SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

[Hollatchaboy]

I washed my wicks out right in the beginning of using my SIPs...was not fun trying to repack the wicks from the bottom of the tote lol. Now I just pour my water in very slowly without a whole lot of splashing in the rez

I have soil in my res, not sure if some wick washed out, or if it's just dropping through the holes in the deck. Lol

 

[Smscreations]

I have soil in my res, not sure if some wick washed out, or if it's just dropping through the holes in the deck. Lol

I can't tell from the pics, but your container doesn't separate does it? I was able to lift my soil tote out of the rez to work on the wicks. If yours don't separate I'm not even sure how you'd go about checking to make sure your wicks are packed still.

 

[GenericEnigma]

I can't tell from the pics, but your container doesn't separate does it? I was able to lift my soil tote out of the rez to work on the wicks. If yours don't separate I'm not even sure how you'd go about checking to make sure your wicks are packed still.

I didn't realize this could be an issue for you basket wickers. Can your fill pipe rest on the bottom of the reservoir, then holes drilled in its sides - so water force is buffered when filling?

I hope being called "basket wicker" is okay.

 

[Smscreations]

I didn't realize this could be an issue for you basket wickers. Can your fill pipe rest on the bottom of the reservoir, then holes drilled in its sides - so water force is buffered when filling?

I hope being called "basket wicker" is okay.

Lol, it's fine by me.



Mine has a few net cups stitched together with zip ties to accommodate a deeper Rez. First time I filled em up with water, I guess my wicks weren't packed tight enough and the turbulent splashing washed the entire bottom half of the wicks out. After drinking about a 1/2gallon of water, the water level stayed the same for a couple days and that's when I lifted the totes and saw what had happened. I've got an angled cut on my fill pipe and I just twisted it until the angled portion allowed the water to splash into the wall of the tote instead of towards the wicks

 

[weedstoner420]

To be honest though, I use my can sprayer to fill it. My res holds ~ 2 1/4 gallons, so I just fill my can to 2 gallons, and spray into the res. I worry about washing out my wicks, if I just pour the water in.

View attachment 5213815

That's interesting. I also get soil in my res every run, but never enough that I worry about it, and the soil seems to stay moist. It's all very fine particles that end up in the water, so I assume it's either falling through the top or dissolving in the water just sitting there. I do fill my res when it's about 2/3 empty, maybe if it let it dry out all the way I would get more washing out. I also pack the wicks super tight...

 

[Hollatchaboy]

That's interesting. I also get soil in my res every run, but never enough that I worry about it, and the soil seems to stay moist. It's all very fine particles that end up in the water, so I assume it's either falling through the top or dissolving in the water just sitting there. I do fill my res when it's about 2/3 empty, maybe if it let it dry out all the way I would get more washing out. I also pack the wicks super tight...

As soon as I can't see water in my res, I add more. I let it soak up fully before adding, so I don't leave any stagnant in it.

 

[CWF]

I'm also in the fill 'em when dry camp. With a big plant that is raging, that is every 2-3 days. (Earthbox)

 

[Smscreations]

Revisiting an old topic concerning weak or thin stems on these rapidly growing plants, are people still experiencing this? I mainlined all 3 of mine and though all my mains are sturdy branches, I've noticed a lot of the side branching off these is very long and spindly. 3 different Strains and all exhibit this.

 

[misterlaxx]

Mainly wanted to ask, will 27 Gall tote be sufficient for 2 plants?

Hello Sippers..I bought 50Ft of 4" Corregated Perf'd Piping and 3 27Gallon HDX totes, and I have like ....70 Gallons of Nutrient Rich Soil, as well as Perlite/Cocoa Coir/a little spaghnum peat moss left, I think I'll be amending with these for aeration/acidity(Spag/but not sure Coco coir does a ph good)..but also planning on using Fir Bark chunks as aeration as well, I think for the bottom, I'll be putting the lid cut out as a barrier/with either 1 or 2 Sip Wells that will submerge into the lid/pipe after cutting a place for them...I don't know though if I should do a walmart bag (poor mans .50 C smart pot) as a wicking well material to drop in the wicking well holes (1 or 2 wicking hole points?) or if I should use PVC perferated on top and bottom, and let the water wick up the narrow tube channel before getting dispersed into the soil...just trying to nail it so as to not saturate the fuck out of the soil...

Also, wanted to pick the threads brain for the BEST wicking well material, I'm thinking of going with Perlite combined with Lava Rocks (I hear Perlite wicks to efficient/fast), I've also heard Sand works well, I also see MYKE's pics and it looks like Soil itself is a great wicking medium..I dunno..I also wanted to know if I should buffer the bottom of the bin with sand or lava rock instead of pouring the soil mix directly atop the barrier...and I'm also thinking of using tarp or garden material to use as a barrier

 

[weedstoner420]

Mainly wanted to ask, will 27 Gall tote be sufficient for 2 plants?

Hello Sippers..I bought 50Ft of 4" Corregated Perf'd Piping and 3 27Gallon HDX totes, and I have like ....70 Gallons of Nutrient Rich Soil, as well as Perlite/Cocoa Coir/a little spaghnum peat moss left, I think I'll be amending with these for aeration/acidity(Spag/but not sure Coco coir does a ph good)..but also planning on using Fir Bark chunks as aeration as well, I think for the bottom, I'll be putting the lid cut out as a barrier/with either 1 or 2 Sip Wells that will submerge into the lid/pipe after cutting a place for them...I don't know though if I should do a walmart bag (poor mans .50 C smart pot) as a wicking well material to drop in the wicking well holes (1 or 2 wicking hole points?) or if I should use PVC perferated on top and bottom, and let the water wick up the narrow tube channel before getting dispersed into the soil...just trying to nail it so as to not saturate the fuck out of the soil...

Also, wanted to pick the threads brain for the BEST wicking well material, I'm thinking of going with Perlite combined with Lava Rocks (I hear Perlite wicks to efficient/fast), I've also heard Sand works well, I also see MYKE's pics and it looks like Soil itself is a great wicking medium..I dunno..I also wanted to know if I should buffer the bottom of the bin with sand or lava rock instead of pouring the soil mix directly atop the barrier...and I'm also thinking of using tarp or garden material to use as a barrier

27 gallons should be plenty for 2 plants. Lots of folks, myself included, have done 2 or 3 in an earthbox-sized SIP (~11 gallons of soil), it mostly depends on how long you veg for. When I've done 2 in one box I've only given them 2-3 weeks of veg time from rooted clones.

I pack the wicks with regular bagged potting mix, which is actually more peat/less aeration than my main soil mix. I pack them quite tight, too. I have heard some people say to use all or mostly perlite, and some people say to use straight peat, and there are probably other factors at play like wick size and how tightly they are packed that contribute to success with one method or another...

I use window screen as a barrier at the bottom of the tray. Some soil does fall through but it's never been enough to concern me.

Good luck!

 

[misterlaxx]

27 gallons should be plenty for 2 plants. Lots of folks, myself included, have done 2 or 3 in an earthbox-sized SIP (~11 gallons of soil), it mostly depends on how long you veg for. When I've done 2 in one box I've only given them 2-3 weeks of veg time from rooted clones.

I pack the wicks with regular bagged potting mix, which is actually more peat/less aeration than my main soil mix. I pack them quite tight, too. I have heard some people say to use all or mostly perlite, and some people say to use straight peat, and there are probably other factors at play like wick size and how tightly they are packed that contribute to success with one method or another...

I use window screen as a barrier at the bottom of the tray. Some soil does fall through but it's never been enough to concern me.

Good luck!

thank you dude, yeah, my veg's in summer usually make me wanna kill myself...but winter time, Veg is like clockwork..it's coming around where I live so should be better growth, and yeah I love sub- irrigation in a simple drip tray from home depot for a washer/dryer..but these seem like monsters can be grown in them for a month n a half (I'm hoping), with greasy results..

I'll probably opt for something similar and go 2 a 27 tote...kinda wanna figure out the Res > Control bucket with 3" water and float switch > to I think 3 Totes Max what the tutorial rec'd..but I might be mistaken, could be 6

 

[weedstoner420]

thank you dude, yeah, my veg's in summer usually make me wanna kill myself...but winter time, Veg is like clockwork..it's coming around where I live so should be better growth, and yeah I love sub- irrigation in a simple drip tray from home depot for a washer/dryer..but these seem like monsters can be grown in them for a month n a half (I'm hoping), with greasy results..

I'll probably opt for something similar and go 2 a 27 tote...kinda wanna figure out the Res > Control bucket with 3" water and float switch > to I think 3 Totes Max what the tutorial rec'd..but I might be mistaken, could be 6

I've been sticking with only growing in winter as well, summer is just too hot and humid to grow indoors, at least without investing more than I would like to in climate control. I'm about to load my SIPs back up in a couple weeks here...

 

[misterlaxx]

I've been sticking with only growing in winter as well, summer is just too hot and humid to grow indoors, at least without investing more than I would like to in climate control. I'm about to load my SIPs back up in a couple weeks here...

I have my seeds started, and totally agree...just not worth it in summer unless you have land and can bury a shipping container

 

[misterlaxx]

27 gallons should be plenty for 2 plants. Lots of folks, myself included, have done 2 or 3 in an earthbox-sized SIP (~11 gallons of soil), it mostly depends on how long you veg for. When I've done 2 in one box I've only given them 2-3 weeks of veg time from rooted clones.

I pack the wicks with regular bagged potting mix, which is actually more peat/less aeration than my main soil mix. I pack them quite tight, too. I have heard some people say to use all or mostly perlite, and some people say to use straight peat, and there are probably other factors at play like wick size and how tightly they are packed that contribute to success with one method or another...

I use window screen as a barrier at the bottom of the tray. Some soil does fall through but it's never been enough to concern me.

Good luck!

wanna pick your brain a bit, what's your soil mix? I'm in Organic..I took Alfalfa Horse Feed Cubes and peed in my 55 gall and threw comfrey tea all over, have added mineral dust/kelp/gypsum/lyme/humic granuals, tomatoe mix, that bio alive (DTE products), I wanna try Rice Bran Powder and I need to get some oyster shell..but I've put the malted barley from Coots Mix in the past, but I feel like it should be added like a month to cook before breaking the soil up because of that white almost mycillic fungus it creates..but..I've put neem in there..I feel like I have enough in my soil, but I guess I'm thinking aloud...I'll probably cut it 60/40 or maybe 50/50 to cut in Bark Pieces for more aeration, so 50% Soil to 15 percent perlite 15percent fir bark chunks, and 20 percent peat or cocoa

 

[weedstoner420]

wanna pick your brain a bit, what's your soil mix? I'm in Organic..I took Alfalfa Horse Feed Cubes and peed in my 55 gall and threw comfrey tea all over, have added mineral dust/kelp/gypsum/lyme/humic granuals, tomatoe mix, that bio alive (DTE products), I wanna try Rice Bran Powder and I need to get some oyster shell..but I've put the malted barley from Coots Mix in the past, but I feel like it should be added like a month to cook before breaking the soil up because of that white almost mycillic fungus it creates..but..I've put neem in there..I feel like I have enough in my soil, but I guess I'm thinking aloud...I'll probably cut it 60/40 or maybe 50/50 to cut in Bark Pieces for more aeration, so 50% Soil to 15 percent perlite 15percent fir bark chunks, and 20 percent peat or cocoa

Dang that sounds like a pretty awesome mix you've got going there

I use two Growboxes in a 3x3 tent (1.5 cu ft each/roughly same as an earthbox). I don't recall what my original mix was, probably something like equal parts compost, perlite, and store-bought potting mix, and I think I amended it with oyster shell flour, kelp meal, and some all-in-one dry fertilizer blend.

I've been recycling it for several runs, and in between I dump both boxes out and add:
- 4 cups KiS Organics Nutrient Pack
- 2 cups Espoma Tomato-Tone (because the KiS seems a bit light on K and Ca)
- 1 gallon perlite
- 1 galllon worm castings (store-bought)
So each Growbox gets about half of that added to it between runs.

I will occasionally top-dress with smaller amounts of those same amendments (minus the perlite).

I try to keep it low-effort, and I prefer the dry fert blends over individual meals/flours/etc. One area I could definitely improve on is the bio-activity, at least the stuff you can actually see moving. Not many worms or hypoaspis when I went to fill the boxes this round. Maybe I will just buy some, or amend with compost from the backyard, which has tons of critters moving about, but I have been reluctant to use for fear of bringing pests indoors...

 

[misterlaxx]

Dang that sounds like a pretty awesome mix you've got going there

I use two Growboxes in a 3x3 tent (1.5 cu ft each/roughly same as an earthbox). I don't recall what my original mix was, probably something like equal parts compost, perlite, and store-bought potting mix, and I think I amended it with oyster shell flour, kelp meal, and some all-in-one dry fertilizer blend.

I've been recycling it for several runs, and in between I dump both boxes out and add:
- 4 cups KiS Organics Nutrient Pack
- 2 cups Espoma Tomato-Tone (because the KiS seems a bit light on K and Ca)
- 1 gallon perlite
- 1 galllon worm castings (store-bought)
So each Growbox gets about half of that added to it between runs.

I will occasionally top-dress with smaller amounts of those same amendments (minus the perlite).

I try to keep it low-effort, and I prefer the dry fert blends over individual meals/flours/etc. One area I could definitely improve on is the bio-activity, at least the stuff you can actually see moving. Not many worms or hypoaspis when I went to fill the boxes this round. Maybe I will just buy some, or amend with compost from the backyard, which has tons of critters moving about, but I have been reluctant to use for fear of bringing pests indoors...

I'm blessed to live in a city where pests aren't an issue I've encountered so far (knock on wood), but that's a great mix too, when your feeding, did you set up automation ? Or just a makeshift outside clear tube you can measure the levels with ? Really gonna go for that float switch and try to top water every once in a while according to top soil moisture levels

 

[weedstoner420]

I'm blessed to live in a city where pests aren't an issue I've encountered so far (knock on wood), but that's a great mix too, when your feeding, did you set up automation ? Or just a makeshift outside clear tube you can measure the levels with ? Really gonna go for that float switch and try to top water every once in a while according to top soil moisture levels

https://www.agardenpatch.com/ this is the one I use. There's a hole in one side that you add water through, and you can see the water level inside.

Different folks have different watering habits it seems, some people let them go dry before refilling, I honestly do not notice a difference in soil moisture when the reservoir is full vs nearly empty, so I just top them off every few 2-3 days, or whenever they get below half full.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

https://www.agardenpatch.com/ this is the one I use. There's a hole in one side that you add water through, and you can see the water level inside.

Different folks have different watering habits it seems, some people let them go dry before refilling, I honestly do not notice a difference in soil moisture when the reservoir is full vs nearly empty, so I just top them off every few 2-3 days, or whenever they get below half full.

And you most likely won't see a difference, until you get a batch of anaerobic bacteria from stagnant water. I believe that's the reasoning for letting the res go dry before refilling.

 

[weedstoner420]

And you most likely won't see a difference, until you get a batch of anaerobic bacteria from stagnant water. I believe that's the reasoning for letting the res go dry before refilling.

I've heard that can happen but it has yet to happen to me, as far as I know (knock on wood). My res has never smelled bad at least, not sure how else I would know anything was up, or what the effects would be...

 

[Hollatchaboy]

I've heard that can happen but it has yet to happen to me, as far as I know (knock on wood). My res has never smelled bad at least, not sure how else I would know anything was up, or what the effects would be...

Yea it would be hard to determine its anaerobic until it's creating a problem. Odds are it might not do anything, but I'm not willing to risk it. Mine never goes more than maybe half a day empty though.