SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

McShnutz

McShnutz

Well-Known Member
CrunchBerries said:
Have you tried without the airstones? Ran a side by side? Airstones in the reservoir have been dancing in my head. There has been chatter of them affecting the microbial innoculant specifically em1. I called Teraganix and they told me that they don’t have experience and don’t know how it would affect the em1. “Adding an airstone with a small amount of bubbles would work, and probably eliminate the need for the lime in the system.” Thoughts?
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I have done without. I did 6 casablanca lillies with a 4" cocoa bean shell mulch. Mulch turned into a green sponge it was completely inoculated by trichoderma. I have to do some digging around on FB but I have pictures from that Lilly grow. I shit you not, the flower buds were the size of a yellow banana. Once opened, the flower was wider than my head and could be smelled 70ft down the driveway. Tiger bloom was the only nutrient I used aside from the soils value and rain water.
Ever since that SIP, I've been including trich into every garden.

So as far as the EM1 is concerned. LAB is a flaculative anerobe. Depending on its environment it can function as a anerobe, or an aerobe, also ha ING 2 separate functions and benefits to us, animals and plants. When I make AACT, I don't have any microbial powders, I have DIY LAB and IMO. Everything I use is either in my ferments or in the serum. I get foam within 12hrs spilling over the sides of the bucket.
 
CrunchBerries

CrunchBerries

Well-Known Member
Xsan said:
Did you try to keep water in the res or let it dry out? Last time I kept it full as much as I could, this round I've been letting it dry out before I refill. I'm not seeing a significant difference either way.
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I kept the reservoir full. I put a tbs of molasses in a 5gal bucket to bubble out chlorine and the molasses helps with chloramine. Added food for the microbes also. The molasses water got gross, so I’ll only use clean water from here on out. Or just change the water more frequently. Think I’ll occasionally let them go dry.
I did experience some root rot, as the pumice depleted from the bottom of the container the roots became more submerged. I’ll definitely keep a closer eye on that this next go.
 
McShnutz

McShnutz

Well-Known Member
I'll be doing a side-by-side comparison with 2 SIPs I have. I'm planning to automate one of them using blusoak line and blumat Maxi on a 125psi pump system. And the other will be how everyone else is utilizing them with a passive hydroponic factor.

Should I put an airstone in each or just one?
 
GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
Hollatchaboy said:
I let my res run dry before refilling. I also usually top water before refilling the res, not always, but usually.

I've filled the res with build a bloom before, and it didn't do anything detrimental, so I guess I didn't get the ppms too high, but as you stated, always use caution.
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Indeed. It's also a bigger deal in my current setup because my soil is super hot and it's the first run with it. As usual, everything must be taken into account.

Like you, I only top-water now when the reservoir is not as full. I tested the reservoir water yesterday and it was basically still tap water--so far so good!
 
Grain Bill

Grain Bill

Member
CrunchBerries said:
Have you tried without the airstones? Ran a side by side? Airstones in the reservoir have been dancing in my head. There has been chatter of them affecting the microbial innoculant specifically em1. I called Teraganix and they told me that they don’t have experience and don’t know how it would affect the em1. “Adding an airstone with a small amount of bubbles would work, and probably eliminate the need for the lime in the system.” Thoughts?
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Hey all, I've been told not to use them with the method /nutes I used but I could not say how it applies to others. The reason was it would negatively affect microbes.
 
Grain Bill

Grain Bill

Member
I did some posts in the past and this place may be good for a follow up of this candy kush grow.

-A few weeks ago on SIP to Mars :

Presently in my sip I use RAW NPK nutes and soil is a perlite, FF Hapy Frog and worm castings mix. I have ideas to go fully organic one day but later.
First pic is how I drain it if wanted, I'm glad my setup allowed me to just fit a pipe with a few hardware store parts, then with access to a drain not too far.

For now It's 2 good plants of Candy Kush arriving in a decent growth spree and just beggining to reach the net + scraps from a difficult cloning session (will improve the process nxt time). I expected 4 plants total in 2 containers but I think I will be ok with 2 good plants + a few more veg weeks. Maybe I will be better with 2 bigger plants in this setup for next grows also, not sure. Forced experiment right here! I feel like now is time to not fuck up.
 

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Grain Bill

Grain Bill

Member
Update: so yes it did grow, 10 day since the 12/12 switch now. Maybe I sat 1 week too much in veg but stretch will be ok I hope. I'm pretty much where I wished at that point with an even and dense Candy kush canopy (semi achieved but good enough screen of green) and some inches to spare to raise the light as needed. Jack Herrer autoflos in left container where almost not trained, in the hope they would compete with older CK plants and I'm glad they did. No sign of deficiency since the beginning, this is good.

Will use a single container on nxt grows, seems enough for my small tent
 

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Grain Bill

Grain Bill

Member
Hollatchaboy said:
But isn't it the same concept as a compost tea?
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The conversation was like : Oxygen is always needed but some systems will require a supplement more than others. The total surface of the water exposed to air in the tank matters and it can vary according to different setups. Sorry I could not go much further as to how it could negatively affect some microbes in different situations. And as always I'd be curious to see what a side by side test would do but I'm too happy to do nothing this time, as I've been advised.
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Grain Bill said:
The conversation was like : Oxygen is always needed but some systems will require a supplement more than others. The total surface of the water exposed to air in the tank matters and it can vary according to different setups. Sorry I could not go much further as to how it could negatively affect some microbes in different situations. And as always I'd be curious to see what a side by side test would do but I'm too happy to do nothing this time, as I've been advised.
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Cool man. I understand. I don't run an airstone in my res, but it's because I worry more about washing out my wicks. I don't worry about microbes in the res. Worms will bring them in when they come into the res. Also, I occasionally will run em1 in the res. I don't believe that air would be good for the anaerobic microbes.
 
Jcue81

Jcue81

Well-Known Member
i got my Apple Fritter and Wedding Pie clones transplanted from 1 gallon to an earthbox. I bought three without realizing how big they are- too big for three in a 4x4. These are new cuts for me, so first priority is get some cuts rooted before flipping these. I overwatered when I got them 3 weeks ago and the stems all turned purple. New growth is green herbaceous material. Just wondering if I need to grow this out so my cuts are on fresh green material or if I can cut and root a woodier purple stem. I appreciate any suggestions. While I have been growing outdoors from seed since 1999, I am very inexperienced with indoor grows and cloning.

I am scared to overwater again so I did not water these transplants and didn’t add to the res. the mix was nicely moist when I planted. Figure I’ll give them a little top watering tonight then leave them be for 4-5 days and fill the res when they start growing as you guys recommended.

Hopeful that these two take off! Sour Diesel clone is going into a second EB tonight!

Can I add well disolved Epsom salts in the res or should that be top watered in? Got a bit of a mag deficiency in the diesel.
 

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myke

myke

Well-Known Member
Jcue81 said:
i got my Apple Fritter and Wedding Pie clones transplanted from 1 gallon to an earthbox. I bought three without realizing how big they are- too big for three in a 4x4. These are new cuts for me, so first priority is get some cuts rooted before flipping these. I overwatered when I got them 3 weeks ago and the stems all turned purple. New growth is green herbaceous material. Just wondering if I need to grow this out so my cuts are on fresh green material or if I can cut and root a woodier purple stem. I appreciate any suggestions. While I have been growing outdoors from seed since 1999, I am very inexperienced with indoor grows and cloning.

I am scared to overwater again so I did not water these transplants and didn’t add to the res. the mix was nicely moist when I planted. Figure I’ll give them a little top watering tonight then leave them be for 4-5 days and fill the res when they start growing as you guys recommended.

Hopeful that these two take off! Sour Diesel clone is going into a second EB tonight!

Can I add well disolved Epsom salts in the res or should that be top watered in? Got a bit of a mag deficiency in the diesel.
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Spray the epsom,works fast.
 
weedstoner420

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
Jcue81 said:
i got my Apple Fritter and Wedding Pie clones transplanted from 1 gallon to an earthbox. I bought three without realizing how big they are- too big for three in a 4x4. These are new cuts for me, so first priority is get some cuts rooted before flipping these. I overwatered when I got them 3 weeks ago and the stems all turned purple. New growth is green herbaceous material. Just wondering if I need to grow this out so my cuts are on fresh green material or if I can cut and root a woodier purple stem. I appreciate any suggestions. While I have been growing outdoors from seed since 1999, I am very inexperienced with indoor grows and cloning.

I am scared to overwater again so I did not water these transplants and didn’t add to the res. the mix was nicely moist when I planted. Figure I’ll give them a little top watering tonight then leave them be for 4-5 days and fill the res when they start growing as you guys recommended.

Hopeful that these two take off! Sour Diesel clone is going into a second EB tonight!

Can I add well disolved Epsom salts in the res or should that be top watered in? Got a bit of a mag deficiency in the diesel.
Click to expand...
I would take cuts from fresher/non-woody growth.

I've not used epsom salt before but have read it is better to use it as a foliar than to water it in.

Main reason I replied is, why not fill the Earthbox all the way with soil? The directions tell you to mound the soil up 4-6" over the rim. I normally do more like 1-2" because it's less messy. Either way, it's just more medium/nutrients for the roots to make use of.
 
Jcue81

Jcue81

Well-Known Member
weedstoner420 said:
I would take cuts from fresher/non-woody growth.

I've not used epsom salt before but have read it is better to use it as a foliar than to water it in.

Main reason I replied is, why not fill the Earthbox all the way with soil? The directions tell you to mound the soil up 4-6" over the rim. I normally do more like 1-2" because it's less messy. Either way, it's just more medium/nutrients for the roots to make use of.
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I was thinking I’d want room to add topdressings/castings, but I can definitely add some more and still have plenty of space to mound it up. Thanks for the tip!
 
weedstoner420

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
Jcue81 said:
I was thinking I’d want room to add topdressings/castings, but I can definitely add some more and still have plenty of space to mound it up. Thanks for the tip!
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Yahhh, I top dress mine depending on the needs of the plants but it never seems to add as much volume as I think it will. Plus the whole thing is going to compact a bit throughout the grow, unless you really packed it tight to begin with.
 
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