Self watering fabric pot base

[xtsho]

So far I've just been using them as bases, haven't wicked them at all. I chopped my first plant probably 3 weeks ago, and my 2nd one last Saturday. I'm new to growing. I'm on a pretty tight budget, so kind of working with what I have and learning as I go.

It doesn't have to cost a ton of money to grow weed. I know lots of people that grow more than they need that are on a tight budget. You don't have to spend the crazy amounts of money that so many on the forums do. I'm cheap as hell. I recycle soil and coco. I reuse the same fabric pots. I can do an entire 4 month grow of 4-6 plants for well under $100 including electricity for the light. Many that spend like there is no limit often end up failing despite the amount of money they've spent.

Anyway. Good luck with your grow.

 

[Dorian2]

The only help I can give is that the guy's who've responded know what they're doing. Good luck with sorting this out.

 

[Budzbuddha]

Overthinking all of it.
This is my abridged comment cuz i gotta take a shit ..
Use FFOF only for up to 4-5 weeks / no other nutes.
put grow bag on riser to keep bottom from being a soggy mess. No distilled water …

A coco base as mentioned would be better for that bottom watering.

 

[drsaltzman]

First off, sorry for the long post, and also, thank you for the help. So I picked up some AC infinity self watering fabric pot bases. I am running fox farm ocean forest and ff trio for nutes, 5 gal fabric pots. I'm wondering about how to feed the nutes. I currently mix mine with distilled water, in the gallon jug, then ph water, add to small watering can, and top feed slowly. If I wick these bases to use them as they are intended, how do i feed nutes without worrying about nute burn? Is it as simple as dumping the mix in the base, and once it's low, top it off with ph water? What about build up? Am I over thinking this?

With soil, I wouldn’t use those as intended.
They will make nice risers for top watering however.

 

[fatboyOGOF]

i've never used coco before. i have 2 bricks worth soaking in water with cal/mag in it. it's been soaking for days as i've been gone. i'm going to rinse it a couple of times. then mix with perlite. i'm going to assume it's still good but i'm searching for info.

i'm wondering if i can only use perlite in the bottom 1/3rd of the 5 gall bags and happy frog with a lot of perlite mixed in in the top 2/3rds. any idea?

 

[Nope_49595933949]

i've never used coco before. i have 2 bricks worth soaking in water with cal/mag in it. it's been soaking for days as i've been gone. i'm going to rinse it a couple of times. then mix with perlite. i'm going to assume it's still good but i'm searching for info.

i'm wondering if i can only use perlite in the bottom 1/3rd of the 5 gall bags and happy frog with a lot of perlite mixed in in the top 2/3rds. any idea?

Are you using coco or soil?

 

[fatboyOGOF]

Are you using coco or soil?

i was planning on using either all perlite or coco/perlite in the bottom 1/3rd and happy frog with a lot of perlite mixed in on the top 2/3rds. i read it only wicks up to 1/3rd of the bag so i'll top water the soil. still trying to figure out what is best for an auto grow.

 

[Nope_49595933949]

i was planning on using either all perlite or coco/perlite in the bottom 1/3rd and happy frog with a lot of perlite mixed in on the top 2/3rds. i read it only wicks up to 1/3rd of the bag so i'll top water the soil. still trying to figure out what is best for an auto grow.

Do you watch Mister Canuck by chance?

 

[fatboyOGOF]

Do you watch Mister Canuck by chance?

nope but i'll give him a look. thanks

 

[Nope_49595933949]

nope but i'll give him a look. thanks

 

[fatboyOGOF]

i'm trying to figure it out.

as soon as i get my money on the 1st, i'm ordering some different coco to test one or 2 plants.

got high and got an idea! i just put a 5 gallon pot with mostly happy frog and perlite into one of the bases and the 2/3 gallon of water got sucked up into the soil in less than 1/2 an hour. my main concern was thoroughly watering the bottom 3rd which made this sound like a good idea. i'm going to put in another 2/3 gallon to see what happens. it doesn't suck up all the water as it has that bump in the middle but so far, i'm happy happy

i will set up one of the bases using the wicks tomorrow to see if it works with soil. i keep running into people who think it won't work well that way. i have no reason to doubt them, but i'm a let me try it out kind of guy and see if it works a bit and if that bit is enough for my needs. i'll know soon enough.

i have no problem with top feeding. and bottom feeding and watering. i'll mess around with it. it's a step in the right direction and i'm not thrilled about using coco. i did a 5 gallon, 8 plant, bubbling bucket grow a long time ago and lost all the flowering beach balls after a feeding that was too hot. waaaaaaaaaaaay too hot. all the leaves turned into crispy dead things. never again! soil is so much more forgiving for stoners who occasionally get high and...

this and my new KS5000 has me looking forward to april 15th ish

 

[cannabiscrusader]

You have to completely wet the soil for the wick to work properly. After that the wick will take what it needs

 

[SamRD]

i'm trying to figure it out.

as soon as i get my money on the 1st, i'm ordering some different coco to test one or 2 plants.

got high and got an idea! i just put a 5 gallon pot with mostly happy frog and perlite into one of the bases and the 2/3 gallon of water got sucked up into the soil in less than 1/2 an hour. my main concern was thoroughly watering the bottom 3rd which made this sound like a good idea. i'm going to put in another 2/3 gallon to see what happens. it doesn't suck up all the water as it has that bump in the middle but so far, i'm happy happy

i will set up one of the bases using the wicks tomorrow to see if it works with soil. i keep running into people who think it won't work well that way. i have no reason to doubt them, but i'm a let me try it out kind of guy and see if it works a bit and if that bit is enough for my needs. i'll know soon enough.

i have no problem with top feeding. and bottom feeding and watering. i'll mess around with it. it's a step in the right direction and i'm not thrilled about using coco. i did a 5 gallon, 8 plant, bubbling bucket grow a long time ago and lost all the flowering beach balls after a feeding that was too hot. waaaaaaaaaaaay too hot. all the leaves turned into crispy dead things. never again! soil is so much more forgiving for stoners who occasionally get high and...

this and my new KS5000 has me looking forward to april 15th ish

I have and use the trays.

I haven’t grown with soil though, and I think you’re making a big mistake. You burning the coco plant has nothing to do with coco, you just messed up, follow the charts and feed correctly. I grow with coco + perlite, which is what they recommend. I use cropsalt at 3/3.5EC which is a match made in heaven for coco. This combination has been producing some of the best bud I’ve ever seen.

Their recommendation makes sense because the medium stays wet, coco is technically hydro, it works for this. I top water the first 2 weeks so that the roots develop and reach the bottom of the pot, then I bottom feed only and that’s it.