SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

1shaggyDude

Well-Known Member
Very nice! I've probably done a half dozen grows in my 3x3, everything from one GG4 in a sip to 9 seedlings in 2 gallon pots. I'm always interested in how people utilize that space, and what seems to work for them. At this point I'm only doing one indoor and one outdoor run per year, so I need to make them both count.
I have been an outdoor guy for years. Can't beat the huge yields and free lighting. This was actually my first indoor run. I lost crops 2 years in a row because of fusarium in our new yard. I'm debating wether or not to try an outdoor sip next year. From what i have read it will get them anyway, and i hate watching them slowly die. Thanks to all you awesome sippers tossing out all this info my stash will stay full even if i am forever banished to my tent.
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
I have been an outdoor guy for years. Can't beat the huge yields and free lighting. This was actually my first indoor run. I lost crops 2 years in a row because of fusarium in our new yard. I'm debating wether or not to try an outdoor sip next year. From what i have read it will get them anyway, and i hate watching them slowly die. Thanks to all you awesome sippers tossing out all this info my stash will stay full even if i am forever banished to my tent.
I'll admit, I had to look up "fusarium", but I didn't spend enough time on it to find out what farmers are doing to combat it. How did you get that diagnosis? I thought I had it bad with bud rot and worms, but it sounds like that one is a show stopper.

It looks like you have a good handle on indoor growing, so at least you have that.
 

1shaggyDude

Well-Known Member
I'll admit, I had to look up "fusarium", but I didn't spend enough time on it to find out what farmers are doing to combat it. How did you get that diagnosis? I thought I had it bad with bud rot and worms, but it sounds like that one is a show stopper.

It looks like you have a good handle on indoor growing, so at least you have that.
We haven't figured out if it is fusarium or verticillium. They both cause the same issues. They infect the interior of the stems and choke off the vascular system. The spores can stay dormant in the ground for years before finding a host. So yeah, pretty much game over outside. It even took out all our veggie garden except one jalapeño plant that must have a resistance. I pray to the weed gods it doesn't find it's way inside somehow. Nasty stuff for sure, and basically untreatable once infected.
 

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
We haven't figured out if it is fusarium or verticillium. They both cause the same issues. They infect the interior of the stems and choke off the vascular system. The spores can stay dormant in the ground for years before finding a host. So yeah, pretty much game over outside. It even took out all our veggie garden except one jalapeño plant that must have a resistance. I pray to the weed gods it doesn't find it's way inside somehow. Nasty stuff for sure, and basically untreatable once infected.
that sucks dude, what part of the world are you in?
 

Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
Alright, the clones are coming along, no rest for the wicked, They both got Super Cropped today, and then I applied some LST bondage to both,,,, both plants had been topped once and had 2 mains,, you can see them layed over forming a Y now, I LST;ed the rest of the branches, and everything is level, Heading to the coast for 3 days, when i get back i might lay the scrog screen on and start tucking, but who knows, i change my mind daily hahaha,, Happy Growing, Ill post a pic later today when the leaves have all turned back upright ,,, BuuuYaaa,, my growing style forever changed after i did that mainline grow,, IMG_6802.JPGIMG_6803.JPGIMG_6804.JPGIMG_6805.JPGIMG_6806.JPG
 

Tennesseee

Active Member
What kind of covering are all of you using on your sips? I'm tired of these flimsy plastic things that they ship with them. I have 3 sips running right now. One plant is about to be chopped and just flipped the other 2 into flower.
 

Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
Thanks! I was thinking about that exact same thing. Glad to know I'm not the only one who was thinking that!
yup, it fit really well to, and i just cliped it around the edges,,, i wasnt about to buy more of those stretchy things from earthbox,,

got home from the beach,, 3 days later and my plants are looking great after thier super cropping,, spreading out,, now i am going to do some more bending on them tonight
 

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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
So I'm in the midst of making some mini-sips for keeping moms. I was looking at the materials on hand for wicks and have a couple spools of polypropylene olefin cord. Wondering if it's a 'safe' type of material and if it would do well with wicking. I was considering wrapping some around the corrugated pipe pieces I'm using for the rez/bottom and then coco/perlite for the contact with wicks.

May skip the extra rope/wick entirely and just use pure coco to squeeze between the pipes and give a small top-layer to then rest things atop.
 

NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
Skipped the rope, packed a thin bed of coco then laid the pipes atop ensuring I packed the voids between the two and walls then layered another inch or so bed of coco. Then threw large chunky perlite on the top and nested the smart pot (3g) on top through the lid opening. Not the usual OCD level of work I'd do, rough cuts a little sloppy- but I think it'll work exceptionally well.

One of my biggest 'fails' is watering as I'm trying to not require any pumps (air or water) and I've let my moms/clones get wilty more than once (actually way too many times). Given what SIPs did for my last run flowering, I think they'll do well as mom-keepers. I also left a good couple inches atop of the smart pot to let me top it down the road with some fresh soil/amendments to keep her going for as long as possible. Probably good practice to rotate moms after a couple times anyhow and being in cloth pots root pruning techniques leave something to be desired.
 

Tim Fox

Well-Known Member
this monday will be 4 weeks veg since planting the little clones in the growbox sip
my exhaust fan broke for 1-2 days, and wow i didnt cook my plants, even the passive cooled cobs were just fine,, thank goodness for the LED or it would have been a BBQ,, sorrted the fan to the variac speed controller,, has a few dead spots on the dail,, its 5 years old, so , its working ok , just need to check that fan every time i am at the grow box,
the dogwalker is getting its correct color back now that the temps and humidity are back on spot,,
going to veg for probably another week
pics
 

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