The Joy Of Growing - SweetSue Goes Perpetual

You are correct Major. You also need to make sure you aren't filling your water up too high, and the bottom of the pot should not constantly be wet. You have to make sure the pot doesn't settle in too far down, or the bottom of the pot will be mud, with drowning, dead, or no roots.

I didn't post the picture because it was in a swick, I posted it to show a properly hydrated soil vegges healthy plants. I'm not currently using a swick.
 
I have to follow up that previous post with this:

I'm smoking some quick dried from the Auto Jock Horror x Auto Amnesia. Fresh and quick-dried, just so we're clear. The ash is white. The draw is smooth as silk. The buzz is a creeper that's beginning to smack me after three hits. I'm going to try for a fourth.

If this is any indication of what can be expected from the Kit, you'll have to pry my Kit from my dead fingers. Just saying. :battingeyelashes:

A personal thank you to Doc. I'm going to leave the rest to dry for a week and try again. I know that made you guys laugh. It did me. :laughtwo:
 
I have Carnival growing in this soil. :slide: Going full-scale in 7 gallons. :slide: I managed to get that fourth hit. Won't be able to have another for a while. Nice.

What a nice feeling.
 
I f-ing love science!

What we need here is a side-by-side SWICK vs. non-SWICK. If none of you get on it, I'm gonna dedicate my next-next grow to the topic. Two clones of the same strain, same soil, same light, same tent, one SWICK and one non-SWICK. Then maybe we can put this topic to rest because otherwise we're just measuring our... uh... plants.
 
Re: I f-ing love science!

MysterySeeds said:
What we need here is a side-by-side SWICK vs. non-SWICK. If none of you get on it, I'm gonna dedicate my next-next grow to the topic. Two clones of the same strain, same soil, same light, same tent, one SWICK and one non-SWICK. Then maybe we can put this topic to rest because otherwise we're just measuring our... uh... plants.
Click to expand...

PeeJay is doing this right now. He has a side-by-side running in his greenhouse.

PeeJay's Neophyte Breeding Adventure
 
Doc Bud said:
Which means it isn't drying out, which means you'll have more leaf to root than you should.

Will it still grow? Of course. Will it be the best it can be? No.

There are many methods of cultivation. There's a reason for that as different plants require varying methods of cultivation.

Our beloved plant can grow in a bucket of water, a bucket of perlite, in sterile mediums with salts and in living soil. Different methods of cultivation apply to each medium.
Click to expand...

I've spent the last few days trying to explain this to someone on here. This was for my eyes that refreshing equivalence of a breathe mint in the mouth..... ahhhhhhhh!
 
SweetSue said:
We're the "Elite Cannabis Obsessed". :laughtwo: Spoiled and proud of it. I asked the daughter if she wanted me to take some of my mad money and find some so I can make her bedtime brownies and she turned it down in deference to what Mom can grow. Love that girl. Her mother raised her right. :cheesygrinsmiley:
Click to expand...

Definitely raised her right ;) Just like how you're raising you're other girls ;)
 
SweetSue said:
Flabby and overwatered. I'll grant you mine have shown those tendencies. The plants 36 grows in obviously better soil and under better lights don't and never have to my recollection. So I can see different soils, different genotype/phenotypes, but here's where I keep coming back to. I've harvested three plants off the SWICK system. The peace of mind I gained in not having to be concerned at all about my plant's water needs is profound IMHO. The harvests have ALL been high potency, smooth, clean smoke, incredibly effective medication for every member of my family that I grow for.

I am not a lightweight smoker. The potency of what this soil and these SWICKS have offered me, with virtually no effort on my part beyond building a solid soil base, has been of an elite level. I think we're splitting hairs. Being flabby didn't leave me with meds I would in any way consider substandard. So, I'm learning the wet/dry cycle to master the Kit, because I believe that the product the Kit grows may be of a quality that I want to include in my inventory. It certainly comes very highly recommended by growers I have great respect for. I have to try it for myself. But while I'm learning to "cultivate" to reach that desired goal it's not lost on me that my LOS no-till sitting quietly in the corner on its SWICK doing it's community thing with some occasional teas or drenches has been churning out some serious weed from the beginning.

Makes you think, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Nope.
 
Capillary action and how much water the soil will actually hold are interesting variables. For those who are not familiar with capillary action, maybe you remember the "Bounty is the quicker picker-upper" tv ads? If you dip the corner of a Bounty paper towel into a puddle of grape juice it suckes up an holds onto the juice much more readily than the other leading brand... Different soil formulations will have different degrees of capillary action, just like different paper towels. Plants that look overwatered in SWICK are, from my limited observational and hands on experience, are sitting in muddy soil. In my side by side that is just beginning I've been surprised by how much moisture is permeating the soil. It is not purely a matter of the plants just drinking via water roots from the bottom. In bigger containers I imagine that the establishment of a perched water table via SWICK may be quite nice.

Just be cautious. I don'the think that things are as simple as set a pot of any old dirt in a SWICK and all your watering worries are over. It's a fun thing to dink around with, for sure.
 
It certainly isn't as simple as that. The soil components, read the aeration components, must be in balance or you court disaster. As with anything we do, watching the plant and adapting is good practice.
 
PeeJay said:
. . . In bigger containers I imagine that the establishment of a perched water table via SWICK may be quite nice.

Just be cautious. I don'the think that things are as simple as set a pot of any old dirt in a SWICK and all your watering worries are over. It's a fun thing to dink around with, for sure.
Click to expand...

I would be concerned with a perched water table becoming a problem. I worry about root rot, lack of 02 and such, I dunno? with natural breathing larger pots maybe not such an issue?

I really love the idea of it as I am gone from home 3-4 days a week. It would take the job of looking after them whilst I am gone down to a minimum.
 
SweetSue said:
Spoken like a true convert to the Kit. :battingeyelashes:
Click to expand...

For me it isn't the kit. I enjoy watering and spending time with the plants. It gives me time to look for pests and just stay in touch with them. All the ideas and theory available here is great but actual hands on time is even more important, IMO.
 
kelticBlue said:
I would be concerned with a perched water table becoming a problem. I worry about root rot, lack of 02 and such, I dunno? with natural breathing larger pots maybe not such an issue?

I really love the idea of it as I am gone from home 3-4 days a week. It would take the job of looking after them whilst I am gone down to a minimum.
Click to expand...

I just left my babies for two weeks in the hands of my roommate, who has killed every plant I set in his windowsill, and I'm not worried about him killing my Papayas on the SWICK because he only has to refill the reservoir once or twice. Simple.

Now my vegging clones without a SWICK, those worry me.

As for root rot? We'll see in 2-3 weeks when I harvest. No problems to note thus far.
 
I currently have 5 plants in my flower room raised their whole life on a SWICK (after clone dome for the clones) living on water and soil.

Of the two that are 8 weeks into flower, 1 girl (49" tall by 37" wide) has leaf yellowing that I attribute to roots not able to gather enough nutrients - HOWEVER every other plant from the same breeder has the same issue .
EXCEPT the other girl (38" tall by 24" wide) 8 weeks into flower who is perfect except for some foxtailing reveg action

Of the three that are 5, 3, 1 week into flower, none show the least little problem.

Yellowing on a SWICK after 8 weeks of flower. questionable genetics. large for indoor.

20150712_142630-2.jpg


20150712_142330.jpg


20150712_142338-1.jpg



Happy growing up on a SWICK after 8 weeks of flower. Loving it.
Awkward plant placement to get a full length photo, but she is laden with trichome leaves.

20150712_142612-1.jpg




I plan to do my next seedlings and clones OFF the SWICK until a couple of weeks after repotting - then vag more and flower on a SWICK.

I am not an experienced enough grower or experienced enough with SWICK to say it is superior or inferior to hand watering throughout the lifecycle. My preliminary observation is that once a girl has roots, in the soil I have mixed, a SWICK feeds them very well.
 
A SWICK is but one type of SIP (Sub Irrigated Planter). SIPs are nothing new, and are proven to work effectively. I don't mean this in a bad way, but A SWICK is a "poor man's" SIP. It is taking the concept and making do with minimal work and materials/money. That's not to say its bad or doesn't work, but better options are out there.

If you really want to test root growth and health in a constantly moist soil, don't do it on a SWICK. It has too many user variables to hold much (non personal) value.
 
To Swick, or not to Swick!? Wet/dry, or consistently moist?.... I got nothin'. I would be interested in a side by side, all things being equal with the exception of swick vs. hand watering. I tend toward under-watering, myself. I tend to let them begin to look thirsty before I water, except if I have a tea ready or something, then they'll get it regardless. I would certainly try a swick if that is better.

Happy to see all the babies! Yippee!!
 
Back
Top Bottom