hesallwet
Member
I tried the Sure to Grow inserts for my Ebb and Grow system, and HATED THEM! Here's why:
1. The inserts sank to the bottom of my pots, loosing valuable root space at the top and allowing the water to soak the top of the media - soon to be followed by algae, I'm sure.
2. Then, the top of the insert dried out quickly: like in a few minutes, causing dehydration to my newly planted clones.
3. The bottom of the insert traps water - BIG TIME. I noticed that when I tipped the pot at an angle, all this water drained out: like a pint per pot. The laminar build of the fibers creates horizontal traps for water (think mica) there was just no getting around water stagnating in the middle of the lower pot.
I sent an email asking for help from STG: no reply. First, I watched the "Matt the Grower videos and put air stones in the bottom of every pot with an STG insert, as he suggested. That caused the STG inserts to burb water out of right out of the pots. The inserts didn't let the air through (bad sign) they just built up the pressure until the insert lifted up and farted around the edge of the pot. (Kinda funny actually, but caused me to lose nutrient solution onto the floor)
"So, I called the folks at 6062 Holdings (216) 360 8116 and was told that it was a known problem caused by Chinese manufacturing. I also got some advice to hang the inserts from the top of the pot with drapery hooks - which did nothing for the water entrapment, put it did cause me to cut my fingers on the points sticking up
By this time, my plants were dying: from both dehydration of the smaller plants and the start of root rot in the bigger ones. I had to carefully extricate the roots from that wad of pillow stuffing and transplanted all of them into a mixture of coco and perlite. (Maybe not ideal, but what I had on hand to deal with this growing disaster). I put a piece of filter fabric on the bottom of the pot, to keep the mix from coming out the holes, and added a rock to weigh the pot down. That's' my experience with it. Please let me know, if yours is any better. Thanks!
1. The inserts sank to the bottom of my pots, loosing valuable root space at the top and allowing the water to soak the top of the media - soon to be followed by algae, I'm sure.
2. Then, the top of the insert dried out quickly: like in a few minutes, causing dehydration to my newly planted clones.
3. The bottom of the insert traps water - BIG TIME. I noticed that when I tipped the pot at an angle, all this water drained out: like a pint per pot. The laminar build of the fibers creates horizontal traps for water (think mica) there was just no getting around water stagnating in the middle of the lower pot.
I sent an email asking for help from STG: no reply. First, I watched the "Matt the Grower videos and put air stones in the bottom of every pot with an STG insert, as he suggested. That caused the STG inserts to burb water out of right out of the pots. The inserts didn't let the air through (bad sign) they just built up the pressure until the insert lifted up and farted around the edge of the pot. (Kinda funny actually, but caused me to lose nutrient solution onto the floor)
"So, I called the folks at 6062 Holdings (216) 360 8116 and was told that it was a known problem caused by Chinese manufacturing. I also got some advice to hang the inserts from the top of the pot with drapery hooks - which did nothing for the water entrapment, put it did cause me to cut my fingers on the points sticking up
By this time, my plants were dying: from both dehydration of the smaller plants and the start of root rot in the bigger ones. I had to carefully extricate the roots from that wad of pillow stuffing and transplanted all of them into a mixture of coco and perlite. (Maybe not ideal, but what I had on hand to deal with this growing disaster). I put a piece of filter fabric on the bottom of the pot, to keep the mix from coming out the holes, and added a rock to weigh the pot down. That's' my experience with it. Please let me know, if yours is any better. Thanks!
