Need Help with First Wick Irrigation Setup

Hey all,

My 4 Super Lemon Haze seeds just popped today, and after 3 years, I finally want to try some kind of auto-watering.
Wick irrigation seems like the simplest method, so this will be my first attempt.

I typically start in 300ml plastic pots for about 10–14 days, then transplant into 8L fabric pots.
I bought some wicks off Amazon and ran them through the bottom of the pots.
My plan is to have a water pump fill the orange tray (the reservoir), then drill 4 holes in the gray tray—one for each pot—and run the wicks through them.

My main question:
Should I leave the wicks only at the bottom inside the pot, or should I run them all the way up through the soil to the top?
Also, are there any other issues with this setup I should watch out for?

Later, I plan to do something similar with my 8L fabric pots trying to immitate the AC Infinity watering base.
I put a tray/bucket below each pot and have a pump fill up the buckets.

Any advice from folks with wick experience would be much appreciated. Thanks!

If the soil is compact enough, then the wicks to the bottom, should work.

I use an earthbox. The soil is the wick, and it works pretty good.

Hollatchaboy said:

If the soil is compact enough, then the wicks to the bottom, should work.

I use an earthbox. The soil is the wick, and it works pretty good.

Click to expand...

I add about 30% perlite and when I transplant into 8L, I also add about 20% coco.
Ive heard the soil should be aerated enough because of the permanent moisture.

Guess Im going to have to find out.


This is improvised just to see if it works, I covered the open area with some plastic foil so that the water
doesnt just evaporate.

Are you trying to make a sub irrigated planter? If so, just read thru this thread..... scroll to the beginning though. I just posted the first link to the thread, that I found.

Hollatchaboy said:

Are you trying to make a sub irrigated planter? If so, just read thru this thread..... scroll to the beginning though. I just posted the first link to the thread, that I found.

Post in thread 'SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)'

Sep 26, 2024

Also @Humanrob who started this thread back when we were both experimenting with sips told me he was going offline and wouldn't be back, I know where he lives and I'll stop by soon and see how he is doing, keep on growing

• Tim Fox

• 

Click to expand...

Im not that deep into that yet. What means sub irrigated planter? Ive asked AI and it said:
"A sub-irrigated planter (SIP) is a pot that waters plants from the bottom, using a water reservoir."

Not 100% sure here, all I had in mind was to create a wick irregated system, as simple as possible, I dont
have any further knowledge or plans.

Ive placed the plants in there now, and watered the soil once, and now they start growing,
and I try to see how wet the soil stays and If I have to water it, and how quick the water disappers from the tank.



The wicks are all in the water, about 2-7 cm away from the pot's bottom.

Normally, I dont have to water for about 8-10 days with high enough humidity on first planting.
Lets see what happens.