Wicking bed using coco as grow medium.

Stickeebluntz

New Member
Hey all. In my head this work well but wondering if anyone else has done it.
Using 25ltr fabric pots on was wondering if in could sit them on a container set up with pipe and sand for wicking. Growing in 70/30 coco perlite. I figure I can then just feed coco nutes directly to the reservoir and it should technically wick up into coco and keep it moist almost all the time while providing a constant stream of nutes . That coupled with a drip system to prevent the top drying out as well. Think it would work? Cheers
 

roony

Well-Known Member
I've always grown in soil so unsure about coco but I'm still under the impression that you dont want the root system to stay wet all the time it can cause root issues and overall hurt your grow roots need oxygen just as much as they need food and water by keeping them wet all the time you would deprive them of their much needed oxygen just something to mull over is all
 

Hash Hound

Well-Known Member
@Stickeebluntz they call this a SWICK (subirrigted wick) I think growers at 420mag coined the phrase, but the wick doesn't go into the media, the bag wicks it into the soil, and the bag sits on the wicking material. Usually a container of perlite.
I figured save the perlite and I used a riser from an old SIP planter.
Mine is working good so far as the watering goes, but the plants are a little paler than usual, I should have had more nutes in the bottom half of the bag. I top dressed and top watered the other day to see if she improves. Also experimenting with using Pittmoss a recycled news paper product so I'm not sure if that's has something to do with the paleness. Could even be the strain, it's my own cross of Col Gold x WW. More concerned in the watering aspect for this experiment. I put 3 quarts of water every 3 days. If I miss a day, it will suck up the quart it missed real quick and I can add 4.

post 2521 shows what I'm talking about
https://www.rollitup.org/t/sip-thread-sub-irrigated-planter.904886/page-127#post-15808063

as far as using coco for the wicking process that should work.
I would contain the coco in a smaller size for the wick to use less of it and to allow you to see how much water you have left.
Like cutting the bottom 3 or 4 inches of a 5g bucket and drill a bunch of holes in it, fill that with coco and set it in what ever size tub you want to use for the reservoir. Set the bag on top of the coco and it should wick up water as needed. But the roots might end up growing right through fabric and into the coco? I find a few stuck to the wick plate when I lift the bag and the amount of little roots growing out the bottom sides of the bag are way more than normal.

My way just elevates like you would for a wick or sicking bed, but it eliminates using another product.
You could probably use a few wicking strips or even a dish towel draped over any sort of riser and get the same method I have.
 
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