coco+wick+gh flora nova=never dump run-off|pdg’s imaginary/enjoyable garden

[Leviathan]

im going back to good ol soil after my current coco run, im not into useing as much water as coco needs and as much nutes to, its just to much waste and effort in my opinon.....i hate waste-

 

[SoFreshnSOGreen]

was wondering if the outer container that has the water should have the surface of the water covered for sure? cant it lead to bad bacteria? [if not covered] btw - planning on using 12oz red cups in a kitty litter style tray thats almost as tall as the cups
was thinking of getting some poly and cutting out small holes for top of plants to come through or so... input appreciated ^^

 

[*mistress*]

im going back to good ol soil after my current coco run, im not into useing as much water as coco needs and as much nutes to, its just to much waste and effort in my opinon.....i hate waste-

there is zero (00:00) waste w/ this method. feed 1/2 as much as w/ a different system.
no water ever poured down any drain. it is either absorbed by plants or evaporates.
w/ fn bloom, really only have to feed ~4-5 times for entire grow, if really into quality over all else.

was wondering if the outer container that has the water should have the surface of the water covered for sure? cant it lead to bad bacteria? [if not covered] btw - planning on using 12oz red cups in a kitty litter style tray thats almost as tall as the cups
was thinking of getting some poly and cutting out small holes for top of plants to come through or so... input appreciated ^^

never covered either container. 5 gal containers have less space between the 4 gal and it to 'breathe'.there is more depth, so the air in the room has more difficulty interacting w/ the water in the bucket.

w/ the tote, the water+nutes are exposed to the air, in a shallower trough-like outer-container.less putrid funk accumulates.

also, the water + nutes have far more interaction w/ the atmosphere of the room. free to evaporate and be carried away by fans.
covering tray is not necessary... use air flow already in garden to advantage. shallow tray + res will permit surface turbulence to be continually carrying off moisture.
also, bad bacteria are primarily anaerobic; i.e.g., they dont like oxygenation or airflow. they like putrid environments of trapped condensation.
w/ cups in a kitty litter tray, can just acquire 1 poly/nylon mop head, and draw 1 string per ea cup. flay end in media. end.

 

[Strangely]

drill hole(s) in 4 gallon bucket, @~2 inches from base.

So the holes are around the side of the container holding the coco, not the bottom? Does tying the rope/s in knots, to stop them falling through holes, effect the wicking (I wouldn't have thought so but doesn't hut to check!)

Last thing, can't find 'black gold coco' around my neck of the woods (UK) will the below Cana coco be suitable?

http://www.growell.co.uk/p/0888/Canna-Coco-Organic-Growing-Medium.html

Many thanks! Great idea, been searching for a low tech method I can routinely leave for long weekends!!

 

[*mistress*]

So the holes are around the side of the container holding the coco, not the bottom? Does tying the rope/s in knots, to stop them falling through holes, effect the wicking (I wouldn't have thought so but doesn't hut to check!)

Last thing, can't find 'black gold coco' around my neck of the woods (UK) will the below Cana coco be suitable?

http://www.growell.co.uk/p/0888/Canna-Coco-Organic-Growing-Medium.html

Many thanks! Great idea, been searching for a low tech method I can routinely leave for long weekends!!

the holes are drilled approximately ~2" (~5cm) above bottom of bucket. this is so that 1 braid of the rope rests in the bottom of the bucket/container. so that there will be 2" mini-res in bottom of top (plant-holding) container. 1 rope is dedicated to maintaining this, 1 directly under root-mass, 2 spread laterally in media.
1 piece of 1" (2.5cm) rope should have ~4 braids. unbraid the rope to 6" (15cm) length. 6"(+) remain braided & extend to external water/nute source.
place media into bucket/container. cannae coco is suitable medium. dont tie knots, here; but have to test & water will saturate knot & continue upwards.... after placing 1 braid of the rope into the bottom, & 2 spread thru media & out to inner-walls of the container, place 1 frayed end beneath the transplant/root-mass.
if desire, can tie knots & place them @ bottom of container. prefer to spread them in the media itself. the roots will inter-twine & attach themselves to the ropes. should observe this @ harvest. can bottom feed & keep the upper-media dry (more oxygen) using this method.
extended periods away from gardening is remedied by placing bucket on bench, & placing tank w/ xx gals of water+nutes (possibly aerated) beneath. plant(s) will only draw up (wick) what they want+need.

 

[Strangely]

Excellent reply thanks Mistress! Some + rep coming your way.

 

[Dhude]

Curious to hear a yield comparison of same cultivar run in imaginary wick system vs. DWC or aero or similar.

 

[p1ninja]

man i need to start adding perlite to my coco

 

[overmyhead]

mistress - thank you for sharing this beautiful method with us. I have just started some clones in blazeoneup's soil recipe in smart pots. it is another kiss method with pre fertilized soil and just add water (top side.)

My question to you is, do you think that one could put a wick in with this mix and use it sporadically to a. give the plants a little variety (maybe run it up and around the edges as you fill with medium) in watering and or b. to help supplement for extended absences in late flowering when it's drinking a lot. For the one's I've already planted, could I put a wick around the top of the pot just to give a back up for absences? Thanks!!!

to sum up the medium its:
40% miracle grow organic choice (garden)
40% pro mix
20% chunky perlite

with some bone meal, blood meal and lime mixed in.

Thanks again!

 

[*mistress*]

mistress - thank you for sharing this beautiful method with us. I have just started some clones in blazeoneup's soil recipe in smart pots. it is another kiss method with pre fertilized soil and just add water (top side.)

My question to you is, do you think that one could put a wick in with this mix and use it sporadically to a. give the plants a little variety (maybe run it up and around the edges as you fill with medium) in watering

yes...

and or b. to help supplement for extended absences in late flowering when it's drinking a lot. For the one's I've already planted, could I put a wick around the top of the pot just to give a back up for absences? Thanks!!!

yes...

can insert the wick from either the top, or the bottom... insert/draw thru the drainage hole(s)... can use a chop stick, stake, or piece of 12/3 awg wire to push/pull the wick up the inner-side-walls of the container, &/or partially thru the media @ an angle... l

to sum up the medium its:
40% miracle grow organic choice (garden)
40% pro mix
20% chunky perlite

with some bone meal, blood meal and lime mixed in.

Thanks again!

nice mix...

 

[overmyhead]

Thanks! Yeah, I will be keeping an eye for any mg deficiencies in flower and figured that I'd add some potassium silicate and or molasses towards the end but Blazeoneup has been using that same mix for a while (without any additives) and it appears that he knows what he's doing. I've transplanted some rough looking clones in it and after a week they're already looking much better. I had to water the first round for the first time yesterday and I can't describe how nice it was to walk over to my dehumidifier runoff bucket, dip the watering can in it, add some BT (for potential gnats in the mg soil) and feed it straight to the plants, no ph'ing nada! It was truly enjoyable, the way a garden is supposed to be!

 

[*mistress*]

Thanks! Yeah, I will be keeping an eye for any mg deficiencies in flower and figured that I'd add some potassium silicate and or molasses towards the end but Blazeoneup has been using that same mix for a while (without any additives) and it appears that he knows what he's doing. I've transplanted some rough looking clones in it and after a week they're already looking much better. I had to water the first round for the first time yesterday and I can't describe how nice it was to walk over to my dehumidifier runoff bucket, dip the watering can in it, add some BT (for potential gnats in the mg soil) and feed it straight to the plants, no ph'ing nada! It was truly enjoyable, the way a garden is supposed to be!

mg deficiencies seem to corrected by epsom salts. seems they need lots of mag during weeks 4-7, 8... along w/ calcium. can be tricky determining which element is potentially being locked out. or if there is no lock-out occurring @ all & the plant is simply dying. as they are annuals...
blazeoneup mix part inspiration for this method...
k silicate raise ph noticeably...

 

[dr-dank]

Nice thread. I may do some trial runs. Current top feed DTW, and have a drip setup setup using some 10G totes for when away.

I like the simplicity and extended range I would get with this.

BT is the bacteria culture in gnatrol/mosqito dunks. BTI I think is full acronym.

 

[*mistress*]

thx dr-dank!
try to avoid waste of water+nutes... no need to throw out nutes w/ humates... can run higher ppms in lots of water...

 

[bonecarver_OG]

ehm

do you really think a method like this will have good results?

i havent read all the posts. but wick feeding means NO flushing in general and that will directly lead to salt build up in coco.

low ec tolerant strains will produce badly in this kind of environment.

i have seen grows made like this and it was not a nice sigth in end flowering.
the article im refering to was in spanish yerba magazin a few years back.

only possible way to avoid the salt build-up would be to continuosly flush. also limiting life span is one other thing that might help results a bit. the less time the plants are vegged, the less buildup will they have.

itd be interesting to find input from someone who has actually done a grow like this, and has photos to share.

i cant posibly see coco hydroponic growing work like this at all.

maybe organic pre-made mixes can work better.

i can see a lot of soil related posts up above. i remind again this is a coco forum hehe

peace!


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edit - joined twp posts not to occupy too much space


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coco actaully grabs on very well to the nutes and it costs a lot of effort to flush it out for optimal performance.

even in pots watered with 50% of volume with plenty of flush can the flush out go up over 1.9 in some occasions when its hot etc

better watch the EC very carefully

 

[bonecarver_OG]

id love to see pics of a grow like this that actually works well

it tends to tease the lazy side of me inside - the thought of slacking thru a grow. but if it doesnt give topclass results, i pass.

so please any pics?

peace

 

[*mistress*]

ehm

do you really think a method like this will have good results?

yes... works well...

i havent read all the posts. but wick feeding means NO flushing in general and that will directly lead to salt build up in coco.

read entire thread 1st...

low ec tolerant strains will produce badly in this kind of environment.

that is a pretty bold prediction for one that has not even read entire thread, nor attempted passive hydro...

i have seen grows made like this and it was not a nice sigth in end flowering.
the article im refering to was in spanish yerba magazin a few years back.

couple mags referenced in this thread. see post 1... from ht & heads, circa 'o2... maybe different outcome

only possible way to avoid the salt build-up would be to continuosly flush. also limiting life span is one other thing that might help results a bit. the less time the plants are vegged, the less buildup will they have.

no... incorrect...

there is no salt build-up... no more than any other system... gardener has option of raising container holding plant above 2nd bucket/tote, if dont want container resting in water...

the plant is either top-fed or bottom-fed. they are only feed nutes ~1-2 times per week. the plants themselves are only watered 1-2 times per week... so, it is feed - water - feed - water...

veg @ least 4-8 weeks, under 1k's... 4-5 gallon buckets, 10 gallon totes... no issues w/ salt build-up... may have something to do w/ simply watering less, as was discussed in another thread... the pl@nt only draws up the water &/or nutes it wants...

itd be interesting to find input from someone who has actually done a grow like this, and has photos to share.

passive plant killer similar...

i cant posibly see coco hydroponic growing work like this at all.

it works...

maybe organic pre-made mixes can work better.

i can see a lot of soil related posts up above. i remind again this is a coco forum hehe

peace!

no soil related posts...

coco actaully grabs on very well to the nutes and it costs a lot of effort to flush it out for optimal performance.

see: feed water feed... = feed flush feed

even in pots watered with 50% of volume with plenty of flush can the flush out go up over 1.9 in some occasions when its hot etc

better watch the EC very carefully

they get full strength fehrts... when get around to testing ec/cf/ppms, etc, run around 1400 ppms on dipstick/nutra-wand scale... that translates to ec 2.0 on that meter... ph is what gh fnb settles to, around 5.8-6.2... occasionally (mostly in early flower) lower ph w/ distilled vinegar to 5.5 or so... depends... generally just permit ph drift...

difficultly imagining the method is not due to lack of descriptions/depictions & detailed data sets, contained in this thread...
dont post pics of garden... so if want pics, simply ignore this thread... have lurked since erow/og/cw...

id love to see pics of a grow like this that actually works well

it tends to tease the lazy side of me inside - the thought of slacking thru a grow. but if it doesnt give topclass results, i pass.

so please any pics?

peace

see sig & ^^

...not wasting water or nutes &/or over-watering/under-watering plants... reducing inputs to garden.

ran kbs w/ pumps, soaker hoses, etc... ran aero buckets w/ little-no media... just machines to get in way of plants... hand-watering good, but gardeners can easily over-water... w/ wicks, the plants drink when they want & eat what they want...

 

[*mistress*]

from post 1... if can find them. both out of print...

hi tymes mag, octr 'o1 issue, 'the chr0nic crew' by k. kushman...
& heads magazine, issue no. 7, mar '02, 'no sweat hydr0' (the wick system).

k.kushman, the chr0nic crew, h! tymes, oct. 'o1:

The plants were grown in 5-gallon buckets filled with a plethora of organic amendments. using Pro-Mix as the growing medium, they add approximantely 25% worm castings, plus copious amounts of perlite to improve aeration. Bone and blood meal, chelated iron and micronutrients sweeten the soil. Doc also adds liquid humic acid to get things hummin'.
This is old-school farming, so it takes a lot of work. "this kind of operation is all about organic love," is what I'm told by Doc J. All watering/feeding is done by hand, and must be precise as there are no drainage holes.The crew begins this process by removing 1/4 of the plants to another part of the basement. This way there is room to water, inspect and groom each plant, then rotate and replace them in an opposite corner. Due to the small size of the buckets, this must be repeated every two or three days during peak growth.
Doc's method of feeding is more akin to tasting than analysis of parts per million. According to Doc, the plants will tell you how the soil tastes to them. Using his knowledge and intutition, he decides what mixture of amendments to add at each watering. His arsenal presently contains homemade guano tea, Maxi-Crop seaweed, Thrive Alive plant tonic, Earth Juice Bloom and grow, and Alaska Mor-Bloom and 5-1-1 fish emulsions.
"We go hard for five or six waterings. Then give 'em a burst a plain water to stabilize things. You don't want the soil to get too hot," Doc says. He also swears by "a dose of nitrogen once a week with Earth Juice or Alaska." This includes the flowering cycle too. He only gives them plain water 7-10 days prior to harvest.

 

[buddin_904]

i ran a few plants in beer cups using a wicking method, no run off. it worked great for veg. the medium was 50/50 coco perlite. the bottom of the cups had holes, however, and the cups sat in a deep saucer. i would peroidically top water and let it bottom feed the run off until dry. they loved it and they loved drying out a lot too, to tell you the truth. actually, most of the time i just filled the saucer with solution for a long term, well....daily, as a remedy to feeding. oh, and while in veg, i fed at probably 250 ppm FN, a couple days in a row, then maybe a day plain water only, then feed,..repeat.

 

[bonecarver_OG]

so no pics? its hard to believe this will give good results - with no pìcs as proof