SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

[Tstat]

Is there an easy and cheap way to automate watering for 4-8 SIPs?

 

[Tstat]

One of the additives in the NFTG line there's a video where they discuss how some growers that were facing massive wind issues a year or so ago were using one of their items due to the insane branch hardening that occurred. They were laughing about don't apply this stuff if you're trying to train into a net/screen. I was trying to remember which one that was and get a dose going since I didn't build a screen this time around. I think it's the one that has the lignin in it as another calcium source. That might help with the floppy branches perhaps... Even though plenty should be in the soil perhaps foliar feeding the silica could also do the same. My last foliar included a dash for the hell of it...

Maybe this?

https://growershouse.com/nectar-for-the-gods-the-kraken

 

[natureboygrower]

Nope, I used a supersoil mix and additives.

So, I just harvested my first SIP. It was SSDD (2) and I got 5 OZs. Now, that's "OK" I guess, but here is what happened...

I went away for 2 weeks to work on my FLA home. When I left it was in the 70's here in NE. The temps jumped up over 90 here for pretty much the entire time I was gone. I had my son watering the SIPs, but he doesn't know much about growing. Anyway, temps rose, I had a fan malfunction. My plants were vegged too long to begin with and were unruly as hell, even before I left.

I came back to PM, mites, flopped over branches, and more. It was a near disaster and some of the other SIPs did not fare well. I had way too many unruly plants in the room and it just exasperated the heat issues.

The one thing I notice is the floppy branches. Now I don't know it is due to the described issues I had or something else. I am cutting way back on how much I cram into that space. I leave again for Lockn' at the end of next month and then back to Florida, so I need to simplify and reduce the watering, etc. the kid has to do.

I do very minimal defoliation on my plants(it seems so unnatural to me) After reading this post at work,once I got home,I stripped all my lowers/leaves(10 days into 12/12)Humidity has been an absolute bitch in the Northeast.Ive never seen my flower cab so humid in 2 years of indoor growing.Sorry to hear about all your troubles.Better luck next run,Cap.

 

[Tstat]

Humidity has been an absolute bitch in the Northeast.

Yea, no shit! I am hoping maybe that means a less humid fall for the outdoor stuff
I also lost about 5 ounces of shrooms during my time away

 

[natureboygrower]

Yea, no shit! I am hoping maybe that means a less humid fall for the outdoor stuff
I also lost about 5 ounces of shrooms during my time away

Man,I just cleaned out my veg cab and put some outside.First time in 2 years Ive even bothered.Shitty New England weather is what moved me indoors.I dont have high hopes for any of it,but I had a nice baddawg male freebie Im going to try and pollinate some plants with.

Double whammy with the shrooms! Bummer I've been contemplating starting some this winter, What are the temps needed to grow?

 

[Tstat]

What are the temps needed to grow?

70 and above seems to do the trick. It was my Lockn Festival batch, too! I started more, but it's going to be close as to whether they finish in time...

 

[Tstat]

So, I have this photo of the last of the "mess":

I am not looking forward to trimming them.

I am going away again toward the end of the month, but this time I am way better prepared!:

 

[NewGrower2011]

So a little follow-up on my adventure into sipLand -

First regret - didn't build the screen and veg into it; They're swelling and flopping (as you'd hope for) and trying to retrofit a screen was going to result in me crowding things together just asking for a mold problem and reducing the light getting in and penetrating. Gonna scrog? Start with scrog...

Second regret - 4 containers in the 4x4 space is laid out with 2 in front, 2 in back. Getting to the 2 in back sucks once they're grown and all bushy. Either automate everything or have the containers on wheels and that means make sure they can stand on their one when moved about or are in a cage/screen or otherwise managed.

Third regret (sort of) - didn't use a 'shower cap' approach; Now I'm not sure this is really a regret quite yet. It worked to my advantage when I wanted to give them a little extra love and some NFTG goodies/photoPlus/recharge/mammoth/etc. Also some SLF-100 and one small dose of Hydrozyme along the way. The top-watering they say is bad because you're screwing with the hydrotropism which makes sense to me but ummmmm when it rains doesn't that do the same? So maybe don't rig up a top-feed drip on a regular basis but the occassional tea/top feed isn't going to wreck things it seems.

All in all it looks to be working very well; I think not having the right water availability really killed my prior runs (no automation, dried pots often in 7gals, ladies were probably thirsty more often than not). That and VPD in a winter run vs summer run - now I'm fretting over too much humidity in flower/drying where last run was opposite - go figure. Not a commercial op with a controlled environment here.

So far my organic (kinda super) soil + SIP and a little NFTG here & there along with bennies/mykos and occasional teas seems to be doing the trick. The final weigh in will tell, but so far short of a major fuck up I'm hoping to exceed my personal best.

 

[NewGrower2011]

Questions for those who've done a full run in a SIP... How did you do the 'next run' in your SIP?

I'm trying to decide if I want to attempt a re-veg run or not. Never have tried that before, but being that I was a little short on veg time to get the roots massive before flipping I'm now wondering what a well established root system would do differently. I'm in no rush, time is not a factor this is all for personal use only so I've got my options without that constraint.

If I were to re-veg I'd be getting the benefit of the established root system this time hopefully with roots dropping into rez already, but that is unconfirmed and can't disassemble to check without destroying the root system. Even with the short veg time they easily overgrew the space and are a bit crowded as-is on this run and next time I plan to have my screens (1 per tub/each tub mobile/self-standing) so I'll be vegging into them.

I think the big decision comes down to the benfit of re-veg/established root system and how long it'll take to recover and deal with the stress/shock of the transition back versus just dropping some clones in (which they already have a good root system in 1 gal plastics) and doing a standard veg.

Is a re-veg worth it? Specifically for no-till/SIP type of run?

 

[Deadhead13]

If the plants are that big I would think the roots have reached the bottom. I’m not sure about the shock of re veg but I hear people talking of doing it often.

 

[NewGrower2011]

I think with time being a luxury I can afford my plans are to get some samples from each container, multiple locations and then draw my sample for a soil test. Then depending on what type of re-amending or adjustments I need to make, that will dictate if I do a re-veg. If it needs heavy adjustments or amendments I'd rather bust it all up and get a good thorough mix and let it cook again with some BAS Kashi blend again and a good tea maybe to kick start the fresh microherd. If not, a re-veg seems like a good experiment to run.

 

[Hawg Wild]

Without trying to read through this entire thread, could some of you guys who are experienced with SIP please let me know the pros and/or cons of aerating the reservoir of an Earthbox? Also, has anyone run autoflowers in them?

 

[NewGrower2011]

So I'm a convert. This last run was good, best yield ever from same footprint/lights/fans. I used re-amended super soil, gave it occasional love from a tea, some NFTG here & there along with the bio's like EM-1/SLF-100/Photo+/MammothP. Had some recharge in that soil at one point early on, some Azos/Mycos initially. Basically tried to keep things wet & alive as in the past I was speculating my watering practices are what held me back.

So unfortunately more than 1 thing changed and can't attribute the best run yet to any specific, but the combination works. Living soil, super soil, mild organics added throughout the run and those biologicals all seemed to work great together.

Only bad thing I encountered was I did see 1 plant throw some spindly weird thing up out of a bud that I was thinking was male but looked like nothing I'd ever seen before but the tell tale signs were there. She did seed on me. Familiar genetics that had no issues before with my environment so I suspect stress seeds from a ph shift or a nute overload in one of my 'love potion' sessions. But the product is incredible, besting anything from before even with same genetics.

 

[Deadhead13]

I’ve had a great year with peppers in a 5 gal SIP, I’m sold as well.

 

[NewGrower2011]

basically take my last 2 runs... this one beat them combined weight.

I really think not having water readily available was really the law of minimums kicking me in the nutz. I also boosted my micros this time with the 'big6' stuff from Build-A-Soil and was heavy on the Ca in the soil mix plus the NFTG entire line being Ca based is key I think. It's definitely taken the same clone I've ran three times now and made it like an entirely different plant.

If I don't do SIP again, if it ain't hydro, I will have automated watering; Drain to waste, F&D, etc but not having that H2O really holds you back. Also I think managing the VPD better might unlock further improvements... my new fan will have both temp and humidity control so here's hoping for the best.

 

[Tstat]

I have had mixed results so far, but have had some bad luck with being away for extended periods of time. That said, I am going to give this a real extended go. Here is what I am doing:

Lobster compost is for a top dressing. I also have the Kashi for the top.

 

[Hawg Wild]

I have had mixed results so far, but have had some bad luck with being away for extended periods of time. That said, I am going to give this a real extended go. Here is what I am doing:

Lobster compost is for a top dressing. I also have the Kashi for the top.

The bokashi needs to be under a mulch or cover if you want a mycelium mat to form.

 

[Tstat]

The bokashi needs to be under a mulch or cover if you want a mycelium mat to form.

It goes under a layer of lobster compost.

 

[NewGrower2011]

I'm contemplating if a coco mat on top could be used somehow in these; I like being able to top-feed/water a bit as needed especially if there's any question to wicking. My main point being to control the evaporation more than the benefit of mycellium/top-dressing angle. But I imagine that would still work for that matter and may even assist... Otherwise just a plastic liner on top was something I didn't do last time that I do plan to include next run in some form.

I'm aborting my re-veg attempt since it wasn't really ideal conditions going in - this 1st SIP run I basically dropped in my plants in smart-pots as-is without taking them out then just packed my soil around them to avoid any root damage. I lifted one out and was happy to find semi-moist in the bottom half and that roots weren't really out of the pots very much at all. Definitely never hit the rez... The smart-pots probably limited rooting plus I didn't give them that much more veg time before flipping. Even with this, record haul for me/top quality.

I did get my soil report back. They sucked the N out like crazy, definitely will be re-amending with alfalfa/neem/karanja and maybe some feather meal. I can tell the Big6 micros helped but I think my Mn and Z need some boosting. The big surprise is my sulfur is through the roof (again) which I'm thinking stems from moderate usage of the PhotoSynthesis+ (my best guess). My other inputs shouldn't have had that much sulfur (some Bu's compost maybe contributed??)

My big changes for next run is longer veg in the SIP, have my net to veg into/not a retrofit. make sure you can access them/move around (add dolly) and in my case keeping the top moist and alive.

I'll probably try to source individual micro inputs for the boosts I need; I have Azomite and Big6 but now I need to be more selective and I don't want more Al contributed from the Azomite. My N is very low and my K is low compared to the P so now the game is to get the soil rebalanced and primed for the next run. Little cooking time, add some fresh castings/wigglers and EM-1/microbial inoculants and then see if I can beat this run.

 

[Hawg Wild]

I'm contemplating if a coco mat on top could be used somehow in these; I like being able to top-feed/water a bit as needed especially if there's any question to wicking. My main point being to control the evaporation more than the benefit of mycellium/top-dressing angle. But I imagine that would still work for that matter and may even assist... Otherwise just a plastic liner on top was something I didn't do last time that I do plan to include next run in some form.

I'm aborting my re-veg attempt since it wasn't really ideal conditions going in - this 1st SIP run I basically dropped in my plants in smart-pots as-is without taking them out then just packed my soil around them to avoid any root damage. I lifted one out and was happy to find semi-moist in the bottom half and that roots weren't really out of the pots very much at all. Definitely never hit the rez... The smart-pots probably limited rooting plus I didn't give them that much more veg time before flipping. Even with this, record haul for me/top quality.

I did get my soil report back. They sucked the N out like crazy, definitely will be re-amending with alfalfa/neem/karanja and maybe some feather meal. I can tell the Big6 micros helped but I think my Mn and Z need some boosting. The big surprise is my sulfur is through the roof (again) which I'm thinking stems from moderate usage of the PhotoSynthesis+ (my best guess). My other inputs shouldn't have had that much sulfur (some Bu's compost maybe contributed??)

My big changes for next run is longer veg in the SIP, have my net to veg into/not a retrofit. make sure you can access them/move around (add dolly) and in my case keeping the top moist and alive.

I'll probably try to source individual micro inputs for the boosts I need; I have Azomite and Big6 but now I need to be more selective and I don't want more Al contributed from the Azomite. My N is very low and my K is low compared to the P so now the game is to get the soil rebalanced and primed for the next run. Little cooking time, add some fresh castings/wigglers and EM-1/microbial inoculants and then see if I can beat this run.

Your excess sulfur is from the chelated minerals in the Big 6, all or most of which are bonded as sulfates. I'm not sure that it's a very good idea to use those in a living soil, to be honest, as they're chelated and designed to feed the plant, not the soil. Of all those, the only one that might make a noticeable difference is Manganese. The others aren't going to hurt, but I would use them as a foliar spray only so your roots aren't accumulating salts.