Could do that too. This is just me asking what can be done with an SIP. Before I spend the $33 to make one. And before anyone suggests I go to a dollar store. Ours don't stock any of the stuff I'd need. Otherwise I'd go there instead. This is the cheapest option over found so far.
In fact it is. Especially once you get your available nutes on point. After 2nd cycle there are still enough available notes to just cut the stem at ground level. Chop the roots up with a shovel. Throw another bean in there. Some people like at add a little EWC or super compost to replace humid acid factories and kelp meal and just top dress once. Then it won't have to cook again. The decomposing root system from the old plant provides aeration and nutrients ovbiously Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
What is the smallest pot you recommend for worms. Would 7g be sufficient sir. Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
I've got about 3x the soil than I need. I could just cycle it through. It'll be thoroughly cooked by the time I'll need it next. It's been sitting for several months already. And now there's worms living in it.
That works too. It would avoid even doing top dress. Cycle the soil in a separate container...re-amending of course. Works better for SIP as having to surface water socks. My chamber is tight and I don't like moving my flowers around because I don't want to damage trichomes.
I have a fabric pot that is used to the point of ripping at the seems, I figure I could use it after cutting it down the seem as a capillary mat. Could that work for Capillary Mat purposes?
You can top water in a sip/swick just be sure not to overwater and cause too much runoff into the res. I usually let the res dry up a bit before I spray my teas to keep from overwatering and my teas are less diluted. You just gotta get a feel for how much you can topwater a saturated container. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
See I'm still new to this whole growing scene. I'm only on my second run. The first run was with a rushed supersoil. And this time it was thoroughly cooked. I'm looking at different methods of growing. Typically as close to soil based organics as I can get. I've been thinking of trying no till. Along with the SIP. However, this soil seems to be going well. Better than last time. Where I had issues with pH. No such issue this time round. I usually water with bokashi and or worm bin runoff. At about 1 part juice. To 5 parts rain water.
Sorry, forgot to answer this. I fill the space above the fabric with soil, then I put up screens to help manage the canopies and reduce energy spent on unnecessary growth.
This thread has been on the shelf for a while but it has some good info and worth starting up. Earthbox, Growbox, Grobucket, homemade, totes, I have and use them all. I found this method while looking into hydroponics several years back and like a lot about these systems. I’ve kicked around different ideas about different ones as well. I always see these described as a “fix it and forget it” type garden and the term “self watering” can be misleading I think. While they don’t need daily attention, when a collection of them becomes the norm, and it will, keeping them topped in hotter weather and for full sized plants can be busy.
I was gonna say, way to resurrect this thread, Dobro! I too have become a SIP convert. Right now it's just a simple setup - smart pot on top of lava rock in a drip tray, filled with 1/4 in of water (more or less). I'll move to using smart pots in hard pots once I get through this or my next grow (it'll be easier turning plants that way as the smart pot sticks to the lava rock and doesn't turn particularly well).
I was looking for some kind of hydro and started with rope wicking. I want to do one as you describe using a coffee can for flowers or herbs. I have an overstock of these and need to buy coffee in 5 gal buckets since I collect those too. I call these SIPs hillbilly hydroponics” but it’s a good way to garden. I hope we can get some sip enthusiast to join in. I’ve got a couple I made with buckets but I’m lazy and found those grobucket inserts that make putting one together easy.
What makes a "SIP enthusiast?" I am enthusiastic about them, lol...after trying them out and seeing how much easier life is, I'm not going back. Hell, I'm not sure I'm going to even get more complex than lava rock in the bottom of a hard pot, then a smart pot inside the hard pot. It's just too damn easy, and I don't feel the need to complicate things further - at least at this point. I'm wondering how a SIP for a 20 gallon smart pot would work - I have those, just not 20# hard pots. Seems like a biggun!
I’m waiting on delivery of a Growbox that’s on back order from the garden patch. I hope it lands today and I’ll post some pics as I put it together. I’m probably going to do another melon it it. Ive got the Earthbox jr that is a good little planter too.
I like the idea of keeping it simple too. You should post a pic of that set up you have, it sounds efficient. I’ve seen some big ones and thought about how a kidde pool would work for one. What is a SIPer? One must be loyal, live and breath the SIP. It’s a “blood in, blood out” type bunch.
I have landscape fabric in a 20 gal plastic pot with handles. A smarty would have fit, but they were out that day. They are quite heavy. I have run those for tomatoes and had the best grows ever, by a long shot. The height of a 20 makes them need more top water but they still work great. With the right size saucer I could get away for 3-4 days and not worry at all about water, especially when the plants are big and have roots all the way down to the bottom. Cheers Os