the XXL tray |
| PotSock sized to the FlexiPot | One per pot | Round, for root control. Not the same part as the XL PotSock |
| AQUAvalve5 float valve | One per pot | Fills the tray only when the plant needs it |
| 9mm pipe | Supplied to suit the system | Blue 9mm AQUAvalve5 pipe |
| 9mm filter, in-line taps and connectors | Supplied to suit the system | Tees and crosses join the pots up to the supply line |
| 16mm supply pipe: 16mm pipe, click-fit tank adaptor and filter, 16mm in-line taps, 16mm to 9mm connectors | 6 pots and up only | The main line from the reservoir to the pot branches |
| Reservoir: 47 litre tank with lid, or AutoPot FlexiTank | With Tank option only | Sized to the pot count, see the table above |
In the Box
Everything in the table, in the quantities for the system you choose. The easy-to-bin bits: the adaptive collars on the 35L systems (they look like spare plastic rings, they are not), the PotSocks, the 6mm blanking grommets, the golf filter and in-line taps and the small tee and cross connectors. Hold on to every bag and the instruction sheet until the pipework is done.
Setting up the AutoPot XXL System
- Fit the adaptive collar on 35L systems, put a PotSock on the base of each FlexiPot and seat the AQUAvalve5 in its housing.
- Use a light, free-draining mix: about 50% perlite or clay pebbles with coco or soil, over a 2.5 cm drainage layer.
- 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 15 cm or more above the highest AQUAvalve5, connect the pipework and fill.
- Wait 7 to 10 days after potting up, then open the tap. Refill at about a third full and open the end-of-line taps for a minute each week.
AutoPot XXL System FAQ
Should I choose 35L or 50L pots with the AutoPot XXL System?
Go 50L if you want maximum root space for big, long-running plants such as tomatoes, peppers and fruit bushes, and 35L if floor space is tighter. Same tray and same AQUAvalve5 either way, the 35L simply sits in an adaptive collar.
Does the AutoPot XXL System come with the adaptive collar?
On the 35L systems, yes: one adaptive collar per tray. The 50L pots do not need one. The collar also means a tray can switch between 35L and 50L pots later.
Does the AutoPot XXL System need power or a pump?
No. It is gravity-fed, so there are no pumps, timers or mains power. The reservoir outlet just needs to sit at least 15 cm above the highest AQUAvalve5.
Can I use the AutoPot XXL System in a polytunnel or greenhouse?
Yes. AutoPot sell the XXL for indoor and outdoor growing, and it suits grow rooms, polytunnels and greenhouses. Keep the reservoir outlet 15 cm or more above the valves and the tank within reach of the pipework.
Can I buy the AutoPot XXL System without a tank?
From 6 pots up, yes: choose No Tank and supply your own reservoir. For 1, 2 and 4 pots the kit is only sold with its 47 litre tank.
Which tank comes with each AutoPot XXL System?
1 to 4 pots get a 47 litre tank with a lid, 6 to 9 pots a 100 litre FlexiTank, 12 to 16 pots a 225 litre FlexiTank, 24 to 60 pots a 400 litre FlexiTank and 80 to 100 pots a 750 litre FlexiTank.
