Sip or swick my grassroots fab

[Jaz]

That wick is going to move a lot of water so be aware things may get too wet

I've trimmed it right down and I guess the physics/hydraulics isn't quite right for that set up

I let the soil dry right out (pot was very light) and then topped up the water in the reservoir, after a few hours I could see the soil at the surface was wet. There is still risk of overwatering with this particular set up so I'm watching it carefully.

A bonus of the wick is if the soil's too wet I put the pot on a grate with the wick dangling below in free air, this way the wick helps the soil dry out if it gets too wet.

j

 

[Hash Hound]

that's a pretty big (wide) wick for that size pot or you may have it to far up into the soil.
you could get by with shoe string size.

 

[Jaz]

that's a pretty big (wide) wick for that size pot or you may have it to far up into the soil.
you could get by with shoe string size.

Yep, I've trimmed it down to just the hem.

A ha, yeah I do have it running up the side of the pot, will keep that in mind when I up-pot.

j

 

[Hash Hound]

I use strips of old grow bags for wicks.
In 1g to 3g pots I use 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and I feed it side to side through holes on the bottom and leave it on the inside bottom of the pot. If the plant seems to wet I lift one of the wicks out of the water.
for 5g to 7g bags I set them on plant risers with wicks draped over them, a diy version of the AC Infinity. I can raise the platform if needed making a larger reservoir, takes a gallon as is. Works great, not much easier.

swick plate (2).JPG

• Hash Hound
• Aug 29, 2022

 

[Jaz]

If the plant seems too wet ...

So it's not really a set and forget deal, you have to keep monitoring and adjusting to suit throughout?

j

 

[Azimuth]

I use strips of old grow bags for wicks.
In 1g to 3g pots I use 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and I feed it side to side through holes on the bottom and leave it on the inside bottom of the pot. If the plant seems to wet I lift one of the wicks out of the water.
for 5g to 7g bags I set them on plant risers with wicks draped over them, a diy version of the AC Infinity. I can raise the platform if needed making a larger reservoir, takes a gallon as is. Works great, not much easier.

swick plate (2).JPG

• Hash Hound
• Aug 29, 2022

@Carmen Ray is doing something similar but using a bed of perlite as the wick instead of the strips of fabric.

 

[Hash Hound]

So it's not really a set and forget deal, you have to keep monitoring and adjusting to suit throughout?

j

I don't constantly monitor it, but if the top seems too moist I take a wick out of the water.
The big ones are pretty much on cruise control.

@Carmen Ray is doing something similar but using a bed of perlite as the wick instead of the strips of fabric.

That's how I first saw swicks in the SweetSue swick thread.
I figured why use the perlite when a wick in water would do just as good and cheaper.

 

[bluter]

That's how I first saw swicks in the SweetSue swick thread.
I figured why use the perlite when a wick in water would do just as good and cheaper.

the first ones were with a wick as well. the bed of perlite etc came much later. swick and other self watering systems were popular in the 70's for houseplants. they were mostly cheap gimmicks but the system and principles were there.

using perlite as a grow or clone media isn't new either.

 

[Carmen Ray]

I don't constantly monitor it, but if the top seems too moist I take a wick out of the water.
The big ones are pretty much on cruise control.

Hey HH. I am setting up my first Swick grow. Do you ever have problems with the top getting too dry? I am still trying to get the balance right so that wicking is achieved. I have los in fabric pots on a bed of perlite. I began my bags bottom watering only but then I realized that the soil needs to be optimally moist for the wicking to work, so I moat watered around the seedlings from the top. I've topped up the reservoir and top watered a bit again. Does this sound like the right approach?

 

[Hash Hound]

Do you ever have problems with the top getting too dry?

No problems with the top getting to dry. It most always has a little moisture and a lot of little roots up top. The bags of gnat block on top act as a mulch to help keep it from getting to dry.

I'm not using the swicks for small plants like you're doing. I usually just bottom water in a little tray or use a small wick. I don't want it to moist in veg, I want the roots to go looking for water.

P173 CWW w4rts.jpg

• Hash Hound
• Jul 18, 2021

 

[Carmen Ray]

No problems with the top getting to dry. It most always has a little moisture and a lot of little roots up top. The bags of gnat block on top act as a mulch to help keep it from getting to dry.

I'm not using the swicks for small plants like you're doing. I usually just bottom water in a little tray or use a small wick. I don't want it to moist in veg, I want the roots to go looking for water.

P173 CWW w4rts.jpg

• Hash Hound
• Jul 18, 2021

Would you recommend that I take a different approach? Should I change things up? Do you think my soil is going to be too wet on the perlite?

 

[Hash Hound]

Would you recommend that I take a different approach? Should I change things up? Do you think my soil is going to be too wet on the perlite?

I would just keep an eye on things and adjust as needed if you think the media is to wet.
Same deal as top watering, lift the pots to see if you think they are to heavy.
If this is your first time use it to learn and tweak your system to your liking.
I wouldn't be concerned as much with the swick wick or sip in veg.
Once you get them into their finally homes they will be more important.
I think some guys in one of the SIP threads are starting to experiment with small veg sips, they may help.

 

[Carmen Ray]

I would just keep an eye on things and adjust as needed if you think the media is to wet.
Same deal as top watering, lift the pots to see if you think they are to heavy.
If this is your first time use it to learn and tweak your system to your liking.
I wouldn't be concerned as much with the swick wick or sip in veg.
Once you get them into their finally homes they will be more important.
I think some guys in one of the SIP threads are starting to experiment with small veg sips, they may help.

It is definitely a case of wait and see isn't it, and adjusting as you go along. I started the swick straight away with the sprouts because I had to go away for a week and leave them. The swick worked like a charm and so I thought I'd continue with it. The plants are now in their final 5g cloth pots. I do have concerns that the system may not be wicking properly. The one pot feels moist and cool to the touch all the way up and the other has a soggy bottom. The perlite is messy. I do prefer the look of your setup.

 

[Hash Hound]

My 5g bags didn't wick as well as my 7's. Different material.
My 7's are Viagros, cheap, durable and wash well and are only 12" wide and most others are 14"

 

[Carmen Ray]

My 5g bags didn't wick as well as my 7's. Different material.
My 7's are Viagros, cheap, durable and wash well and are only 12" wide and most others are 14"

I must say I am having a hard time figuring out if my 5 G bags are wicking nicely. The one with the soggy bottom I removed from the perlite yesterday and put in on a cake cooler next to a fan. I can see the watermark moving up the sides of the grow bag very slowly so that one is wicking. The perlite and organic nutes (liquid fish fertilizer) had gone rotten in that reservoir so I have been trying to rinse out the perlite which is not working very well. I have drained it and left it in the sun. Hopefully the sun will bleach off the yucky smelling stuff. I shouldn't have had the bag in the wet. There should have been a damp layer of aerated perlite for it to sit in.
Have you ever had this rot with perlite? Any ideas how to get rid of the stink?
I imagine my second tub is working out. That perlite is still clean smelling and the pot didn't sit wet. I can't see the watermark on this one as it is stained from reuse. The pot is sitting on a damp layer of perlite which is a couple of inches above the water in the reservoir. How damp should the top layer of soil get? Right now it is darker in places and lighter in places. I'm not sure how I can judge whether the pot is getting enough moisture throughout. Any tips?

 

[Azimuth]

I must say I am having a hard time figuring out if my 5 G bags are wicking nicely. The one with the soggy bottom I removed from the perlite yesterday and put in on a cake cooler next to a fan. I can see the watermark moving up the sides of the grow bag very slowly so that one is wicking. The perlite and organic nutes (liquid fish fertilizer) had gone rotten in that reservoir so I have been trying to rinse out the perlite which is not working very well. I have drained it and left it in the sun. Hopefully the sun will bleach off the yucky smelling stuff. I shouldn't have had the bag in the wet. There should have been a damp layer of aerated perlite for it to sit in.
Have you ever had this rot with perlite? Any ideas how to get rid of the stink?
I imagine my second tub is working out. That perlite is still clean smelling and the pot didn't sit wet. I can't see the watermark on this one as it is stained from reuse. The pot is sitting on a damp layer of perlite which is a couple of inches above the water in the reservoir. How damp should the top layer of soil get? Right now it is darker in places and lighter in places. I'm not sure how I can judge whether the pot is getting enough moisture throughout. Any tips?

Good lessons learned, though to be sure.

In my world, getting rid of organic smells is easy with LAB

 

[Carmen Ray]

Good lessons learned, though to be sure.

In my world, getting rid of organic smells is easy with LAB

I can make some LABs. It takes some time to make though. Fortunately the bottom of the pot it belongs to is still wet. It has a lot of wicking to do and can go without the perlite for a few days. How would you treat the perlite with the LABs? Would you make a solution and let it soak?

 

[Roy Growin]

I must say I am having a hard time figuring out if my 5 G bags are wicking nicely. The one with the soggy bottom I removed from the perlite yesterday and put in on a cake cooler next to a fan. I can see the watermark moving up the sides of the grow bag very slowly so that one is wicking. The perlite and organic nutes (liquid fish fertilizer) had gone rotten in that reservoir so I have been trying to rinse out the perlite which is not working very well. I have drained it and left it in the sun. Hopefully the sun will bleach off the yucky smelling stuff. I shouldn't have had the bag in the wet. There should have been a damp layer of aerated perlite for it to sit in.
Have you ever had this rot with perlite? Any ideas how to get rid of the stink?
I imagine my second tub is working out. That perlite is still clean smelling and the pot didn't sit wet. I can't see the watermark on this one as it is stained from reuse. The pot is sitting on a damp layer of perlite which is a couple of inches above the water in the reservoir. How damp should the top layer of soil get? Right now it is darker in places and lighter in places. I'm not sure how I can judge whether the pot is getting enough moisture throughout. Any tips?

Hi Carmen - I had a similar experience with a perlite/nft combo
I flushed it through with a weak H2O2 solution a couple of times which solved it for me, and did the rest of the grow in synthetic nutes
Not sure if that is practical for your setup, just a thought

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hi Carmen - I had a similar experience with a perlite/nft combo
I flushed it through with a weak H2O2 solution a couple of times which solved it for me, and did the rest of the grow in synthetic nutes
Not sure if that is practical for your setup, just a thought

Hi Roy thank you. I have started making the LABs and I will flush with that first I think. My second pot is fine. That one didn't go off. It was because I had the pot sitting in actual water that caused this. There was no air to keep the res fresh I think.

 

[Hash Hound]

Have you ever had this rot with perlite? Any ideas how to get rid of the stink?
How damp should the top layer of soil get? Right now it is darker in places and lighter in places. I'm not sure how I can judge whether the pot is getting enough moisture throughout. Any tips?

never had issues with perlite since I haven't been using it for swicks.
I don't use any organics in the reservoir, I did once and is started stinking over night.
the top of my soil stays just wet enough. I use a moisture meter occasionally to check it.