SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

[ilovereggae]

Newb question here-

I’m looking at building a couple of SIPs for indoor use, using 16.5 gallon totes.

What are y’all using for covers? Plastic, fabric, recycled garments torn by Prohibitionists every time another state goes legal? LOL

I’m assuming the cover is there to control evaporation in lieu of mulch, does it have any other function?

Thanks in advance for any input.

also does wonders at keeping fungus gnats under control as they have a hard time landing and breeding

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Just fill the rez with water. U can put organics in rez and have no problems at all. It's impossible to keep any and all organic matter out if u use peat mixes so take that however u will. I believe one of em-1's first uses was keeping things healthy so if it may concern u put some in once a harvest to clean things up. I would suggest also completely cleaning your sip with bleach every few grows too if no em-1. IMO.

Ok thanks. I guess it is impossible to keep it all out. Especially with soil wicks sitting in the water. I just wasn't sure if yucca would make the res go bad. I'm just gonna add straight water. Maybe em-1 if I smell anything funky. I figure a worm or two are gonna fall in eventually. That'll create a problem in sure.

 

[dogterB]

This has by far been the longest thread that I have ever read, really good stuff guys. I am in the process of converting to SIPs and want to get your opinions. I'm going to try out "Alaska grow buckets" because I am a broke student and can scavenge most of the pieces needed. I really couldn't find much of anything about using them for cannabis though.



They are basically 5 gal buckets with a plastic colander in the bottom, air holes cut into the walls, and lined with fabric to simulate a fabric pot. These are watered from a float valve controlled res. I'm in the process of scavenging parts and pieces and am going to try out 2 in my 2x2 as a test run to see how they do. After reading through the entire thread, I've run into some questions that I hope have answers. Any advice/help is appreciated! Also, I grow autos for now so any tips on autos in SIPs are welcome.

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I really liked @Tim Fox approach, simple and straight forward with the FFOF & tomato tone (2 cups, right?), water only. I plan to go this route, unless you think it would be too much for autos. I saw a more recent ingredient list he uses, but I have to go with his earlier mix for budget. I have some Dr. Earth Flower Girl that I can use. Would you recommend mixing it in as well? Or top dressing later? Or using in teas? I also have some EWC. I'm also hesitant on doing a trench with autos, but what do I know?

And do I need to put in an overflow hole in the air gap area with this kind of setup to keep the air fresh? Or would the upper air holes provide enough?

Again, awesome thread. It definitely has my wheels turning, thanks to all who have shared their knowledge, triumphs, and failures. An old Eskimo once told me, "Learn from your mistakes, but also from others', life is too short to make them all yourself."

 

[ilovereggae]

This has by far been the longest thread that I have ever read, really good stuff guys. I am in the process of converting to SIPs and want to get your opinions. I'm going to try out "Alaska grow buckets" because I am a broke student and can scavenge most of the pieces needed. I really couldn't find much of anything about using them for cannabis though.

View attachment 4945657View attachment 4945658

They are basically 5 gal buckets with a plastic colander in the bottom, air holes cut into the walls, and lined with fabric to simulate a fabric pot. These are watered from a float valve controlled res. I'm in the process of scavenging parts and pieces and am going to try out 2 in my 2x2 as a test run to see how they do. After reading through the entire thread, I've run into some questions that I hope have answers. Any advice/help is appreciated! Also, I grow autos for now so any tips on autos in SIPs are welcome.

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I really liked @Tim Fox approach, simple and straight forward with the FFOF & tomato tone (2 cups, right?), water only. I plan to go this route, unless you think it would be too much for autos. I saw a more recent ingredient list he uses, but I have to go with his earlier mix for budget. I have some Dr. Earth Flower Girl that I can use. Would you recommend mixing it in as well? Or top dressing later? Or using in teas? I also have some EWC. I'm also hesitant on doing a trench with autos, but what do I know?

And do I need to put in an overflow hole in the air gap area with this kind of setup to keep the air fresh? Or would the upper air holes provide enough?

Again, awesome thread. It definitely has my wheels turning, thanks to all who have shared their knowledge, triumphs, and failures. An old Eskimo once told me, "Learn from your mistakes, but also from others', life is too short to make them all yourself."

seems like a cool setup, but also a lot more complicated than most of the designs in this thread.

if you are on a budget, 2 lowes 5 gal buckets, some pvc and a solo cup as your wick is under $20 (prob closer to 10). or Rubbermaid totes if you can find a good deal provide a little more surface area for a few more $. I would stick with setups that are proven to work with cannabis at first. Then do one like the design you showed, and you will have a baseline to compare against.

 

[Hash Hound]

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I used a colander in one of my outdoor sips for a zucchini and it's struggling and almost dead compared to my other SIPs that are doing great.
I thought of the upside down method also leaving room for more water less soil, I'll give that a try next time.

 

[myke]

Anything will work as long as the bottom of your pot doenst sit directly in the water,just the wick.5 g buckets are too tall and skinny.You want wide rather then tall.This gives more surface area for topdress and the microbes to live and do there thing.

 

[myke]

Just doing a top dress on my outside sips. Having the tote lid on sure keeps the moisture nice on the surface. The soil mites love it. I usually just make a trench add some Gaia 444 and water it in a little. I’ll then cover with some ewc. In a couple of days I’ll spread it around a little more.

 

[myke]

Going to need more trellis work on the ceiling.

 

[Bignutes]

I was considering doing the kashi and em1 but am trying to keep costs down if possible. The cost of the em1, molasses, burping jars, and kashi is what brought me to my original question. Trying to see if a similar method would work without the kashi and em1 if the container was large enough and a similar top dress routine was followed. Once at transplant, once a month in veg, and once before flower. Maybe just do the compost, pumice and kashi or craft blend and not do the em1 is suppose?

I know @Richard Drysift is a big fan of the jobes sticks and his garden is one to envy but he is WAY above my level in experience, knowledge, and skill. Trying to keep it somewhat simple and repeatable if possible. Im still a noob trying to get decent so I can work on getting good then try to figure out being able to hold a conversation with someone like Mr. Drysift.

make LAB instead of em1, it’s cheap to make. I did a run with whole wheat flour and alfalfa pellets instead of kashi, you end up with a mycelium layer in very short time. I did 20 litre or 5gallon and it lasted 4 weeks in veg without fertilizer in a sip, so a 40 litre should last you an added 4-5 weeks. If you Jobed spike it I’m positive you’d get to the finish line

 

[Polyuro]

Going to need more trellis work on the ceiling. View attachment 4945770

Maybe drill small holes through the rafter joists and put wire through. Let the plants canopy fill the whole ceiling of the room!!!!! Love your work btw

 

[myke]

Maybe drill small holes through the rafter joists and put wire through. Let the plants canopy fill the whole ceiling of the room!!!!! Love your work btw

Just trying not to put too many holes,small nails may work.I guess if its going to be a yearly thing your idea is good.Not sure yet I have a week to decide.

 

[Rocket Soul]

This has by far been the longest thread that I have ever read, really good stuff guys. I am in the process of converting to SIPs and want to get your opinions. I'm going to try out "Alaska grow buckets" because I am a broke student and can scavenge most of the pieces needed. I really couldn't find much of anything about using them for cannabis though.

View attachment 4945657View attachment 4945658

They are basically 5 gal buckets with a plastic colander in the bottom, air holes cut into the walls, and lined with fabric to simulate a fabric pot. These are watered from a float valve controlled res. I'm in the process of scavenging parts and pieces and am going to try out 2 in my 2x2 as a test run to see how they do. After reading through the entire thread, I've run into some questions that I hope have answers. Any advice/help is appreciated! Also, I grow autos for now so any tips on autos in SIPs are welcome.

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I really liked @Tim Fox approach, simple and straight forward with the FFOF & tomato tone (2 cups, right?), water only. I plan to go this route, unless you think it would be too much for autos. I saw a more recent ingredient list he uses, but I have to go with his earlier mix for budget. I have some Dr. Earth Flower Girl that I can use. Would you recommend mixing it in as well? Or top dressing later? Or using in teas? I also have some EWC. I'm also hesitant on doing a trench with autos, but what do I know?

And do I need to put in an overflow hole in the air gap area with this kind of setup to keep the air fresh? Or would the upper air holes provide enough?

Again, awesome thread. It definitely has my wheels turning, thanks to all who have shared their knowledge, triumphs, and failures. An old Eskimo once told me, "Learn from your mistakes, but also from others', life is too short to make them all yourself."

Colinder wick: yes it tends to wick much too much. Imo thickness of wick and distance to water surface is 2 out of 3 determining factors for how much they will wick. Colinder maxes these to factors out. It might be better to just fill the subirrigation once a day with as much water as your plants can take, sort of like watering from below. This is the approach that herbin farmer on yt took.

 

[Autodoctor]

These have worked pretty well in the past

 

[myke]

This has by far been the longest thread that I have ever read, really good stuff guys. I am in the process of converting to SIPs and want to get your opinions. I'm going to try out "Alaska grow buckets" because I am a broke student and can scavenge most of the pieces needed. I really couldn't find much of anything about using them for cannabis though.

View attachment 4945657View attachment 4945658

They are basically 5 gal buckets with a plastic colander in the bottom, air holes cut into the walls, and lined with fabric to simulate a fabric pot. These are watered from a float valve controlled res. I'm in the process of scavenging parts and pieces and am going to try out 2 in my 2x2 as a test run to see how they do. After reading through the entire thread, I've run into some questions that I hope have answers. Any advice/help is appreciated! Also, I grow autos for now so any tips on autos in SIPs are welcome.

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I really liked @Tim Fox approach, simple and straight forward with the FFOF & tomato tone (2 cups, right?), water only. I plan to go this route, unless you think it would be too much for autos. I saw a more recent ingredient list he uses, but I have to go with his earlier mix for budget. I have some Dr. Earth Flower Girl that I can use. Would you recommend mixing it in as well? Or top dressing later? Or using in teas? I also have some EWC. I'm also hesitant on doing a trench with autos, but what do I know?

And do I need to put in an overflow hole in the air gap area with this kind of setup to keep the air fresh? Or would the upper air holes provide enough?

Again, awesome thread. It definitely has my wheels turning, thanks to all who have shared their knowledge, triumphs, and failures. An old Eskimo once told me, "Learn from your mistakes, but also from others', life is too short to make them all yourself."

As long as theirs an area of just straight water for the roots to live,this makes the hydro part work so well.
You could just make a 2x2 frame say 10" deep, line with plastic ,fill with perlite and water, set your grow bag on top.Lots of water /root capacity then.

 

[ilovereggae]

These have worked pretty well in the past View attachment 4946264

I've been tempted to try one of these. seems like the simplest way to make a SIP. price is kind of steep normally tho. Will def grab some if they ever go on sale.

 

[Autodoctor]

I've been tempted to try one of these. seems like the simplest way to make a SIP. price is kind of steep normally tho. Will def grab some if they ever go on sale.

i use them now on my pepper and tomato plants now and yeah seems price has gone up some but I don’t like dyi stuff.

 

[ilovereggae]

i use them now on my pepper and tomato plants now and yeah seems price has gone up some but I don’t like dyi stuff.

fair enough. that's why I went with the Earthboxes.

 

[Tim Fox]

This has by far been the longest thread that I have ever read, really good stuff guys. I am in the process of converting to SIPs and want to get your opinions. I'm going to try out "Alaska grow buckets" because I am a broke student and can scavenge most of the pieces needed. I really couldn't find much of anything about using them for cannabis though.

View attachment 4945657View attachment 4945658

They are basically 5 gal buckets with a plastic colander in the bottom, air holes cut into the walls, and lined with fabric to simulate a fabric pot. These are watered from a float valve controlled res. I'm in the process of scavenging parts and pieces and am going to try out 2 in my 2x2 as a test run to see how they do. After reading through the entire thread, I've run into some questions that I hope have answers. Any advice/help is appreciated! Also, I grow autos for now so any tips on autos in SIPs are welcome.

The premise is that the colander sits on the bottom of the bucket, allowing some of the soil to be submerged and be the wick. With this setup, from what I've read, this seems like it would be easy to waterlog the soil. Any thoughts on this? Other options I've thought of:
- Just keep a very low water level
- Put perlite in the colander to create space between the soil and water, and act as a wick
- Flip the colander over, pack soil along the curve and walls to act as the wick, and have the colander be like an air dome above the water

I really liked @Tim Fox approach, simple and straight forward with the FFOF & tomato tone (2 cups, right?), water only. I plan to go this route, unless you think it would be too much for autos. I saw a more recent ingredient list he uses, but I have to go with his earlier mix for budget. I have some Dr. Earth Flower Girl that I can use. Would you recommend mixing it in as well? Or top dressing later? Or using in teas? I also have some EWC. I'm also hesitant on doing a trench with autos, but what do I know?

And do I need to put in an overflow hole in the air gap area with this kind of setup to keep the air fresh? Or would the upper air holes provide enough?

Again, awesome thread. It definitely has my wheels turning, thanks to all who have shared their knowledge, triumphs, and failures. An old Eskimo once told me, "Learn from your mistakes, but also from others', life is too short to make them all yourself."

hey good to meet you,,, if you have 5 gallon buckets,,, skip the alaska method and make earth buckets with the 5 gallon buckets,, cheap, uses the parts you have on hand still,,, and you can still link them with the Res and fill pipes you showed,,, here is a link check it out
little*big*harvest: How To Make an Earth Bucket (littlebigharvest.com)

yes you can use the FFOF and tomato fert,, i have had good grows with it,,

 

[myke]

Sipping along. Day 40 something

 

[myke]

And the other sips.