SIP thread -- (Sub-Irrigated Planter)

myke

Well-Known Member
I use straight peat moss as wicks and they work great. In my diy 20 gallon, 5 gallons and my earthboxes and generic rip earth boxes I got from.a buddy who used them for cherry tomatoes on his deck. So the peat should not be the issue. And yes my soil is also peat based.
My soils pH has crept up over the last year,was thinking of adding straight peat to the wick.
Is there any fear of too much? My tap is hard at 7.2pH with calcium carbonate in it.
I dont know how much difference the straight peat would make?
 

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
My soils pH has crept up over the last year,was thinking of adding straight peat to the wick.
Is there any fear of too much? My tap is hard at 7.2pH with calcium carbonate in it.
I dont know how much difference the straight peat would make?
I would think it would be fine to use straight peat. That's what I was always taught to do actually. I used the original pdf posted at the very beginning of this thread years ago as a guide, and it mentions using plain peat moss as a wick. I also make sure to add a small mound of peat moss on top of the wick and then saturate it before adding the rest of my soil.
 

myke

Well-Known Member
I would think it would be fine to use straight peat. That's what I was always taught to do actually. I used the original pdf posted at the very beginning of this thread years ago as a guide, and it mentions using plain peat moss as a wick. I also make sure to add a small mound of peat moss on top of the wick and then saturate it before adding the rest of my soil.
My fear is roots fill the wicks pretty quickly,thinking lack of food and acidic my cause a problem.
But then my tap water probably neutralizes it in no time being submerged.
 

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
My fear is roots fill the wicks pretty quickly,thinking lack of food and acidic my cause a problem.
But then my tap water probably neutralizes it in no time being submerged.
I personally like how build a soil hacks the earthboxes and try to go with that tech...but I have gone to the dark side and bought a 4x4 soil bed to try out this next run.
 

meangreengrowinmachine

Well-Known Member
I still have fears of a big bed and having to water it,Would be like 30 gallons on ea watering or something like that.How do ya know when and how much?
From watching the build a soil 10 x 10 series on you tube in which he goes through an entire grow with a soil bed sips and 30 gallon pots, I think even some five gallons. According to him it's about the feel of the bed and you can kind of pull down the sides and feel the soil. Using mulch and or cover crop he is very successful. Going to try to replicate that and hopefully have it be as easy as sips. But we will see!
 

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
Okay, I’ve just about completed my first grow in the 10-gallon SIPs. And I could use some other perspectives on an issue.

The SIP at issue is made of two 10-gallon Roughneck totes using a 5-inch net pot for a wicking channel. Photo below.

The issue is a dry corner. I tried top-watering slowly using yucca root powder in the water then re-filling the reservoir, but a week later that corner was dry again. I keep the soil covered with a plastic bag, but this container is not wicking as well as the other (different construction as well as different soil).

The soil in this SIP is Sohum amended with biochar, some dolomite lime, and extra mycos. The soil in the other SIP is FFOF with many more amendments, and it seems to be wicking well. Perhaps a bit too well, but that’s not a major issue at the moment. And I don’t remember which soil I used to pack the net pot in this particular SIP.

So, is it possible for a soil to be too loose, too fluffy, too aerated for effective use in a SIP?

Any input would be welcome, my plan was to re-amend the existing soil in place and re-run, but I think that dry corner would cause me issues with a heavier-feeding plant.

If this isn’t the place for this post, point me in the right direction forum-wise. This thread seems to be the experience-rich environment.

Edit : The corner in question is diagonallly opposite the fill tube.
I had one run where my soil was on the dry side, even with a plastic cover, and I think it was due to not packing it tight enough. I'm thinking like, when you're top watering, the soil is going to compact over time as the water flows down through it, so there is a tendency to pack it more loosely to begin with, and maybe that compaction doesn't happen to the same degree in a sip? Since then I've packed them more tightly, especially in the wicks, and mounded the soil up as high as possible, like an inch or two over the top of the container, and it stays pretty wet that way.

Dunno why yours would only be dry in one area though. Either way, I'd dump it out and re-pack it before the next run.
 

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
I still have fears of a big bed and having to water it,Would be like 30 gallons on ea watering or something like that.How do ya know when and how much?
I kinda have that same fear. It's one of the things that's kept me from getting on board with a bed. It's another learning curve I'm sure. That's why I feel sips are superior. It's always a perfect moisture level. My plants love it, and so does the microbial life. The wigglers seem like they want out though. Lol
 

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Well, since folks use gravel or 100% perlite for a reservoir wick, I doubt a loose soil would impede the wicking of water, even in peat. Especially if water wicks to the top elsewhere.

I suspect something else is going on. Perhaps that side of your SIP is a lot warmer, or it's closer to the fan. Or maybe something is going on with the soil itself, like it didn't get fully mixed, or a big chunk of hydrophobic peat never really got moistened. I'm not sure what your biochar texture is like, and a big, dry chunk of that might be interfering?

But I doubt the soil is too aerated. Either way, I would dig in and investigate before reamending--you know, if it were me! :eyesmoke:
Maybe that side of the wick washed out?
 

myke

Well-Known Member
Question for you sippers,some cover the dirt with garbage bags and what not.Im going full on this round to eliminate the gnats.

Any concerns about air for the top soil? Plan is to put old bed sheets over then screw the tote lid down,use insulation around stem to stop any gnats from getting in or out.
Basically sealing up the whole show,ill put fabric over the fill tube so air still gets in the res.

What say you,can we completely block off all the top soil?
 

Feo309

Active Member
Okay, lots of input. Let’s see what I can add.

The biochar I added is small bits, from buildasoil, the wicking basket does rest on the bottom of the reservoir, and after looking at my notes and the bags I have laying around here I’m pretty sure I packed both wicks with Happy Frog. Because it was handy. Lol.

I packed both SIPs in layers, wetting the layers with EM1 and Recharge. Packed the soil around a 1-qt size yogurt container and filled those holes with HF to plant the seeds in.

I then covered the SIPs with garbage bags and left them to sit for over a week with empty reservoirs while I reconfigured the equipment in my tent and got seeds germinated. After I got the seeds in, I top watered conservatively and did not fill the reservoirs until the seedlings had about 2.5 weeks of growth.

That may have been the start of the issue. That corner may have dried out during this time and couldn’t recover. Dunno, and not sure how to test my hypothesis. Oh well.

The plant in this one is small. It’s a Red CBD Auto from Sweet Seeds, and they aren’t joking when they say they’re sensitive to nutrients when young. The first sets of leaves on this plant twisted like Jimmy Swaggert answering questions about the hooker in the motel room. But it got past that and is 24 inches tall with a nice thick cola.

But it never drank like the Strawberry Nuggets in the other SIP. I didn’t keep the reservoir full, but it never got empty. The SN on the other hand has been taking up a gallon a day for the past 4 weeks.

I’ll continue my thoughts on this in a bit, thanks for the input and if anyone sees any holes in my logic, chime in. It’s a rare day I don’t get called a dumbass at least once. :)
 
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myke

Well-Known Member
Or should I open the tote lid with some holes with the cloth under?.
The cloth kinda acts as a gasket, the taper of the tote makes it hard to run rope or bunjies around to seal it.
 

Feo309

Active Member
My intention was to re-amend, plant a cover crop, and introduce some worms. Then perhaps feed the worms on the edges of the dry area and see if their activity worked to correct the situation.

But dumping and re-packing after amending will prolly be the way I go, if just because of curiosity if for no better reason. Since I’m in no hurry to re-plant in that one it’ll be out of my way while I do other dumb stuff.
 

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Question for you sippers,some cover the dirt with garbage bags and what not.Im going full on this round to eliminate the gnats.

Any concerns about air for the top soil? Plan is to put old bed sheets over then screw the tote lid down,use insulation around stem to stop any gnats from getting in or out.
Basically sealing up the whole show,ill put fabric over the fill tube so air still gets in the res.

What say you,can we completely block off all the top soil?
I would think it would cause anaerobic conditions, no?
 

myke

Well-Known Member
My intention was to re-amend, plant a cover crop, and introduce some worms. Then perhaps feed the worms on the edges of the dry area and see if their activity worked to correct the situation.

But dumping and re-packing after amending will prolly be the way I go, if just because of curiosity if for no better reason. Since I’m in no hurry to re-plant in that one it’ll be out of my way while I do other dumb stuff.
Mine are 10 gallon I dump out and re amended then let cook again.My soil is depleted of nutes after ea run,I do keep it moist though so it never really dies.
 
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