Haven't tried, but it sounds interesting.
I think I'm going to try hooking some sip containers together, and have one res. out of the tent to supply them.
I've already ordered what I need, matter of time to get it rigged.
SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)
- Thread starter Humanrob
- Start date
I think I'm going to try hooking some sip containers together, and have one res. out of the tent to supply them.
I've already ordered what I need, matter of time to get it rigged.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Under the tent? That is a good idea, it would also allow you control how wet your medium is, the amount of water in the medium is inversely proportional to distance between res water level and your pot.
It also allows you to clean the res.
It also allows you to clean the res.
It would sit beside the tent. Probably be a 18 gal. tote. The bottom of the reservoir needs to sit slightly higher than the desired water level of the first container in the system. The line from res. hooks to a low-pressure float valve, that automatically tops up and maintains water in your system.
If you wanted to keep under the tent you would probably need to pressurize the res. or use some type of electric pump.
Humanrob
Well-Known Member
Is there a kit that hooks up the buckets to each other, or is that a DIY thing? I went to the GroBucket website and did not see a "kit" with the rubber grommets, float valve etc.
I wonder if in the end, its easier to set up and use than say a Blumat system...? I've heard differing opinions on how reliable Blumat's are over time.
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
i think earthbox has a kit for hooking sips together, I think i saw a guy who had a DIY gravity method of using a res and hoses going from each box to the res, and water finds level on its own, ill see if i can find that video,, what i liked about it, was no pumps or timers
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
this is the SIP Res gravity system
1shaggyDude
Well-Known Member
Earthbox does indeed have an automated watering system. $50 for a 2 box setup and it can be expanded if you have more. I'm not sure if it can run off a resvoir or if it needs to be connected to a faucet.
The YouTube video makes it sound like there's a kit. But I did the same thing, went to the website, couldn't find anything.
I like diy anways, and started messing with it today.
I found it all easily enough on Amazon. website easily enough. Using three and a half gallon buckets with 3 inch net pots. Same height as a earth box. Used a cut-out bucket lid and three net pots for bottom.
Just checked and it will hold two and a half gallons of soil and one gallon of water.
I have used blumats. One run. Didn't perform like I was expecting. Always messing with them to try getting them dialed in.
Lots of people speak highly of them, and love them, so they must be good. Probably just me. Still have and I will try them again sometime.
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Humanrob
Well-Known Member
That's too bad, they should make the kit... but you're right, a few minutes and a couple of searches and the shopping cart is full of all the right parts. Nice work on putting yours together, I look forward to seeing how it goes.
I actually bought a Blumats kit, and each time I think I'm going to use it, something comes up. This grow I'm having heat problems and can't start the set of plants I was planning on using it with. Some people love them, but it seems that about as many tried them just one time and were not into it.
I would love to find a fool-proof automated watering system that does not use pumps or any electricity. Blumats, SIPs with a float valve system, something. It'll be easier if I can give up fabric pots, I love what they do for roots but they add to watering issues.
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
Very nice
myinvisiblecomplication
Active Member
Great thread with lots of good info in it half way through it.
Was thinking of trying a DIY octopot but after reading through their site I don't think a MO/Coots mix no till soil would suit an octopot I could be wrong though.
My space is not big enough for an earthbox or a growbox i have about 50 x 60 to work with and would like to work with soil I have already mixed and amendments I have on hand.
Is it possible to run a no till garden this way with just EM-1 in the resevior? With ocotopot using fabric pot or would it be better to build a SIP system without the fabric pot ? I', also a little lost on the wicking. I would just use the soil mix I have in a net pot right for wicking?
Would you just amended the top like in a regular no till based on MO & coots 11 day feeding? Thats how I run my no till now. But it looks like amendments aren't exactly necessary here or am I not understanding this correctly?
Was thinking of trying a DIY octopot but after reading through their site I don't think a MO/Coots mix no till soil would suit an octopot I could be wrong though.
My space is not big enough for an earthbox or a growbox i have about 50 x 60 to work with and would like to work with soil I have already mixed and amendments I have on hand.
Is it possible to run a no till garden this way with just EM-1 in the resevior? With ocotopot using fabric pot or would it be better to build a SIP system without the fabric pot ? I', also a little lost on the wicking. I would just use the soil mix I have in a net pot right for wicking?
Would you just amended the top like in a regular no till based on MO & coots 11 day feeding? Thats how I run my no till now. But it looks like amendments aren't exactly necessary here or am I not understanding this correctly?
raggyb
Well-Known Member
chiming in here with my comments, definitely worth reading in it's entirety...
why not, do you mean because no till suggests a very large pot?
someone with earthbox or growbox experience will chime in hopefully. are you talking inches? what is your headroom?
on the wicking, many choices, I use 20% perlite 80% pete which seemed fine. again hope someone with EM1 and no till chimes in.
i do think you want to cover or mulch even though i havent yet. if you did you would have to move the mulch or cover out of the way to feed? you would have to amend in future grows if no till, and a little tough to get that down so you would have to top water but you wouldn't want to too much water to leach into the res unless EM1 takes care of any nutes that get in there somehow. i'm not sure.
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
yes, and yes, some people ad things to thier resevoir, i do not, i just pour water in the whole grow, i use a no till soil also, and i put the same soil in my wick, nothing special needed, i dont feel the fabric pot on top is anyway better than the plastic inside of plastic earthbox , type sip, there is no need to get air to the roots in the above container when the air gap in the res gives they hydroponic roots all the air they need, i dont ad any extra perolite to my soil for that same reason, super charge your soil if your doing water only, and your grow can go the whole ride, with your space requirments there are many 10 gallon size plastic storage tubs you could stack 2 inside of each other like the Inntainer plans at the beginnining of this thread, also wick sizing , keep the wick small, its very easy to over soak the soil bed, if using a round longer wick, then fewer holes in the tub,
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
there is a grower on here who uses octopots with great success, but not anymore success compared to the other sips, I do like how octopots have a built in res gauge to see the water level, but there are plenty of ways to get a water level gauge into a DIY sip,
raggyb
Well-Known Member
tim, how do you recharge the soil on the second or third grow? i thought you topdress and water in from the top in no till. but SIP is all watering from the bottom.
Tim Fox
Well-Known Member
Most people dump it on the ground and mix in what ever they have been mixing up , compost or worms and toss it back in for the next grow, if a person doesn't want to dump and mix them earth box has videos on YouTube for mixing in dry nutes into trenches , many of us used the trench method earlier I this thread
raggyb
Well-Known Member
i thought no till means you don't disturb the soil and don't remove the roots just plant right next to the old stem. and maybe EM1 can counteract whatever nutrient leaches into the reservoir to prevent algae and mold. no biggie though.