SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

cindysid

cindysid

Well-Known Member
cindysid said:
I will check it out. I want only the best for my phat girls!
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Ok they have Barley Mulch (doesn't say malted) and Blue Oyster mushroom logs which you can break up to make mulch. Which do you think would be better? It seems to me that the mushroom logs would work great since they already have plenty of fungal activity.
 
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Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
cindysid said:
Ok they have Barley Mulch (doesn't say malted) and Blue Oyster mushroom logs which you can break up to make mulch. Which do you think would be better?
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Depends on how fungally dominant you believe your soil may be. Imo, with a sip, fungal dominance is easily achieved and kept, with all the moisture. There's other ways of getting there though. I just like diversity, cuz then I cover all my bases.
 
cindysid

cindysid

Well-Known Member
Hollatchaboy said:
You would probably have to do more than 1, depending on how long you veg it out. I'd say cage it, but it might make it difficult to water, and feed if needed.
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I plan on building a framework on four legs to set over the top of the trough, extending beyond the trough on each side. I will cover the top of the frame with 3x3 in netting. I will have a watering pipe on one end extending into the reservoir of the trough. Hopefully with so much soil, I can have enough nutrient in the soil to carry me through until harvest. I will have a hose going from the drain to the lower part of my deck, where I raise tomatoes in big pots. Figured the effluent from the sip won't do them any harm. Any critique or suggestions about my plan are welcome.
 
myke

myke

Well-Known Member
Myself it would be more about how it looks,I did plastic totes last year and just spray painted the lids to hide the yellow.This year Ill make them a little more modern looking.
 
cindysid

cindysid

Well-Known Member
myke said:
Myself it would be more about how it looks,I did plastic totes last year and just spray painted the lids to hide the yellow.This year Ill make them a little more modern looking.
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The troughs are black. I've used them to raise koi before and I can make them look pretty nice, especially when they have huge cannabis plants growing in them! In theory this seems like a great idea. I'm sure I'll run into some problems along the way.
 
myke

myke

Well-Known Member
cindysid said:
The troughs are black. I've used them to raise koi before and I can make them look pretty nice, especially when they have huge cannabis plants growing in them! In theory this seems like a great idea. I'm sure I'll run into some problems along the way.
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If they didnt smell so much Id grow them outside too,frig-gen aphids just get stuck to them.
 
GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
I'd say the wicking bed was a success. I'll finish up the thread in Organics with some final pics, but I'm joining this band of green thumbs.

For those unfamiliar with my project, it's full-on living soil I customized with mostly local inputs (from my yard). My goal is to cut out all outsourced inputs and go with a conflation of hugelkultur and KNF.

In case no one here has mentioned it, SIPs are the best.

See pics for case-in-point.
 

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Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
GenericEnigma said:
I'd say the wicking bed was a success. I'll finish up the thread in Organics with some final pics, but I'm joining this band of green thumbs.

For those unfamiliar with my project, it's full-on living soil I customized with mostly local inputs (from my yard). My goal is to cut out all outsourced inputs and go with a conflation of hugelkultur and KNF.

In case no one here has mentioned it, SIPs are the best.

See pics for case-in-point.
Click to expand...
Imo there's no argument that sips are the best.
 
F

Feo309

Active Member
Okay, I’ve just about completed my first grow in the 10-gallon SIPs. And I could use some other perspectives on an issue.

The SIP at issue is made of two 10-gallon Roughneck totes using a 5-inch net pot for a wicking channel. Photo below.

The issue is a dry corner. I tried top-watering slowly using yucca root powder in the water then re-filling the reservoir, but a week later that corner was dry again. I keep the soil covered with a plastic bag, but this container is not wicking as well as the other (different construction as well as different soil).

The soil in this SIP is Sohum amended with biochar, some dolomite lime, and extra mycos. The soil in the other SIP is FFOF with many more amendments, and it seems to be wicking well. Perhaps a bit too well, but that’s not a major issue at the moment. And I don’t remember which soil I used to pack the net pot in this particular SIP.

So, is it possible for a soil to be too loose, too fluffy, too aerated for effective use in a SIP?

Any input would be welcome, my plan was to re-amend the existing soil in place and re-run, but I think that dry corner would cause me issues with a heavier-feeding plant.

If this isn’t the place for this post, point me in the right direction forum-wise. This thread seems to be the experience-rich environment.

Edit : The corner in question is diagonallly opposite the fill tube.
 

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GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
Feo309 said:
Okay, I’ve just about completed my first grow in the 10-gallon SIPs. And I could use some other perspectives on an issue.

The SIP at issue is made of two 10-gallon Roughneck totes using a 5-inch net pot for a wicking channel. Photo below.

The issue is a dry corner. I tried top-watering slowly using yucca root powder in the water then re-filling the reservoir, but a week later that corner was dry again. I keep the soil covered with a plastic bag, but this container is not wicking as well as the other (different construction as well as different soil).

The soil in this SIP is Sohum amended with biochar, some dolomite lime, and extra mycos. The soil in the other SIP is FFOF with many more amendments, and it seems to be wicking well. Perhaps a bit too well, but that’s not a major issue at the moment. And I don’t remember which soil I used to pack the net pot in this particular SIP.

So, is it possible for a soil to be too loose, too fluffy, too aerated for effective use in a SIP?

Any input would be welcome, my plan was to re-amend the existing soil in place and re-run, but I think that dry corner would cause me issues with a heavier-feeding plant.

If this isn’t the place for this post, point me in the right direction forum-wise. This thread seems to be the experience-rich environment.

Edit : The corner in question is diagonallly opposite the fill tube.
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Well, since folks use gravel or 100% perlite for a reservoir wick, I doubt a loose soil would impede the wicking of water, even in peat. Especially if water wicks to the top elsewhere.

I suspect something else is going on. Perhaps that side of your SIP is a lot warmer, or it's closer to the fan. Or maybe something is going on with the soil itself, like it didn't get fully mixed, or a big chunk of hydrophobic peat never really got moistened. I'm not sure what your biochar texture is like, and a big, dry chunk of that might be interfering?

But I doubt the soil is too aerated. Either way, I would dig in and investigate before reamending--you know, if it were me! :eyesmoke:
 
myke

myke

Well-Known Member
Is the plant on the small side? My soil is all peat base and there's no problems with wicking.The soil is always wet even if the lid is off.
Are you keeping the res full?
Does the wick sit right on the bottom tote?
Would have to think its your soil mix,
My wicks are filled with same soil nothing different.
 
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