SIP Club - Getting Hydro/Coco Results In A Soil Based Medium

[Azimuth]

I don't really get the benefit of adding batteries to the soil. I mean, you charge it up, but then it gets spent?? (So what is the point?? I must be missing something....)

It evens out the availability of nutrients and microbes. As an example, my computer modem runs off electricity but also has a battery in it. If we lose electricy, I still have power to the modem, at least for a bit.

Then the battery runs down as it powers the modem, but bridges the gap until the power comes on, and once it does it recharges the battery. Same thing when you fertigate your plants. The biochar provides a little extra for the dry season.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Thanks! I bought The Rev and Teaming with Microbes, and also a book on KNF, and one on JADAM.

The "Teaming with..." series is great... also, Teaming with Fungi and Teaming with Nutrients.

 

[Emilya Green]

I learned so much from The Rev! It was his book that inspired me to get off the fence and finally go organic. Before reading that book, I just couldn't seem to get enough info to feel comfortable about making the leap, even after reading Teaming with Microbes... it just seemed too complicated. Rev put things in common sense terms and showed step by step what to do and why.

 

[CBDMed]

I was in flower when it started. The yellowing started more at the top of the plant. That's a P or K def. N starts at the bottom and works it's way up.

Hmmm....
Anything like this?
Two of the Northern Light CBD Autos are showing yellow tips (and I think they have plenty of N now...)

 

[CBDMed]

The "Teaming with..." series is great... also, Teaming with Fungi and Teaming with Nutrients.

Hahaha, I would like to team with fungi...

 

[CBDMed]

I learned so much from The Rev! It was his book that inspired me to get off the fence and finally go organic. Before reading that book, I just couldn't seem to get enough info to feel comfortable about making the leap, even after reading Teaming with Microbes... it just seemed too complicated. Rev put things in common sense terms and showed step by step what to do and why.

Thanks, @Emilya Green !
I can't wait to get time to read it!

 

[Buds Buddy]

Hmmm....
Anything like this?
Two of the Northern Light CBD Autos are showing yellow tips (and I think they have plenty of N now...)

Yeah, it kind of looked like that; but on older growth. Hard to tell on new growth at the very top since it's usually lighter green / yellowish. I don't usually go by just the leaf tips though because I purposely feed strong enough to get a slight tip burn. But your pics look like the start of a def. @Emilya Green has always been a great help to me pointing out issues & how to fix them. Maybe she'll give us her 2 cents ? I would add a PK Booster. But let's see what Em says first. Even when I think I know what the problem is I still confirm it with her before I take action.

 

[CBDMed]

Yeah, it kind of looked like that; but on older growth. Hard to tell on new growth at the very top since it's usually lighter green / yellowish. I don't usually go by just the leaf tips though because I purposely feed strong enough to get a slight tip burn. But your pics look like the start of a def. @Emilya Green has always been a great help to me pointing out issues & how to fix them. Maybe she'll give us her 2 cents ? I would add a PK Booster. But let's see what Em says first. Even when I think I know what the problem is I still confirm it with her before I take action.

Ok, I am looking forward to hearing from her! She has always had solid advice.

 

[Emilya Green]

Looking at the overall color I would say that the nitrogen needs to be reduced a little bit and that might be causing a lockout of potassium maybe, but overall I don't see a big problem here

 

[Azimuth]

Two of the Northern Light CBD Autos are showing yellow tips (and I think they have plenty of N now...)

I'd agree. I'd say "Mission Accomplished!"

Yellowing tips can be a sign of a bit too much food, so I'd say you can dilute your "dog water" a bit and stretch it out amoung more of your plants.

 

[Azimuth]

Looking at the overall color I would say that the nitrogen needs to be reduced a little bit and that might be causing a lockout of potassium maybe, but overall I don't see a big problem here

This ^^

 

[Kanno26]

Hi all, so I added a pipe holder to my SIP bucket.

And I also tried the amount of water that fits in the tank and it is about over 4 liters. I think I will put around 12 liters of soil there. I think that's enough. What do you growers think?

 

[Azimuth]

Early in September I started a Seed to SIP Experiment where I planted a seed directly into my new larger 2G SIP (I had been flowering in 1L containers ). I have thought that starting a seedling directly into the SIP might be preferable to building a root ball in another smaller container and then transitioning it over so I wanted to see how that would work for myself.

It is a new CBG strain for me and is in a larger container than I'm used to and that container is a SIP, so lot's of new variables to consider when evaluating the grow.

But, whatever's having the most impact, I can say that this plant is a beast! And it has been since early in it's life. I like to train with @Hafta 's Fishing Weights System but early on it became apparent the weights I normally use for my plants were going to be entirely ineffective agaist the much more robust limbs.

The plant got flipped to flower a few weeks ago and just before the Thanksgiving holiday I noticed what looked like a bit of a P deficiency which I had never had before. I grow organically and have used mostly worm castings to power my grows but those seemed to be in need of a boost. We had company in the house for a few days and so I was unable to tend to the plants and when I looked at it on Sunday I had a full on, aggressive P crisis, with major purpling of leaves all the way to full on yellow. Yikes!

So I gave it some of my Jadam Fruit and Flower Juice fed from the top because this bucket is built with the hydroton clay balls in the base area of the reservoir and my previous experiments showed that feeding my Jadam extracts through the reservoir in this set-up was ineffective. It's been a few days now and the leaves look a bit less angry I think, though it's hard to tell looking at them every day, and it could just be that the leaves are fading prior to falling off.

So, whether it is the strain, the larger bucket, or the SIP structure (and likely a combination of all of them) I'm finding that the SIP's produce a much larger and more robust plant than I'm used to and I'm going to have to up my nutrient game.

I've taken steps to improve my worm castings by adding all of my amendments to the worm bin, but that output is still several months away, so in the meantime I'm going to add some of my Jadam extracts on a routine basis, probably at least weekly, but I may start out more often than that.

Despite the nutrient deficiencies I'm seeing, I consider this experiment of "Seed to SIP" a rousing success and this is the way I would start seedlings in the future. I grow mostly from clones, but with careful, and light, watering of the new seedling, I think there are real benfits of starting the roots off directly in the more moist SIP soil. I've found there is a pretty consistent 2-3 week transition time for the plant and its roots to adapt to the moister environment, and I figure I might as well get that out of the way early on.

I know others, like Emilya and ResDog, like to start their's in smaller pots so this seem to be a very forgiving platform no matter how you like to get started.

So, if you haven't started yet, and whether you grow from seed or clone, it's high time to Get your SIP On! Jump in. The water's fine. Actually it appears more than fine. Bigger, healthier, and more robust plants.

What's not to like??

 

[Azimuth]

Hi all, so I added a pipe holder to my SIP bucket.

Clever! I like it.

And I also tried the amount of water that fits in the tank and it is about over 4 liters. I think I will put around 12 liters of soil there. I think that's enough. What do you growers think?

I'd put as much soil in as the bucket will take. More soil = more room for roots which is what you want.

Btw, nice looking set-up you've got there.

 

[nick5311]

These (hopefully) girls are in 1/4gal nursery bags sitting on a wicking bed (perlite and lava rock). 4 of the 6 have been topped @5th node for quadlining so far. They are drinking about 2 cups of water a day - currently using osmocote plus because I'm still working on my organic game and I have 50 lbs of oc+. Lots of plants here, most will be given to a friend to grow but I'll keep 2-4 for an experiment I'm still setting up. Just posting to show the wicking bed concept. My test subjects will move to a SIP container soon.

 

[NickHardy]

Early in September I started a Seed to SIP Experiment where I planted a seed directly into my new larger 2G SIP (I had been flowering in 1L containers ). I have thought that starting a seedling directly into the SIP might be preferable to building a root ball in another smaller container and then transitioning it over so I wanted to see how that would work for myself.

It is a new CBG strain for me and is in a larger container than I'm used to and that container is a SIP, so lot's of new variables to consider when evaluating the grow.

But, whatever's having the most impact, I can say that this plant is a beast! And it has been since early in it's life. I like to train with @Hafta 's Fishing Weights System but early on it became apparent the weights I normally use for my plants were going to be entirely ineffective agaist the much more robust limbs.

The plant got flipped to flower a few weeks ago and just before the Thanksgiving holiday I noticed what looked like a bit of a P deficiency which I had never had before. I grow organically and have used mostly worm castings to power my grows but those seemed to be in need of a boost. We had company in the house for a few days and so I was unable to tend to the plants and when I looked at it on Sunday I had a full on, aggressive P crisis, with major purpling of leaves all the way to full on yellow. Yikes!

So I gave it some of my Jadam Fruit and Flower Juice fed from the top because this bucket is built with the hydroton clay balls in the base area of the reservoir and my previous experiments showed that feeding my Jadam extracts through the reservoir in this set-up was ineffective. It's been a few days now and the leaves look a bit less angry I think, though it's hard to tell looking at them every day, and it could just be that the leaves are fading prior to falling off.

So, whether it is the strain, the larger bucket, or the SIP structure (and likely a combination of all of them) I'm finding that the SIP's produce a much larger and more robust plant than I'm used to and I'm going to have to up my nutrient game.

I've taken steps to improve my worm castings by adding all of my amendments to the worm bin, but that output is still several months away, so in the meantime I'm going to add some of my Jadam extracts on a routine basis, probably at least weekly, but I may start out more often than that.

Despite the nutrient deficiencies I'm seeing, I consider this experiment of "Seed to SIP" a rousing success and this is the way I would start seedlings in the future. I grow mostly from clones, but with careful, and light, watering of the new seedling, I think there are real benfits of starting the roots off directly in the more moist SIP soil. I've found there is a pretty consistent 2-3 week transition time for the plant and its roots to adapt to the moister environment, and I figure I might as well get that out of the way early on.

I know others, like Emilya and ResDog, like to start their's in smaller pots so this seem to be a very forgiving platform no matter how you like to get started.

So, if you haven't started yet, and whether you grow from seed or clone, it's high time to Get your SIP On! Jump in. The water's fine. Actually it appears more than fine. Bigger, healthier, and more robust plants.

What's not to like??

I’m unclear Azi - SIP is GOOD or SIP is BAD?

Sounds good - reckon I’m a week from my own comparison grow?

DBB

 

[CBDMed]

Hi guys,

Wow, this is a fast moving thread!! So many posters, different topics, etc. I want to address a nitrogen issue. Rice hulls are trying to decompose. Nitrogen is consumed when decomposition happens. I found that out in my canna garden, as I use mostly veg. materials I have on site, so I can use a lot. I always add a lot of extra nitrogen (bloodmeal) to keep the compost process going for more nutrients at the root level. Alfalfa meal is a great choice, but I have deer around occasionally, and alfalfa would alert them to a yummy food! Other meals would work, I just choose bloodmeal because it's so easy!! Happy Smokin'

Hi Bode! Yeah, this is a fast moving thread! I log on and have to scan back a couple of pages to find out everything what happened! Lol!
I think you are right about the rice hulls eating N. @Keffka is helping.
Thanks!

 

[Azimuth]

I’m unclear Azi - SIP is GOOD or SIP is BAD?

Sounds good - reckon I’m a week from my own comparison grow?

DBB

All good, my man, all good. My plant is growing too fast for my usual practices so I have to step up my game.

The plant's too big! A nice "problem" to have, wouldn't you say?

 

[CBDMed]

Hi @Keffka !

@el gringuito I just took a look at your journal.. Ill stop in there so we can continue hashing out ideas and knowledge and not bog down @Azimuth journal but I will add this here since it’s sort of relevant.

Thank you! That is VERY helpful!

I’m strongly suspecting it is your rice hulls giving you grief along with your SIP.. @Bode mentioned it above and I concur. The rice hulls are stealing a bit of your nitrogen in their decomp process..

Yes, that seems to be the consensus. And it makes total sense.
The rice hulls were cold when I checked the cook. But you are right, a SIP seems to speed everything up.

A lot of times this can go unnoticed, however you’re running a SIP. The extra oxygen of a SIP is also driving your microbes faster, which require more enzymes which require proteins which require nitrogen. There’s quite a few ways to bring nitrogen in that are relatively mellow, and at this point I feel pretty comfortable telling you Nitrogen is needed.

Siiii..... Thank you!

It’s all about balance. Oxygen is a critical element needed for plant and root growth. In the SIP you’ve introduced more oxygen than in your average container grow, this is going to lead to increased activity which is going to require increased resources. A lot of people forget that Oxygen is also a required element that requires balance because it used to be uncommon that you could deliver enough oxygen to the root zone in soil that it would require balancing. Plus when was the last time you saw “Oxygen” on a bag of nutes lol?

Lol!
Yes, I think this was my big problem.
I remember when I made the supersoil, the High Times recipe leaves out Perlite. So I figured it was optional...

You have 2 sources dragging on your nitrogen supplies, and haven’t balanced your soil for that. Luckily nitrogen is a fairly straightforward fix when it is the issue.

Oh. I guess I can ask you about the 2 sources dragging on N in my thread?
Thanks for helping!

 

[CBDMed]

It evens out the availability of nutrients and microbes. As an example, my computer modem runs off electricity but also has a battery in it. If we lose electricy, I still have power to the modem, at least for a bit.

Then the battery runs down as it powers the modem, but bridges the gap until the power comes on, and once it does it recharges the battery. Same thing when you fertigate your plants. The biochar provides a little extra for the dry season.

Ok. So the first time you add it, it gives an extra boost.
And then after that, it moderates?
Only, what does it moderate in soil? The soil touching it?
And how does it moderate it in soil? (In liquid, I could understand it. But in soil???) Because in a SIP, isn't the soil mostly moist? But there are no periodic "floods" of liquid...