I'm thinking of using an air raider stone in the bottom off one off my pots with the drain holes about 1 inch above the bottom off the pot so it can trap some water and bubble it.I"ll use 1" off stone then the soil on top, my pots are one gallon becuase my box isn't that big. Has any one ever tried this?
Air in the soil?
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josh223
Well-Known Member
Re: Air in the soil ?
Soil wont's work. It won't create a proper whicking action and most likely drown your roots. A person can Google "Hempy Pot" for more comprehension.
It would work if you fill the bottom with perlite or clay pebbles. Still, the soil would wash down and suffocate the roots. Using a medium of 100% perlite, 75% perlite-25% vermiculite, or the proper substrate up to the drain holes and coco coir above will work.
Another thing, 2" above the bottom, no matter volume of the container, is the established norm. Please, feel free to check out my journals. I grow very similar. Specifically, on the last page of my current journal, JOSH 4.75, I did a little tutorial on how to make a Hempy pot using a 2 Liter soda bottle.
Even with a 2 Liter container I have to water daily. I'm not sure the bubble stone would be of any benefit as the reservoir dries up so fast. A lot of that water is absorbed and distributed up through the entire container. Also, when using the proper grow media, oxygen is replenished every time you water.
I'm just speaking from my own personal experience and such.
Soil wont's work. It won't create a proper whicking action and most likely drown your roots. A person can Google "Hempy Pot" for more comprehension.
It would work if you fill the bottom with perlite or clay pebbles. Still, the soil would wash down and suffocate the roots. Using a medium of 100% perlite, 75% perlite-25% vermiculite, or the proper substrate up to the drain holes and coco coir above will work.
Another thing, 2" above the bottom, no matter volume of the container, is the established norm. Please, feel free to check out my journals. I grow very similar. Specifically, on the last page of my current journal, JOSH 4.75, I did a little tutorial on how to make a Hempy pot using a 2 Liter soda bottle.
Even with a 2 Liter container I have to water daily. I'm not sure the bubble stone would be of any benefit as the reservoir dries up so fast. A lot of that water is absorbed and distributed up through the entire container. Also, when using the proper grow media, oxygen is replenished every time you water.
I'm just speaking from my own personal experience and such.
Re: Air in the soil ?
there is something out there about aerating soil but its some kinda thing they sell
neat stuff try and do a search on it someone was talking about it in their journal I don't remember it was a couple months back
wet soil lots of air growing like hydro
there is something out there about aerating soil but its some kinda thing they sell
neat stuff try and do a search on it someone was talking about it in their journal I don't remember it was a couple months back
wet soil lots of air growing like hydro
Re: Air in the soil ?
add more perlite to ur soil if u want it airier. If u are looking for hydro like growth rates just go hydro! Coco and perlite, or perlite/vermiculite mix would be better. I think u are asking for trouble.
U could do what i have done here on a smaller scale on single bucket or however many u want.
I potted soil into 6inch net pots and top fed only water until roots show, i then transplant to dwc. Leave at least a 4" gap between net pot and buckets. Its an easy way to start a hydro grow and once the roots hit that res BOOM, its on.
add more perlite to ur soil if u want it airier. If u are looking for hydro like growth rates just go hydro! Coco and perlite, or perlite/vermiculite mix would be better. I think u are asking for trouble.
U could do what i have done here on a smaller scale on single bucket or however many u want.
I potted soil into 6inch net pots and top fed only water until roots show, i then transplant to dwc. Leave at least a 4" gap between net pot and buckets. Its an easy way to start a hydro grow and once the roots hit that res BOOM, its on.
David Bowman
New Member
Re: Air in the soil ?
This was brought to our attention a few months ago by Voltron - HydroSoil - The Future of Soil Growing.
This was brought to our attention a few months ago by Voltron - HydroSoil - The Future of Soil Growing.
Re: Air in the soil ?
that's the one
that's the one
Re: Air in the soil ?
On a basic level the concept seems sound but i see flaws. This IMO would only be worth doing if using pure organics, if u were to add nutes i'd just go full dwc and benefit from the faster growth rates. But even then i thing there are way more effecient ways to grow.
Water temps will be an issue, it would be hard for the water to be kept below 70f as no chiller could be used. It wouldnt take long for the res to reach room temp. then u could be looking at drenched medium with less oxygen due to the over saturation of the soil and the unability of the water to carry dissolved oxygen. Its dissolved oxygen in the water that the roots want.
once u get any sizeable plant the res would need fill daily if not more often. if u used a 5 gallon bucket with a gallon of that space as the res the roots would dry that out in no time, the roots would grow into the hydroton and u effectively end up with a dry soil as the roots would wick the liquid straight from the bottom.
I this would also keep humidity raised in the grow room, the more plants u run, the more humidity there would be and in flower high humidity causes probs.
These are just my opinions, i havent used a set up like this but im experienced in hydro and currently have a soil dwc running. Once the roots break through the soil they just sit in the res, i dont see this being any different.
On a basic level the concept seems sound but i see flaws. This IMO would only be worth doing if using pure organics, if u were to add nutes i'd just go full dwc and benefit from the faster growth rates. But even then i thing there are way more effecient ways to grow.
Water temps will be an issue, it would be hard for the water to be kept below 70f as no chiller could be used. It wouldnt take long for the res to reach room temp. then u could be looking at drenched medium with less oxygen due to the over saturation of the soil and the unability of the water to carry dissolved oxygen. Its dissolved oxygen in the water that the roots want.
once u get any sizeable plant the res would need fill daily if not more often. if u used a 5 gallon bucket with a gallon of that space as the res the roots would dry that out in no time, the roots would grow into the hydroton and u effectively end up with a dry soil as the roots would wick the liquid straight from the bottom.
I this would also keep humidity raised in the grow room, the more plants u run, the more humidity there would be and in flower high humidity causes probs.
These are just my opinions, i havent used a set up like this but im experienced in hydro and currently have a soil dwc running. Once the roots break through the soil they just sit in the res, i dont see this being any different.
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Re: Air in the soil ?
Thanks for your thoughts and replies. I'm going to give it a try on one of my plants,on my next grow. I'm going to have two clones and two from seed.I,ll use one of the clone so I can compare it to other one.I'm goin to do it a little differant.I will make a pyramid type of strucsure on the bottom center of the pot out of clay stones,the soil will surround it,when I water the air pump will only run about 3 hours (or as needed) so it dosen't dry the soil out, this way the soil will stay moist and I don't have to worry about a resevoir or water temp.One concern I have is if I keep the air pump out side of my cabanit the air going in will be about 55-60 deg F. So if this doesn't working I can move the pump inside of the cabinet, if all fails I should be able to stop air raiding all together. The pyramid thing in the center wont be very large so if it doesn't work it wont creat a lage dry spot, and I sould be able to keep growing naturally.I will only know if I try,this next grow will start in about 8-9 weeks, I'll keep ya's all poeted.
Thanks for your thoughts and replies. I'm going to give it a try on one of my plants,on my next grow. I'm going to have two clones and two from seed.I,ll use one of the clone so I can compare it to other one.I'm goin to do it a little differant.I will make a pyramid type of strucsure on the bottom center of the pot out of clay stones,the soil will surround it,when I water the air pump will only run about 3 hours (or as needed) so it dosen't dry the soil out, this way the soil will stay moist and I don't have to worry about a resevoir or water temp.One concern I have is if I keep the air pump out side of my cabanit the air going in will be about 55-60 deg F. So if this doesn't working I can move the pump inside of the cabinet, if all fails I should be able to stop air raiding all together. The pyramid thing in the center wont be very large so if it doesn't work it wont creat a lage dry spot, and I sould be able to keep growing naturally.I will only know if I try,this next grow will start in about 8-9 weeks, I'll keep ya's all poeted.
Im curious why u want to use this technique when there are better proven alternatives? i think u are asking for trouble mate. the roots will quickly engulve the airstone. u be better off mixing soil 50/50 with perlite.
I would take Cultivator's advice! There was a member who recently ran a grow journal with an air stone in soil and did not have good results.
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