The Everything SWICK Club: 2023 And Beyond

[Hash Hound]

This is the bandage I ripped from the bottom of the pot. The plant looks like it is in it's death throws atm. I hope to goodness it turns around. Surely that small amount of root damage can't shock the plant hugely? Or is that what is making my plant look worse.

Swicky Pad Reverse Side

• Carmen Ray
• Aug 1, 2023
• swick swicking

Today I removed the plant from the swick due to a root invasion that was starving the plant of...

Swicky Pad

• Carmen Ray
• Aug 1, 2023
• swick swicking

Today I removed the plant from the swick due to a root invasion that was starving the plant of...

Hey @Carmen Ray maybe try just using a few strips of that fabric instead of the whole piece

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hey @Carmen Ray maybe try just using a few strips of that fabric instead of the whole piece

Hi HH, thank you. I like the idea of starting my seedlings on swicks because it takes the anxiety out of watering babies, but I'm no longer so sure of adult swicking. I'm using fabric pots whilst you are using plastic. How many wicks do you use per pot, and what size pots are you using?

I use an old cut up grow bag, same brand I usually grow in.
I don't know about getting clogged because I don't use organics in the res.

You are growing in LOS are you not? Do you ever top feed organics or are you using synthetics? Have you managed to regulate the soil so that you don't have a plethora of water roots guzzling at the bottom whilst the rest of the pot goes dry? How do you keep the top soil moist and those feeder roots active?

 

[Hash Hound]

.....I'm using fabric pots whilst you are using plastic. How many wicks do you use per pot, and what size pots are you using?

@Carmen Ray The last grow I used three and two gallon plastic pots as a synganics experiment and I used one long wick that extended out of two holes of the pot. I normally use 7g fabric pots

You are growing in LOS are you not? Do you ever top feed organics or are you using synthetics? Have you managed to regulate the soil so that you don't have a plethora of water roots guzzling at the bottom whilst the rest of the pot goes dry? How do you keep the top soil moist and those feeder roots active?

I'm not really using LOS, I use bagged soils and amend them with some organic powdered nutes. Trying some @GeoFlora Nutrients this round. I mixed a dose in throughout the soil instead of just the top.

I water the top for the first two or three times after I transplant in to the 7g's. Also I put about a half gallon of water in the res and the dry soil wicks it right up. After that I bottom water the rest of the way except to top feed 2 or 3 teas during flowering and that's it. This grow will get the GF top dress and only teas if needed.

I have bags of Gnatnix (no longer available) I made in paint strainer bags I use as gnat block and as a mulch so the top stays fairly moist with some roots crawling around up there.

Current grow just got their second top watering today and some water in the res. Probably bottom water from now on.

my Widow from seed last week with Coast of Maine on the bottom and Promix Organic top half

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• Hash Hound
• Jul 27, 2023

today

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• Hash Hound
• Aug 2, 2023

my Ghost Train Haze x Widow from seed last week with all Coast of Maine

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• Hash Hound
• Jul 27, 2023

today

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• Hash Hound
• Aug 2, 2023

 

[InTheShed]

Why don't you give it a try.

Gave it a try this morning! Post in my thread here, but it basically took about 1⅔ gallons from the top to get the res to overflow. Stay tuned!

 

[VetSmoke85]

Hi! Sorry if this has been discussed already but I'm looking for some advice.

I have 3 autos in starter pots and I'm going away for 4 days soon. I don't feel they'll be ready to transplant so I'm looking for a way to keep them watered enough while I'm away.

Here they are. What I'm wondering is, if I layer perlite in this tray and soak it, then press the starter pots into it, will it absorb enough to keep them going or do I need to thread in a wick somehow?

 

[Azimuth]

Four days isn't that much to go get too involved. Why not just give them a thorough watering before you go? Not necessarily soak the pot but more like 2-3x what you would normally give?

It'll take them 2-3 days to drain the water and maybe one more so they'll know whose boss.

But, to answer your question directly, nestling those pots down into wet perlite should work fine for such a short period.

 

[VetSmoke85]

Four days isn't that much to go get too involved. Why not just give them a thorough watering before you go? Not necessarily soak the pot but more like 2-3x what you would normally give?

It'll take them 2-3 days to drain the water and maybe one more so they'll know whose boss.

But, to answer your question directly, nestling those pots down into wet perlite should work fine for such a short period.

Thanks buddy. Yeah I did think that maybe a good watering just before leaving might work, but I'm just paranoid about doing anything to upset them. I've just got it in my head to nail it with these. Deep down I know they'll probably be best if I give them a watering and forget about them, but.......ya know. Ha ha.

 

[Hash Hound]

I like when I see the roots so I at least know they've reached the bottom and the plant should have enough to thrive.

I'm wondering if the level they are at is where the perched water table is that's usually about how high up I feel moisture.

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• Hash Hound
• Aug 12, 2023

Widow from seed, roots

 

[Gee64]

Hey Carmen, what are your thoughts on this...

What if you filled your swick reservoir through your pot.

Instead of filling the swick reservoir directly, water to runoff and let the swick catch it and reuse it.

It would please the feeder roots and still be a swick.

I don't have room to try another swick but if you are going to try another maybe this would be a successful route.

You can still top dress to avoid deficiencies this way.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hey Carmen, what are your thoughts on this...

What if you filled your swick reservoir through your pot.

Instead of filling the swick reservoir directly, water to runoff and let the swick catch it and reuse it.

It would please the feeder roots and still be a swick.

I don't have room to try another swick but if you are going to try another maybe this would be a successful route.

You can still top dress to avoid deficiencies this way.

Hey Gee,

I think next time I will top water once I up-pot. I still like swick for seedlings for the ease of watering, and the plants didn't suffer from an up-pot in either of my swick grows.

I had hoped to semi-automate watering by using swicks and I feel I have failed to deliver that objective.

What is the objective of the swick really, unless it is to develop those thick water roots? It seems more suitable for synthetics than organics but perhaps I am missing something? Does it grow bigger plants like a SIP does?

I don't have space for experiments in my garden though. The fact remains that there are already successful swickers. What are they doing right?

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hey @Carmen Ray maybe try just using a few strips of that fabric instead of the whole piece

@Gee64 , perhaps this is the answer to successful LOS, cloth pot swicking, using less surface area to wick with, and top watering some to feed the feeders, as Hash Hound suggests and as @PerkPot has been doing.

I worry that watering to runoff and allowing the plant to swick the remains will still keep the bottom of the bag too wet. I don't want to take the chance.

 

[Azimuth]

Matching the wicks to the pot and plant size were a couple of the issues I had when I experimented with swicks. I never did solve the riddle so just moved on.

An intriguing concept but I found it difficult to execute well.

 

[PerkPot]

The one thing I did was not just fill the swick and let it go. I would control how much water I put in and let it run dry before adding more. For vegging I was putting maybe a quart at a time in the swick. In flower mode I have been using about a half gallon and watching until it’s gone(usually two days) then wait for the plant to dry a little then add more water. And as mentioned in another thread I bought thinner diameter string and only have one string in each pot using the inner holes.

 

[Gee64]

Using wicks is how I started swicking and it worked really well but eventually roots and algae would clog my strings. What kind of string are you using?

 

[PerkPot]

I just bought thinner swick string on Amazon. I have changed the strings a couple times. I will check to see about algae

 

[Gee64]

I just bought thinner swick string on Amazon. I have changed the strings a couple times. I will check to see about algae

Change the wicks. That makes sense. I used 7gal pots that were pretty heavy so I never changed the wicks out. Do you top water often? I tried with pretty much zero top watering and it was a fail.

 

[PerkPot]

I just had a pot stop swicking so I changed the string. It was def dirty w a little root growth. I top water once a week to add nutrients(like elm dirt) Just a couple cups. Not a lot.

 

[PerkPot]

And I’m using 5 gallon pots. It’s tricky to change the swick especially since my plants are heavily involved in the trellis but it wasn’t too bad to do. I just lifted one side at a time to get the string into the holes then slide it to the middle of the pot

 

[Hash Hound]

.....

What if you filled your swick reservoir through your pot.

Instead of filling the swick reservoir directly, water to runoff and let the swick catch it and reuse it.

.....

@Gee64 I've tried the top watering to runoff a a few times and the runoff smelled foul the next day.
But I think some do it with sip pots with no problem

Matching the wicks to the pot and plant size were a couple of the issues I had when I experimented with swicks. I never did solve the riddle so just moved on.

An intriguing concept but I found it difficult to execute well.

@Azimuth Maybe matching the materials is why I'm having success swicking up water. I've tried a few different wick materials but using the same material as the bag makes the wick transfer the water at the same capability as the bag setting on it.
It can't wick any faster or slower other than the size or amount of wicks in the water which I can adjust if needed by lifting one or two of the wicks out of the water if it seems to wet.

Right now I think my plants are getting what then need.

GTW at transplant

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• Hash Hound
• Jul 27, 2023

Two weeks later at the 12/12 flip

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• Hash Hound
• Aug 17, 2023

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• Hash Hound
• Aug 17, 2023

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hi HH

@Gee64 I've tried the top watering to runoff a a few times and the runoff smelled foul the next day.
But I think some do it with sip pots with no problem

Good to know!

@Azimuth Maybe matching the materials is why I'm having success swicking up water. I've tried a few different wick materials but using the same material as the bag makes the wick transfer the water at the same capability as the bag setting on it.
It can't wick any faster or slower other than the size or amount of wicks in the water which I can adjust if needed by lifting one or two of the wicks out of the water if it seems to wet.

Right now I think my plants are getting what then need.

Do you ever see calcium deficiency at any stage of their growth?
Do their roots chase the water source neglecting the top feeder function? / Do you ever top water?

Your plant looks great!