TwelveCoffee
Well-Known Member
Yes I saw that I think the other day would it be worth it to skip the solo and start with a 1 gal SIP and go from there? To prevent the two week droop?
SIP Club - Getting Hydro/Coco Results In A Soil Based Medium
- Thread starter Azimuth
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Yes, with these there's really not much advantage to trying to build roots by multiple up-pottings since the plant will just have to convert them anyhow. Might as well get started on the right foot as early as possible.
TwelveCoffee
Well-Known Member
Awesome thank you sir! Do you need to add anything like hydro guard that they use for DWC or is it good to go? Do we add Dynomyco to it? And to make sure I have it correct don’t pack layers as I did with my current plant? (pearlite soil pearlite etc.)
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No to hydro stuff, yes to Dynomyco. The standard soil advice for these things is a homogenous mix rather than layers though I don't know that anyone has actually done a side-by-side trial.
TwelveCoffee
Well-Known Member
Maybe I might do a side by side have death bubba do the layering and try there other with the other 3 plants
Update on my SIP grow.
I trimmed the lower third of each of the SIP plants - any inner possible flowers that were not gonna get much sun was removed. I left a few fan leaves along with the possible flowers on the ends of the branches. Opened up the interior for air flow, but also to force the plant to focus on the ends - i.e. build me some hefty colas. They both look very bushy up top.
I'll trim some more first week of flower. I'll remove any future larf early so the plant can focus on the tops.
The two in SIPs are gigantic compared to the 4 in fabric pots. All were sprouted within 3 days of each other.
I trimmed the lower third of each of the SIP plants - any inner possible flowers that were not gonna get much sun was removed. I left a few fan leaves along with the possible flowers on the ends of the branches. Opened up the interior for air flow, but also to force the plant to focus on the ends - i.e. build me some hefty colas. They both look very bushy up top.
I'll trim some more first week of flower. I'll remove any future larf early so the plant can focus on the tops.
The two in SIPs are gigantic compared to the 4 in fabric pots. All were sprouted within 3 days of each other.
nice outdoor sip.
these are our sip veggie planters
think we're gonna harvest most soon and try for a second grow this summer. my tomato buckets got decimated by pm.
these are our sip veggie planters
think we're gonna harvest most soon and try for a second grow this summer. my tomato buckets got decimated by pm.
Hiya TC!
Dude you gotta jump into the SIP club.
My mind is blown at how well this works.
Check out Azi's build links. I chose the one in a 5 gallon bucket using a 4" perforated drain pipe in the shape of a donut in the bottom. Super easy and inexpensive. I think I spent less than $30 to build two grow buckets.
Looks awesome!nice outdoor sip.
these are our sip veggie planters
think we're gonna harvest most soon and try for a second grow this summer. my tomato buckets got decimated by pm.
My wife has already asked me to build one for tomatoes. I like the idea of using bigger containers. What size are those tubs?
my tomato buckets are regular ones and they suck !
the black tote planters are 50L i think. they were the largest tote i could find on sale at mal-wart. there's a mini-build thread in my journal. they're a couple yrs old.
container garden build
Nice build!
What was wrong with the tomato buckets?
i did some sips style the first couple years and i think the plants basically drowned. i just went with regular buckets this year and pm destroyed them.
ReservoirDog
Well-Known Member
You got it goin' on for sure, mate. Looks really good. Your 'cardboard mulch' is great. With SIPs you learn these little tricks that give you back some control. Sometimes my plants say, "yo, help me dry out a bit, huh big fella?" so I pop off the 'mulch-cover', like yours (actually, I recently moved up to using old grow tent material, mylar) and it works great. Sometimes it says, "hey, yo, I can take some more juice" or, if I want to stretch out the between-fill time, I start slowing the evaporation process by installing the mulch, the 'mulch-cap' as I call it, in addition turning some fans down, or off. Doing this I'm able to almost double the time between rez fill-ups, if necessary.I put cardboard covers over the soil in both SIPs. Thinking this may reduce evaporation - it will be getting hot here next few days. I took a bucket lid and drew a circle on cardboard, then cut out the disk about a half inch inside the line I drew. Cut the circle in half and notched the center where it meats the stalk, and also notched where the fill pipe is. Easy to remove if desired.
Here they are yesterday before I topped them for the second time. Growing like crazy and drinking almost a gallon each per day.
So far these SIPs are rockin'!
That said, my totes have a larger surface area topsides when expressed as a ratio to overall soil volume. That is, larger than the 5-gallon pail's topside: soil volume ratio, so your mileage may vary.
It's helpful to develop and practise these controls, and keep 'em in your back pocket ready to deploy when the mood or the need takes you. Let me know if you develop any new ones, or just ideas to toss around. I'm always looking to develop some SIP understanding and controls.
I absolutely love growing this way, just love it. It was so fun to learn about it myself, and it really really sharpened my otherwise piss-poor grow game. Usually, people who've heard of it think that it's just a way to get out of having to water properly every day, but that's obviously a mistake. These plants grow faster, stronger and cleaner than all but one or two other methods that I'm aware of, and they are still competitive with them. Plus, how many super-speed-grow methods are there where you can do either Living Organic Soil, or synth-salt fertigation, soilless -- with no fuss, no pumps, no... nothing?
The plants look epic, I hope you grow Christmas trees as Buds Bunny does, but whatever floats your boat. I know you got some good genetics in there and I'm really interested to see your progress. So, thanks for making the effort, I really enjoy it.
You're using the Grow Dots, yeah? Did you pick up their recharge too? That stuff is top-notch, really is. They're selling SIP setups now too, he became a quick convert like everyone else, and his SIPs are 5-gal and pre-plumbed in the best way for immediate or eventual attachment to a gravity-feed auto-filler w/ control bucket.
Anyway, thanks again for the 'share', the plants look very good to me, very SIPpy, Best to you and yours, -RD
Thanks RD!
Yeah I was thinking I would only add water 2-3 times per week. Nope. These girls drink a LOT. I may need a bigger bucket next time. I'm seriously thinking of running a black irrigation hose over to an unused sprinkler valve and setting it to pour a gallon into each bucket every day.
I'm using Grow Dots but not the recharge - should I get that? I think @Carcass said to start adding Purpinator around the 70 day mark which would be mid-August.
I'll continue to share any learnings. I appreciate your knowledge and advice - thanks!
Day 70 might be fine but he grew his under lights and flipped it. You're flowering on a completely different timetable so what to add when might be different (including the Dots running out of steam completely as you get into September).
Yeah I was thinking same. I'll start adding the FF nutes late August. Do you think it will hurt switching nutes late in flower?
Plants don't know what nute brand you're using so switching is fine!
ReservoirDog
Well-Known Member
I'd say go for it. Yeah, they drink like crazy in SIPs.If plants had a tachometer for their metabolism, we'd be seeing it absolutely pinned into the red zone and never let up. All the extra growth, biomass, comes from - all that extra water.
That's an important observation for sure. @InTheShed , can plants like cannabis put significant amounts of P and K 'in the bank', I mean building a reserve during veg for later use in flower? I mean not just a little, but strategic P and K reserves. I've heard this in passing but have no real information.
Agree w/ Shed.
The only outdoor SIPs I have this year are for veggies. Updated pics below. There's a couple of my 27gal totes in there, but most are the bucket-shaped SIPs. They are 35-40 gallon Rubbermaid trashcans. They have the upside-down bucket reservoir design inside, made from 10-gallon nursery pots, drilled with 7/32-size holes. A 3/4" irrigation pipe hose goes down to rez. I fill them from 6-gallon carboys with battery-powered pump attached. Reservoir holds about 9 gallon. Works swish, I don't have to water for two weeks, even though they are out in direct, day-long sun. I use weeds from my backyard pond as mulch, and just keep piling on a new layer whenever I have to clean up the pond, which is often this time of year. Weeds are mainly a horsetail cousin that contains lots of silica. I use MegaCrop, Sweet Candy, Humic acid and kelp for everything, cannabis, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins!
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- #2,219
Those are some happy looking plants! 
Nice plants!I'd say go for it. Yeah, they drink like crazy in SIPs.If plants had a tachometer for their metabolism, we'd be seeing it absolutely pinned into the red zone and never let up. All the extra growth, biomass, comes from - all that extra water.
That's an important observation for sure. @InTheShed , can plants like cannabis put significant amounts of P and K 'in the bank', I mean building a reserve during veg for later use in flower? I mean not just a little, but strategic P and K reserves. I've heard this in passing but have no real information.
Agree w/ Shed.
The only outdoor SIPs I have this year are for veggies. Updated pics below. There's a couple of my 27gal totes in there, but most are the bucket-shaped SIPs. They are 35-40 gallon Rubbermaid trashcans. They have the upside-down bucket reservoir design inside, made from 10-gallon nursery pots, drilled with 7/32-size holes. A 3/4" irrigation pipe hose goes down to rez. I fill them from 6-gallon carboys with battery-powered pump attached. Reservoir holds about 9 gallon. Works swish, I don't have to water for two weeks, even though they are out in direct, day-long sun. I use weeds from my backyard pond as mulch, and just keep piling on a new layer whenever I have to clean up the pond, which is often this time of year. Weeds are mainly a horsetail cousin that contains lots of silica. I use MegaCrop, Sweet Candy, Humic acid and kelp for everything, cannabis, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins!
I like the bike too!