Maria Sanchez
Well-known member
Hola coco coir experts,
I grow outdoors, subtropical, fairly high rainfall -- 100 mm in dry months, up to 500+ mm in wet months. Use cloth bags to drain faster, but they also dry faster in the heat when it doesn't rain. And I want to avoid having to go to site and water all the time.
If I use grow bags with a 50% coir mix (plus other organic, peat moss, etc.), and put then in deep drip trays, to collect rain water, and wick up to the medium, how deep should I make the drip trays?
I was originally thinking of using 8" / 20cm cloth pots that are about 9" / 23 cm high. Hold about 10 liters, 2.5 gal. Don't want them too big as I want to keep the plant size down for stealth.
If I make the trays too deep, then too much of the medium may be sitting in the water all the time.
If I make the trays too shallow, then they won't collect much water to wick up to the plants.
I'm growing in some abandoned housing. They have beautiful south-facing terrace/balconies that should get (near) full day sun. A couple of the houses' terraces/balconies have the drains blocked, and they fill up like shallow swimming pools, maybe 4"-6" / 10cm-15cm deep. Was thinking of growing straight on those for the wicking affect, but looks like they are too deep. I guess I could raise the pots up to catch the top few inches. Though, then it would have to rain heavily to fill the up and get any wicking affect at all.
Any thoughts?
I grow outdoors, subtropical, fairly high rainfall -- 100 mm in dry months, up to 500+ mm in wet months. Use cloth bags to drain faster, but they also dry faster in the heat when it doesn't rain. And I want to avoid having to go to site and water all the time.
If I use grow bags with a 50% coir mix (plus other organic, peat moss, etc.), and put then in deep drip trays, to collect rain water, and wick up to the medium, how deep should I make the drip trays?
I was originally thinking of using 8" / 20cm cloth pots that are about 9" / 23 cm high. Hold about 10 liters, 2.5 gal. Don't want them too big as I want to keep the plant size down for stealth.
If I make the trays too deep, then too much of the medium may be sitting in the water all the time.
If I make the trays too shallow, then they won't collect much water to wick up to the plants.
I'm growing in some abandoned housing. They have beautiful south-facing terrace/balconies that should get (near) full day sun. A couple of the houses' terraces/balconies have the drains blocked, and they fill up like shallow swimming pools, maybe 4"-6" / 10cm-15cm deep. Was thinking of growing straight on those for the wicking affect, but looks like they are too deep. I guess I could raise the pots up to catch the top few inches. Though, then it would have to rain heavily to fill the up and get any wicking affect at all.
Any thoughts?
