SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

[myke]

I do have a worm farm! I’ve got some “coots mix” that I built around some old soil. Used that as an experiment to see how the amendments would work with it. I have an experiment with some clones in a few different type soils to see how they do.
I’ll be mixing up my real mix next week. I have it in a plastic swimming pool outside until I need it

Just a note about cooking soil outdoors. Gnat. Fucking things. I built my first soil in September last year. Not really paying attention but there were a lot of bugs around and even though I had it in my garage cooking. My dirt was full of fungus gnats. I’m in Canada so winter is fine. But come May I’ll be moving my dirt and worm farm inside and I won’t go near it if I’ve been in the outside garden. Lol.
Sounds like your ready to go. I built a 27 gallon sip was planing 2 5 gallon in it but it just didn’t work. Too big.

 

[Nwtexan]

Just a note about cooking soil outdoors. Gnat. Fucking things. I built my first soil in September last year. Not really paying attention but there were a lot of bugs around and even though I had it in my garage cooking. My dirt was full of fungus gnats. I’m in Canada so winter is fine. But come May I’ll be moving my dirt and worm farm inside and I won’t go near it if I’ve been in the outside garden. Lol.
Sounds like your ready to go. I built a 27 gallon sip was planing 2 5 gallon in it but it just didn’t work. Too big. View attachment 4850353

Man. I am aware of that. I have nowhere inside to keep soil.

 

[myke]

Man. I am aware of that. I have nowhere inside to keep soil.

Totes with lids. Some mosquito dunks will help for a preventative

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

Totes with lids. Some mosquito dunks will help for a preventative

I use diamatecous earth on the tops of my mulch and they are GONEZO!

 

[raggyb]

Hello everyone. I ended up here after @NewGrower2011 posted his SIP setup in a post I made about doing grows in fabric pots with Coots mix. Read most of the thread and saw a bunch of different solutions for how to implement these. I'm looking into the best way to incorporate a SIP style grow with living/no till soil and bigger tubs.
I've found a couple of tubs that would fit perfectly in my space- 30 gallon https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-30-Gal-Tote-Ink-2130-4415707/311021547

I would love to hear any thoughts on both how well this works with soil as well as any tips on best construction and how to keep track of water levels and overflow in an indoor situation.

Any issues? Thing you would change?

Trying to take a step forward for my next cycle

Just my guesses here; No till requires top dressings. People here lately saying you can top dress a SIP and I think you could but it's a little different. I would just lightly water it in. Futher, I haven't yet but try your sip with a cap fashioned over it, probably landscaping fabric. Since you're going to be plastic all around then I think your wicks won't have to be huge, maybe two 5 inchers, just a guess. If you do it stacked tote in a tote, you will have the air gap around the top of the bottom Tote. I think you want to plug that so light doesn't get in. You may need 1 or 2 small air hole above water level for air to roots. You can rest the top tote on cut pieces of 4 or 6" pvc pipe and might drill holes in pvc to let water flow. Elbow, rubber grommet and clear tubing is one way for water level measure. Something floaty down the fill tube with a long straw glued on top is another. Ping pong ball? Separate input, res and water level control in case your shit gets huge unless you don't mind filling it daily.

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

Hmm I have never dealt with powdery mildew.. is this it?

 

[myke]

Hmm I have never dealt with powdery mildew.. is this it?

Sure does look like it,

 

[myke]

Just my guesses here; No till requires top dressings. People here lately saying you can top dress a SIP and I think you could but it's a little different. I would just lightly water it in. Futher, I haven't yet but try your sip with a cap fashioned over it, probably landscaping fabric. Since you're going to be plastic all around then I think your wicks won't have to be huge, maybe two 5 inchers, just a guess. If you do it stacked tote in a tote, you will have the air gap around the top of the bottom Tote. I think you want to plug that so light doesn't get in. You may need 1 or 2 small air hole above water level for air to roots. You can rest the top tote on cut pieces of 4 or 6" pvc pipe and might drill holes in pvc to let water flow. Elbow, rubber grommet and clear tubing is one way for water level measure. Something floaty down the fill tube with a long straw glued on top is another. Ping pong ball? Separate input, res and water level control in case your shit gets huge unless you don't mind filling it daily.

I was wondering about light getting in the gap,perhaps Ill tape some cardboard over it.

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

Sure does look like it,

Ugh, ok ill look into solutions. Thanks man!

 

[Tim Fox]

cruising along

 

[Nwtexan]

There are so many different designs out there. SInce I am doing a living soil/Coots style, I need something with a bigger soil container, so am looking at the Earthtainer style builds. Anybody using this combo?
I like @NewGrower2011 design with the dual wicks https://www.rollitup.org/t/sip-thread-sub-irrigated-planter.904886/page-104#lg=post-14999442&slide=6

Curious how long you can go between waterings with these at high growth periods?

My other thought is to go with the 32 gallon totes with some holes drilled in bottom for drainage and use water halos. I have a 32G reservoir that I have a timer and pump on

 

[GrassBurner]

I'm using the $30 sip planter from Lowes. Brown plastic, soil columns for wicks. 20" wide x 24" long, soil is 6"-8" deep. I absolutely love them. I've switched both tents over to these, just picked up my 4th one last night. Patio Pickers
I'm running coots mix, and have been mixing Dr earth dry ammendments into my mix at half strength. Top dressed with some bloom ammendments when I flipped to flower. Other than that just putting water in the tub. Results have been spectacular so far. Just be ready for your plants to grow, I let my smaller tent get out of control, and it happened quick.

 

[myke]

I'm using the $30 sip planter from Lowes. Brown plastic, soil columns for wicks. 20" wide x 24" long, soil is 6"-8" deep. I absolutely love them. I've switched both tents over to these, just picked up my 4th one last night. Patio Pickers
I'm running coots mix, and have been mixing Dr earth dry ammendments into my mix at half strength. Top dressed with some bloom ammendments when I flipped to flower. Other than that just putting water in the tub. Results have been spectacular so far. Just be ready for your plants to grow, I let my smaller tent get out of control, and it happened quick.

Yes growth is like hydro,my 11gallon totes separated by 4" holds about 3 gallons water.my plants are big and 10 days into flower using almost 1.5 gallons a day! I also made a 27 g tote one,again same 4" pvc supports.It holds 6 gallons with a 1/2" air gap.
I will make the supports taller so say 6" to increase water capacity next round.

 

[Nwtexan]

I'm using the $30 sip planter from Lowes. Brown plastic, soil columns for wicks. 20" wide x 24" long, soil is 6"-8" deep. I absolutely love them. I've switched both tents over to these, just picked up my 4th one last night. Patio Pickers
I'm running coots mix, and have been mixing Dr earth dry ammendments into my mix at half strength. Top dressed with some bloom ammendments when I flipped to flower. Other than that just putting water in the tub. Results have been spectacular so far. Just be ready for your plants to grow, I let my smaller tent get out of control, and it happened quick.

Those are cool! Thanks for sending. How do you run your grow? Single plant per container?

 

[Nwtexan]

Yes growth is like hydro,my 11gallon totes separated by 4" holds about 3 gallons water.my plants are big and 10 days into flower using almost 1.5 gallons a day! I also made a 27 g tote one,again same 4" pvc supports.It holds 6 gallons with a 1/2" air gap.
I will make the supports taller so say 6" to increase water capacity next round.

I'm eyeing the rubbermaind 32G totes, which would fit well in my tent(2 of them). That would hopefully buy me a few days between watering if i go that route. In addition to the supports, how is yours built? DO you use the lid as a bottom for soil? What are you using for your wicking?

 

[GrassBurner]

Yeah they definitely drink! I've got 3 of the planter box sips, and 1 is a big plastic masonry tub from Lowes. Its got 3 cu ft of perlite, with 10 and 7 gallon fabric pots sitting on top of it.
It takes 2.5 gallons every other day, and the boxes take 2-2.5 each. Everything is in flower right now, but they have been drinking it up. Its been amazing to watch, coming from top watering traditionally in soil, although I was apparently terrible at that

 

[myke]

I'm eyeing the rubbermaind 32G totes, which would fit well in my tent(2 of them). That would hopefully buy me a few days between watering if i go that route. In addition to the supports, how is yours built? DO you use the lid as a bottom for soil? What are you using for your wicking?

This was march 3, 5" net pot as wick.2 totes stacked 4" pvc risers.45litre,11.5 gallons. hang on ill take another pic.

 

[myke]

Here’s today. 15 days later.

 

[myke]

The 27 gallon one i have 2 net pots.ill use it for tomatoes this spring.

 

[Nwtexan]

I'm using the $30 sip planter from Lowes. Brown plastic, soil columns for wicks. 20" wide x 24" long, soil is 6"-8" deep. I absolutely love them. I've switched both tents over to these, just picked up my 4th one last night. Patio Pickers
I'm running coots mix, and have been mixing Dr earth dry ammendments into my mix at half strength. Top dressed with some bloom ammendments when I flipped to flower. Other than that just putting water in the tub. Results have been spectacular so far. Just be ready for your plants to grow, I let my smaller tent get out of control, and it happened quick.

Those are cool! Thanks for sending. How do you run your grow? Single plant per container?