- Thread starter
- #121
Wow that's jolly awesome Twalte. Thank you.I found a wicking plate for you Carmen on Amazon. They sell wicks too.
The Everything SWICK Club: 2023 And Beyond
- Thread starter Carmen Ray
- Start date
I bought those last year and used one in the garden vs a soil filled cup sip.
Both grew huge tomato plants. Twice the size of the ones in the garden dirt.
The wick was almost gone inside media, not much more than the core left, and a decent amount of roots followed the wick into the res.
They fit nice in a 5g bucket.
And I've used them to wick water for 7g bags similar to the fabric wicks I use now.
These wicks were a bit to thick and it wasn't getting very good contact with the bag, so I switched to four thinner ones which worked a bit better. It was also to unstable for my purpose so I shortened the legs a bit.
I used it till I started using the fabric on plant risers.
One could pack the 4 thin risers with media and they would sip up water
I think I saw this one Lee Valley Tools or something like that
Both grew huge tomato plants. Twice the size of the ones in the garden dirt.
The wick was almost gone inside media, not much more than the core left, and a decent amount of roots followed the wick into the res.
They fit nice in a 5g bucket.
And I've used them to wick water for 7g bags similar to the fabric wicks I use now.
These wicks were a bit to thick and it wasn't getting very good contact with the bag, so I switched to four thinner ones which worked a bit better. It was also to unstable for my purpose so I shortened the legs a bit.
I used it till I started using the fabric on plant risers.
One could pack the 4 thin risers with media and they would sip up water
I think I saw this one Lee Valley Tools or something like that
- Thread starter
- #123
Thanks for the feedback HH. What media would you suggest packing the risers with?
That's an interesting looking self watering bag planter.
Whatever one would pack their soil cups with in a sip
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Here is a shot of the roots on day 19. If you zoom in you can see remnants of others already air pruned. Tomorrow I will lift the pot and see whats underneath. Again, the pot is 10 gallons and 15" tall.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Day 36 above ground. Check out where the pot and the pad meet. I think the root tips have pulled myco through and into the pad. White spores and hyphae.
And when I tried to lift the pot off the pad it was attached
- Thread starter
- #127
Hi folks I am having a little concern with my swicks. The wicking fabric feels fairly dry to the touch despite their lower ends of the wick being in the water. The bottom of my one pot feels damp and it is covered in algae, and it is cool to touch up to 2/3 of the pot height but the top third was dry. I poked my finger in quite deep and it was dry like that in both pots. The second pot has a watermark on the bottom and a bit of algae but it doesn't feel damp or cool. They are / were both wicking. I have been changing the pots so they each get a chance on each swick and the one never quite seems to catch up to the other. I gave them each about 1.5L in a top watering, although neither plant had showed any signs of being underwatered. They have held a good moisture gradient throughout. Can anyone comment on why they would remain dry in the topsoil. Did I do the correct thing to add some top water? I guess time will tell, but does the wicking stop or slow down if the top is dry?
I am not seeing any roots anywhere so no idea what they are doing.
I am not seeing any roots anywhere so no idea what they are doing.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
got some pics? When I lift my cloth pots I wiggle and twist them a bit when I set them back down.
If you don't get a good contact with the pot bottom, capillary action gets broken similar to siphoning and getting an airlock.
You can restart it by top watering gently until the reservoir is almost full.
Go slow as all the water going in from the top must get to the res thru the wick to prime the wick properly, or at least enough to fully saturated the wick end to end.
- Thread starter
- #129
Hi Gee, I have some roots poking through 
Thanks for the tips to get the capillary action optimal again.
You'll see that the second plant is somewhat broken but it's surviving and hopefully I will get something off it. They are both autos.
Thanks for the tips to get the capillary action optimal again.
You'll see that the second plant is somewhat broken but it's surviving and hopefully I will get something off it. They are both autos.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
I would definitely try priming from the top. The first time I lifted my pot I broke the suction and didn't get it back. The pot started to dry.Hi Gee, I have some roots poking through
Thanks for the tips to get the capillary action optimal again.
You'll see that the second plant is somewhat broken but it's surviving and hopefully I will get something off it. They are both autos.
I use a thick cushy wool pad so you can really squish the pot bottom into it.
I carefully wiggle the pot gently into the pad when I set it down.
Your roots look close to attaching to your fabric so if you get it working be careful if you lift the pot again.
It happened quick when mine decided to attach to the pad, I almost ripped some.
I won't lift it anymore now.
- Thread starter
- #131
A couple of mornings ago I noticed that both reservoirs had emptied completely overnight. It seems likely that the wicks had lost the capillary action as a result of drying out and I may not have done a good enough job of saturating them again.
Is it a bad thing for a few of the roots to rip a bit? I'm thinking of the little ones poking out of the bottom.
If you use a proper material for the wick it should start back up by itself once the bottom end is rehydrated. One of the ways I test wicks is by setting one end in a glass of water and seeing if it is able to move water up.
Instead I would suggest the issue is that your upper soil has become hydrophobic after it dried and to rewet it you have to water from the top like Gee said. And slowly since you're not trying to water but instead to wet. And a misting with a sprayer is probably the best option, and with a wetting agent like aloe or yucca or something would be the best of all.
If your mix was working properly before, that should reset the system.
Instead I would suggest the issue is that your upper soil has become hydrophobic after it dried and to rewet it you have to water from the top like Gee said. And slowly since you're not trying to water but instead to wet. And a misting with a sprayer is probably the best option, and with a wetting agent like aloe or yucca or something would be the best of all.
If your mix was working properly before, that should reset the system.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
The dry reservoir could definitely stop the capillary action. I don't think breaking a few roots would harm the plant long term but not breaking any is better.
- Thread starter
- #134
No it was fine. I tested the wicking materials well prior to use, and noted several times that the wicking is working. The pots were heavy. The plants were neither under-watered nor under-fed. The soil on top was not at all hydrophobic and the trickle I sent down from the top has reinstated the capillary action. No biggie. Thanks Azi.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Azi what kind of wick material do I wan't? Jumpstarting sucks lol
I'll have to go check and see if I still have the package, but I believe I used 5/16" polypropylene rope. It's soft, almost silky in texture, and is made of a huge amount of individual filaments wrapped around a more solid core.
You don't want an organic fabric like cotton and such as over time it will rot and could introduce anaerobic conditions in the reservoir.
You don't want an organic fabric like cotton and such as over time it will rot and could introduce anaerobic conditions in the reservoir.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
Excellent! I will grab some. Yeah anaerobics, good point. I will remember that, thank you
the old grow bag I cut up for wicks is made of polypropylene and it works the best of anything I've tried so far.
followed by polyester and nylon. cotton is good but does degrade in the grow media.
Gee64
Well-Known Member
I see a polypropylene pattern arising
Not that I have anything against a good anaerobic mix, mind you. My Jadam extracts are all anaerobic and smell terribly.Excellent! I will grab some. Yeah anaerobics, good point. I will remember that, thank you
That's how I know I did them right.
