SIP - Pity Do Dah, SIP - Pity A

[ReservoirDog]

I am officially joining the dark side today. I have stopped at Red Lobster to console myself with seafood and a strong rum and coke and I am now willing to confess that I just left Home Depot with the parts needed to turn 5 of my 5 gallon containers into SIPs. I need to transplant my 5 Purple Kush to their finals anyway and I can't think of a better time. Pictures later today

O.M.G...erp... I mean, Yes. Yesssssss........

 

[cbdhemp808]

Yeah, you're going to need more than 5 because once you go SIP you really can't/won't go back. I get it if you want to pace yourself, but really it'll be more efficient to build all the buckets at once.

Trying to get my head around turning a living soil grow into this. What kind of yield for a 5 gal bucket?

 

[Emilya Green]

Do tell. What does the cloth sit on to keep it above the air gap?

The cloth sits on the top of the packed down soil filled in around the garden drainage pipes at the bottom. The above potting soil is filled in on top of it.

 

[Azimuth]

Trying to get my head around turning a living soil grow into this. What kind of yield for a 5 gal bucket?

Buds just harvested his last grow, 1lb+ in the 5 gal bucket. Don't think he did a living soil but the yield was above what he typically gets in his buckets.

My concern with doing this with an organic mix is I don't want it constantly sitting in water. That seems like a bad combination so I went with hydroton clay balls, but I'd imagine perlite or coco would also work for the connecting bridge since any of those handle constant water much better.

 

[Azimuth]

The cloth sits on the top of the packed down soil filled in around the garden drainage pipes at the bottom. The above potting soil is filled in on top of it.

And, 4" drainage pipe?

 

[Emilya Green]

And, 4" drainage pipe?

that's the plan

 

[cbdhemp808]

You can easily build your own diy for the cost of a 5 gal bucket with a lid, a 4" plant pot or salsa container, a short section of pvc pipe, and a few drill bits.

Waaa? A 4" pot?? Seems way too small.

 

[Azimuth]

Waaa? A 4" pot?? Seems way to small.

How so?

 

[cbdhemp808]

Buds just harvested his last grow, 1lb+ in the 5 gal bucket. Don't think he did a living soil but the yield was above what he typically gets in his buckets.

Wow.

My concern with doing this with an organic mix is I don't want it constantly sitting in water. That seems like a bad combination so I went with hydroton clay balls, but I'd imagine perlite or coco would also work for the connecting bridge since any of those handle constant water much better.

Nice term, "connecting bridge". Emilya's design seems different.

 

[cbdhemp808]

How so?

Do you mean a low pot that's 4" tall, or a pot with a 4" dia. at the top? The "dome" of the GroBucket spans the dia. of the base of the 5 gal bucket.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Trying to get my head around turning a living soil grow into this. What kind of yield for a 5 gal bucket?

There used to be a LOS (probiotic) SIPs Facebook group you might try. I'll provide some offsite links in a PM if you wish

PS I am working on an entry that compiles some of my builds pics that are strewn about this forum and other places. I'm not attempting yet (in my short time here on 420), to be properly organized in my activities here. I've been using more as a social, chatting scene, but am trying to do a bit of both now. I thank everyone for their patience with me, I owe you all, big time. For realsies.

Pics should be up, well, at least something quick for you, the next 60 mins. Look for "current" in my sig.

We definitely are striding onto a lesser travelled road, but it is still a road. Those pathfinders deserve all of the gratitude, honour and grace we can stir up.

Callout to old SIPpers! If you would care to make yourselves known, your children wish to honour you!

 

[Hash Hound]

nice grow you have going Buds. I didn't read why you're using nutes and not pain water in the sips especially with organic soil..
I was wondering if I should be adding light doses to the bottom water of my swick/wick hybrids and skip the topdress or teas.

 

[cbdhemp808]

There used to be a LOS (probiotic) SIPs Facebook group you might try. I'll provide some offsite links in a PM if you wish

Thanks, but no thanks on the FB

PS I am working on an entry that compiles some of my builds pics that are strewn about this forum and other places. I'm not attempting yet (in my short time here on 420), to be properly organized in my activities here. I've been using more as a social, chatting scene, but am trying to do a bit of both now. I thank everyone for their patience with me, I owe you all, big time. For realsies.

Pics should be up, well, at least something quick for you, the next 60 mins. Look for "current" in my sig.

excellent

 

[Azimuth]

I'm starting to feel like we are hijacking Buds' thread with the design options of these things. His journal is about his grow, not our exploration of the various elements. So, @Buds Buddy just say the word and we can take these tangents over to either my or @ReservoirDog 's thread.

That said, I'll answer a couple here while we wait for Buds to provide direction.

Wow

I know, right?! Comfortably over a pound. Was quite a plant.

Nice term, "connecting bridge". Emilya's design seems different.

I built my outside vegetable garden sips with the 4" drainage pipe and it works great. You just need something strong enough to support the weight of wet soil above while also providing for an air gap between the water and the soil, and also some way to bridge the two.

With hers, soil is packed down around the drainage pipe, and her garden cloth placed on top and then soil on top of that. The air gap is made by drilling a hole in the container wall at about 3" from the bottom so that when water is added it only partially fills the pipes. Then, the soil packed around the pipe will absorb and wick the water to the layer above the cloth. I've used sand, hydroton clay balls, etc. but lots of things will work for that connecting material.

Do you mean a low pot that's 4" tall, or a pot with a 4" dia. at the top? The "dome" of the GroBucket spans the dia. of the base of the 5 gal bucket.

Lol. This is yet another design option and is how I build mine. In this one, there is a false floor in the bucket with a 4" pot (tall and wide) in the center filled with the connecting material. The rest of the area below this false floor is the reservoir. It's usually built with two nested buckets, but I had to make do with one because of height issues in my veg space. In this one, again, the hole is made at a level about an inch below the false floor to create the air gap,

 

[ReservoirDog]

Ditto. Thanks Bud, and Az. I suppose I could do the dishes and vacuum if guests are expected. Not my thing though, you'll no doubt see.

 

[DV8]

Subbing in at page 5 (Yikes)

Cant wait to see how this all turns out for you mate.

 

[GratefulBud]

Cutting edge stuff.
Or you guys are just mad scientists.

I can't decide which. LOL!

 

[Buds Buddy]

The design I am using puts a cloth plant barrier between the layers. The roots can't pass the air gap but the suction they develop will cause the water to rise up through the barrier.

I tried putting my own cloth barrier (a bandana around the Res.). It totally disintegrated by time the grow was over.
This time, no cloth barrier.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Buds you can run all of your buckets off a main rez with a control bucket that dictates level with a multiposition float valve. Totally gravity fed, passive. Cost almost inconsequential. Never fill your buckets once. For 5x5's on slightly different levels didn't make as much sense for me. For you with many more buckets, much smaller reservoirs....

Yeah, I could do something like an Auto Pot System.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Trying to get my head around turning a living soil grow into this. What kind of yield for a 5 gal bucket?

I pulled a little over 20 oz. off one plant on my 1st go at it. I don't expect that every time, but I do think the yields will be bigger than just growing in a fabric pot.