InTheShed Grows Inside & Out: Jump In Any Time

[Carcass]

Very little was taken up by the soil overnight

My seedling was put in to a small SIP from a regular solo cup- and it took 24 hrs. to start wicking from the rez..
It uses kite strings, instead of a wicking foot, but I think the principle is the same.?
I marked the water level on the rez, and it didn't drop at all until the second day .
The soil was just damp when I started it 3 days ago- now it's hydrated like sip soil should be..not too wet, not too dry...

 

[InTheShed]

My seedling was put in to a small SIP from a regular solo cup- and it took 24 hrs. to start wicking from the rez..
It uses kite strings, instead of a wicking foot, but I think the principle is the same.?
I marked the water level on the rez, and it didn't drop at all until the second day .
The soil was just damp when I started it 3 days ago- now it's hydrated like sip soil should be..not too wet, not too dry...

Thanks Carcass! I'll stick a barbecue skewer in and see if I can get an idea of the moisture gradient with that. If it's wicking it should be darker at the very bottom than the middle. The top will always be pretty dry being outside all day.

 

[Carcass]

Sorry, I meant to compliment you on that sweet SIP build too!
It actually showed me that I did the drain tube wrong on my smaller sip..!
I didn't run the drain tube into the "void"...It worked anyway, but it had a tendency to overfill the rez, and I'd have to drain some out to maintain the air gap..

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks Azi!

The tub is so old and brittle that there's a 1/4" broken gap at the bottom for about a third of it, and I drilled holes close to the bottom the rest of the way around (you can see some of that if you zoom in on this pic). Definitely not flush to the bucket!

This is Fox Farms Happy Frog with perlite added, so it's about 40% perlite and 60% soil. It was a bit damp coming out of the bag and the perlite was rinsed first so it had some moisture as well. I didnt top water, just filled the res until it came out the overflow tube, and it took over a gallon to fill.

Ok, if it was moist coming out of the bag it should wick fine. In that case maybe the soil absorbed what it could at the reservoir level and the wicking action hasn't kicked in yet. I'd give it a day and if you don't see any change you could top water to get it started if you want.

But personally, I'd just treat it like a normal plant initially, watering from above. Some of that water will find its way into the reservoir anyway and the plant will develop water roots over the next week or two. You'll notice a change in the form of a more robust appearance once they realize they have constant access to water with the roots to take advantage of it. At that point it's game on and you can be more aggressive watering through the fill tube.

Personally I use a dipstick to monitor reservoir water levels as well and usually only give them what they'll drink in a day or two. I figure there's no point in giving them more if they haven't consumed what's there already.

That's how I always start mine. In fact I actually go a bit slower than some others especially with a plant that hasn't been grown with the constantly wet root environment. Otherwise you end up with a droopy, overwatered looking plant (because it is) for a week or two until it transitions.

But, it's all good and you should be fine to pot your plant and let it do its thing.

 

[BeezLuiz]

You should work at a carnival.

That's been suggested to me before... but for different reasons.

The top will always be pretty dry being outside all day.

That's why the manufacturer of my unit suggests a mulch cover, to keep the top soil moist during outdoor use. Maybe you could add some mulch to the top of your soil to slow down the evaporation.

 

[InTheShed]

Sorry, I meant to compliment you on that sweet SIP build too!
It actually showed me that I did the drain tube wrong on my smaller sip..!
I didn't run the drain tube into the "void"...It worked anyway, but it had a tendency to overfill the rez, and I'd have to drain some out to maintain the air gap..

Thanks! I'm sure I got the tube-to-res idea from someone in the SIP thread.

Ok, if it was moist coming out of the bag it should wick fine. In that case maybe the soil absorbed what it could at the reservoir level and the wicking action hasn't kicked in yet. I'd give it a day and if you don't see any change you could top water to get it started if you want.

But personally, I'd just treat it like a normal plant initially, watering from above. Some of that water will find its way into the reservoir anyway and the plant will develop water roots over the next week or two. You'll notice a change in the form of a more robust appearance once they realize they have constant access to water with the roots to take advantage of it. At that point it's game on and you can be more aggressive watering through the fill tube.

Personally I use a dipstick to monitor reservoir water levels as well and usually only give them what they'll drink in a day or two. I figure there's no point in giving them more if they haven't consumed what's there already.

That's how I always start mine. In fact I actually go a bit slower than some others especially with a plant that hasn't been grown with the constantly wet root environment. Otherwise you end up with a droopy, overwatered looking plant (because it is) for a week or two until it transitions.

But, it's all good and you should be fine to pot your plant and let it do its thing.

Okay gotcha! I'm heading to Home Depot this afternoon for another two buckets to make the SWICK for the 5KC, and I'll move the GM into the new SIP as is. Cool and overcast today so a good day to transplant I figure.

That been suggest to me before... but for different reasons.

LOL!

That's why the manufacturer of my unit suggests a mulch cover, to keep the top soil moist during outdoor use. Maybe you could add some mulch to the top of your soil to slow down the evaporation.

I might do cardboard if anything but probably nothing. There weren't all that many roots near the top of the SWICK on upcan and Otter didn't see a lot of top roots on his SIP in a tent with a cover on it, so I think it's what's down lower that matters most.

 

[Azimuth]

That been suggest to me before... but for different reasons.

That's why the manufacturer of my unit suggests a mulch cover, to keep the top soil moist during outdoor use. Maybe you could add some mulch to the top of your soil to slow down the evaporation.

Your Earthbox unit has its origins in the heat of Florida summers on a tomato farm, and was developed with a plastic "mulch" covering that served two purposes. First, it kept the soil from drying out like a regular mulch would as you state, and second, it kept those heavy Florida rain events from filling the pot faster than the drain hole could empty it and thereby washing out the nutrients.

@StoneOtter and @Maritimer both used that plastic cover on their recent grows in their Earthboxes to good effect.

 

[BeezLuiz]

There weren't all that many roots near the top of the SWICK on upcan and Otter didn't see a lot of top roots on his SIP in a tent with a cover on it, so I think it's what's down lower that matters most.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that was the reasoning behind the mulch cover. I think it was so that the reservoir didn't have to work so hard keeping everything moist.

 

[BeezLuiz]

and second, it kept those heavy Florida rain events from filling the pot faster than the drain hole could empty it and thereby washing out the nutrients.

Excellent point. Thanks!

 

[Azimuth]

I might do cardboard if anything but probably nothing. There weren't all that many roots near the top of the SWICK on upcan and Otter didn't see a lot of top roots on his SIP in a tent with a cover on it, so I think it's what's down lower that matters most.

I get roots all the way to the top of my buckets but I use an organic mulch so I assume the roots populate it looking for nutrients. It's worm castings and compost so there's plenty to be found.

 

[InTheShed]

Your Earthbox unit has its origins in the heat of Florida summers on a tomato farm, and was developed with a plastic "mulch" covering that served two purposes. First, it kept the soil from drying out like a regular mulch would as you state, and second, it kept those heavy Florida rain events from filling the pot faster than the drain hole could empty it and thereby washing out the nutrients.

@StoneOtter and @Maritimer both used that plastic cover on their recent grows in their Earthboxes to great effect.

Thanks Azi!

I could be wrong, but I don't think that was the reasoning behind the mulch cover. I think it was so that the reservoir didn't have to work so hard keeping everything moist.

Might have to give that a thought then. I'm sure I can cut some cardboard to fit around the plant and downstem if I feel like the top is really drying out.

I get roots all the way to the top of my buckets but I use an organic mulch so I assume the roots populate it looking for nutrients. It's worm castings and compost so there's plenty to be found.

That might be why then, since Otter was water only LOS and didn't get much near the top.

 

[GratefulBud]

Nice job on the SIP bucket!

I'm a Sipper, you're a Sipper, wouldn't you like to be a Sipper too!
(apologies to Dr. Pepper)

 

[CaptainLucky]

Greeting folks and thanks for all your feedback! Quotes below but I want to start by saying I'm thinking of taking it apart and drilling bigger holes for the water to pass through in the res. Very little was taken up by the soil overnight and I'm thinking larger holes might speed up that process. Thoughts @Azimuth?

Thanks Nick! It's Home Depot orange.

Nah, I've got my high tech water sensor on hand:

I left it in too long so the water spread up the bamboo but it should work fine with a quick dunk.


Seemed like a reasonable decision!

Thanks TU!

Thank you Otter! I'll try to get as much above the res as I can when I upcan.



Thanks Azi, and thanks for your leadership in SIPville!

Not sure this will give anyone a true idea of how they compare with two different varieties started two different ways. It will be interesting to see if the GM makes a big move after the transition period though.

Good idea, thanks!

Noted, and I'll do my best.

More good info!

LOL! I think it just means I flip much earlier. I can't see that 5KC going my usual 90 days in veg.

What Azi and Jon said below. I first heard it when I was researching home-built aeroponic cloners, and I included that tip in the 2018 tutorial thread I did for that. Oh, here's the link.


Thanks guys!

Thank you GDB! The tub is held down by the weight of the soil above it. I wanted to be able to pull the res out at the end to do a rootopsy, which is also why I didn't glue the drain pipe to the bucket.

Glad to help sb!

Thanks con, me too!

Well the soil isn't completely saturated yet but the res is full, and it weighs (interestingly enough...) 30 pounds! You should work at a carnival.

Thanks for the info. lol CL

 

[InTheShed]

Monday double update! The first will be the 5 gallon SWICK build, and the second will be the transplanting of the Summer grow.

I went back to Home Depot for two more 5 gallon buckets, and like the other SWICKs before, one of them needed the bottom removed:

20230604_180923 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

I sanded that down a bit and then added 1 gallon of water the other bucket:

20230604_181748 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

And dumped in a lot of rinsed perlite:

20230604_183155 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

I wanted to make sure I had 1 gallon of water in the perlite. Of course perlite floats, so I used the cut-off bottom:

20230604_182732 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

to push the perlite down until the perlite and water were the same level [see here for a more detailed explanation of the reason behind the need for this]:

20230604_182748 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

I poured out the water and added another inch of perlite for the air gap, and then drilled a hole about an inch down:

20230604_183710 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

I put this side by side with my nute-mixing bucket which has gallon markings on the side:

20230604_183215 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

With a smaller plant I could have stopped there and added soil to the top, but my plant was already too big for that little soil. So I stacked the two buckets:

20230604_183750 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

20230604_183756 SWICK bucket build.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

I packed the bottom with soil and then filled it as I normally would for transplant:

20230604_185340 5KC SWICK upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

5 Killer Cookies transplant

I'll wrap it with tape tomorrow because I was working so late I didn't have time pre-build.

That's the perlite SWICK build, so next is the transplants...

 

[InTheShed]

Monday update stage 2: the one where I move both Summer grow plants into really heavy buckets on day 34!

First up was the 5 Killer Cookies coming out of the 1 gallon perlite SWICK. Here are the roots in the perlite:

20230604_185828 5KC SWICK upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

5 Killer Cookies transplant

I knocked off as much perlite as I could without damaging the roots:

20230604_185917 5KC SWICK upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

5 Killer Cookies transplant

Here's the full rootball:

20230604_190004 5KC SWICK upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

5 Killer Cookies transplant

Notice that the root growth near the top is pretty sparse, to the extent that I had to handle this carefully to prevent the top from falling apart! It's definitely focused on growing roots where the water is.

I sprinkled the roots and the hole with @DYNOMYCO, and put it in the new SWICK bucket:

20230604_190725 5KC SWICK upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

5 Killer Cookies transplant

I top-watered it with about 3/4 gallon Prescription Blend week-4 veg, and weighed it:

20230604_190937 5KC SWICK upcan weight.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

Oof on my back...and that's not with a full res!

Next up was Grandpa's Moonshine, moving from a regular top-watered 1 gallon pot to the SIP I built on Saturday. Here it was before transplant:

20230604_191822 GM upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

Grandpa's Moonshine transplant

The more evenly-distributed roots:

20230604_192000 GM upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

Grandpa's Moonshine transplant

I broke up the bottom per @Azimuth's recommendations so that there would be more soil between the plant and the top of the SIP res tub, sprinkled it all with Dynomyco, and planted it:

20230604_192604 GM SIP upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

Grandpa's Moonshine transplant

At this point I was out of PB nutes so I top-watered it with half a gallon of MC at 4.5g/gallon (standard veg strength). Since the res is full that should last it for a while now!

Here they both are after I managed to carry them into the tent last night:

20230604_192955 Summer grow upcan day 34.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

And this morning with the mother plants:

20230605_080121 Summer grow tent.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

Grandpa's Moonshine, 5 Killer Cookies - day 35

I increased the @Mars Hydro SP 250 to 100 watts and set the height for 21,000lux at the tops:

20230605_083844 tent watts.jpg

• InTheShed
• Jun 5, 2023

The light is on a slant to make up for the height difference between them.

I mixed up more PB this morning and added a little less than 1/2 gallon to the SWICK res before it overflowed onto the tent floor, so it too should be set for water for a while. They're all living inside today because it's drizzling! Tomorrow I will lift with my knees so I don't have to spend another evening on Advil and a heating pad.

Thanks for scrolling along.


Quote:

Nice job on the SIP bucket!

Thanks Grateful!

I'm a Sipper, you're a Sipper, wouldn't you like to be a Sipper too!
(apologies to Dr. Pepper)

I am now.

 

[Heavenly Hybrid]

They’re off to the races now! Nice tutorial Shed, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any changes with the g moonshine.

 

[NickHardy]

Lovely stuff Shed - by starting in fabric and going SIP/SWICK or vice versa I feel like you get optimal SIP res uptake roots and some wxtra classic upper/horizontal as pre established. Interested to see the outcome of your Fabric to SIP at the end versus the straight SWICK-SWICK.

Is that something I learned from Azi? Probably!

BTW - if someone had told me it floated in epoxy a few weeks back, well…

Of course perlite floats,

Nick

 

[InTheShed]

They’re off to the races now! Nice tutorial Shed, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any changes with the g moonshine.

Thank you double H! Could be a couple of weeks for the roots to make that transition but I'm hoping it takes off after that. I'm pretty sure the 5KC will need to be flipped by the end of June to keep it manageable, so it's a good thing one can go in the shed and the other in the tent. Phewf!

Lovely stuff Shed - by starting in fabric and going SIP/SWICK or vice versa I feel like you het optimal and horizontal. Interested to see the outcome of your Fabric to SIP at the end versus the straight SWICK-SWICK.
Is that something I learned from Azi? Probably!
BTW - if someone had told me it floated in epoxy a few weeks back, well…

Thanks Nick! The GM was actually in a 1 gallon plastic pot. I keep those tucked into 2 gallon cloth bags to keep the sun from baking the roots in the black plastic.

And yes, perlite floats, and now we know it even floats in epoxy.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Oof on my back...and that's not with a full res!

Oh no, not good

Tomorrow I will lift with my knees so I don't have to spend another evening on Advil and a heating pad.

Do be careful. Do you have a plan for if they get too heavy?

Good idea to put the watermark on your photos!

I love the full tent pic.

The tutorial was great but I don't understand what you were doing when you poured the water into the perlite and then drained it out again. Were you just making sure it is wet through? Why do you prefer a plastic pot with no base to a cloth pot on the perlite SWICK? It makes different roots because the roots in the cloth get pruned off. I think you've said but I don't recall.

 

[InTheShed]

Oh no, not good

IKR? Luckily it was a minor tweak and nothing I noticed this morning. Of course, I didn't have to schlep this morning...

Do be careful. Do you have a plan for if they get too heavy?

I have to remember to lift with the knees and not the back and arms! I think I can still lift 45lbs if I do it right.

Good idea to put the watermark on your photos!

After having my work stolen and used by a youtuber as their own I've decided to do that going forward.

I love the full tent pic.

I noticed.

The tutorial was great but I don't understand what you were doing when you poured the water into the perlite and then drained it out again. Were you just making sure it is wet through?

Sorry that wasn't clear. I wanted to make sure I had a 1 (water) gallon perlite reservoir, so I needed to find the height of perlite plus 1 gallon of water. If I was using something that didn't float, I would just keep adding it until it was 1" over the waterline. But since the perlite floats and leaves empty water at the bottom there was no way to know where that 1gal water + perlite line was without pushing the perlite down into the water to keep it from floating.

Does that make more sense?

Why do you prefer a plastic pot with no base to a cloth pot on the perlite SWICK? It makes different roots because the roots in the cloth get pruned off. I think you've said but I don't recall.

I don't want anything between the soil/roots and the perlite. In the transplant pics there were all those roots in the perlite. I don't know that they'd look like that confined to a cloth bag.