SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

[Humanrob]

Mine, once big they're drinking a gallon every 2 -3 days on veg and flower. I had one 5 gal.in flower get dried out. ..... I fucked up. I'm adding a gallon to each sip every 2-3 days now.

New transplants take a little over a week to drink a gallon of water. Once the roots are in the resi. They drink a whole lot more and faster. But they grow huge at a faster rate too.

I think I'd rather have larger resi's. I'm going to try 5 gal fabric pots on top of home depot buckets n lids. With a longer wicking pot.

I am in the midst of a few experiments with those, with both 5 and 3 gallon buckets (the 3's fit better in my tent height-wise). As far as wicks go, I've played with several things, ranging from very small airpots that overlap to 2" pvc. I've used the latter a lot, and not for any good reason.... honestly, its because I have a 2" hole-saw that makes cutting holes for the wick through lids and trays very clean and easy. I'm not really sure if its wide enough, but sometimes I use several of them (like in my big bin in the indoor).

Quick shots of a 10 gallon cloth pot over a 5 gallon bucket, and a 5 gallon cloth pot over a 3 gallon bucket. The 10/5 is too tall for my indoor, but will definitely be used outside this summer. I'll burry it up to the overflow hole to keep the water underground and extra cool in the summer heat, I bet the plants will love that.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

You need to leave about an inch of air space between the bottom of the top bucket, and the top of the water line. @hyroot is using a 5 gallon plastic plant bucket as his soil pot part, I believe because its shorter than the 5 gallon outer bucket and allows for a larger res. The method that you have in the picture would not leave you with much of a res, and I imagine that you'd be refilling it frequently to keep it from drying out.

One thing to do is grab a "homer" bucket at Home Depot, and then walk it over to their garden department and look for 5 gallon pots that fit in but don't slide all the way down. That's what I did for a couple that will be part of my outdoor this summer.

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I am going to give my two 5 gal a try first because I have them on hand already. I also have 5 gal nursery pots, but mine are the shorter fatter ones and barely slide into the 5 gal bucket at all, would be too much res I would think.........

 

[Humanrob]

I am going to give my two 5 gal a try first because I have them on hand already. I also have 5 gal nursery pots, but mine are the shorter fatter ones and barely slide into the 5 gal bucket at all, would be too much res I would think.........

Most of the people here who are experimenting with these seem to be moving towards larger res's. I thought my indoor ones that hold 5 gallons would be too big, but then I saw @SomeGuy who has ones that hold (I think?) around 18 gallons. Too big is probably not a problem.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

Most of the people here who are experimenting with these seem to be moving towards larger res's. I thought my indoor ones that hold 5 gallons would be to big, but then I saw @SomeGuy who has ones that hold (I think?) around 18 gallons. Too big is probably not a problem.

Let me see what I come up with today......... I appreciate all of the help. For my outdoor container with my rubbermaid brute I will be borrowing your idea of three wicks if you don't mind so I can drop two separate plants in it.

 

[Humanrob]

Let me see what I come up with today......... I appreciate all of the help. For my outdoor container with my rubbermaid brute I will be borrowing your idea of three wicks if you don't mind so I can drop two separate plants in it.

The other thing I've used is that perforated drain pipe that is used in french drains. Seems to be a good option for this, only bummer is it only comes in 10 foot lengths... left me with one more thing to donate to Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They have it in two diameters, I used the bigger one (6"?) at first, but I think I'm going back to get the narrower one (4"?) for the rest of these, it just feels like the right diameter.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

Let's see how this goes, talk about transplant shock lmao.........

Edit: I have the air pump attached to the sight tube and that is bubbling the water, it's a lot quieter than before though lol. So no air stone required and with the fill line marked no drain hole required. Hope it works out well. Should simplify my life a lot.

 

[Humanrob]

This looks like the one pictured above, but its a second one I just made. I used 3" corrugated pipe on this one. It's really easy to work with -- just get a hole-saw the same diameter as the narrow part (3.5" works, the out side ribs are actually about 4"). Then you make small vertical cuts in the last section of pipe, and that makes it easy to push it through the hole the saw made. This took longer to go to HD to get the materials for than it did to build.

I like using the drain trays because the SmartPots I'm using are pretty floppy, and they seem like they could use the extra support. This will be dropped into the ground almost to where the bucket handle is attached.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

What's that a 10 gal pot? Looks good

 

[Tim Fox]

This looks like the one pictured above, but its a second one I just made. I used 3" corrugated pipe on this one. It's really easy to work with -- just get a hole-saw the same diameter as the narrow part (3.5" works, the out side ribs are actually about 4"). Then you make small vertical cuts in the last section of pipe, and that makes it easy to push it through the hole the saw made. This took longer to go to HD to get the materials for than it did to build.

I like using the drain trays because the SmartPots I'm using are pretty floppy, and they seem like they could use the extra support. This will be dropped into the ground almost to where the bucket handle is attached.

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That's so good Rob

 

[Humanrob]

What's that a 10 gal pot? Looks good

Thanks. Yes, 10 gallon pot that sits over a full 5 gallon reservoir. I expect that I'll wrap the black cloth pot in something like burlap to keep it from drying out too quickly, I had to do that last year with a couple I had in cloth pots. Other than that, is should be an easy run.

That's so good Rob

Thanks man. I think I'm finally getting this down! LOL. I've built a crazy number of them... more than I actually have plants to go in them. Perhaps some will have tomatoes....

 

[Evil-Mobo]

I have a spare 10 gal smart pot unused and have yet to build my second bucket hmmm......

I tried fabric pots but they dried out fast and required a lot of frequent watering so let me know how the wrap works. I was using 2 gal though that time.

 

[Humanrob]

I have a spare 10 gal smart pot unused and have yet to build my second bucket hmmm......

I tried fabric pots but they dried out fast and required a lot of frequent watering so let me know how the wrap works. I was using 2 gal though that time.

I also found the small ones don't hold much water, especially when the plant gets big, then the roots just suck it up as fast as you can give it to them. Since these are going to be outside the sun is not directly overhead like in a grow room, so the sides of the pot get hit directly and especially in the late afternoon heat, it can dry them out super quickly. Overall I really like cloth pots, air pruning works.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

Maybe I will try one of the autos this manner interesting.............

 

[Evil-Mobo]

Got the second girl over to her SIP, man what a day. "For me" this was a lot but it's now done and needed to get done today. This NL took the transplant like a champ has not skipped a beat. Off to water the veggies and herbs outdoors while I let these girls adjust to their new setups. Smells like a nursery in the tent with the FFOF lol.... I did top water the soil with R/O and sea weed extract for both girls to get them going being very careful to wet the soil but not increase the water level in the res. Not trying to hijack Humanrob just sharing ideas and adding my $0.02. I appreciate your help and hyroot's and TM's help as well.

We will see how these girls pan out for this my first run ever lol.....

Off to medicate and water my garden
Cheers!

 

[Humanrob]

Got the second girl over to her SIP, man what a day. "For me" this was a lot but it's now done and needed to get done today. This NL took the transplant like a champ has not skipped a beat. Off to water the veggies and herbs outdoors while I let these girls adjust to their new setups. Smells like a nursery in the tent with the FFOF lol.... I did top water the soil with R/O and sea weed extract for both girls to get them going being very careful to wet the soil but not increase the water level in the res. Not trying to hijack Humanrob just sharing ideas and adding my $0.02. I appreciate your help and hyroot's and TM's help as well.

We will see how these girls pan out for this my first run ever lol.....

Off to medicate and water my garden
Cheers!

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No hijacking, that's what his thread is all about -- I hope everyone will share their experiments and results. Your set up is looking good, I look forward to seeing its progress.

 

[Tim Fox]

No hijacking, that's what his thread is all about -- I hope everyone will share their experiments and results. Your set up is looking good, I look forward to seeing its progress.

no hijacking,, or YES hijacking,, which is it man

 

[Humanrob]

no hijacking,, or YES hijacking,, which is it man

I meant that its not a case of hijacking... sorry, poorly worded.

 

[Evil-Mobo]

No hijacking, that's what his thread is all about -- I hope everyone will share their experiments and results. Your set up is looking good, I look forward to seeing its progress.

Just making sure bro, not new to forums but new to this one

I'm curious to see your big 18gal tub as I have a tub sitting here ready for something...... and also how that big 10gal smart pot does because I have one of those here as well with a spare bucket

 

[Humanrob]

Just making sure bro, not new to forums but new to this one

I'm curious to see your big 18gal tub as I have a tub sitting here ready for something...... and also how that big 10gal smart pot does because I have one of those here as well with a spare bucket

There are pics of the 18 gallon (which has a 14 gallon nested in it) in the first post, and detail shots in the #10 post on this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/t/cob-sip-scrog.906859/

 

[Evil-Mobo]

There are pics of the 18 gallon (which has a 14 gallon nested in it) in the first post, and detail shots in the #10 post on this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/t/cob-sip-scrog.906859/

Right on bro thanks for the info. The setup you did with the three wicks looks good and probably I will do something like that for mine because I will be dropping two plants in there.

What's your take on the tubs with the rocks in the res, then the landscaping fabric, then the soil on top of that? There's a PVC fill tube that runs down to an elbow, and then a drilled PVC pipe across the tub underneath in the rocks..........