Indoor DIY Sub irrigation SIP system - need some help with this please - doesn't appear to work

[lunarman]

I put in a SIP system in my tent. I have low rise plastic containers from Costco lined with landscape fabric. Filled it with clay pellets/marbles from a grow shop. I use fabric pots and just put them right on top of the landscape fabric on top of the clay. Water height is about an inch below the clay.

I have two containers/res's each holding 2 plants in 3 or 5 gallon fabric pots.

When I feel the bottom of the pots the are not very moist at all. And the double layer landscape fabric does not feel wet to me. And the clay pellets on the top don't look wet to me, like they are not wicking water up to the pot.

Just how wet should the bottom of the pots be? Is this typically a slower watering process that doesn't really soak the bottom of the pot?

 

[puggle6]

I put in a SIP system in my tent. I have low rise plastic containers from Costco lined with landscape fabric. Filled it with clay pellets/marbles from a grow shop. I use fabric pots and just put them right on top of the landscape fabric on top of the clay. Water height is about an inch below the clay.

I have two containers/res's each holding 2 plants in 3 or 5 gallon fabric pots.

When I feel the bottom of the pots the are not very moist at all. And the double layer landscape fabric does not feel wet to me. And the clay pellets on the top don't look wet to me, like they are not wicking water up to the pot.

Just how wet should the bottom of the pots be? Is this typically a slower watering process that doesn't really soak the bottom of the pot?

Hay man, sounds similar to my setup
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/f6s-ultimate-hydro.61348/

My pots are always wet, due to the way mine is set up but the clay balls never seem very wet at the top.

You may want to run a few wicks to get more water to the top?

Any pics?

f6

 

[lunarman]

@fettled6

Hey f6. Thanks for letting me know your clay balls don't feel wet at the top too. Your system is far more high tech and better than mine. I was hand watering up until 3 days ago and decided to try this approach hoping to prevent over/under watering issues. Its my first grow and learning much right now and changing and adapting quickly as I go along with things like nutes and watering. I wanted to try this version of SIP because its cheap to do and easy to implement. If I had of planned this from the beginning I would have done something more advanced probably. That will come later.

Here are a couple of pictures of what I did. I think they show what I explained above, but if you want another pic let me know.\

I do have a control wizards PH8 that I bought on the rec from @Waira so I can measure PH in the pot. It also has a moisture meter that I didn''t really pay attention to at first.

http://controlwizardproducts.com/proddetail.php?prod=Accurate-pH-8

But when I test my pots with this SIP stuff all my pots are pinned to the left side of the meter which means they are moist. So maybe this is working as it should but its more subtle than hand watering and I am not used to the way it works. Using the PH8 might be the way to tell what is going on. Assuming it is accurate for measuring moisture. Also I think my circulation fans might be too much and they dry out the top to fast.

Anyway, here are pics. Let me know what you think.

 

[puggle6]

Hmm, OK so soil in the GeoPots?
I initially thought clay also in the pot, no biggie but I don't think you will achieve the wicking effect you desire to self regulate.

The pots are porous but I think lack the wicking, coir matting such as I use keeps more moisture in bottom of the pot, maybe try that next time?

Since you are off and running already it might be a pain to get it running how you want.

Maybe try getting some wick material and wrap the fabric pot and dangle in your tray, or even a knitting needle and pass it through the bottom of the fabric pot.

your airflow will also be creating evap so investigate and see how that is effecting things, you could raise water level and even run an airstone to bubble under your pots to keep a bit of splash on their bum lol

f6

 

[puggle6]

Looks good tho bro, if your meter says OK just monitor, things can change fast!

Geopots are great with benifical bacteria, worth it as the pot becomes a habitat

f6

 

[lunarman]

@fettled6

Medium is not soil. It's coco with lots of perlite so aeration is good. And its amended with lots of organics. I didn't want to have to get complicated with feeding schedules etc with my first grow so decided to go with organic medium and water and some teas. And since I learned that over/under watering can stress a plant I decided on to go with this low tech easy to implement watering system. As a newbie I'm trying to keep in simple and not worry about nute burns and watering issues.

so maybe the geopots are not wicking enough. What can I do to improve that? poke holes in it? Or add some sort of new wick? I'm not sure I understand what you are suggesting, but I like the idea of improving the wicking!

 

[puggle6]

Rgr, coco has great retention but when the girls get really going having a few wicks will defiantly assist.

my rule is never add something if a concern is not an issue but be prepared with a thought out solution if that concern becomes an issue!

If you don't want to add any sort of electromechanical addition then get down to the craft shop and grab some 'thickish' candle wick rope, wash and stick some short lengths in the bottom o your pot and allow to sit in tub. Easier way and very hard to over water.

I also don't think you will have a problem raising water level and just have pots sitting on the clay balls, roots will grow out the bottom in time lol

f6

 

[Waira]

:smoking: Thanks Fettled mate! Y'all are outside my scope of expertise,... you know, I'm a Sun and soil dude! .... Lunar that moisture feature is very handy at times,... I suggest making up some pots with various amounts of moisture, so you can calibrate yourself of sorts, and see what exactly the numbers equate to in moisture levels,..

 

[lunarman]

@Waira good idea. I do have a pot with my mix in it and I'm trying to dry it out. it is prob a couple of days from being dry. I was going to lift and feel the weight on it and compare to the ones on the SIP. But comparing with the PH8 meter might be even better. Lifting and feeling the weight can't that easy or accurate once the pots with the plants get to be big because they will always be heavier from the plant mass. The meter might be better. I'll start measuring the pot drying out with it and hopefully get some numbers from it.

 

[lunarman]

@fettled6

How to attach the wicks to the bottom of the geopots? I can't really sew them on since the pots are holding plants now. Maybe safety pins? Stapling probably wont work.