This soil won't compact as much as some other soils.....but....see below
I do believe you're exactly on the money here Sensei! I always give everything in veg a few good bottom feeds and it's always a very positive result when I do. I'll have to try it in bloom, but I worry about the weigh of 60+ gallons of soil and the weight of all that water. I'd have to re-inforce the way my trays are set up....which might not be a bad idea. I do think having the large containers helps a lot, however. Once you get over 7 gallons or so, with plants the size of ours I don't think the bottom watering has as great of an advantage.
But, I could be wrong and I'd be willing to make changes as necessary!
Either way, your plants are killing it, HH!
Thanks doc. Its always made sense to me... I admittedly never exceeded 7 gallons (waste of soil to go any larger in my setup) so u MAY be onto something with the larger pots. But in the same regard more soil means more water means more wight = more compaction in theory. Water weighs about 8.5 lbs per gallon. So watering a 60 gallon pot would mean more water weight overall sitting atop til absorbed. I'm not honestly sure how that one would work. Something I may have to play with outdoors this year eh? Thanks for the idea mate.
I see no harm in reinforced anything especially tables u depend on. And experiments as u know can lead to great things. Lmk if u do and what comes of it, would love to give it a look see
Sensei
how deep are your trays? Do you feed with nutes from the bottom also?
If it were to suck up all you put in for a normal feeding, do you keep adding until she's not thirsty any more?
I have done wicks before. But even then I would fill up the reservoir by adding over the top.
By the way in my current grow, the dirt is as high in the bucket it has been since transplant. So I really can't imagine it being compacted. You can see that a few pics back how high the dirt still is.
It is a mix of Promix Organic, some perlite. It's a fairly light mix. I normally feed with an old washing machine hose attached to the bottom of a 6gl bucket. I aerate the water until ready to use, brew a tea, lift it up on to a shelf and let gravity do it's thing.
The trays I use are just simple 16" saucers bought at the shop. They're about 2" high on the sides and hold about 1 gallon water and a 5g smartpot before overflowing. And yes sir.. bottom feed everytime. The ONLY time water touches the top of my soil it when I give them 32oz with vitamin b on transplant to water them in. Otherwise never again unless I have to top dress with super soil in which case ill water it in 1-2x then back to bottom feed.
I agree ur soil looks great, and again I apologize if I made it sound urgent lol. As I said the odds of you actually SEEING a problem from it are almost nil. Ud about have to dump the whole bucket at once to compact it to a point of starting to actually harm the plant. But consider this, the cannabis thrives off the beaten path, not because seclusion, but because the ground is not beaten.
It would grow likely just fine on the path, dry hard compacted soil (see dirt road) but we know the fluffy fresh soil off to the side will provide more air to the roots. Which anyone who's grown hydro knows this means explosive growth.
So no it wont likely have a detrimental effect on anyone's grow. But you will also never see full potential this way IMO. That's one more thing working against the Plant.
Shoes ... you gonna wear the old tired ones that are tatter torn compacted and too small anymore, sole so smashed the bottom of ur feet can't breathe ? Or u want the new ones, clean shiny, that new memory foam liner Dr scholls insteps and an arch support so high the winds beneath ur feet are almost turbulent?
I could probably give you 100 more redundant metaphors and analogies but I wont lol. . I like to give the info, and allow others to form their own opinions to share. And when o have time do a tutorial on it. Ill post up. Idea by side with the next journal
eagerly awaiting the sperimentation!!! Thanks for kind words doc. Wish u lived closer... we could benefit from one another greatly Haha.
