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

[Azimuth]

Hey ResDog, thanks for the peek behind the curtain. Nice roots!

 

[StoneOtter]

Real nice creation Dog! Worked well!

 

[ReservoirDog]

thanks for the peek behind the curtain. Nice roots!

Crazy, right? They appear quite healthy, colour is due to additives. GH Flora Micro sometimes and also leonardite humates.Problem is, now I have to keep water level as high as possible or risk drying out those roots, methinks..

Real nice creation Dog! Worked well!

Thanks. I thought I'd hate growing out these scraggly ol mother plants, but instead found it's like buying a used car. You know, when, after getting the first scratch, you shockingly find it doesn't bother you nearly as much as you'd thought it would, and the sense of relief is so palpable that you begin raving like a madman, bragging about how awesome your scratched up, used car is.

 

[Kanno26]

One more entry for our luvly group SIP thread (btw Avi, hope you didn’t mind the nomination. It’s really turned out great)

So this is a Gorilla Glue #4. She’s in one of my 5x5 tents (The Burn Unit). She’s under a 1000w KB led bar light (3200k + FR&UV) that kicks out 2950 PPFD when cranked up. Good thing too, because this strain can handle some truly awesome light levels.

She was a Mother plant. I was on my way to the recycling bin with her in a 3 gallon soft pot when I thought hmmm…. Maybe I oughtta flower it out instead? I had the space, and few other immediate opportunities given my other moms were killed off, and I can’t afford seeds.…. so I flowered both gg4, staggered by 3-4 weeks, and scrogged the first one in the other 5x5.(pic immediately below)

She transplanted well even though she was mature, which I attribute to the small original pot size and SIP’s very steady, stress free enviro.

These SIPs utilize a 7 gallon nursery pot and a 10 gallon, low profile Rubbermaid tote as reservoir, connected by a 4 inch perforated pipe stuffed with soil. Feel free to DM if you’d like details for constructing. I wanted to find out how much water I could keep onboard and whether it might become anaerobic over time given the long periods between fills. I found that there was no problem and airstones etc wasn’t needed even for a larger onboard rez. of this size. Of course that doesn’t mean I didn’t add one anyway! Which I did about 2-3 weeks ago (last time I filled the rez) And that is no doubt what precipitated this:

Wow! I’m running a very weird SIP slash DWC monster.

By comparison here’s some pics of the scrogged mamma gg4’s rootball, the one with no air stone.

Hope you enjoyed

Hats off to @ReservoirDog it's a bit different level .

 

[Azimuth]

Crazy, right? They appear quite healthy, colour is due to additives. GH Flora Micro sometimes and also leonardite humates.Problem is, now I have to keep water level as high as possible or risk drying out those roots, methinks..

Hmmm. I would think just the root tips which should mostly be in the lower zone.

Something to watch anyway.

 

[InTheShed]

I haven’t really eliminated bottom nodes on this one yet because I was afraid I shouldn’t.

If you don't take them off, don't train them flat. None of the lowers produce much unless you let them grow up to the canopy. It's the top ones you need to keep flat rather than the lowers. That allows the lowers to catch up.

 

[ReservoirDog]

If you don't take them off, don't train them flat. None of the lowers produce much unless you let them grow up to the canopy. It's the top ones you need to keep flat rather than the lowers. That allows the lowers to catch up.

And even then, those unappreciative snowflakes can be pretty stingy with the bud growth. Get rid of em I say. Nodes 2,3,4 are my go-to, and bring them all level if poss.

 

[ReservoirDog]

You're wasting 50% of the light with those so why not make up a tin foil hat to reflect that up light down to the plants?

Thank you for not implying that I already have tinfoil hats in stock.

After considering your generous and sagacious suggestions… I decided to go in, completely, the opposite direction.... Scotty more power! into the inferno! More lights!

(har!) Just joking. I’m keeping the big one off. The camera lies big time here, it’s so bright in there that with all three you could easily run co2 and benefit, big time. All the PAR readings in there are 4 digits with all three lights on. These cheap-ass grow lights break easy If handled roughly, but I paid under 15$ (mark down) per light, so… I’m playing with house money now. They’re gonna get the ultimate test, finishing off these Yumboldt autos. Stay tuned!

 

[smokesbetter]

Hell them things could beam you up !!

 

[NickHardy]

Thank you for not implying that I already have tinfoil hats in stock.

After considering your generous and sagacious suggestions… I decided to go in, completely, the opposite direction.... Scotty more power! into the inferno! More lights!

(har!) Just joking. I’m keeping the big one off. The camera lies big time here, it’s so bright in there that with all three you could easily run co2 and benefit, big time. All the PAR readings in there are 4 digits with all three lights on. These cheap-ass grow lights break easy If handled roughly, but I paid under 15$ (mark down) per light, so… I’m playing with house money now. They’re gonna get the ultimate test, finishing off these Yumboldt autos. Stay tuned!

Do they spin like fans so you don’t need an oscillating one?

You could probably hack them to do that, what’s the worst that could happen?

Nick

 

[Carcass]

These cheap-ass grow lights break easy If handled roughly, but I paid under 15$

Do they spin like fans so you don’t need an oscillating one?

^^ My thoughts exactly...
That might be an idea with some merit, but I'd need to wear a helmet if I went anywhere near them..

 

[supraboosta]

Thought I'd share what I have going on. First time using SIP's and I am happy so far. 3 in SIP buckets, 3 in 5 gal cloth bags. Noticeable difference in 5 weeks of growth since sprouted. Quad lined the ones in SIP's about a week ago and training now. The ones in the bags will go outside for the summer. Excited to see how these ladies turn out!

 

[Azimuth]

First time using SIP's and I am happy so far.

If you're happy now, just wait until they really kick into gear. Nice experiment with the two different pot types. @Kanno26 did a similar run and found the same thing you are, the SIPs outcompete consistently.

 

[smokesbetter]

NICE Big differences

 

[Kanno26]

If you're happy now, just wait until they really kick into gear. Nice experiment with the two different pot types. @Kanno26 did a similar run and found the same thing you are, the SIPs outcompete consistently.

I didn't believe it, but the difference I saw was brutal and the yield will definitely be much different.

 

[Northward]

I can’t believe the difference once I started using SIP pots!
Makes it easy to fill a flower room.
Actually, too easy I’m out of room. Lol
Have a great weekend!

 

[Timbo57]

Did I do that ? Nah or is it the 2 1/2 gallon bucket of perlite she decided to sit on?

 

[Weffalo]

Yeah I'm not to far away from UK.. Just across the pond in little old Eire. Have u tried any out door strain for our climate? Do u then use a AC in summer for flowering and drying to get those lower temps.? Curious s of you're set up, venting etc. I have no choice to grow in my bed room.

Sorry for late reply mate, been majorly pushed for free time!

My mate is doing an outdoor grow, I'll ask him what he's doing I think it was mauwi waui and something else but I'll double check.

I've only been growing since late last year so no experience with summer just yet, but I have the setup ready. I have a spare bedroom as a lungroom that hosts my flower tent, I have loads of dehumidifiers in the lung room and the AC, the AC is vented out of the bedroom door as I also don't have many options on getting it outside. It's not ideal but it does keep that room cool at the expense of electricity and superheating the rest of my house :Rofl:

Drying I currently do near open windows indoors/inside a tent, during winter it's easy to maintain 15.5c but in summer I'll be switching to a frost free fridge (Not done it before but here's the link!). I can't get 15.5c using a portable air con so once it gets hotter I see no other choice than using a fridge if you want to ensure it's dried slowly.

Hope that helps just gimme a shout if you have any questions about setup in this climate mate, @Skunksta has way more experience of growing in this environment if you wanna follow his grows

 

[Azimuth]

I can’t believe the difference once I started using SIP pots!
Makes it easy to fill a flower room.
Actually, too easy I’m out of room. Lol

I know, right?

My initial thought was its just a pot with a built in reservoir, how much difference can that really make? I've done the full saucer of water thing in the past and all I got was root rot and dieing plants.

But the real secret is the air chamber that gives the lower internal roots access to O2. That and a constant supply of water and nutes means there is no 'pause' period of growth like in a wet/dry setup so plants in these things grow like crazy. I've done side-by-side's with houseplants and even though the pair started off looking the same, they look like completely different plants after a few weeks. The SIP plants are not only much bigger, but also much healthier, too with better color, stronger stems, etc.

Great looking group you've got there. Do you train them at all?

 

[Azimuth]

Did I do that ? Nah or is it the 2 1/2 gallon bucket of perlite she decided to sit on?

Holy crap! Now that's a great looking plant!