[kingosticks]

If you are growing from seed, does the bottom up absorption still work or do you need roots first? I tried googling this but I'm reluctant to visit some of the "green" websites that dominate the results from my work computer.

[roel_v]

You'll probably want to germinate in small containers, which work fine when bottom fed. I use styrofoam cups that are placed on top of a capillary mat, which draws water from a container underneath. Works great, keepz the soil moist but not wet. I have these in my indoor seed starter; it has temperature controls and fans to keep young plants moving. Works great for mint, tomatoes and peppers. Peppers actually like to be 'abused' a bit - periods of drought, hard winds, large variation in temperature. Makes them very bushy with thick stems. With a computerized system this is easy to implement, but the problem is how to measure the response variable in such a system (or even define it) to set up a fully self-regulating system. The hard- and software in these systems are easy, it's the botany, biochemistry and horticulture that is hard.

[Thews]

Lots of plants like to be top fed. Also roots of different plants can grow differently for aeration. Probably best to educate yourself on horticulture more so than software and sensors.

[adrianN]

It depends on how deep your pot is. For normal pots it probably doesn't work without roots.