SIP - Pity Do Dah, SIP - Pity A

[Buds Buddy]

I've found on my plants that letting the rez go dry for a day or so encourages more root growth, much like in soil. With constant water the roots don't have to grow much, but when the rez goes dry they grow looking for more. My veg plants are in 1L clear 'take-out' containers so I can see the interaction of the soil, roots, air gap, and water.

But I'm with RezDog on the amount of time to let them go. I don't like to go more than one or two days at most without a refill. And, when I fertigate from above, the plants don't seem to use much of the rez the next day so that might be a strategy you could use to extend the period by a day to deal with your father.

I top watered on Monday & everything is still moist. I guess I'm good then. Doubt if I'll need to Top Water for quite a while (3 weeks or so).
Oh well, time to go to work. Only 1/2 days on Fridays so that's cool.

 

[CBDMed]

LOL!

Haha, hey @InTheShed , glad I could bring you a smile.
And as long as I am on overload, do you have a SIP or a Soil thread a noob can join?
Thanks!

 

[CBDMed]

Hey RD, Now that most of my plants are emptying their res. daily do you think it would hurt any not to fill the res for a day or two? I'm going to have to take my dad home from the hospital either today or tomorrow (I think) & he lives about 300 miles away. They transferred him from a local hospital where he lives all the way over by me in Phoenix & I'm his only way home.
I'm hoping the soil will stay moist enough not to cause issues. I'll probably spend the night & drive back the next day as 4-5 hours one way will tire me out.

Anyway, I was planning to flip to 12/12 tomorrow. It may end up being Sunday now because of the trip. The way these plants look now I think they could end up even bigger than the last one. Damned, they grow so fast !

I'll get pics & updates as soon as I get back. Even the 2 Aurora's have taken off now.

OH, WOW!
Buds, you do whatever you need to do, man.
I love my dad so much! If it was my dad I would walk away from the whole harvest, and this is medicine for me (I hurt without it).
I think it would take me all of 5 seconds or less to decide, groggy and woke up suddenly at 2AM.
May the Father please give you a safe and blessed trip!
(If it was me I would flood them for real, and grab my car keys.)
You want them to slow down anyway for a sec, right?
(So would you WANT to top water in that case?)
I will be praying for you and your day.
I hope you have a safe and uneventful trip.
Please let us know how he is.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Could you please define, "too much compost"?

It's just not within my realm of experience to make a finite judgement, you're going to have to develop your own experience level. What I'm trying to get across about SIPs fundamentally really is that the problem of water stops being about dealing with its scarcity, which really many horticulture practises are developed to combat, but instead your dealing with the potential always existing of too much water getting into the matrix. This is why the airgap is so fundamental and why, as I also hope to also get across, I believe that Azimuth's point that this air gap is the critical factor is not in conflict with my overall belief that SIP success is a function of a more efficient root system unburdened by flood and drought scenarios constantly taking place.

There simply is a threat of root rot and root drowning in SIPs and the use of aeration, and keeping an eye on moisture-holding amendments like compost, are all ways to ensure that over the many, many days your plant's roots are in proximity to this much water, the critical oxygenation levels are maintained. Lots of successful SIP grows with lots of compost have taken place, lots of SIP grows with little to no aeration have taken place, however, I think it is pretty clear from reading everything possible to find on grower SIP experience, that the primary threat is loss of oxygenation and subsequent root rot as the root fails. Because SIP root systems appear to be reduced in mass given above-ground plant size when compared to other container grow styles, it is hard to not come to the conclusion that there is an efficiency advantage inherent in SIP-type growing. The notion of no longer needing to grow the largest most robust root system possible is going to take an awful lot of evidence behind it for most growers to come around, and considering the fact that its been accepted as axiomatic by growers for decades I'm not sure its even possible in the short term. But, as with any complex system that's been around long enough to have matured and already been streamlined, it is developing new efficiencies which ultimately give you success when competing against other complex systems.

So when I say to have this much of that or this, I'm just reaching for what I believe offers you a reasonable safety margin. Yeah the air gap is key, and it's key because the wicking mechanism will proceed unchecked long past 'field capacity', ie will take on more moisture than is healthy for the plant, thus it needs to be countered. Soil is capable of holding much more moisture than is healthy for our plants so we need to build in safety features, features that will permit the plant to live without the experiences of drought and flood we've been pushing on them as a method of protecting them from 'user error' (over or under watering which is going to happen eventually if you have no way of really knowing what conditions are deep in the soil).

Leveraging the air gap's critical contribution by avoiding heavy moisture-holding soil mixes and utilizing a large aeration percentage simply puts you and keeps you in that ideal zone for the plant over more levels of "reservoir fullness", and will permit you to use the reservoir's level as a tool for managing the type of growth you want to see take place at any given moment. I think having an over-moist soil type will force the grower instead to have to keep her reservoir less full in order to manage against possible over-wetness instead of being able to utilize the entire range of her SIPs capacity at any and all times for whatever the scenario that warrants addressing. A fuller rez means a wetter soil in SIPs. So you want a totally full SIP to be a useable state of things just like you do a near empty one, so that the entire range is available to you as a tool for management.

phew.

You lock your car doors at the end of summer, so people don't give you too many.

The gringuito is funny!

when I fertigate from above, the plants don't seem to use much of the rez the next day so that might be a strategy you could use to extend the period by a day to deal with your father.

Sounds like a plan, Buds. Don't overdo it though. Your plant's hydrotropic root development ought to be well enough along by now to not be threatened by a single top watering.

 

[InTheShed]

And as long as I am on overload, do you have a SIP or a Soil thread a noob can join?

Me? Nah. I haven't ventured into the SIP realm (and I'm not sure I even follow all the options with the discussion of wicks (which I understand) and water roots (which seems to run counter to the wicking concept). Some builds with holes or soil cloth at the the bottom above the air gap and some with soil (or wicks) that go into the res as wicking columns. I'm just trying to follow along as it rolls on.

And to me, soil is just a buffered medium to grow plants in with artificial nutes. All my threads are in my sig!

 

[GreenFingaz]

Sup guys hope every1 is doing good today. Quick question on a sip bucket to use.... would it matter if the bucket was white? Im thinking of getting 2 20 litre buckets but they are white?

 

[Buds Buddy]

Sup guys hope every1 is doing good today. Quick question on a sip bucket to use.... would it matter if the bucket was white? Im thinking of getting 2 20 litre buckets but they are white?

I would think as long as it's a Solid color white & not a transparent white it would be fine. Put a flashlight inside against the wall of the pot & see if light shows through. But then @Azimuth said something about using clear containers so he could see the root growth ? I've always been told roots don't like light. If I wanted a large pot / bucket, I'd cut one of those plastic 55 gallon drums in 1/2.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I made the trip (round trip 8 hours of driving) with only a 30 min. break in between. Back in time to water my plants today & Harvest another plant.
My new Bud Trimmer is suppose to be here today. I have an untrimmed plant drying so I can try a dry trim with it. Also, going to try a wet trim with the plant I harvest today. See which way works best for me. The large colas I'll still hand trim, but the rest I'll use the trimmer on.
I'll get this updated with new pics today. Just waking up so got to get my head together first.

 

[GreenFingaz]

I would think as long as it's a Solid color white & not a transparent white it would be fine. Put a flashlight inside against the wall of the pot & see if light shows through. But then @Azimuth said something about using clear containers so he could see the root growth ? I've always been told roots don't like light. If I wanted a large pot / bucket, I'd cut one of those plastic 55 gallon drums in 1/2.

Thanks buds. Ye ye thats why I asked because dont want those roots unhappy and seeing the light. Ive not purchased anything yet just browsing options before I get anything going

 

[GreenFingaz]

I've seen these on ebay and they're a good price too

 

[Buds Buddy]

I've seen these on ebay and they're a good price too

If you're in the U.S. (Home Depot) has a 10 pack of 5 gal. Black Buckets for $63.00 & change delivered. That's the ones I bought. Same brand as at the Hydro store for $11.98 ea.

 

[Azimuth]

Sup guys hope every1 is doing good today.

You spelled it wrong, supposed to be Sip!

Quick question on a sip bucket to use.... would it matter if the bucket was white? Im thinking of getting 2 20 litre buckets but they are white?

Dark colors are better, if you can get them.

But then @Azimuth said something about using clear containers so he could see the root growth ?

Well, I do use a cover cup over them. That allows me to slip to clear ones out and check on things. My cover cups are mostly white yogurt tubs, but would be better if they were dark. All that said, the white ones seem to work ok.

If you're in the U.S. (Home Depot) has a 10 pack of 5 gal. Black Buckets for $63.00 & change delivered. That's the ones I bought. Same brand as at the Hydro store for $11.98 ea.

If you're in the US, I'd suggest the dark blue Lowes buckets. They even have them in the two gallon size which is what I have to use for my space.

 

[Buds Buddy]

You spelled it wrong, supposed to be Sip!


Dark colors are better, if you can get them.


Well, I do use a cover cup over them. That allows me to slip to clear ones out and check on things. My cover cups are mostly white yogurt tubs, but would be better if they were dark. All that said, the white ones seem to work ok.


If you're in the US, I'd suggest the dark blue Lowes buckets. They even have them in the two gallon size which is what I have to use for my space.

The Blue Lowe's buckets cost significantly more. They were over $8 ea. at my local Lowe's. I think the Black ones I bought were about $8 ea. too if you bought them separate. But they had a 10 pack for $20 less so I bought that. Never hurts to have some extras laying around.... just in case.

 

[Buds Buddy]

So today is mostly Trim & Harvest day, other than mixing nutes for lights on tonight. I did up my nutes to the 5 gram MC Equivalent, as of yesterday. The Equivalent is Si @ 8.5 gr., N @ 2.3 grams & MC @ 4.2 grams per gal. In my other journal with Cherry On Top plants I just used straight MC. I forgot this strain tends to have weak branches so the plants in that journal are tied up every which way but loose. Using the equivalent the branches seem to be much thicker & stronger.
I harvested 2 of the Solo Cup Clone "Cherry On Top" plants last week. Smoked a joint of it this morning to test it out.
The smell is really strong. When you break it up it's good & sticky & the smell gets stronger. The weed itself kicks some butt. But, it surely needs a good cure as you can still taste the chlorophyll pretty good. Should be great in a couple of weeks.
So let's get to this grows plants. The 2 Purple Bucket Aurora's are almost ready for Flower. They are both emptying their buckets everyday. Maybe in less than a day.... haven't had a chance to see yet. I'll do a trim & defol tomorrow & next week start flower on them. Here's a couple of pics.

I'd say these 2 are about 16" - 18" tall & 20" or so wide. Leaves are thick so need to get some air flow going. Been seeing a few drops of moisture on the leaves the past few days. I got the 2 tent pole fans I ordered so I'll get them in this weekend.

 

[Azimuth]

Looking good there, @Buds Buddy !

 

[Buds Buddy]

To the Shed ! These gals are getting tall really fast. I flipped these 4 girls to 12/12 yesterday; so now to try to control the stretch some. Afraid they could get over 4' tall & I'd really like to keep them just under 4' if possible. Don't want to have to Super Crop them.
These are the 2 plants on the left side of the shed.

And here are the 2 on the right.

I should have separated the plants & took pics of each one by itself. Pretty hard to get good pics as it's only a 5' x 7' space & it's pretty full in there. Next update I will do that.

So far everything seems to be going well. Be making some buds soon.

Here's a couple of group shots.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Looking good there, @Buds Buddy !

Thanks ! I think I'll do these the same way I did the big girl. Trim before the stretch & flip to 12/12 only. I never did a 2nd trim of any kind until harvest. It seemed to have paid off.

 

[Azimuth]

You probably should've grown another plant in a cloth pot in there so we can see the comparison. It will be hard to truly appreciate their size when they're all monsters.

 

[Nine Toed Hippie]

To the Shed ! These gals are getting tall really fast. I flipped these 4 girls to 12/12 yesterday; so now to try to control the stretch some. Afraid they could get over 4' tall & I'd really like to keep them just under 4' if possible. Don't want to have to Super Crop them.
These are the 2 plants on the left side of the shed.

And here are the 2 on the right.

I should have separated the plants & took pics of each one by itself. Pretty hard to get good pics as it's only a 5' x 7' space & it's pretty full in there. Next update I will do that.

So far everything seems to be going well. Be making some buds soon.

Here's a couple of group shots.

I was proud of my new grow cabin until I laid eyes on your shed! Absolutely awesome.

NTH

 

[Buds Buddy]

You probably should've grown another plant in a cloth pot in there so we can see the comparison. It will be hard to truly appreciate their size when they're all monsters.

Yes, true. But it's much easier to appreciate their yield.... lol.