SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

meangreengrowinmachine

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
I have some soil cooking (mainly old soil i am just trying to re fertilize and bring back the bioactivity) but it will be a while... I still have sips full from my last run..... I have a bunch of un sexed "moms" (well the females will be) that I want to up pot to SIPs soon... should I A. re amend the sips as the stand and just up pot the moms. or B. get some kind of pre made organic soil and use that for the time being and re amend and re cook the soil from my SIPs? (what organic soil would anyone recommend?) or C. other option you recommend? What do you all think?? thanks!
 
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Imbald

Well-Known Member
meangreengrowinmachine said:
I have some soil cooking (mainly old soil i am just trying to re fertilize and bring back the bioactivity) but it will be a while... I still have sips full from my last run..... I have a bunch of un sexed "moms" (well the females will be) that I want to up pot to SIPs soon... should I A. re amend the sips as the stand and just up pot the moms. or B. get some kind of pre made organic soil and use that for the time being and re amend and re cook the soil from my SIPs? (what organic soil would anyone recommend?) or C. other option you recommend? What do you all think?? thanks!
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Whether you choose option A or B, I think the sooner you get it wet the better off you'll be. Giving the micro herd as much of a jump that you can.

A) Has you your soil in the sips dried out or still wet? If it's been wet since last harvest I'd think it still may be living or have some life.?.
I'd probably re-amend it some and roll with it. Add something like 1-1/2 cups per cu ft. of new amendments. I just picked up some Down To Earth Bio-Live 5-4-2 that I can't wait to try out. Or you can just add some things like Crab, kelp, neem/karanja.
If its dried out, it would be similar to starting out with bagged soil, but needing some amendments for sure.


B) In bagged soil I've always used FFOF. I like it and have used it right out of the bag with success. More lately, I have lightly added to it some. Can't go wrong adding Bu's compost, worm castings, pumice or perlite.

I'm not saying there's not other good mixes out there. Heard good things on Roots organic, and M3 mix to name a few.

Just some ideas. I've been growing in soil for a while, but fairly new to the sips. Others here have more experience with that and hopefully chime in. I'm sure you'll do well which ever route you take.
The sips just make it easier.
Happy growing!
 
meangreengrowinmachine

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
Imbald said:
Whether you choose option A or B, I think the sooner you get it wet the better off you'll be. Giving the micro herd as much of a jump that you can.

A) Has you your soil in the sips dried out or still wet? If it's been wet since last harvest I'd think it still may be living or have some life.?.
I'd probably re-amend it some and roll with it. Add something like 1-1/2 cups per cu ft. of new amendments. I just picked up some Down To Earth Bio-Live 5-4-2 that I can't wait to try out. Or you can just add some things like Crab, kelp, neem/karanja.
If its dried out, it would be similar to starting out with bagged soil, but needing some amendments for sure.


B) In bagged soil I've always used FFOF. I like it and have used it right out of the bag with success. More lately, I have lightly added to it some. Can't go wrong adding Bu's compost, worm castings, pumice or perlite.

I'm not saying there's not other good mixes out there. Heard good things on Roots organic, and M3 mix to name a few.

Just some ideas. I've been growing in soil for a while, but fairly new to the sips. Others here have more experience with that and hopefully chime in. I'm sure you'll do well which ever route you take.
The sips just make it easier.
Happy growing!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply!
 
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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
I figured that might be the case. I used some Fulvic, Cal/Mag, PhotoSynthesis + and a large activated EM dose this last time. The one other goodie I was really on the fence about using was whether to include some Athena's Aminas & Aphrodites Extract which I did include. We'll see how bad it gets - if it does at all. Fingers crossed.

Next time around I'm going to lay down some type of drip system under the 'shower cap' to make this type of supplemental feeding far easier; Actually for both dry/top-dress and liquid love. ;-)
 
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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
@meangreengrowinmachine I'd also evaluate the NFTG soil offerings - looks pretty promising and the standards they (claim) to self-impose on how they make both their soil and coco seems to be promising. Their #4 soil is something I've bought and examined and looks pretty good to me.

I'd consider a variant of both A & B -- buy some #4 for the goodies it brings to the mix and as a 'refresher' -- then amend lightly to get things to a modest 'super soil' level and let it cook.

I'd definitely do a soil test if playing around with re-amending so you aren't flying blind. A 'before' test will tell you what you need to be adding and if you can afford to I'd do a before/after to make sure it's not too hot afterwards.
 
meangreengrowinmachine

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
Imbald said:
Whether you choose option A or B, I think the sooner you get it wet the better off you'll be. Giving the micro herd as much of a jump that you can.

A) Has you your soil in the sips dried out or still wet? If it's been wet since last harvest I'd think it still may be living or have some life.?.
I'd probably re-amend it some and roll with it. Add something like 1-1/2 cups per cu ft. of new amendments. I just picked up some Down To Earth Bio-Live 5-4-2 that I can't wait to try out. Or you can just add some things like Crab, kelp, neem/karanja.
If its dried out, it would be similar to starting out with bagged soil, but needing some amendments for sure.


B) In bagged soil I've always used FFOF. I like it and have used it right out of the bag with success. More lately, I have lightly added to it some. Can't go wrong adding Bu's compost, worm castings, pumice or perlite.

I'm not saying there's not other good mixes out there. Heard good things on Roots organic, and M3 mix to name a few.

Just some ideas. I've been growing in soil for a while, but fairly new to the sips. Others here have more experience with that and hopefully chime in. I'm sure you'll do well which ever route you take.
The sips just make it easier.
Happy growing!
Click to expand...
Some has dried up but most of them it seems are still moist.... they have however all been in my rather cool basement not freezing by any means.. maybe 50ish degrees I guess? My mix is rather diverse I make my own soil using different locally sourced compostes manure including from some of my own animals, pete moss base, worn castings, and all the usual amendments (kelp, neem meal, alfalfa, azomite, crab meal, some glacial rock dust for trace, organic tomato tone... etc..) I was looking at a soil testing kit review and the one that folks were saying is the best or really onle home use one worth anything is the ...LaMotte Garden Kit... what do you think worth the investment? It doesnt seem to test for trace elements just the big three. Thanks again!!
 
I

Imbald

Well-Known Member
meangreengrowinmachine said:
Some has dried up but most of them it seems are still moist.... they have however all been in my rather cool basement not freezing by any means.. maybe 50ish degrees I guess? My mix is rather diverse I make my own soil using different locally sourced compostes manure including from some of my own animals, pete moss base, worn castings, and all the usual amendments (kelp, neem meal, alfalfa, azomite, crab meal, some glacial rock dust for trace, organic tomato tone... etc..) I was looking at a soil testing kit review and the one that folks were saying is the best or really onle home use one worth anything is the ...LaMotte Garden Kit... what do you think worth the investment? It doesnt seem to test for trace elements just the big three. Thanks again!!
Click to expand...
I've just recently started reusing my soils. No soil testing done here. Not saying I won't or wouldn't. I'm just going by what I've read on re-amending used soil, since I do quite a bit of reading. So I guess you could say I'm just winging it. I'm just playing around in a 4 x 4; and honestly, not that dependent on one grow if it does go south. I have enough stash from previous grows. I'd just start over, but with fresh media; couldn't have two busts in a row. lol

I think when you reuse it more than once or twice is when testing would be wise. By then, things could easily start getting out of balance.

I looked up the Lamotte Soil Test Kit. Like you said, it just checks for N-P-K and ph.
IDK. Seems a little pricey for just that.

I've seen some on these forums send out soil samples to Logan Labs for testing. They say it runs about $45 for there basic. Couple guys posted there chart or graph they got back, it looked pretty thorough.
Cal, mag, the micros. They have a website, think they're in Ohio.
I see Build-a-soil also uses them.
I may get to that point in the future. I'll see what happens the next couple runs.
I have one started now in recycled soil, so far it's looking good. But it's early, and it seems like deficiencies rear there ugly head in flower.

Yea, I'm not sure how the soil micro life would be in your old sips. I know I've read that life in soil slows with cooler temps. But how much , and what temps??
It may give you a little jump start with a living soil.

I wouldn't be scared of it. lol
 
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Imbald

Well-Known Member
Tim Fox said:
Dude fantastic, with external res it's perfect, makes up for the small res that buckets offer
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Thanks. That was my thinking on the 3.5 gals. I would of needed at least 5 gal. If no external rez.
I still put fill tubes in, just in case, and drilled holes in tubes above water level for air ventilation. Actually used fill tubes yesterday to add add a little Pro-tekt instead of putting in main rez.
 
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Imbald

Well-Known Member
Correct. pic shows 3, but settled on 4, for more rigidity. Also flipped them over.
That gives you about 1 gallon of water in the bucket. If you want more, you would want to use something taller. But using a main reservoir outside the tent, that wasn't a concern.
 

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