Does anyone use the Freaken Wick System anymore

i have read about a wick system, and its probably waht im going to do next season.. its very convenient and is simple to rig.. u shud throw up some pics of ur system

I dont know anyone who uses this system and I have never done it myself, but the Biggest flaw I would see is the fact that theres never going to be a time where water will be running down through the soil bringing Precious air to the root system. And not having any control on how much water your plants are receiving just seems like you would be Asking for root rot.

Theres Probably a reason people dont use it, Other more common systems have been proven again and again to be the the best ways to grow marijuana.

It would also be a pain when you want to change the concentration of nutes.

The wick system you described is messy and inefficient. You would be much better off with a simple ebb & flow system, or even a drip system. Listen to BCTrippin, he knows what he's talkin about. There's a reason why nobody uses that antiquated system.

Only purists that appreciate the basics. it is a great system. All you have to change the solution once a week and flushing the plants with fresh clean water once a week to prevent burn. You can only mess it up so much.

i nested (2) 5gal buckets inside eachother with the bottom one being the reservoir... and several wicks ran to the upper bucket into the soil. It wasn't overwatered... i still had to water it some, but deffinitely much less frequently. i was pampering my special lady. you might check out the "Hempy Collective" thread.. its an even easier off-shoot of the 'wicking' technique. and is what my next grow will be trying to utilize.

i use a earth box which in its own since is a very simple wick system. i get pretty good results with it. peace.

DaGambler said:

i nested (2) 5gal buckets inside eachother with the bottom one being the reservoir... and several wicks ran to the upper bucket into the soil. It wasn't overwatered... i still had to water it some, but deffinitely much less frequently. i was pampering my special lady. you might check out the "Hempy Collective" thread.. its an even easier off-shoot of the 'wicking' technique. and is what my next grow will be trying to utilize.

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thanks gambler Ive used it several times with great success.. im actually using a variety of wick based changing it up to see what happens... i would say checking the soil and knowing how to slightly adjust not have to swing from 5.5 to 8.0 and misting which works great keeps the plant in growth nicely... it fetches the water like a dog and the wick if used right becomes apart of the root ball....

LOL my bra said it looked like a pon string hanging out of the rootball!!lol to funny..

I want more talk on peoples experiences with this; y next might be a journal of it with rubbermade and some fresh girls.

i would like to see a pic of this or sumthin.

ill gather some pics and shoot some new ones for ya.. Any one else have good experience with pics.. put em up keep this thread active!!!

i am very intrested in learning more about this system...KISS principal...how many wicks,how big are the wicks,how large a resivoir,could this be applied outdoors...any info would help

w99illie said:

i am very intrested in learning more about this system...KISS principal...how many wicks,how big are the wicks,how large a resivoir,could this be applied outdoors...any info would help

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From what I have learned in research it was used before irragation was around in Hawaii... Consider a normal size pot is 3-5 gallon you would need only one wick... the wick it self isnt used to water the plant. The wick is placed in the middle of the pot around the bottom... The plant roots search out the water and find the water at the wick.. Roots are like people they condragate at the wick sending plant signals to other roots that they have found water... thus making the other roots head toward the water... Ive used five plants in five five gallon pots... wicking into a rubbermaid filled two inchs with ph controled water... You must MUST keep the plants out of the water and change the water and the wick about once a month to keep root rot and other problems out of the equation... The wick length depends on on the pot and how high it is out of the water... ex.. pot on brick would need a 6 inch to 12 inch wick..i wouldnt recommend a wick larger the 16 inches makes it easy to get mold on the exposed wick...

the pros

1.no watering
2.plant feeds as its needed
3.complete control over the amount of water used
4.allows you to mist the plant leaves as long as the light is 6 inches from the plant or higher...

Cons.

1.Limitation of space makes this not a fesable option
2.must have a clean and sterile start to growth
3.changing the water can be a pain in the ass depending on how many plants and how large a pot...I use a soda cooler with a drain spout to make it easier to get the water out and add clean fresh water!!


This technique teaches you a simple hydro method and is easy to change to an ebb and flow or a air ration system...

I have pics of ak47 just need to find them lol there scattered on my pc.

Wicking is definately old school, it was one of the first soil based hydro applications, along with a gravity feed Ebb Flow...

There are much better ways of getting water to your plants, the wicking technique is good if you're going to be away from your plants for a considerable amount of time, like a potted outdoor crop... But just using a watering can is much more efficient.

From the techniques I've heard of, you take cotton strips and run them along the sides of the container, out the bottom and into the collection resevoir. Never heard of using string and putting it in the center of the pot.

Imo, there are much better methods of getting the appropriate amount of water to the plants.

MrHowardMarks said:

Wicking is definately old school, it was one of the first soil based hydro applications, along with a gravity feed Ebb Flow...

There are much better ways of getting water to your plants, the wicking technique is good if you're going to be away from your plants for a considerable amount of time, like a potted outdoor crop... But just using a watering can is much more efficient.

From the techniques I've heard of, you take cotton strips and run them along the sides of the container, out the bottom and into the collection resevoir. Never heard of using string and putting it in the center of the pot.

Imo, there are much better methods of getting the appropriate amount of water to the plants.

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no one is saying there isnt a better or more up to date way of growing in mediums... I use this system and have used it. I started this thread to get the word out that it works and is a viable system of watering your plants... here is an example from hydroponic university !!growers use this site as a blueprint to make your own setup...http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm#WICK%20SYSTEM
This site shows the use of all systems with diagrams of how they function.... This is information, each individual grower can make there own choice of how to water there babies... mine is the wick system because it has almost no cost to set up and can be clean and maintained without cost... Having fun growing and watching your technique provide results is the greatest feeling in the world except maybe sex... Im glad people are giving there opinion but I would love some people who use it to comment and post pics... although it seems i might be the only one on earth who still uses a proven method..LOL

Maybe the fact that nobody uses it and a lot of people have bad things to say about it should tell you something?

giving your opinion is one thing but being a tool is completely uncalled for. As i continue to say I use it and I dont see any bad things said about it except for you sir. So if you dont mind.. which you obviously dont leave this thread for people interested in learning more about the system. Also who are you to tell me anything.. im not a novice I just prefer this system and it WORKS!!! Good Day

You admit there are better ways... Don't you want the best for your plants?

I'm trying to help, I can say whatever the fuck I want, why do you have to be such a dick.

I believe my post was informative.

And to answer your question;
"Doesn't anybody use the freaking wick system anymore?"
-No, there are better methods.

BCtrippin said:

I dont know anyone who uses this system and I have never done it myself, but the Biggest flaw I would see is the fact that theres never going to be a time where water will be running down through the soil bringing Precious air to the root system. And not having any control on how much water your plants are receiving just seems like you would be Asking for root rot.

Theres Probably a reason people dont use it, Other more common systems have been proven again and again to be the the best ways to grow marijuana.

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Also the wicking never allows the soil to dry, it's fully saturated, all the time, another reason not to use it, lack of air to the roots, and possible root rot.

I am also very interested in self watering systems. Does anyone have DIY plans for a wicker or other type of self watering system?

funnymunny11 said:

I am also very interested in self watering systems. Does anyone have DIY plans for a wicker or other type of self watering system?

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Simply Hydroponics - Hydro U.