Nick Hardy's Skunk Works #2 The Giant SIP Outdoor Soil: Thailand!

Aww shucks.

Mostly @Jon - your suggestion

Its your fault

So the SIP is nearly built and the seeds are in a bag. Title is self explanatory but build and strain deets to follow. This is a 120L SIP built out of a trash can that I’m going to veg on one balcony and flip by moving her to another balcony on another side of the house. Slow burner journal. I’m hoping to harvest in around January. Fingers crossed. Pests, plagues and floods ahead on the tropical sland of Phuket, Thailand.

Here’s how I pop seeds. I was talking to @locoforcoco earlier who like me in the very recent past is stressing about popping seeds. I use basically the same process that Simon of Serious uses. Having structure to it fixed it for me. I’ll see if I can find the photo's I took of their instructions. This is almost exactly what they recommend though.

Putting it post #1 so I have a handy reference!

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Here is a picture of 4 @Sweet Seeds Tommy Red Hit Cookies. 60-% chance of a red pheno. Looks sweet!

I put them to soak for one hour in a light H2o2 water. I take straight from our swimming pool as its an ozone pool - basically injects the Hydrogen peroxide into the water. It gives a couple of percent total H2o2. One hour only. The water btw is always 6.9. I fonmr why they test it to that but they do. Well at least thats what my Blue Lab Ph pen reads. They use droppers and paper 🤷🏽 I did a remote grow in the UK and we bought some low H2o2 solution and mixed with water - I think diluted too much as they were quite slow. We never keep seeds in the fridge. Love the humidity on them.

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I take a two piece strip of kitchen roll and drop some of the same water over the towel and pop the seeds in.

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I fold it up like a 5 year old wrapping Christmas presents. Adding a little, little bit of the soaking water which helps seal the package. I’m dropping 0.5ml of water at a time here. Very carefully, hence syringe.
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Pop it in the bag. That’s a bit fiddly sometimes.

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All bagged and zipped up with my cardboard light protectors.

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I clothes peg the cardboard over and hang it in a darkish corner of the hallway/living area edges.

Once or twice a day walking past Inwill lift the bottom of the bag to the vertical and let it swing back down. The water that collects at the bottom of the bag refreshes the paper at it swings up. Neat.

That’s Stage #1 - Stage #2 will follow in 36-48 hours.

Next up the SIP build. Nearly finished. Later I’ll explain my methodology for mixing soil (Never grown in soil before so need to invent that)

Slow burner journal. The SIP build teaser below.

Nick & Co

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My pool is fed with either 35% or 50% HP. The system apparently gets it down to 2-3% - not sure and not sure the owner of the company that installed it knows either but his staff come twice a week to take care of it all.

I just read 30-60ppm H2o2 in a pool is the target. The guide I have is the safe where I keep the seeds I’ll pull it out tomorrow. We did 50/50 with water/store bought H2o2. I’d do 25% water with 75% 3% H2o2 probably. Also our pool has plant matter, there are banana trees next to it, leaves, jungle stuff ends up in the pool. So they push the PPM def higher than tap/RO or whatever. A handy little boost for them. Our well water we use for the plants is similarly slightly higher PPM that the filter water taps in the house.

Apart from this grow we have always been pure coco growers. Hydro style in airpots. But we start them off right before they touch coco. Think of it as like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. They’re different critters to some extent.

We also don’t bury the seed husk (if they haven’t already popped leaves in the bags which has happened before - all ok fortunately 😅) but that’s for the next stage.

Nick
 
Thanks @Roy Growin - I reckon we are probably on around the same % H2O2. CD case I get totally. Would that I had one!

For me I think they should net out the same. For our main grow its too space inefficient, and we have push button watering. For the Solo grow well we have push button watering so the SIPs are a pain because that’s by hand. (I know there are types you can buy/build that are automatic but still space inefficient for us) but also I think the heat in the res can be an issue - pretty sure we’re seeing it in the Solo SIPs now.

This mega one - its got 3.5m sideways and 2.4m vertically to grow into - 90cm total in the other z axis! … - filling a 12 gallon res every so often into soil with amendments outdoors - yep dead easy, hopefully go monster. Maybe a coco airpot too but think it would need more watering attention at that point. Way more nutes. But this one - I’m
Already looking at how to cool the res.

The outdoor ambient temperature average is close on 30c. Plus she’s going to be getting direct sunlight. Low airflow to the res. Lack of oxygen available to the roots as the temp rises. I’m thinking a bubbler in the res. But swap this settip to more temperate say east coast US standard seasonal grow it would be awesome. None of this crap!

It sure will be fun though…

Nick
 
Thanks @Roy Growin - I reckon we are probably on around the same % H2O2. CD case I get totally. Would that I had one!

For me I think they should net out the same. For our main grow its too space inefficient, and we have push button watering. For the Solo grow well we have push button watering so the SIPs are a pain because that’s by hand. (I know there are types you can buy/build that are automatic but still space inefficient for us) but also I think the heat in the res can be an issue - pretty sure we’re seeing it in the Solo SIPs now.

This mega one - its got 3.5m sideways and 2.4m vertically to grow into - 90cm total in the other z axis! … - filling a 12 gallon res every so often into soil with amendments outdoors - yep dead easy, hopefully go monster. Maybe a coco airpot too but think it would need more watering attention at that point. Way more nutes. But this one - I’m
Already looking at how to cool the res.

The outdoor ambient temperature average is close on 30c. Plus she’s going to be getting direct sunlight. Low airflow to the res. Lack of oxygen available to the roots as the temp rises. I’m thinking a bubbler in the res. But swap this settip to more temperate say east coast US standard seasonal grow it would be awesome. None of this crap!

It sure will be fun though…

Nick
In NFT [yonks ago] I used bottles of frozen water to keep the res cool and H2O2 for extra Oxygen
 
I have a oldish rusting ice machine in the garage. Still works I think needs a gas top up. I could freeze swimming pool water enriched with H2o2 and drop them down the feed pipe. There’s water supply and power to both balconies. Have a few options. But yeah heat in the res my #1 worry here. Random pests and weather are what they are. Its outdoors 🤷🏽
 
The build.

So its a 35 Gallon I think garbage/dustbin/trash can.
With a nose piercing for an overflow and a mouth as drainage valve.

Ok slightly imperfect calculations as the trash can is tapered though not too much and uniform.

Total Height 72cm

Diameter Res 45cm average 47cm
Res 29cm Height
Res volume =π radius squared x height
= 50.3 Litres (13.3 Gallons)

Diameter Top 52cm average 50cm
Medium Zone 43cm Height
Res volume =π radius squared x height
= 84.4 Litres (22.3 Gallons)

Overflow #standard

The valve seems nice to have. We’re moving from one side of the house on an upstairs balcony to another side in order to flip her. Maybe I need to drain her. Maybe I want to flush her if it all goes wrong. Testing the res is also a breeze.

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Inside I have a Super Mario Landesque pipe section. This was designed to provide some mild wicking effect and primarily for structural support. My feeling is that evaporation would handle this for me. Some questions were asked. The eligibility under class rules for it even being a SIP were questioned. The forums spilled with blood I in no way backed down but I did cut some holes

Design #1

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Design #2

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I also added 4 holes in the base of the pipework. Covered like the junction piece with the black mesh to contain the perlite medium that’s going there to wick up to the soil/grow medium above. I’m sure its going to be jammed with roots in no time. The holes are needed or ai’d be artificially limiting the size of the res to the bottom of rhe junction piece. D’oh! Cost the kid 2 hours to rebuild all this 😅 (Hey he did a days diving on off a boat off a tropical island on my dime today!)

But when I say I then I really mean “we” 😂

The watering pipe is 1 3/4 inch so I have a wall mount Temp/Ph/EC meter I’ll be able to drop in and of course the endoscope can have a wander down there for an explore.

Final Finishes.

i’m (OK someone) drilling holes for aeration in the grow medium section (I actually drilled the other holes, OK?)

I’m also terrified about temperatures in the res. I think it could get really hot in there. 50c+ it sits 24/7 ourside in minimum 28c temps. Its going to get direct sunlight. So a minimum its getting silver insulating roll around it. Same as we use on the walls in the flower room.

Other things I’m considering.

Piping the water from the H2o2 infused swimming pool. (PITA) as the oxygen levels fall with temp rises.

Spare fish tank bubbler in the res. (Taking the Michael asking the lad rebuild it again!)

Ice - We have a spare ice machine ai could put up there and feed her treats. Like feeding the dog some treats 🤣

Fish tank water cooler. This is probably my preferred solution. Just circulate the res water. But if I can convert the old ice machine to do this it would be epic. Reusing a functioning but unusable ice machine would be great. Has the compressor, chiller plate and pump all there. My old place was an ocean view apartment west facing where the weather comes from and the ice machine was out on the balcony. Its a little salty now!

I’m really stretching the “I” there but I think I have a design and I know the guys that can maybe do it. It could be used on my wasabi grow afterwards.

Of course all of that might prove unnecessary. I’ll know when its been out there a week or so I guess.

Speaking of the plant. I have 4 micro tails on 4 beans. Dirt tomorrow I would think. Going to get her biggish before going out there. 3 weeks veg after seedling so a month I guess.

“I want it now, Papa!”

As my daughter likes to say before getting a clip round the ear 😅

Hope it meets with approval @Azimuth!

Nick & X aka The Lad
 
Poppin’ Seeds at Home with Nick Part #2

OK so all 4 seeds wagged their tails. 1 1/2 inch, 1” x 2 and a baby half inch.

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I had assembled my kit. The potting soil we just use at this stage. White/black peat. Dutch. You can see it still at harvest on 3 months time. A little dark patch. The water is from the well about Ph 6.9-7 @DYNOMYCO of course and added 1ml Calmag per 100ml fuuuuuck

Just redid the potting - onwards! (Added 10% Calmag.. 🤦🏻‍♂️)

Just 100ml into more than enough peat/soil for 2 trays. The stuff comes damp. I add a little perlite in the outer tray with a little 1% Calmag then a perlite layer in each of the 4 pots followed by the soil. Details on the soil below.




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I drilled a hole out root length with a chop stick and popped them in (twice) using tweezers. One was a pain, rhe longest one. They’re always much stiffer than you expect until the neck just below the shell where its easy to snap them - sorry Royal Gorilla last month 😅

We leave the seed shell just proud of the soil. Can always see them. We don’t totally cover them.

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Then its the lid on and under the lights of the seedling station. Generally less than a day with that on. Probably 4-5 days in here. The roots will fill out for a couple of days. They are draining to drink from below from the perlite layer below.

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That’s it how we’ve been doing it since it started working more reliably. (That Calmag 10% thing gulp - hope I haven’t ruined my How to… 😂)

Nick & Co

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Yep totally clean according to & Co - although I have seen her push with her finger pour encourager 😅

We also, not sure if you saw, had a bunch lose their husks in paper in the bag when popping for the solo tent. Just never been an issue.

I’ll have another look for the photos of Serious’s guide. Its actually beautiful in its own right. The drawings for the guide (including leaving the ‘heed’ showing) are all hand drawn. Look like they’re old, 20-30 years old!

I posted them here once before. Will find them now.

Nick
 
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There you go @InTheShed (all anyone else!) I like that old school classic pencil charcoal drawing. The only ways we differ are the mound stuff - our pots are too small to bother. We're not as neat as the drawing (obvs!) but the root is all covered and they are snug. If we do water again its just drops from a syringe around the edge of the pot.

They are all showing signs of further life the biggest one is starting to open, they have gained height. They look a bit pale, guess that's because actually it wasn't CalMag it was Ph Down. Seriously I need to not do this while 6 people are talking to me. Meh - gave them some now, they were a bit dry.

Nick

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After I fought with a snake I grabbed a live 220v electrical cable and whilst detaching my self from that - I knocked the whole tray of seedlings on the floor.

I can confirm this is helpful for removing the shells from seedlings.

Poor things, burned by really strong acid, then milder acid last night. Today flipped on their heeds, remarkably all 4 look ok 🤣

Popped them back in - its actually useful as I forgot the dynomyco in the second planting yesterday. I added some in holes ai’d dug in each pot. But now its all mixed up.

Silver linings, eh? Green on 3 just the baby middle right, not quite there yet. 72 hours from hitting paper.

Nick



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Not sure how I missed the start of this one, but SIP grow so you know I'm in!! :thumb:

I’m also terrified about temperatures in the res. I think it could get really hot in there. 50c+ it sits 24/7 ourside in minimum 28c temps. Its going to get direct sunlight. So a minimum its getting silver insulating roll around it. Same as we use on the walls in the flower room.
One suggestion that seems to work pretty well on the standard 5 gallon bucket version is to hang burlap, or in your case the silver insulation, from the top rim and simply let it hang. Because of the taper of the container, there will be an air gap between the container and the light block which adds to the buffering effect of the cover.

Hope it meets with approval @Azimuth!
Looking good!

Thanks! I don't germinate in paper towels nor do I plant with the head above ground, but I do appreciate the artwork. :)
Yeah, that process gave me a tick I'm still trying to shake. :eek:

Seems Iike lots of places the whole process can go sideways, but glad it works for you. I'll be popping a seed in the next day or two so looks like I'll be about a week behind.

#MegaSIPFTW!
 
Thanks for stopping by Azi. Just getting some bits and pieces out the way, ship in order before the Captain boards, what?!

That’s a great idea re: the “letting it hang” thing. Simple science and way easier than pissing about with glue and mess cutting the insulation to size. Double win! Also less likely to blind people driving past 😂

Are you soak and soil when germin’?

Shed was saying he always buries his. A couple og weeks back my fancy tomatoes arrived and they specify there. Some strain's on top and some below. i wonder if there is similar with cannabis. Both clearly work. But I wonder if there’s “preferred” ways by Indi/Sat for example?

Planting int the SIP feels a ways out still. Want a decent 2ft of plant before then. Just for the occasional swirling gust.

While we wait I feel like I need to order T-Shirts

#MegaSIPFTW!

Nick
 
Are you soak and soil when germin’?
Used to be. Now I'm a 'direct to soil' guy. I was persuaded by @Keffka 's thoughts after reading the 'Teaming With Microbes' book and how the seed carries with it strain specific microbes that get lost to the environment as they germinate. Done in soil they stay there to replicate. Done, say, in paper towels, many of them stay with the towel so unless you plant the paper towel along with the seed you lose most of them.

That, of course, mainly applies to an organic grow.

But I wonder if there’s “preferred” ways by Indi/Sat for example?
Don't know but seems like Mother Nature doesn't distinguish between them.

Differences may be more related to environment like temp and humidity.

Planting int the SIP feels a ways out still. Want a decent 2ft of plant before then. Just for the occasional swirling gust.
Once it catches I'd think the SIP would be the best place for it. Branches in SIPs are generally much more robust than non-SIP counterparts. If it were me I'd get it in there early and maybe think up some near term protection from wind (mostly) and strong sun for a few days to help it get established.

While we wait I feel like I need to order T-Shirts
Probably need a logo. And a distribution outlet. But I like your thinking! :thumb:
 
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So endeth the seed popping with Nick.

4/4 above ground after 4 days.

Try and skip the burning by acid (twice) and throwing on the floor. They add no value to successfully germinating seeds and getting them to grow.

Thanks @Sweet Seeds Tommy decent seeds!

Nick
 
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