Soma Style Grow Bed in a "Bus Tub"?

[redneck shogun]

he doesnt use any paperbags he doesnt burp any jars for 2 weeks(or 2 months for that matter LOL only ONCE for 8hrs) and his shit is HOLYFIRE.
he just keeps it simple - grow it right flush it right dry it right and its ready to smoke (and enter into competion!!!!) immediately.

now back to your regular scheduled programming

I'm glad someone else does it this way because I thought I was just missing something. I mean I've heard of so many different methods people swear by, but my stuff always comes out of the cure so beautifully. I never find the same look and feel to the stuff on the streets. When I do that first check on it in the jar I often will have to adjust the percentage of water in the bud. I determine whether I need to leave the jars open for a number of hours or if it is too dry add a water tab (don't know what they are actually called but you can make them at home with a piece of wet paper towel covered with foil with holes poked in it). Once I feel like the bud is has the correct percentage of water in it I just put the lid on the jar and forget about it.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

Thought I would share my tub setup, im real happy with it after several runs.

* Screen not in position *

Each one can hold 27 gal of soil mix & takes about 4 gal of water when full of roots but lesser amounts of soil can be used.

Can grow just one BIG plant if trying to keep numbers low or many can be added to each tub.

Works GREAT for a storage container for smaller potted plants when transplanting through pot sizes when building the rootmass for the final tub.

The yellow lid is placed on the bottom as a runoff tray, the runoff flows in the lids channels to the 2 end holes, which drips into the red drywall collection pan.

That makes runoff collection super easy for testing & removal / re-using.

Each one is on a dolly so it can be wheeled around easily if needed, keeps off cold floor in winter.

There are holes drilled on the top rim so branches can be tied down opening up the plant easily.

LOTS of holes in the bottom for drainage & a few inches of perlite for a lower root air layer.

I will be running 3 Green Devil clones in each tub this run - wish me luck.

There about ready for there new home.

 

[JackTheGrower]

That is an excellent mid sized system. I have one of those Tough-Tubs and noticed that drainage potential too but was thinking hydro..

Excellent.

Are those drain holes in the lid big enough? Will you be placing some screen material between the soil and the perlite?

I look forward to your updates! Glad to have a seat!

 

[Tactical Farmer]

for sure dude, ive run these tubs about 5 times so far & they are just plain awesome.

ive run just 1 plant with the soil full to the brim (27gal) & 9 plants (half full of soil).

some with no lower air layer (perlite) & even did a seed run with 6 per tub.

ive had nothing but success every time & its really simplified alot of areas.

i nearly used a fabric liner (weedguard) after seeing something here but couldn't find a material (natural) enough & to be honest I don't see the need for it ?

what does it help - why even do it ?

Seems like it would restrict airflow through perlite (air layer) also.

Big & Chunky perlite would have been best do to the larger hole size but most of it should stay in place.

ive never had a problem with soil washing out even with no perlite.

Glad you like it - its a new room setup so still got some environmental factors to dial in, these green devil clones yield is going to be nutz

 

[thal]

Your tub idea is simply awesome. Great work.

 

[NUG-JUG]

Tactical Framer- Those tubs look like they work well. Where does the net go? I'm guessing at the bottom between the perlite and soil?

 

[DocLeaf]

I have planned on doing a Soma Style Grow Bed in a "Bus Tub"? The Bus tubs are 17" x 22" x 7" with 2 plants in each. A layer of Clay Hydro-tron pellets at the bottom with layer of Landscaping cloth. Then mix of organic soil with some perlite. Then I will run some vinyl pipe with hole in it down the sides to the bottom for vents to the clay pellets. Do you think this will be enough drainage?

Hi

We experimented with mini Soma Style Grow Bed many moons back. Using x2 plastic containers (one dropped inside the other) and a plastic down pipe. The bottom container had clay pebbles in the bottom, and the top one had a mesh base and a hole for the down pipe to run into the container below.

The top container was filled with a soil/perlite/coco/clay pebble/guano mix and watered from the top initially,, then watered from the base , via the down-pipe once established/in flower. It worked OK on a small scale as an experiment

Just add plenty of perlite to aid drainage.. and water evenly yet lightly IM-small-E with this method. All the best

Hope this helps

 

[Sinnerman]

I think a light bulb just went off in my head. Does anyone know if the root zone can have to much oxygen? I'm thinking of a tub design that will push air into the root zone.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

Tactical Framer- Those tubs look like they work well. Where does the net go? I'm guessing at the bottom between the perlite and soil?

The net is to even out the canopy (sea of green aka: SOG)

It will be installed a few feet above the tub right before (the 12/12 stretch) to hold down the dominate taller tops so the lower branches have some time to catch up to the same height.

A osilating circulating fan down low forces air through the holes & perlite right to the lower roots.

The thought of adding air pump lines into the perlite had crossed my mind before.

Maybe try it on 1 next time to compare.

Roots LOVE air - look at hydro & aero - never enough.

 

[supermanlives]

not a soma bed just 12 plants crammed in . worked great. no drainage holes either . simple watering . gallon per tub. yeehaw

 

[Cheerful]

not a soma bed just 12 plants crammed in . worked great. no drainage holes either . simple watering . gallon per tub. yeehaw

WOW - now that's what I want!!!! Superman, what strain(s)? More details...please!!!

 

[NUG-JUG]

The net is to even out the canopy (sea of green aka: SOG)

Oh right I see.

A osilating circulating fan down low forces air through the holes & perlite right to the lower roots.

The thought of adding air pump lines into the perlite had crossed my mind before.

Cool Idea!

Maybe try it on 1 next time to compare.

Roots LOVE air - look at hydro & aero - never enough.

supermanlives-

 

[Sinnerman]

The net is to even out the canopy (sea of green aka: SOG)

It will be installed a few feet above the tub right before (the 12/12 stretch) to hold down the dominate taller tops so the lower branches have some time to catch up to the same height.

A osilating circulating fan down low forces air through the holes & perlite right to the lower roots.

The thought of adding air pump lines into the perlite had crossed my mind before.

Maybe try it on 1 next time to compare.

Roots LOVE air - look at hydro & aero - never enough.

Thats exactly what popped in my head. A layer of stone or perlite or hydroton with air lines in it. That connect to difusion stones. Hook all that up to a small air pump. Then a type of weed mat or rooting felt to cover it. Then the soil of your choice.

In theory you would a constant supply of fresh oxygen to the rootzoone.

I'm gonna build one. I'll see how it works.

 

[buddah]

ey i run somas bed, too. also in such containers like you!! works great!! love it - the root are grew very very well!!

 

[JackTheGrower]

for sure dude, ive run these tubs about 5 times so far & they are just plain awesome.

ive run just 1 plant with the soil full to the brim (27gal) & 9 plants (half full of soil).

some with no lower air layer (perlite) & even did a seed run with 6 per tub.

ive had nothing but success every time & its really simplified alot of areas.

i nearly used a fabric liner (weedguard) after seeing something here but couldn't find a material (natural) enough & to be honest I don't see the need for it ?

what does it help - why even do it ?

Seems like it would restrict airflow through perlite (air layer) also.

Big & Chunky perlite would have been best do to the larger hole size but most of it should stay in place.

ive never had a problem with soil washing out even with no perlite.

Glad you like it - its a new room setup so still got some environmental factors to dial in, these green devil clones yield is going to be nutz

I guess it depends on the application. You are removing the material after each cycle I take it? Placing down a new layer of perlite each cycle? Using a new soil mix?
What I did here was separate the soil from everything else by using a screen fabric liner. The idea was to keep soil out of the perlite for years on end. I figured I wouldn't be removing the soil mass so I wanted to feel safe that there would be less clogging issues. After all my drain is plumbed into the sewer. I couldn't take chances of filling the line up with soil. So far so good.

There are many variations and it looks like yours is excellent.

 

[Sinnerman]

I guess it depends on the application. You are removing the material after each cycle I take it? Placing down a new layer of perlite each cycle? Using a new soil mix?
What I did here was separate the soil from everything else by using a screen fabric liner. The idea was to keep soil out of the perlite for years on end. I figured I wouldn't be removing the soil mass so I wanted to feel safe that there would be less clogging issues. After all my drain is plumbed into the sewer. I couldn't take chances of filling the line up with soil. So far so good.

There are many variations and it looks like yours is excellent.

Jack or Ernst (not sure which to address you as)

Did you notice a marked improvement in either growth rate or yeild?? Branching or budding sites?? Possibly just overall plant happiness???

 

[supermanlives]

WOW - now that's what I want!!!! Superman, what strain(s)? More details...please!!!

strain is pot of gold . 2 phenos. one finished at19 inches the other 25inches. 6 of each in tray total of 12.all clones not seeds

 

[NUG-JUG]

supermanlives-Why no drain holes? It obviously still worked great just curious.

 

[supermanlives]

with alot of perlite and carefull watering holes aint needed. i have proved this time after time. i did comparisons with containers with holes and there was no difference. any water running out the bottom of the pot is a waste of water and ferts to me. i grow in a tent with only access in the front. cleaning up the runoff got tedious so i went back to no holes

 

[ngen]

Thats exactly what popped in my head. A layer of stone or perlite or hydroton with air lines in it. That connect to difusion stones. Hook all that up to a small air pump. Then a type of weed mat or rooting felt to cover it. Then the soil of your choice.

In theory you would a constant supply of fresh oxygen to the rootzoone.

I'm gonna build one. I'll see how it works.

Hey, i have been thinking about having aeration PVC pipes in one of my next grows, and the research on the subject of over aeration is surprisingly scarce. I'm been working on conceptualizing something similar to what you are making.

I have not been able to find any info on optimum aeration. however, in the following report they mention that moist air is more beneficial than dry air. If you find any papers on this please PM them to me as i am very interested in this.

http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/9/3/567.pdf