SWICK Watering Systems: Letting The Plant Water Itself

[olderthandirt]

...You just suggested 3 parts pumice to 6 parts peat and EWC...

...irrationally expensive on the east coast.

Thanks for that Rad.

Now we get to see if I'm understanding your understanding of what I thought I understood...... right.
What I meant to convey was equal parts of the 3 main components.
33% peat
33% EWC
33% pumice
(1% best intentions)

So are you suggesting perhaps
25% peat
25% EWC
50% pumice (aeration)

Gawd but I hate numbers 'bout as much as I swear they hates me!

ETA: I'm lucky in that there's a nursery here that has pumice for just slightly more than perlite.

 

[Radogast]

Thanks for that Rad.

Now we get to see if I'm understanding your understanding of what I thought I understood...... right.
What I meant to convey was equal parts of the 3 main components.
33% peat
33% EWC
33% pumice
(1% best intentions)

So are you suggesting perhaps
25% peat
25% EWC
50% pumice (aeration)

Gawd but I hate numbers 'bout as much as I swear they hates me!

ETA: I'm lucky in that there's a nursery here that has pumice for just slightly more than perlite.

Maybe not all the way to 50% - I often use 50% for seedlings but my adult veg, flower, and reuse mix is about 40%.

so ... I would suggest 3 parts peat, 3 parts EWC, 4 parts pumice(40%) or 5 parts pumice (45%).

3 parts EWC sounds marvelously healthy.

Maybe someone else will chime in here. I'm only about 1 year into this soil mix with a single amendment of 5% EWC.
I'm not ready to say it is the best mix ever, or even that I am an above average grower.

 

[olderthandirt]

... I would suggest 3 parts peat, 3 parts EWC, 4 parts pumice(40%) or 5 parts pumice (45%).

3 parts EWC sounds marvelously healthy. ...

I had gotten the impression that some folks felt a higher ratio on the pumice/perlite/rice hull/whathaveyou was preferable for the Swick watering.

Anyone else have thoughts as to whether or not pumice will work as well as perlite for the Swick resevoir? Shoot, I just called the nursery today and the pumice is waaaay cheaper than the perlite!

 

[Atulip]

Don't have experience with pumice, but if it soaks up water it should work just fine. And I like a ~40% perlite mixture in my soil. Slightly more aeration than normal for swick.


While I'm here, a photo of my NLxBB, she's 3 weeks in flower after ~60 days of veg. 5 gallon pot, rootbound, and started having N deficiency before flowering started.

Nothing but one giant mass of roots. She also had about 6" of roots at the bottom living in the swick.

 

[SweetSue]

I had gotten the impression that some folks felt a higher ratio on the pumice/perlite/rice hull/whathaveyou was preferable for the Swick watering.

Anyone else have thoughts as to whether or not pumice will work as well as perlite for the Swick resevoir? Shoot, I just called the nursery today and the pumice is waaaay cheaper than the perlite!

Yes you can use it and yes it wicks beautifully. It also weights a ton when it's wet. If you aren't moving the SWICKs at all, that's not a concern. Home Depot sells perlite they call thermorock - I believe I showed a picture of it on the first page of the thread - for less than $20 that you can order on line for store pick-up.

 

[olderthandirt]

... it wicks beautifully. It also weights a ton when it's wet....
thermorock - I believe I showed a picture of it on the first page of the thread - for less than $20 that you can order on line for store pick-up.

I'd looked at HomeDepot but didn't see the Thermorock. Found it just now, "Out of Stock".
The pumice will cost me $4 for 5gal so 2cu ft for $12. Comes in at about the same as the thermorock then, good to know.

Heavy when wet huh. I'll be sure to don the kidney belt a'fore liftin' the plants (-;

Thankee Sue (-:

 

[Dr Fish]

The difference in the density of pumice 250kg cubic meter, and perlite 30-150kg cubic meter means by weight, perlite will hold a hell of a lot more water than pumice... Maybe the difference won't matter....

 

[olderthandirt]

Mornin' Doc
Hmmmm, now that's some food for thought. I looked at some old gardening threads and got the impression that pumice, by volume, holds more water than perlite. While being denser it's also more porous?

And with that I've just gotten in well over my head!
The character Zack on "Big Bang Theory" once said, "That's the nice thing about science. There's no wrong answers." ooph

 

[Atulip]

I would assume perlite would hold more water since its less dense.

The vigoro perlite is at home depot. $17 for 2 cu feet. Easier on the back than a 50lb bag of pumice too lol.

 

[SweetSue]

I would assume perlite would hold more water since its less dense.

The vigoro perlite is at home depot. $17 for 2 cu feet. Easier on the back than a 50lb bag of pumice too lol.

The chief consideration here is really the weight factor. I used pumice in my soil mix, believing it to be a better choice for soil, since the many-cratered and pitted surfaces offer shelter for the microbes, but pumice makes those pots crazy heavy! I also think that the smoother surface of the perlite would move more water. Just a suspicion.

 

[olderthandirt]

...I also think that the smoother surface of the perlite would move more water. Just a suspicion.

That's what I've gotten from scouring various gardening and specialty grow forums since I first posed me question Sue.
My google-fu revealed to me that organic hobbyists, orchid freaks, tomato aficionados and so forth have had these discussions repeatedly for years.

Perlite and Pumice and Vermiculite, oh my! heh-heh

So my take-away is that pumice is akin to vermiculite in it's ability to hold water while perlite is the champ when it comes to moving water through a medium.

As I check around town I'm finding that pumice and perlite can be had for almost the same price per cubic foot so I plan to use both in the soil mix and as ya'll have been doing, straight perlite in the reservoir . I'll just find out fer meself (-:

 

[36Gr0w]

An alternative to look at would be diy sip or an earthbox. They are supposedly coming out with a square shaped planter in the spring.

 

[olderthandirt]

Familiar with the earth box but all I got for diy sip is Do-It-Yourself Structural Insulation Panel?

 

[36Gr0w]

Thank you for pointing that out, I am talking about a sub-irrigated planter. Specifically enclosed ones without the need for perlite or large containers on bottom.

 

[olderthandirt]

Well you can certainly tell I'm a novice gardener, silly man doesn't know what a sip is.... really.... (-;

All the plans and diagrams.... lol, possibilities are endless!

 

[36Gr0w]

Well you can certainly tell I'm a novice gardener, silly man doesn't know what a sip is.... really.... (-;

All the plans and diagrams.... lol, possibilities are endless!

Exactly, so many different options. One day I hope to have outdoor gardens watered from a giant sip system using collected rainwater.

 

[Radogast]

I just bottom watered my Late Veg Swick after leaving the SWICK dry for several weeks and top watering the plants. Essentially growing with the SWICK off.

I went back to using the SWICK because the pots were uneven in moisture in different spots as measured by the cheap triple probe. These uneven moisture spots persitent through several wet dry cycles.

When I stopped using the SWICK, I had been keeping the reservoir constantly filled and I believe it inhibited root growth by making finding water too easy.

I am using a differnt strategy now. I watered the late veg SWICK and am letting it dry out again. When the pots get to barely moist, I will water the SWICK again.

I have up to six 5-10 gallon fabric pots on a shared SWICK. As measured with cheap triple probe, the moisture stays fairly even within pots and between pots.

 

[SweetSue]

This is the technic HealingKronic uses with his grow, letting the SWICK run down during veg to encourage root development. The other thing he does, which I just started and you may want to consider, is starting them in one gallon fabric pots and dropping pot and all into the finish pot. The plants apparently love this approach of upcanning without transplanting.

Rad, I appreciate the way you continue to update here. These posts are helping to build a valuable base of information for future cultivators.

 

[yankeetoker]

I just bottom watered my Late Veg Swick after leaving the SWICK dry for several weeks and top watering the plants. Essentially growing with the SWICK off.

I went back to using the SWICK because the pots were uneven in moisture in different spots as measured by the cheap triple probe. These uneven moisture spots persitent through several wet dry cycles.

When I stopped using the SWICK, I had been keeping the reservoir constantly filled and I believe it inhibited root growth by making finding water too easy.

I am using a differnt strategy now. I watered the late veg SWICK and am letting it dry out again. When the pots get to barely moist, I will water the SWICK again.

I have up to six 5-10 gallon fabric pots on a shared SWICK. As measured with cheap triple probe, the moisture stays fairly even within pots and between pots.

This is exactly why I decided to try the "wet/dry" cycle with my swick. I just let the reservoir dry out and then I top "feed" (will be alternating between aloe/coconut/agsil and enzyme teas) the plants letting excess run out the bottom and when they stop dripping I place them back on their swick .

What do you think?

 

[Radogast]

This is exactly why I decided to try the "wet/dry" cycle with my swick. I just let the reservoir dry out and then I top "feed" (will be alternating between aloe/coconut/agsil and enzyme teas) the plants letting excess run out the bottom and when they stop dripping I place them back on their swick .

What do you think?

However you do wet/dry cycles is a good way.

I have pretty much stopped top watering and teas. I will probably resume at some point when I get a better feel for when to add vigor and nutrition. So far, I have had 4 plants harvested with a weak soil, top watering, no SWICK, and bottled nutes. These have been followed by about 20 plants in custom soil, SWICKs, and water all the way to harvest.

I have abandoned the SWICK in Early Veg and I let the Late Veg SWICK and the Flowering Room SWICK go through wet/dry cycles. I also add worm soil when I harvest from and transplant into my custom soil pots,