SIP Club - Getting Hydro/Coco Results In A Soil Based Medium

Azimuth said:
That advice is all about establishing the proper moisture gradient in the new container before introducing the plant to it. So, yes, definitely do that.

And, presuming your existing SIP is watered according to best practices, it almost shouldn't matter when you up-pot since both containers will have the same general environment, but for me the sooner the better.
Click to expand...
Awesome thank you @Azimuth!
 
goowa said:
Awesome thank you @Azimuth!
Click to expand...
Agreed with Azimuth. Soak the new SIP with a similar ppm, elemental balance as you've been giving. Soak until rez is dry, then transplant (w/ mycs if avail). Wait a day or two, then refill reservoir and keep top unmulched for a few weeks at first. We want highest delta possible between the top's moisture level, and the bottom's moisture level - so plant can whip out a taproot, then do its hydrotropic-thang and arrange its other roots. Next fill, go full strength. Top the fifth node and remove at least bottom 1st node, I remove #2 node also as it is not very fruitful, IME. That's a basic routine for me.
 
Have all the kids and cousins out so I can mix up some liquid concentrates so I thought I'd take a pic for posterity before I go outside (it’s 27c out there!) and fill up all my outdoor sips with those veggie seedlings.
6D8FA4DB-DA5B-4D14-B321-0F95253656C8.jpeg
 
That's Bio Clean. You have to think of it like a hyper-potent version of bokashi, because it is essentially that. The range of bacteria is different, and they are packed in tight. But they turn everything that isn't living, into plant food, and then multiply like crazy. That's how it works, add them, then explode them. It's for treating septic fields. But as a dry product it can be loaded up with a food source, like bokashi, this is also bran. The pieces are much smaller but it is the same substance. They wake up in the water. There are lignum, fats, protein, rock and other consuming bacteria in extremely high abundance, on that finely ground bran, waiting to go nuts in a septic field, or your pipes, or your soil or soilless grow matrix. You can't beat "living" I always say. Phew. lol. I feed my microbes that "Sweet Candy" stuff, and you know they love that shit, it's nuts whats in there and how cheap it is for 10 kilos, really is a life supply. You mix it 1-1.5g/gallon! OK, I might be done today now. lol.
 
ReservoirDog said:
ADid you ever pick up any "drain cleaner" for your plants, as I did, Azimuth (middle-right, green lid)?? I know we discussed it once briefly. As it happens I discovered it does actually unplug a toilet too!
Click to expand...
I never did, no.

From your description it sounds like it would decimate a compost pile in pretty short order.
 
I don't recommend a full SIP reservoir when up-potting, or anytime before flower. I find that the extreme moisture of a fully loaded SIP can stunt the speed of growth. I like to keep it about half full so the plant has to go looking for the water and the main stem stays semi aerated in the upper level.
Just what I see in my empire of dirt, YMMV.
 
guys wanting SIPs should check Canadian Tire, they have a 50$ SIP on clearance for 29.99. Really good one, better than Earthbox, bigger, nicer cover, castors (wheels) If I had any unaccounted for $$ I'd be snapping them up by the half-dozen. Sorry, pics are the wrong file-type.
 
ReservoirDog said:
guys wanting SIPs should check Canadian Tire, they have a 50$ SIP on clearance for 29.99. Really good one, better than Earthbox, bigger, nicer cover, castors (wheels) If I had any unaccounted for $$ I'd be snapping them up by the half-dozen. Sorry, pics are the wrong file-type.
Click to expand...
E29522C9-DEAB-464C-944E-2977035BF4E9.jpeg

0EDFBC3F-D736-4826-899B-6AECF858B5E4.jpeg

I found some old pics of same ones. You can measure with the floor tiles in pic, they are 12” or 1 foot. Would have to water daily during flower without adaptation/customization, but they work like a hot damn.
 
"Canadian Tire" sounds like the great north version of our "Dollar General"... pretty sure i just passed by those exact planters a couple days ago.
 
ReservoirDog said:
Er… not molecular weight or atomic weight, just weight, weight. I don’t need a “solution” per se, I have many cheap 2-dec. point gram scales.

No, I want a tricorder! I wanna be able to measure out 3 grams of powder on my phone screen, cuz it’s badass af. Lol.

I would love having someone show me how to setup a dirt cheap reservoir pH / ppm logger/monitor. Gotta have logger, be dirt cheap. I don’t mind a bit of hacking here, soldering there, if need be.

Appreciate you, mate.
Click to expand...
Automated I can help with. Cheap, well that's a matter of perspective. What kind of budget you thinking here?

Here's an example but I've not had much luck with the cheap ph probes. Quality probes ain't cheap.
 
Ahoy me Mates
The rectangular Earth Boxes are working out just as @StoneOtter told me they would. Like a 747 landing in Heathrow in zero visibility. AUTOPILOT all the way to the end of flight.

Sip Crew

Sip Crew

Begin Wk 5 Flower
each consumes
1 Gal per day
MC @ 6 grams

Sip Crew

Sip Crew

Begin Wk 5 Flower
each consumes
1 Gal per day
MC @ 6 grams

Sip Crew

Sip Crew

Begin Wk 5 Flower
each consumes
1 Gal per day
MC @ 6 grams
Full Sails and Sips to ya !
 
StoneOtter said:
They're bruisers Maritimer! Strong SIP crew! Larry Bird Breath HaHaHa! Go Green! Sounds like you're recovering up enough to make work for yourself! Awesome! Try not Tee the better half off too much and you should be good to go soon!
Click to expand...
Hay Stoney,
Been under as you know. Here is the word, on the Larry Bird.

Larry Breath (sometimes called Larry Bird Breath) is an indica-leaning strain that was created when Gelato 33 was crossed with Mendo Breath F2. Users describe this bud as being very sweet with fruity creamy lemon flavor that also has a touch of vanilla.
 
Maritimer said:
Hay Stoney,
Been under as you know. Here is the word, on the Larry Bird.

Larry Breath (sometimes called Larry Bird Breath) is an indica-leaning strain that was created when Gelato 33 was crossed with Mendo Breath F2. Users describe this bud as being very sweet with fruity creamy lemon flavor that also has a touch of vanilla.
Click to expand...
And that makes perfect sense knowing the background!
Someone may not know. Larry Bird is 33.
 
Azimuth said:
I'm going to try a bit of a new design for my small container, organic SIPs since I'm finding that I'm having better results when I let them dry out a bit in between waterings than I do by keeping the reservoir full all the time.

I think at least part of the issue is that with smaller containers the perched water table sits at a much higher percentage of the total container height, leading to much less of a moisture gradient overall and leading to more sluggish, overwatered looking plants.

I've been pretty amazed that root rot is not an issue in SIPs even with the bottom inch or two of soil staying submerged in the reservoir water, and I think that is directly attributable to the air gap. So, I'm going to try extending that air chamber up higher into the soil column and see if that helps. I'll add a small, and well vented, cone-shaped container on top of my normal dome-style reservoir to bring the air chamber right up under the main root nexus and see what I learn.

The downside of course is that I'll lose even more soil volume in the process which is not ideal in an organic grow since the soil is the nutrient bank for the grow. But I figure that my small containers are too small to pack with enough minerals and nutrients to last the entire grow anyway so I already have to supplement them along the way.

My theory is that by extending the air chamber higher up in the pot, the upper, inner roots will have access to the oxygen that helps the lowers and allow for a wetter environment up there than would normally be ideal.

In addition, in an organic grow at least, it is generally advised to feed from the top which also means watering the feed from above which messes up the moisture gradient. But maybe with extra air up there, that factor will matter less than it does in a normally designed SIP.
Click to expand...
I started the experiment of adding aeration higher up in the container today. Since i like to keep all of my various experiments in one place, I posted about it in my 'Alchemy' thread Here but I'll be sure to share any notables I might learn here in the SIP Club thread.
 
It ought to make droughting easier to accomplish @Azimuth , that sort of design. What do you think? Although I admit I found it much easier in small/micro SIPs, overall it is difficult to time when to stop watering, as it takes so much longer to dry than the containers we have more experience with. I seem to remember you were a 'droughter', and I apologize if I have that wrong, but, if not, thoughts?

Your experiment inspired me while I was in the middle of making SIPs from full-size Rubbermaid trash bins, so my upside-down reservoir-creating vessel in two of them is much, much higher, only inches from the top of the bin. I realize we are essentially on opposite ends of the SIP-size-ladder from each other in this case, but that adds interest if not, ultimately, wisdom.

For SIP droughting I've yet to set a protocol of any kind... but want to (so far, the weed usually gets too strong for me if I successfully drought it, but it's not all for me). Thanks for this update/reminder of your work.
 
ReservoirDog said:
It ought to make droughting easier to accomplish @Azimuth , that sort of design. What do you think? Although I admit I found it much easier in small/micro SIPs, overall it is difficult to time when to stop watering, as it takes so much longer to dry than the containers we have more experience with. I seem to remember you were a 'droughter', and I apologize if I have that wrong, but, if not, thoughts?
Click to expand...
I think you maybe right about it making it easier to drought as extra air up top  should make the soil dry out faster. My test is with my 1L intermediate size containers but, assuming no ill effects, I intend to try it on the 2G buckets that I flower in.

I think the physics of the smaller, and therefore shorter, containers is a bit different from say 5G buckets and up because of the perched water table sitting up so high relative to the top of the respective containers so this is an attempt to level the playing field a bit.

I've long thought it was the air component, rather than the water reservoir, that was the real magic behind these things so it will be interesting to see if adding aeration higher up has a positive impact.
 
Azimuth said:
I started the experiment of adding aeration higher up in the container today.
Click to expand...
You’ve mentioned before making holes with a soldering iron. I’m a bit slow 😅

Thinking about doing the same to my Solo SIP.

Not that she needs it - she’s doing 2.5 res a day at the moment (res is only 80ml so not huge (7fl/oz) and I keep a pot and syringe ready for her. But if aeration gonna get more fire out of her then don’r mind if I do! Her trunk is pretty epic already!

Nick

IMG_2958.jpeg
IMG_2957.jpeg
 
Back
Top Bottom