Hey, Bill! This is a great thread! Very informative and very well illustrated!
Thank you so much.
I did a lot of pictorials to make it easier to understand.
On the SIP threads everyone is talking about the importance of aeration, and aerating.
May I please ask, what do you like about the parfait layers over a straight 60/40 soil/perlite mix?
The layers of perlite are key to aeration.
A 1" thick layer of perlite will hold air in the center of the pot at all times.
The flood drain wait watering method is like a plunger.
The water pushes out old air.
Then sucks Fresh Air in behind every time you water.
so when your watering you filling the pot with air at the same time.
I was doing wet-dry until a month ago, and now I am reading so many threads I cannot keep them all straight.
Wet dry is great for regular soil.
I feed my soil girls every day,
Every Day.
Full strength nutrients and they eat it up.
Not like a regular pot of soil where it just sits in it for 3 days, waiting.
It would be great to know why you do the parfait layers.
Layers are key.
Perlite on bottom for drainage.
soil or coco next.To hold nutrients
Then a thick layer of perlite to hold air.
Soil or coco to hold nutrients
Perlite to hold air again.
And so on.
The roots have
Air & Nutrients at all times.
It's perfect for them.
Then if you can get root health products mixed in you have the perfect environment.
Bokashi Frass and Dynomyco .
But you can use what you can get.
Anything is better than nothing.
But even if you just use layers you will see an improvement.
Works in Air pots, bags, containers.
If I ever catch up, I also wanted to ask about the function of the perlite around the rim on bigger pots.
I leave the root ball sticking up an inch.
When you water it automatically goes to the outside rim.
Then the most I call it drains the water away.
always to the outside.
So roots chase the water to the outside of the pot.
Getting more air.
Sorry, it was not intuitive!
("Duhhhh...")
I can't remember if it was you or
@ReservoirDog or who, but someone put their drainage holes a little bit up in their Solo cups,
I layer the cups and feed with a marinating needle.
Works fantastic for roots.
like they had a hempy layer on the bottom of the Solo cups,
I put perlite layers in for air and drainage.
but I cannot remember where I saw it. (Who does that??)
I can't see your drainage, but it looks like you trim little edges off the clear plastic cups
Holesalwayson the bottom.
NO STANDING WATER IN THE CUPS.
But extra Holes in it are good for air.
(like me)?
I was wondering if there were any advantages to raising the drain hole,
Drain hole always on the bottom.
or if it is better to leave them on the bottom....
I hope I am asking alright.
Thanks!
Hope I explained it properly.
If you have a specific page I can go over it with you.
Keep the questions coming seriously, I want everyone to know this stuff.
This will revolutionize container growing, believe me.
Look at the results.
SIP is great, but you don't need any extra equipment to do this.
You should even do it in a SIP, it will improve things.
Hope your having a great day.
Talk soon.
Stay safe
Bill284
we have big ass frogs that visit at night and he just follows them around the garden
