Learn more about how to use a self-watering planter: For a QUICK intro to SIPs (under 5 mins): th-cam.com/video/CXyV-XsQWNE/w-d-xo.html Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build) th-cam.com/video/Lp9Jdyno9hI/w-d-xo.html SIP Raised Bed (Update 1) + Self-Watering Containers + How-To Monitor Moisture Levels : th-cam.com/video/5orIjYKFRgE/w-d-xo.html SIP Raised Bed (Update 3) + Winterizing Planters & Totes th-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/w-d-xo.html Self-watering planters have pros & cons. Read more about how they can benefit you the most: albopepper.com/sip_expectations.php
Don't know if it matters but I would think with a clear tub you'd get algae growth down in the bottom of the tub. Since it's 4 years later did you do this in a clear tub? If so, did you get algae growth?
Boy, good that I watch this. I am about to drill the hole higher for my SIP and was thinking exactly what you ask us to avoid. That was closed. Ha ha... thank you!
Hi AlboPepper, thanks for these great videos. They came at a great time as I will soon be volunteering to construct one of these at my son's kindergarten. Your videos have solidified some aspects of SIP's in my mind. I live in Brisbane, Australia which has a hot, humid tropical climate - it is not uncommon for it to reach 40 degrees Celcius (104 Farenheit...) and the UV factor is off the charts. Combine that with extraordinarily virulent pests (moths, possums, fierce tropical slugs, giant beetle larvae, hungry lorikeets, leaf-devouring 21-spotted tropical ladybirds, a thousand different colourful sap-sucking bugs) and you have some very challenging gardening conditions. There is a reason the most successful plant in Australia is the eucalyptus tree, with its super-hardcore moisture-locking leaves and herbicidal sap! So fully netted and moisture controlled wicking beds are a must, you could water your plants 8 times a day here and they would still die from moisture stress without wicking. I will note one positive thing about my area, we can grow food 100% of the year if we manage our seed planting carefully. Our winter is like your early summer, we never ever have frost. So there are pro's and con's... I built two beds at home, very similar externally but with much less drainage than you provide. In one bed I somehow raptured the plastic sheet, allowing water to drain out, albeit slowly. In the other, the seal is perfect. I had been puzzling for some time at the fact that the ruptured bed actually helped the plants grow really well, whereas the perfectly sealed bed had very disappointing results. Now I understand that there is such a thing as TOO MUCH moisture, your video has made this really intuitive to understand. It turns out the ruptured bed was slowly letting out the water and stopping it pooling up and causing root rot. So thank you, this has really helped me and I will be duplicating your design to help some kids learn more about growing their own food in a few weeks! Really smooth video production BTW.
+Derek Van Tonder - Hi Derek! Thanks for visiting my channel. I'm glad these videos were able to serve as a useful resource. It sounds like you really do have some unique challenges in your area. I hope that by using SIPs you are able to enjoy the greatest success possible! :-D
+AlboPepper You're welcome! In Australia we call ground cherries goose-berries. I had to look it up, I thought they looked familiar. Funny/sad story about them for you. Once I took my kids to a strawberry farm where they could pick some strawberries. They were being grown on top of sheets of black plastic, about as un-organic and unnatural as possible, probably sprayed with poison twice a day as they were just absurdly perfect. Funny thing is all these parents were bringing their kids to this place thinking it was great and natural, wholesome fun for the kids etc. I took my own kids there but only allowed them to eat one or two strawberries after I saw how they were growing them!!! As we were leaving I noticed a huge strip of gooseberries on the fence - perfectly ripe, ready to pluck and devour. And all these kids had no idea, they were just running straight past them to get their mutant strawberries...it broke my heart that these kids would probably never experience the beautiful tart/sweet flavour of a gooseberry warm from the summer sun like I did when I was small. That's how we grew up and I want to give that to my kids too.
+Derek Van Tonder - Well said! It's good to see people preserving and also revitalizing our gardening heritage. Technology is such a cheap substitute for real, natural fresh air. And home grown food... so many people don't know what they're missing!
I am so grateful to you for this video! I have watched numerous vids, and asked questions specifically about how the air chamber is created with a SIP system- never got an answer.Thank you for explaining the air chamber visually! Now I finally understand how the air chamber works, and the relationship between the drain hole and the aeration screen.
Thank you so much for the informative videos on SIPs! I'm totally new to gardening and you've made it so easy for me to follow. I can't wait to make my own SIP!
gr8 looking SIP and totally agree with your KEY points in all of the series on this SIP raised bed! We made some half barrels like those that Rob Bobs Backyard channel shows in his DIY builds for the air pruning sub irrigated wicking barrels and they worked gr8...same concept exactly only deeper water res due to the sides all being able to make up all they need for oxygen....water level is just at the tops of the corrugated in ours and with all the holes from corrugated up to the top lined with landscape fabric to hold the soil in.....super looking results with yours here and again we're in total agreement with all the info. you've put into your build an the entire series of follow-ups....superb onto checkout update 3...cheers
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening pleasure...yes sir, they seem to be the best of both hydro and soil growing....hyrdo results without the expenses and hassles of doing a total hydro grow set-up
Thanks for explaining the "why" part of your design. I'm considering daisy chaining a few SIP beds and integrating them into a rainwater collection system. The details of your design considerations help me decide if this is the direction I want to go.
11:41 TY! Placemat of overflow in connection w pipe!! Still hung up on pipes not connected how the sand wicks water From pipe ? Water in pipe threw slit on top but nothing in contact to pull it out ?
Absolutely fantastic video! Thank you so much for posting these up. You've inspired me to build my own setup based on yours and covered and condensed so much useful actionable information into concise and clear video. Bravo!!
Thank you for making these videos and helpful guides. You've saved my sanity with Gardening, and saved my back and my back yard. You are a God send. I look forward to get started with my gardening once again. I happen to live in Texas where often it gets hot and it doesn't rain as much as I would like. Hell My marigolds where in containers and I ran out of rain water from my barrel. I was at my wits end thinking I needed another rain barrel. Even though I got one, this is much more efficient and economical in my opinion. Thank you again. Now I know how to keep my Butterfly milkweeds healthy for the pollinators. Speaking of pollinators I am hoping you have some videos on attracting them with the lack of them being around as of late. I barely ever see a bee or butterfly anymore. So I'm trying to do my part.
Thank-you very much for your kind words. I really appreciate it! :D I know that these types of self-watering systems have been giving me outstanding results. I'm quite happy to share everything that I'm learning about optimizing them. I want everyone to be able to garden and to enjoy doing it!
Excellent follow up video, thank you very much for taking the time to share this information. Also greatly appreciate the easy to understand yet detailed and technical approach you have to explaining how this type of system works.
I'm wondering your approximate location. Mine in NYS middle gets harder night freezing temperatures by November. Usually then our grow season is over mostly. What happens when the bed water freezes which can expand possibly ripping the liner? Perhaps a bottom drain plug removed might help for over winter? I noticed your plants are very crowded. That can cause stretching for light plant stress less harvest. It can cause powdery mildew with lack of air flow especially bottom wet leaves or watering them. I would remove all such bottom leaves. They won't produce generally or what is likely would be inferior. That would produce air flow. I also noticed some of the plant leaves are not looking dark enough green. Perhaps the video. Yet possibly a nitrogen or other deficiency starting? I would advise looking up what's called super soil for cannabis which lists ingredients you can mix into the soiless mix before putting it into the beds. You will see more matt like root growth then I believe. I find what you're doing here very interesting. Have you ever seen longer sheets of corrugated metal perhaps used for roofing used for the beds? Thank you for sharing it!
I plan to build raised gardens next year.. I watched several of your how to build them and care.. this video made everything more clear to why you do everything the way you do. i would have made the drain to high not thinking of the oxygen levels. so glad i saw this video..
+monty97374 - Hi Monty! I'm glad the video was able to show the process a little better. I discovered years ago that the concept was shrouded in mystery. Ever since then, I've been trying to do my part to explain the ins and outs of an SIP system. Thanks for watching! :-)
Love that explanation about aeration of the soil. Thank you big time. I now have a better understanding. In sydney when it reached 46 degrees last month the only seedlings that survived was the ones in my wicking tubs. Will redo them again the ones I did not allow for proper aeration.
I'm thinking an alternative would be to put the overflow at the very botton with an elbow facing upward, and a clear tube extending upward. You can see the water level through the clear tube. You can turn the clear drain tube at an appropriate angle to adjust the release level.
I built some beds following this design but I still need to water my seedlings ? When adding the material do you need to thoroughly water it as well as filling the system ?
Can you confirm that your water reservoir can only wick up 12" into your soil? From your video it appears your overflow hole is approx. 6" from the bottom of your wicking bed. That would mean there is only moisture for the roots up to 18" of your 22" tall bed. Yet your plants are superb. They don't seem to lack anything. I am working with 24" tall stock tanks and confused about how tall my reservoir should be. I have 4" perforated pipe to lay in the bottom, but that would make the overflow at 3" and theoretically the soil could only be 15" of the 24" (actually 22" with a 2" gap between the top of the soil and the top of the tank. That means I have 7" of soil not receiving moisture or I have the top of my soil 9" below the rim of the tank. That seems too far. Thinking of doubling the perforated pipe by stacking two layers of pipe to add another 4" of reservoir and bring the soil closer to the top of the tank. Am I think right?
This is truly great the only thing that I would change is how 🤔 u fill it it's great 👍 to put your hose in it and fill but the plants 🪴 still needs nutrients added to your water 💧 to get better results in growth of your grow
Great videos! How often do you fill up the reservoirs? I was thinking about hooking up a feed tube and a float valve to keep the water at a certain level all the time...
Just finished my first bed .works very well . Despite what some other tutorials say water is getting sipped up to the top, in fact I am just wondering if it is not too wet for my pepper plants? any comments?
This is so cool! I just finished building my planter box and I happened to come across your videos. I just order the pipes to do this. One question I have. Why no snake the tubing instead of cutting them into 3 different pieces? Wouldn't that assure a more equal water distribution across all areas? Thanks again for posting this information!
If you have room to wrap around the tight corners then you could try snaking the tubes. It would certainly work well in round watering troughs. I like the consistent gaps. And I also re-used a couple pieces from my totes when making the upgrade. But really it's a matter of preference. Thanks for watching! :-D
Hi Albo, great video. Is there any limitation on the depth of the water in this system, so for example make the 2 tubes deep, with proper air gap of course. Also, is there and limitation on the depth of soil, how many inches does the soil wick? Or does this simply depend on the climate, in my case Mediterranean, you are in and monitoring of the moisture content on the soil?
Hey, just an idea but have you thought of adding an insert to the fill bottle that would be filled with straws like a trompe? This way as the water fills it will suck more air down into the bottom chamber.
i was looking at the SIP bucket design and thought i should be able to design one for a raised bed, then saw you movie a bit down as you did it all already so next year i all mine SIP thanks for your movie, on question is other than just the tester on moisture is there a way to know that i need to water (without rain or other events) ,, also suggestions on feeding of the plants ???? my raised beds are on the cheaper side but will be great as far as being sealed. the thing is i have only 3 inch pipe, will that be ok if i use a drain at 2 inches from the bottom ,, thanks in advance???
Hi AlboPepper, I just moved to SWFL, (on the gulf side), I believe it is zone 10a or b. I think this system will work for me here. Someone told me that they have a huge problem with nematodes killing whatever they plant. Do you think this system will take care of that problem?Is there anyone in my area that uses this method?Thanks for your videos, they give me a lot of joy watching them.
+Clint Barlow - Hi Clint, I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. I would think that growing in any sort of container would be the perfect way of dealing with contaminated soil. SIPs like this one are no exception. Whether it's heavy metals or soil pathogens, this bed can bypass those issues altogether. Just be sure that the materials you fill it with are uncontaminated. The lining will keep everything separated and you should do ok. Although I personally am not experienced with growing in FL, I don't see why this wouldn't work well in your area. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the detailed SIP instructions. I have build mine using your instructions and is working fine so far. I have a question for aeration. Can we add air stones (used in hydroponics) in the water to increase level of oxygen ? did you or anyone else try that? -SA
Al. I appreciate your videos. This is a totally new concept to me. So I'm wondering, what is the approximate cost of one 30"x75" system? It sounds like you did not line this one box with plastic? Or was that just the top portion? Thx Geo.
Curious if my Raised Bed is lets say 3 ft deep should I still have these pipes at the bottom of the bed or should I elevate them? Would having a deeper bed replenish the effectiveness of this system? By the way love your videos... this one especially gave me a better understanding of the mechanics of this.
Hello, Thanks for the visual explanation using the buckets. Can't wait to make my own! Do the corrugated drain pipes need to have additional holes in them?
Are those Aunt Molly's ground cherries? I grow that variety and mine never grow up like that! They just spread laterally and it's a pain to have to lift a thick mat of plant material to gather the fruits underneath. We are looking at putting some larger sub-irrigated beds in at work....how scalable do you think your system is? Say, if we used 6" corrugated pipe, could we go a bit deeper? I have to imagine that there is a ratio of corrugated diameter to bed depth, and it may be scalable. Thanks
Have you ever used this sip method with hugerkulture where you basically put in a bunch of organic stuff like branches, grass clippings, decomposing wood, worms etc. To provide long term nutrients to the soil.
Hi Alby, great vid thanks. I am thinking of crushed pumice between and on top of the drain pipes, then geo-fabric to keep potting mix out of the water. Potting mix will go over top of the fabric. Do you think that pumice will act as a wicking agent ok ? I could bury some geo-fabric into the pumice below the waterline as a backup too come to think of it. I'd be interested in your thoughts on crushed pumice Alby. Cheers. Dave
I got stuff for mine that has chicken and bat poo in it... will my buckets be ok or should I buy just the plain stuff like coir or peat moss with perilite?
Over the top explanation of the wicking process, even I now understand it. Can wait to convert my three beds. BTW - how did your corn end up producing?
Thanks for watching Eric! I've had multiple seasons of great corn harvests. This video shows an earlier season using 30 gallon SIP totes! th-cam.com/video/_bW6ASACkg8/w-d-xo.html
what great informative videos you have made. appreciate the in depth information. Also i love the shirt! where did you get it from? cheers from Australia
Hey! Just finished this great SIP bed, I did two drain pipes but the water only drips from one (the pipe that close to the stream of the water), the other drain pipe doesn’t drip even after 1-2 min.. do I need to wait more time? Thanks
Congrats on your new build! There are a couple of factors. First, if your drain pipes are not perfectly leveled, then the one that is lower in elevation would overflow before the other one would. Secondly, if your hose is turned on at full blast and the fill tube is connected much more closely to one overflow tube than the other than that could produce the same result. Assuming things are level, I'd say try filling it more slowly or even in short cycles, allowing the water to level out.
Call me a student on a field trip if you need context of comment. if you flush out whats in the selected area of meda w maybe a heavy dose of h2o2 and maybe water once or twice and after that, add supplemental carbohydrates til a week or two before harvest(i can tell you're into synthetics, theres some more contentious options too) i believe the flavor will come to the often small, due to tardy planting fruiting plants. This is souley based on comprehension, looking for critics. i could have mixed the suppliment up with calcium.
Hey +AlboPepper I wanted to share some pictures with you. Followed all your directions... But made them half the height but I think It'll work just as great. (I can always add another tier if needed.) Currently I have three (technically 4) planter boxes. 2 SIP system boxes (as the Testing group), and 1 regular old raised bed I am using as a Control Group. So far so good +AlboPepper . I'm waiting to see the difference as I am worried that the depth of about 9-10inches of Soil in the SIP Boxes might be detrimental to the root growth of particular plants. Whereas the Control Group has no end theoretically. We will see. Do you use any natural fertilizer and/or natural "plant food"?
+W00t57 - Very interesting! I'm excited to hear how it turns out. The reduced depth might limit large vigorous plant growth. But your testing will demonstrate if it is an actual issue or not. I would certainly be interested in sharing your experience. I was actually going to create an "SIP Growers" page on my site. It would be a place for gardeners like you to include your photos & personal notes. If you're interested, let me know & I'll set it up! I use lots of stuff for nutes. Worm castings, bone meal, dried blood, kelp meal, dolomite, azomite, silica, green sand, rock phosphate, Espoma Plant-Tone, Garden-Tone and/or Tomato-Tone. I've also tried some Osmocote time release (synthetic). And various liquid feeds like Kelp4Less Grow & Bloom Packs. I'm still experimenting with things, but having good results. Compost tea, liquid kelp & fish emulsion could work. So many options... xD
+AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening is a 3mm - 3.5mm good thickness when it comes to plastic sheets to cover these beds? thanks man I enjoy your videos :-)
+fUjiMaNia - Hi! Thanks for the feedback. xD I think that 3mm plastic would work fine for covering the top of the box. You just need something that will repel the water. It would be easy to replace for the next year, if it had started to break down.
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening cool, are you saying that I should use something thicker for it to last longer? And yes I've learned a lot from your videos so thanks :-)
+fUjiMaNia - If I was going to cover the top of an SIP, I think that 3 or 4mm would be ok. It might not last for multiple years, but it should hold up for a single season. At the end of your season, you may not be able to re-use the plastic cover anyway since it will have a hole for each plant that you were growing. To re-use it the next year, you'd need to place all plants in the exact same spots. Looking into a biodegradable plastic mulch might be an option. Ultimately, it comes down to your personal preference.
+TeslaRoadsterSpud - Thanks for watching! In year one, your potting mix might already have fertilizer, depending on what you used. You can supplement with some organic nutrients. But by year 2, you would definitely need to add fertility. Using some worm castings works well. But I like using a bulk organic such as Espoma Garden-Tone. For $20 you can get a 20lb bag which goes a long way. Foliar and root drench supplementation can be used as desired, such as fish emulsion or kelp meal. Some people don't mind using synthetics. The MG plant feed that dissolves in water works fine. I've also tested Osmocote and it seemed ok. I avoid using conventional composts in my SIPs. Instead, I use my SIP plant wastes to generate the compost that then goes into my perennial beds and in-ground annual beds.
Thank you for this, really helped! Was going to go with the earthbox, but i would have been only able to fit 2 in my 3x3 tent, wanted the equivalent of 3. Will be building this instead! I have a question, if you went with 8" pipe, could you make your 1/2" drain 4.25" high? 16.5" high using a 6" pipe? That is only 10.5" of soil mix, most large pots are taller then that, 12-16", only reason I am asking is i am shooting for around 45 gallons above the aeration screen, being able to go taller would give me more options. Also if i went with 8" pipe, i would need to at least go 2" taller overall correct? Thank you very much!
For my SIPs systems, I've been using 4" pipe. The outside diameter is a little over 4.5". So that creates 12" of available growing area. If you want to use thicker pipes, you could try it out. And then raising the overflow tube as you mentioned would make good sense. I personally shoot for 12" of mix above the aeration screen. Just bear in mind that potting mix can only wick so far. At a certain point the capillary forces might not draw water to the very top. So try to match your potting mix composition with the desired depth. Deeper boxes would benefit from stronger wicking. Shallow boxes should have improved pore spacing for root aeration. I hope that helps a little!
Do you recommend a food grade plastic for the box lining? I actually built some raised beds and used Styrofoam packing peanuts and plastic bottles in the bottom to allow some aeration and fill up the space so we didn't have to use so much soil. I really didn't know what the heck I was doing at the time.
+Ricardo Bell - Hi Ricardo! When plants have good lighting, moisture and nutrients, they are much less stressed and are less prone to pests. So I pick locations that provide the best sunlight and space my plants accordingly. I use SIPs for my water hungry annuals & fertilize as needed. I avoid pesticides as much as possible, only using organic when needed (neem oil, dormant oil, etc.). But the beneficial insects have been able stay on top of things pretty well. So I've been trying to encourage that by intermixing a variety of plants. I'm also planting flowering herbs that provide pollen, nectar & habitat for lady beetles, green lacewings, etc.. Things are slowly coming together!
Ed Cast Hi Ed, thanks for the feedback! I'll discuss this in a future update. But what I intend to do on this bed is to stop watering it at the end of the Fall. Then once the plants are out, I'll cover it with a tarp for Winter protection. This isn't required, but if someone is concerned, it's an option. Kinda like covering your central A/C during the winter.
Have you had any experience with the (Mittleider Gardening ) Food For Everyone Foundation method? I is called the poor mans hydroponics system. Basically the growing is done in a mix of watering sawdust and sand.You add all the nutrients by hand once a week in a specific amount .What are your thoughts on saw dust and sand for the growing medium in your SIP Raised Bed watering systems .
+David Biellier - Hi David. I've heard of the Mittleider method and I've read up on it a tiny bit. But I never tried it out. It doesn't have much appeal to me, but I know some people have had good success -more power to them! As for SIPs... hmm. I never really thought about it before! I don't know if the mix would be porous enough. I'm also not sure about how well it would wick up water. That being said, it might be worth trying out on a small scale, like a bucket or 30 gallon tote. I would not try it in a large wicking bed without first doing some small-scale testing. If you ever test it out or find someone who has, please share the results!
Where we live we can garden all year long. Any idea how these do in the winter? We do get freezing temps but not usually for more than a couple days in a row.
I don't use mine year round, living in zone 6. But it sounds like these might do well for you in the Winter. I would reduce the watering frequency during the cooler months. One cool modification would be to add a mini greenhouse or hoop tunnel to boost temps and mitigate freezing issues.
Hi do you ever have your soil going anaerobic in the base? I ask because some people are saying it will and its best to use scoria. Thanks for any help.
Hi, I do not use scoria or any types of gravel products. I have 3 separate systems at my house, plus a 4th at my Mother-in-law's house. My oldest system was built in 2011 and it still contains the original potting mix. I simply top it off each year. All of my plants have grown tremendously well, as long as the system is kept hydrated and the plants are well fertilized. Is the base "anaerobic"? Well how would I know? The plants grow well. And I never smell any stench coming from underneath. So you can ask other people what they think - people who have never even built a system like this. But I've shown years of updates and plant results showing 100% success. Here's a photo from this year using the system shown in my video: albopepper.com/images/2019-SIP-Garden.jpg (I'll let you decide.)
Thanks for the reply. I am building two IBC beds based on your video's and they are ready for the soil (Thanks for the vids). I am going to fill the base cover with a 50-50 Coco coir & vermiculite mix manly because I already have plenty of that. After watching a few of those vids with scoria again they are really contradictive as they have the drain hole so high that the soil will be sitting in the water anyway. Thanks again.
My husband just finished the bed; I have not planted anything. I put the water in the system and after a few after about 5 minutes the water started running out and it continued for over ten minutes. Something is happening. What can we do?
Hi Marlea. If the reservoir has an excessive amount of water added to it then the water level may temporarily exceed the capacity. When that occurs, you simply have to wait until the extra water has finished emptying out of the overflow tube. You'll start to get a feel for how long to water the bed and for how high to crank up the water when doing so. If it had been raining, then the reservoir may have already been partially full from the rain water. In the Spring I rarely even add water to the fill tube. I just spritz the top of the soil when it appears dry. But if I go away, I fill the reservoir. Especially once the plants get bigger. Early on though, they hardly even use much water.
It depends on weather conditions, plant size and precipitation levels. In the hottest part of late Summer when plants are large, at least once per week.
Can I use a landscape fabric over top of the wicking pipes. Will it still work as intended. do you drain and remove the whole setup at the end not the season?
Hi Kyle! I don't ever use the fabric. But as far as I am aware, the system would still work ok if you did. For winterizing, this update talks about what I do: th-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/w-d-xo.html Smaller totes are easy to drain. For large beds & boxes, you would probably need to design a drain plug into the system. Some people have done that & hopefully the seal will hold up well for them. But as a bare minimum, it would be good to cover the beds so they don't freeze over and turn into a massive ice block.
A million views on the tutorial, 50k for the first update & 40k for the second update. Is it that we had to review the build a couple of times to get it down pack or are we just not following through?
!["สนธิ" ห่วงมีขบวนการปกป้อง "ทนายตั้ม" : [THE MESSAGE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2GQNp3EoMc0/mqdefault.jpg)
Learn more about how to use a self-watering planter:
For a QUICK intro to SIPs (under 5 mins):
th-cam.com/video/CXyV-XsQWNE/w-d-xo.html
Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build)
th-cam.com/video/Lp9Jdyno9hI/w-d-xo.html
SIP Raised Bed (Update 1) + Self-Watering Containers + How-To Monitor Moisture Levels :
th-cam.com/video/5orIjYKFRgE/w-d-xo.html
SIP Raised Bed (Update 3) + Winterizing Planters & Totes
th-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/w-d-xo.html
Self-watering planters have pros & cons. Read more about how they can benefit you the most: albopepper.com/sip_expectations.php
I discovered sub irrigated beds a few days ago, and thankfully found your channel to make the science more clear.
Thank you for explaining at 12:50, that makes sense now.
I swear, Al is urban gardening's Bob Ross.
:-D
Ta Ta Ta... happy plants 🌱
The clear tub example was awesome, just what I needed to see. Think later I try one in a clear tub
Don't know if it matters but I would think with a clear tub you'd get algae growth down in the bottom of the tub. Since it's 4 years later did you do this in a clear tub? If so, did you get algae growth?
Love your shirt!! Video was very informative. Your visual examples and explanations at the end really tied things together well. Subscribed!
Thanks for all the info in steps 1 and 2. I'm a first time Gardener and excited for the highs and lows this season!
Boy, good that I watch this. I am about to drill the hole higher for my SIP and was thinking exactly what you ask us to avoid. That was closed. Ha ha... thank you!
Glad I was able to help out! Thanks for watching. :)
Hi AlboPepper, thanks for these great videos. They came at a great time as I will soon be volunteering to construct one of these at my son's kindergarten. Your videos have solidified some aspects of SIP's in my mind. I live in Brisbane, Australia which has a hot, humid tropical climate - it is not uncommon for it to reach 40 degrees Celcius (104 Farenheit...) and the UV factor is off the charts. Combine that with extraordinarily virulent pests (moths, possums, fierce tropical slugs, giant beetle larvae, hungry lorikeets, leaf-devouring 21-spotted tropical ladybirds, a thousand different colourful sap-sucking bugs) and you have some very challenging gardening conditions. There is a reason the most successful plant in Australia is the eucalyptus tree, with its super-hardcore moisture-locking leaves and herbicidal sap! So fully netted and moisture controlled wicking beds are a must, you could water your plants 8 times a day here and they would still die from moisture stress without wicking. I will note one positive thing about my area, we can grow food 100% of the year if we manage our seed planting carefully. Our winter is like your early summer, we never ever have frost. So there are pro's and con's...
I built two beds at home, very similar externally but with much less drainage than you provide. In one bed I somehow raptured the plastic sheet, allowing water to drain out, albeit slowly. In the other, the seal is perfect. I had been puzzling for some time at the fact that the ruptured bed actually helped the plants grow really well, whereas the perfectly sealed bed had very disappointing results. Now I understand that there is such a thing as TOO MUCH moisture, your video has made this really intuitive to understand. It turns out the ruptured bed was slowly letting out the water and stopping it pooling up and causing root rot. So thank you, this has really helped me and I will be duplicating your design to help some kids learn more about growing their own food in a few weeks! Really smooth video production BTW.
+Derek Van Tonder - Hi Derek! Thanks for visiting my channel. I'm glad these videos were able to serve as a useful resource. It sounds like you really do have some unique challenges in your area. I hope that by using SIPs you are able to enjoy the greatest success possible! :-D
+AlboPepper You're welcome! In Australia we call ground cherries goose-berries. I had to look it up, I thought they looked familiar. Funny/sad story about them for you. Once I took my kids to a strawberry farm where they could pick some strawberries. They were being grown on top of sheets of black plastic, about as un-organic and unnatural as possible, probably sprayed with poison twice a day as they were just absurdly perfect. Funny thing is all these parents were bringing their kids to this place thinking it was great and natural, wholesome fun for the kids etc. I took my own kids there but only allowed them to eat one or two strawberries after I saw how they were growing them!!! As we were leaving I noticed a huge strip of gooseberries on the fence - perfectly ripe, ready to pluck and devour. And all these kids had no idea, they were just running straight past them to get their mutant strawberries...it broke my heart that these kids would probably never experience the beautiful tart/sweet flavour of a gooseberry warm from the summer sun like I did when I was small. That's how we grew up and I want to give that to my kids too.
+Derek Van Tonder - Well said! It's good to see people preserving and also revitalizing our gardening heritage. Technology is such a cheap substitute for real, natural fresh air. And home grown food... so many people don't know what they're missing!
Plants are looking happy. I liked seeing the SIP set up in a clear container to get a better visual concept of it.
I am so grateful to you for this video! I have watched numerous vids, and asked questions specifically about how the air chamber is created with a SIP system- never got an answer.Thank you for explaining the air chamber visually! Now I finally understand how the air chamber works, and the relationship between the drain hole and the aeration screen.
Thank you so much for the informative videos on SIPs! I'm totally new to gardening and you've made it so easy for me to follow. I can't wait to make my own SIP!
Thank you for showing this. I didn't understand how much water and air ratio there should be until you showed it in this video. Really appreciate it!
I'm glad it was able to help out. Thanks for watching! xD
gr8 looking SIP and totally agree with your KEY points in all of the series on this SIP raised bed! We made some half barrels like those that Rob Bobs Backyard channel shows in his DIY builds for the air pruning sub irrigated wicking barrels and they worked gr8...same concept exactly only deeper water res due to the sides all being able to make up all they need for oxygen....water level is just at the tops of the corrugated in ours and with all the holes from corrugated up to the top lined with landscape fabric to hold the soil in.....super looking results with yours here and again we're in total agreement with all the info. you've put into your build an the entire series of follow-ups....superb
onto checkout update 3...cheers
Thank-you very much for the excellent feedback! It's always nice to hear other gardener's experiences with their SIP. :-D
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening
pleasure...yes sir, they seem to be the best of both hydro and soil growing....hyrdo results without the expenses and hassles of doing a total hydro grow set-up
awesome video! We want more of this kind of study materials :)
Thanks for explaining the "why" part of your design. I'm considering daisy chaining a few SIP beds and integrating them into a rainwater collection system. The details of your design considerations help me decide if this is the direction I want to go.
I'm also wanting to do the same. Have you implemented any of it yet?
11:41 TY! Placemat of overflow in connection w pipe!!
Still hung up on pipes not connected how the sand wicks water From pipe ? Water in pipe threw slit on top but nothing in contact to pull it out ?
Absolutely fantastic video! Thank you so much for posting these up. You've inspired me to build my own setup based on yours and covered and condensed so much useful actionable information into concise and clear video. Bravo!!
Thank you for making these videos and helpful guides. You've saved my sanity with Gardening, and saved my back and my back yard. You are a God send. I look forward to get started with my gardening once again. I happen to live in Texas where often it gets hot and it doesn't rain as much as I would like. Hell My marigolds where in containers and I ran out of rain water from my barrel. I was at my wits end thinking I needed another rain barrel. Even though I got one, this is much more efficient and economical in my opinion. Thank you again. Now I know how to keep my Butterfly milkweeds healthy for the pollinators. Speaking of pollinators I am hoping you have some videos on attracting them with the lack of them being around as of late. I barely ever see a bee or butterfly anymore. So I'm trying to do my part.
Thank-you very much for your kind words. I really appreciate it! :D I know that these types of self-watering systems have been giving me outstanding results. I'm quite happy to share everything that I'm learning about optimizing them. I want everyone to be able to garden and to enjoy doing it!
This has been exciting to watch. I have my fish SIP in my yard and now I'm ready to plant. I'm so excited about the intended progress.
+infired ?¿ - I'm glad you enjoyed watching! Thanks for your feedback & I hope it works really well for you. xD
Excellent follow up video, thank you very much for taking the time to share this information. Also greatly appreciate the easy to understand yet detailed and technical approach you have to explaining how this type of system works.
+Ben Blum - Thanks Ben! I appreciate your support. I'm glad that this resource is able to help people out!
I'm wondering your approximate location. Mine in NYS middle gets harder night freezing temperatures by November. Usually then our grow season is over mostly. What happens when the bed water freezes which can expand possibly ripping the liner? Perhaps a bottom drain plug removed might help for over winter? I noticed your plants are very crowded. That can cause stretching for light plant stress less harvest. It can cause powdery mildew with lack of air flow especially bottom wet leaves or watering them. I would remove all such bottom leaves. They won't produce generally or what is likely would be inferior. That would produce air flow. I also noticed some of the plant leaves are not looking dark enough green. Perhaps the video. Yet possibly a nitrogen or other deficiency starting? I would advise looking up what's called super soil for cannabis which lists ingredients you can mix into the soiless mix before putting it into the beds. You will see more matt like root growth then I believe. I find what you're doing here very interesting. Have you ever seen longer sheets of corrugated metal perhaps used for roofing used for the beds? Thank you for sharing it!
We are relocating our raised beds right now. Definitely going to implement this system. Fantastic job on the video. Thanks.
Thanks for the visual explanation using the buckets. Can't wait to make my own!
I am absolutely digging your videos! I plan on buying a city picker in about a month and see how I do before I build a bigger box. Great video bud!
very interesting. i was wondering if the internal tubes were connected or not. Great job.
I plan to build raised gardens next year.. I watched several of your how to build them and care.. this video made everything more clear to why you do everything the way you do. i would have made the drain to high not thinking of the oxygen levels. so glad i saw this video..
+monty97374 - Hi Monty! I'm glad the video was able to show the process a little better. I discovered years ago that the concept was shrouded in mystery. Ever since then, I've been trying to do my part to explain the ins and outs of an SIP system. Thanks for watching! :-)
Love that explanation about aeration of the soil. Thank you big time. I now have a better understanding. In sydney when it reached 46 degrees last month the only seedlings that survived was the ones in my wicking tubs. Will redo them again the ones I did not allow for proper aeration.
I'm thinking an alternative would be to put the overflow at the very botton with an elbow facing upward, and a clear tube extending upward. You can see the water level through the clear tube. You can turn the clear drain tube at an appropriate angle to adjust the release level.
But definitely love the set up instead of using rocks u using the black drain pipes is definitely 👌 🔥 idea 💡
You explain things really well
The best explanation I have ever seen
This is awesome! i'm going to try to build one too! hopefully i won't need to water as many times afterwards
Fantastic explanation. Great job AlboPepper
I built some beds following this design but I still need to water my seedlings ? When adding the material do you need to thoroughly water it as well as filling the system ?
Can you confirm that your water reservoir can only wick up 12" into your soil? From your video it appears your overflow hole is approx. 6" from the bottom of your wicking bed. That would mean there is only moisture for the roots up to 18" of your 22" tall bed. Yet your plants are superb. They don't seem to lack anything. I am working with 24" tall stock tanks and confused about how tall my reservoir should be. I have 4" perforated pipe to lay in the bottom, but that would make the overflow at 3" and theoretically the soil could only be 15" of the 24" (actually 22" with a 2" gap between the top of the soil and the top of the tank. That means I have 7" of soil not receiving moisture or I have the top of my soil 9" below the rim of the tank. That seems too far. Thinking of doubling the perforated pipe by stacking two layers of pipe to add another 4" of reservoir and bring the soil closer to the top of the tank. Am I think right?
This is truly great the only thing that I would change is how 🤔 u fill it it's great 👍 to put your hose in it and fill but the plants 🪴 still needs nutrients added to your water 💧 to get better results in growth of your grow
Thanks for watching! This video covers what I do for fertilization: th-cam.com/video/wNsm1YpXlbg/w-d-xo.html
Would you ever use a nutrient solution added with water? How do you feed ur plants? Thanks!
GREAT INFO! SUBSCRIBED. i wasnt sure what kind of bed i wanted to build. Now im sure. thx to ur info.
Thanks Raj! Welcome to my channel!!! :-D
Amazing tutorial!! Thank u for breaking it down how you did. I'm excited to initiate my project !
Great videos! How often do you fill up the reservoirs? I was thinking about hooking up a feed tube and a float valve to keep the water at a certain level all the time...
oops, I asked too soon...
Just finished my first bed .works very well . Despite what some other tutorials say water is getting sipped up to the top, in fact I am just wondering if it is not too wet for my pepper plants? any comments?
This is so cool! I just finished building my planter box and I happened to come across your videos. I just order the pipes to do this. One question I have. Why no snake the tubing instead of cutting them into 3 different pieces? Wouldn't that assure a more equal water distribution across all areas? Thanks again for posting this information!
If you have room to wrap around the tight corners then you could try snaking the tubes. It would certainly work well in round watering troughs. I like the consistent gaps. And I also re-used a couple pieces from my totes when making the upgrade. But really it's a matter of preference. Thanks for watching! :-D
Thanks for replying and thanks for the great content :)
Hi Albo, great video. Is there any limitation on the depth of the water in this system, so for example make the 2 tubes deep, with proper air gap of course. Also, is there and limitation on the depth of soil, how many inches does the soil wick? Or does this simply depend on the climate, in my case Mediterranean, you are in and monitoring of the moisture content on the soil?
thank you! love the SIP vids :)
Hey, just an idea but have you thought of adding an insert to the fill bottle that would be filled with straws like a trompe? This way as the water fills it will suck more air down into the bottom chamber.
i was looking at the SIP bucket design and thought i should be able to design one for a raised bed, then saw you movie a bit down as you did it all already so next year i all mine SIP thanks for your movie,
on question is other than just the tester on moisture is there a way to know that i need to water (without rain or other events) ,, also suggestions on feeding of the plants ????
my raised beds are on the cheaper side but will be great as far as being sealed. the thing is i have only 3 inch pipe, will that be ok if i use a drain at 2 inches from the bottom ,, thanks in advance???
Hi AlboPepper, I just moved to SWFL, (on the gulf side), I believe it is zone 10a or b. I think this system will work for me here. Someone told me that they have a huge problem with nematodes killing whatever they plant. Do you think this system will take care of that problem?Is there anyone in my area that uses this method?Thanks for your videos, they give me a lot of joy watching them.
+Clint Barlow - Hi Clint, I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. I would think that growing in any sort of container would be the perfect way of dealing with contaminated soil. SIPs like this one are no exception. Whether it's heavy metals or soil pathogens, this bed can bypass those issues altogether. Just be sure that the materials you fill it with are uncontaminated. The lining will keep everything separated and you should do ok. Although I personally am not experienced with growing in FL, I don't see why this wouldn't work well in your area. Thanks for watching!
+AlboPepper thanks for the response. Can you ballpark the cost on the 3x10 foot bed you built. Just an estimate including everything.thanks againClint
Thank you for the detailed SIP instructions. I have build mine using your instructions and is working fine so far. I have a question for aeration. Can we add air stones (used in hydroponics) in the water to increase level of oxygen ? did you or anyone else try that?
-SA
Hi Saeed. I haven't tried that. I'm sure it would work ok. It would be interesting to see if there was any boost in performance.
Al. I appreciate your videos. This is a totally new concept to me. So I'm wondering, what is the approximate cost of one 30"x75" system? It sounds like you did not line this one box with plastic? Or was that just the top portion? Thx Geo.
Curious if my Raised Bed is lets say 3 ft deep should I still have these pipes at the bottom of the bed or should I elevate them? Would having a deeper bed replenish the effectiveness of this system? By the way love your videos... this one especially gave me a better understanding of the mechanics of this.
Hello, Thanks for the visual explanation using the buckets. Can't wait to make my own! Do the corrugated drain pipes need to have additional holes in them?
Thanks for watching Anthony! The corrugated drain pipes will work fine as-is, as long as they are also "perforated".
Are those Aunt Molly's ground cherries? I grow that variety and mine never grow up like that! They just spread laterally and it's a pain to have to lift a thick mat of plant material to gather the fruits underneath.
We are looking at putting some larger sub-irrigated beds in at work....how scalable do you think your system is? Say, if we used 6" corrugated pipe, could we go a bit deeper? I have to imagine that there is a ratio of corrugated diameter to bed depth, and it may be scalable.
Thanks
Your plants are beautiful man.
:-D Thank-you!
Have you ever used this sip method with hugerkulture where you basically put in a bunch of organic stuff like branches, grass clippings, decomposing wood, worms etc. To provide long term nutrients to the soil.
Hi Nathan. No, I haven't used that method in combination with SIPs. I use those types of materials in conventionally drained raised beds.
Hi Alby, great vid thanks. I am thinking of crushed pumice between and on top of the drain pipes, then geo-fabric to keep potting mix out of the water. Potting mix will go over top of the fabric. Do you think that pumice will act as a wicking agent ok ? I could bury some geo-fabric into the pumice below the waterline as a backup too come to think of it. I'd be interested in your thoughts on crushed pumice Alby. Cheers. Dave
Ditto on the clear tub. Thanks.. Q.. What is it that you are using to provide a wide mouth funnel to get water into the reservoir?
I know watering frequency varies, but can you give a range of watering times which you find works for you?
I got stuff for mine that has chicken and bat poo in it... will my buckets be ok or should I buy just the plain stuff like coir or peat moss with perilite?
I wonder if this works in hot arizona desert ??
Over the top explanation of the wicking process, even I now understand it. Can wait to convert my three beds. BTW - how did your corn end up producing?
Thanks for watching Eric! I've had multiple seasons of great corn harvests. This video shows an earlier season using 30 gallon SIP totes! th-cam.com/video/_bW6ASACkg8/w-d-xo.html
what great informative videos you have made. appreciate the in depth information. Also i love the shirt! where did you get it from? cheers from Australia
Why not add a layer of mulch, straw, rice hulls on top to help keep top layer from drying?
Mulches could be used on top. At the end of the season, I would scrape them off and compost them.
Hey! Just finished this great SIP bed, I did two drain pipes but the water only drips from one (the pipe that close to the stream of the water), the other drain pipe doesn’t drip even after 1-2 min.. do I need to wait more time? Thanks
Is it enough if the water drops from only one pipe?
Congrats on your new build! There are a couple of factors. First, if your drain pipes are not perfectly leveled, then the one that is lower in elevation would overflow before the other one would. Secondly, if your hose is turned on at full blast and the fill tube is connected much more closely to one overflow tube than the other than that could produce the same result. Assuming things are level, I'd say try filling it more slowly or even in short cycles, allowing the water to level out.
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening yea! It works with low pressure as you said, 1min delay from each other :) thanks
Call me a student on a field trip if you need context of comment. if you flush out whats in the selected area of meda w maybe a heavy dose of h2o2 and maybe water once or twice and after that, add supplemental carbohydrates til a week or two before harvest(i can tell you're into synthetics, theres some more contentious options too) i believe the flavor will come to the often small, due to tardy planting fruiting plants. This is souley based on comprehension, looking for critics. i could have mixed the suppliment up with calcium.
Lots of good info, thanks for posting 👍
Hey +AlboPepper I wanted to share some pictures with you. Followed all your directions... But made them half the height but I think It'll work just as great. (I can always add another tier if needed.)
Currently I have three (technically 4) planter boxes. 2 SIP system boxes (as the Testing group), and 1 regular old raised bed I am using as a Control Group. So far so good +AlboPepper . I'm waiting to see the difference as I am worried that the depth of about 9-10inches of Soil in the SIP Boxes might be detrimental to the root growth of particular plants. Whereas the Control Group has no end theoretically. We will see.
Do you use any natural fertilizer and/or natural "plant food"?
+W00t57 - Very interesting! I'm excited to hear how it turns out. The reduced depth might limit large vigorous plant growth. But your testing will demonstrate if it is an actual issue or not. I would certainly be interested in sharing your experience. I was actually going to create an "SIP Growers" page on my site. It would be a place for gardeners like you to include your photos & personal notes. If you're interested, let me know & I'll set it up!
I use lots of stuff for nutes. Worm castings, bone meal, dried blood, kelp meal, dolomite, azomite, silica, green sand, rock phosphate, Espoma Plant-Tone, Garden-Tone and/or Tomato-Tone. I've also tried some Osmocote time release (synthetic). And various liquid feeds like Kelp4Less Grow & Bloom Packs. I'm still experimenting with things, but having good results. Compost tea, liquid kelp & fish emulsion could work. So many options... xD
+AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening is a 3mm - 3.5mm good thickness when it comes to plastic sheets to cover these beds? thanks man I enjoy your videos :-)
+fUjiMaNia - Hi! Thanks for the feedback. xD I think that 3mm plastic would work fine for covering the top of the box. You just need something that will repel the water. It would be easy to replace for the next year, if it had started to break down.
AlboPepper - Drought Proof Urban Gardening cool, are you saying that I should use something thicker for it to last longer? And yes I've learned a lot from your videos so thanks :-)
+fUjiMaNia - If I was going to cover the top of an SIP, I think that 3 or 4mm would be ok. It might not last for multiple years, but it should hold up for a single season. At the end of your season, you may not be able to re-use the plastic cover anyway since it will have a hole for each plant that you were growing. To re-use it the next year, you'd need to place all plants in the exact same spots. Looking into a biodegradable plastic mulch might be an option. Ultimately, it comes down to your personal preference.
Love the video. I'm also curious what you do for fertilization.
+TeslaRoadsterSpud - Thanks for watching! In year one, your potting mix might already have fertilizer, depending on what you used. You can supplement with some organic nutrients. But by year 2, you would definitely need to add fertility.
Using some worm castings works well. But I like using a bulk organic such as Espoma Garden-Tone. For $20 you can get a 20lb bag which goes a long way. Foliar and root drench supplementation can be used as desired, such as fish emulsion or kelp meal. Some people don't mind using synthetics. The MG plant feed that dissolves in water works fine. I've also tested Osmocote and it seemed ok.
I avoid using conventional composts in my SIPs. Instead, I use my SIP plant wastes to generate the compost that then goes into my perennial beds and in-ground annual beds.
Thank you for this, really helped! Was going to go with the earthbox, but i would have been only able to fit 2 in my 3x3 tent, wanted the equivalent of 3. Will be building this instead!
I have a question, if you went with 8" pipe, could you make your 1/2" drain 4.25" high? 16.5" high using a 6" pipe? That is only 10.5" of soil mix, most large pots are taller then that, 12-16", only reason I am asking is i am shooting for around 45 gallons above the aeration screen, being able to go taller would give me more options. Also if i went with 8" pipe, i would need to at least go 2" taller overall correct?
Thank you very much!
Do you leave a .25" gap between the pipe and the side of the wall, or only a gap between pipes?
Hi Michael, I try to leave a .25" gap between the pipe and side of the wall when possible.
For my SIPs systems, I've been using 4" pipe. The outside diameter is a little over 4.5". So that creates 12" of available growing area. If you want to use thicker pipes, you could try it out. And then raising the overflow tube as you mentioned would make good sense. I personally shoot for 12" of mix above the aeration screen.
Just bear in mind that potting mix can only wick so far. At a certain point the capillary forces might not draw water to the very top. So try to match your potting mix composition with the desired depth. Deeper boxes would benefit from stronger wicking. Shallow boxes should have improved pore spacing for root aeration. I hope that helps a little!
great info
Do the capsicums in the centre get enough light to grow properly?
Do you recommend a food grade plastic for the box lining? I actually built some raised beds and used Styrofoam packing peanuts and plastic bottles in the bottom to allow some aeration and fill up the space so we didn't have to use so much soil. I really didn't know what the heck I was doing at the time.
I recommend 45 mil "fish safe" EPDM pond liner.
What do you do fur bugs and aphids? Your plants seem to be very healthy and unbothered.
+Ricardo Bell - Hi Ricardo! When plants have good lighting, moisture and nutrients, they are much less stressed and are less prone to pests. So I pick locations that provide the best sunlight and space my plants accordingly. I use SIPs for my water hungry annuals & fertilize as needed. I avoid pesticides as much as possible, only using organic when needed (neem oil, dormant oil, etc.).
But the beneficial insects have been able stay on top of things pretty well. So I've been trying to encourage that by intermixing a variety of plants. I'm also planting flowering herbs that provide pollen, nectar & habitat for lady beetles, green lacewings, etc.. Things are slowly coming together!
I love your Raised bed, how to do it, but I live in west ky. how do you handly the cold weather and water in the bed.
Ed Cast Hi Ed, thanks for the feedback! I'll discuss this in a future update. But what I intend to do on this bed is to stop watering it at the end of the Fall. Then once the plants are out, I'll cover it with a tarp for Winter protection. This isn't required, but if someone is concerned, it's an option. Kinda like covering your central A/C during the winter.
Have you had any experience with the (Mittleider Gardening ) Food For Everyone Foundation method? I is called the poor mans hydroponics system. Basically the growing is done in a mix of watering sawdust and sand.You add all the nutrients by hand once a week in a specific amount .What are your thoughts on saw dust and sand for the growing medium in your SIP Raised Bed watering systems .
+David Biellier - Hi David. I've heard of the Mittleider method and I've read up on it a tiny bit. But I never tried it out. It doesn't have much appeal to me, but I know some people have had good success -more power to them!
As for SIPs... hmm. I never really thought about it before! I don't know if the mix would be porous enough. I'm also not sure about how well it would wick up water. That being said, it might be worth trying out on a small scale, like a bucket or 30 gallon tote. I would not try it in a large wicking bed without first doing some small-scale testing.
If you ever test it out or find someone who has, please share the results!
Is Compost good for my SIP system?
Where we live we can garden all year long. Any idea how these do in the winter? We do get freezing temps but not usually for more than a couple days in a row.
I don't use mine year round, living in zone 6. But it sounds like these might do well for you in the Winter. I would reduce the watering frequency during the cooler months. One cool modification would be to add a mini greenhouse or hoop tunnel to boost temps and mitigate freezing issues.
how dip you buried the root of tomato plant?
Wow... again... wow... thank you.
Thanks Dave! I appreciate it. xD
Hi do you ever have your soil going anaerobic in the base? I ask because some people are saying it will and its best to use scoria. Thanks for any help.
Hi, I do not use scoria or any types of gravel products. I have 3 separate systems at my house, plus a 4th at my Mother-in-law's house. My oldest system was built in 2011 and it still contains the original potting mix. I simply top it off each year. All of my plants have grown tremendously well, as long as the system is kept hydrated and the plants are well fertilized. Is the base "anaerobic"? Well how would I know? The plants grow well. And I never smell any stench coming from underneath. So you can ask other people what they think - people who have never even built a system like this. But I've shown years of updates and plant results showing 100% success. Here's a photo from this year using the system shown in my video: albopepper.com/images/2019-SIP-Garden.jpg (I'll let you decide.)
Thanks for the reply. I am building two IBC beds based on your video's and they are ready for the soil (Thanks for the vids). I am going to fill the base cover with a 50-50 Coco coir & vermiculite mix manly because I already have plenty of that. After watching a few of those vids with scoria again they are really contradictive as they have the drain hole so high that the soil will be sitting in the water anyway. Thanks again.
Aha! Good point about the drain hole depth. I hope your IBC beds work out well for you! :-D
My husband just finished the bed; I have not planted anything. I put the water in the system and after a few after about 5 minutes the water started running out and it continued for over ten minutes. Something is happening. What can we do?
Hi Marlea. If the reservoir has an excessive amount of water added to it then the water level may temporarily exceed the capacity. When that occurs, you simply have to wait until the extra water has finished emptying out of the overflow tube.
You'll start to get a feel for how long to water the bed and for how high to crank up the water when doing so. If it had been raining, then the reservoir may have already been partially full from the rain water. In the Spring I rarely even add water to the fill tube. I just spritz the top of the soil when it appears dry. But if I go away, I fill the reservoir. Especially once the plants get bigger. Early on though, they hardly even use much water.
Right on, thanks!
+fishcommander100 - U bet! Thanks for watching!
GOOD JOB!
Thanks for watching! I appreciate your support. :-D
Does anyone know what synthetic landscape fabric to use to wrap the ends of the corrugated perforated drain pipes with?
Use whatever is readily available to you or least expensive. You just need to keep the potting mix out of the pipes.
Hi, what is the size of pipe you use , Gracias Barry
+Barry Venn - The black pipe that makes up the bottom reservoir is a 4 inch corrugated, perforated drain pipe.
Why make a self wicking bed then still water the top of the bed I do like the idea tho
How often do you fill the resovoir?
It depends on weather conditions, plant size and precipitation levels. In the hottest part of late Summer when plants are large, at least once per week.
Can I use a landscape fabric over top of the wicking pipes.
Will it still work as intended.
do you drain and remove the whole setup at the end not the season?
Hi Kyle! I don't ever use the fabric. But as far as I am aware, the system would still work ok if you did. For winterizing, this update talks about what I do: th-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/w-d-xo.html
Smaller totes are easy to drain. For large beds & boxes, you would probably need to design a drain plug into the system. Some people have done that & hopefully the seal will hold up well for them. But as a bare minimum, it would be good to cover the beds so they don't freeze over and turn into a massive ice block.
Awesome! Excited to make a bigger one (did the totes in the past)
A million views on the tutorial, 50k for the first update & 40k for the second update. Is it that we had to review the build a couple of times to get it down pack or are we just not following through?
love the shirt
+Connor McKee - Thanks Conner! :-D
8 years later that 3-in-1 meter costs about $10.00.