After you use up your already bought soil, look into coots water only soil mix. I run a simpler version of that with earthboxes and it's been foolproof for me. I transplant my clones into that, veg for two weeks then flower up to 10. No topdressing required.
Build a soil has coots blends already made up! they make AMAZING stuff!! All I use now is BAS products!!
I started with SIPs a couple years ago, and have really been enjoying them so far. I use my diy built 17 gallon totes. I started with about 60% quality container mix from a big box store, not potting mix, container mix. I amended 15% peat, 15% perlite, 5% vermiculite, 5% ewc. I now use the “trench of nutes” on either side of the sip with tomato-tone, as the earth box directions suggest. After a couple weeks I scratch in dry amendments and top water them in, as everyone has already recommended. I currently use espoma tomato-tone, and water in with a low dose CalMag, I mix my own CalMag but it would be 25% strength of a store bought I think. After each grow I just amend the soil with more tomato tone, some lime, a few pinches of langbeinite, I make my own crab and shrimp meal and add a bit of that, some ewc, and done, time to run again. Here’s a link to my journal if anyone would like to read more, I try to keep up here but don’t post often.
I made my own but tbh the earthboxes are INCREDIBLE and I will never go back to my home made ones lol
I’m sure the earthboxes are great and have never said a bad thing about them. As I said I even use the techniques they suggest for my nute placement. I just need more size as I grow bigger plants, I’ve been thinking of moving to 27 gallon totes vs 17 gallon, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It would be interesting to see if it made a difference, I don’t think it would make a huge impact other than having to feed less and holding more water in the res, which would both be nice. I have to leave for days at a time, and my plants now drink over 2 gallons a day, so bigger res capacity is a huge plus to me. I may automate it some day, but mine are all on wheels and movable, each it’s own system with separate scrog nets and all, so automating would make that difficult. It’s always a trade off somewhere. Have a great day, and keep on SIP’n!
Oh sorry I did not mean to imply you were talking bad about them, just my personal experience (-: if you are thinking or going that big of a SIP you might want to look into the grass roots beds. The main drawback to 27 gallon sips is they are HEAVY AF! lol so if that is not an issue grow beds are so great. I am using a 4x4 with the blu mat auto water system now also with build a soils products... insane stuff. Moms are still in earthboxes and thinking about doing some night owl autos in some soon! Happy sipping to you also!
I tried five gallon sips and the plants just out grew them so fast! good luck my friend!
I started with 5 gallon and indeed they got huge. I trim the plants back pretty good as I go along. Before I put the net out I will lollipop them and save some cuttings. The idea is to get 4 smaller plants quicker.
I buy my nutes from BAS, great company. I make 3cf of soil at a time which after filling 2 earthboxes leaves me a little soil left over. I think the orginal esrthboxes are 12/13 gallons but I use around 10g per EB. I like the slim design of the box itself, my grow area I custom built and is barely 20" deep
I don't weigh my end product but the few times I have, I have been wicked impressed by what I'm pulling with only 200watts and 10g of soil per plant. Do you know what kind of numbers you're getting with 17 gallons? 27 seems a little overkill inside, but just my opinion. We all have different environments and set ups , what may work for some might not work for others
I was going to try to squeeze 3 5 gallon SIPs into a 2x4, is this possible or will they just out pace it? I've been able to squeeze 4 3 gallon fabric pots in there before but it takes some canopy and airflow management. I know SIPs won't allow me 4 3 gallons, but I was going back to 5 gallon pots anyway, the 4 3 gallons becomes too tight and too much to manage.
One thing for sure you won't have any trouble filling the tent with plant matter. 3 is pushing it, depends on the plants, vegging period, auto or photo.