living soil aeration

J

JMcG

Well-Known Member
Regarding the fabric pots for living soils...
IME, they work well enough but require a bit of a learning curve. When I first started with them I was drastically under watering everything. By the end of the run the bottom half of the pots had gone completely hydrophobic and was repelling water 100%. Zero biology living in that layer. It took some trail and error to dial them in but in the end, more frequent watering with less volume really helped. Wetting agents like yucca and aloe help to rehydrate if they start to dry a bit. It’s easy to tell if thing are drying out down in the root zone because water will move down through the hydrated soil but as soon as it hits that hydrophobic layer it moves laterally and will be forced out of the side of the pot at that point. If I see this I know to back off the heavy watering cycle and go to a regimen of less volume more frequently. Sometimes I’ll do three days in a row of light watering to get them hydrated to the point where any ( very little) run off exits through the bottom of the pot.
I also see many commercial outfits using them with great success growing huge , healthy plants. Many are using trays below to catch run off and allow it to wick back up into the lower part of the pots. The key with this is to remove any excess water within 15-20 minutes so you don’t drown roots.
In addition, most fabric pots companies are now offering living soil pots and planters that have a non permeable liner around the sidewalls that leaves about three inches of space at the top and the bottom of the pot unlined ( as well as the bottom of the pot) to keep the evaporation out of the sides to a minimum thus allowing for better biology habitats.
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
JMcG said:
Regarding the fabric pots for living soils...
IME, they work well enough but require a bit of a learning curve. When I first started with them I was drastically under watering everything. By the end of the run the bottom half of the pots had gone completely hydrophobic and was repelling water 100%. Zero biology living in that layer. It took some trail and error to dial them in but in the end, more frequent watering with less volume really helped. Wetting agents like yucca and aloe help to rehydrate if they start to dry a bit. It’s easy to tell if thing are drying out down in the root zone because water will move down through the hydrated soil but as soon as it hits that hydrophobic layer it moves laterally and will be forced out of the side of the pot at that point. If I see this I know to back off the heavy watering cycle and go to a regimen of less volume more frequently. Sometimes I’ll do three days in a row of light watering to get them hydrated to the point where any ( very little) run off exits through the bottom of the pot.
I also see many commercial outfits using them with great success growing huge , healthy plants. Many are using trays below to catch run off and allow it to wick back up into the lower part of the pots. The key with this is to remove any excess water within 15-20 minutes so you don’t drown roots.
In addition, most fabric pots companies are now offering living soil pots and planters that have a non permeable liner around the sidewalls that leaves about three inches of space at the top and the bottom of the pot unlined ( as well as the bottom of the pot) to keep the evaporation out of the sides to a minimum thus allowing for better biology habitats.
Click to expand...
In not that experienced yet, and I'm in fabric pots right now, but I've noticed very little runoff, if any. I water 10% by volume. I find moistening the top first, and watering very slowly seems to keep most the water in the soil. I can't say for sure that all the soil at the bottom gets moistened though.
 
J

JMcG

Well-Known Member
If you look at fabric planters now, they are only about 12-15 deep. I’ve seen commercial operations running them with around 10” of soil. Easy to keep hydrated at that depth
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
I'm thinking of going no till, so I dunno how well fabric will work for that.
JMcG said:
If you look at fabric planters now, they are only about 12-15 deep. I’ve seen commercial operations running them with around 10” of soil. Easy to keep hydrated at that depth
Click to expand...
 
Dreminen169

Dreminen169

Well-Known Member
Hollatchaboy said:
I'm thinking of going no till, so I dunno how well fabric will work for that.
Click to expand...
Jeremy over @ buildasoil seems to have great luck with the earth boxes. I got a earthbox jr. on the way that I’m going to try out & if I like them I’m probably just gonna build more myself. I’ve been seeing great results lately with the earth boxes. Best part is there super inexpensive & easy to build :hump:
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
Pumice for the win ... no more dust drama ! LOL

As far as watering , most peat based can get a little hydrophobic ( water races right thru ) , so I have to stand container in catch bin and slow water addition. Also reusing collected water to use again until actual saturation.
Click to expand...
I let mine sit in the tray for about 10 mins if i do see runoff. Most often times, it just gets absorbed anyways.
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
Why are you letting a plant get rootbound?

So feed it more!

We have had solo cup challenge runs and I've seen over 2 ft tall plants is solo's, and their doing just fine. over 4 ft tall ones in 1 gallon pots, etc,etc.

It's all about how big you let it get before flowering. Simply use the right pot for the size you plan on running.

Cloth "air pots", Meh, I tested those for a certain company before they released them. I told them they suck (basically). Because they make the root grow into this super dense "ball" in the center of the pot. This is surrounded by an area of unused media. If your doing organic water only soils. Your loosing aorund 30% of the available nutrition in that spoil, by it being unutilized by the plant.
Not to mention that you water this super dense ball and you get an "umbrella effect". The water simply runs over the root ball and much of it goes right out the sides of the pot. After this test run, I cut a root ball in half after a watering. The center of the "root ball" was dry.
You sure don't want to let the pot sit in the run off and soak it up, or at least you shouldn't.
Click to expand...
I think airpots excel in an automated watering system. This will stop the outer edges from drying up. Then they can really utilising the extra air.

Also air pruning stops those big circling roots and divides them up into finer hairs where the plant can take up more nutrients.

Using a surficant also helps a lot - it’s how I bypass it shooting out the sides.

If it’s just not co-operating stab it with a thin BBQ skewer. Works a charm.

lastly when potting them up it’s crucial to do it in layers. Pushing and compacting a good inch layer into the holes while keep the middle lighter.

Oh yeah - cheap airport knock offs don’t work. You need the original ones I find for best results.

Watering everyday sounds like it takes practice with different stages of growth...
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Nutty sKunK said:
I think airpots excel in an automated watering system. This will stop the outer edges from drying up. Then they can really utilising the extra air.

Also air pruning stops those big circling roots and divides them up into finer hairs where the plant can take up more nutrients.

Using a surficant also helps a lot - it’s how I bypass it shooting out the sides.

If it’s just not co-operating stab it with a thin BBQ skewer. Works a charm.

lastly when potting them up it’s crucial to do it in layers. Pushing and compacting a good inch layer into the holes while keep the middle lighter.

Oh yeah - cheap airport knock offs don’t work. You need the original ones I find for best results.

Watering everyday sounds like it takes practice with different stages of growth...
Click to expand...
I don't mind them much. I figured with my tendency to overwater, they would be a good choice. I bought smart pots, I believe they are original?
 
Hollatchaboy

Hollatchaboy

Well-Known Member
Nutty sKunK said:
I think airpots excel in an automated watering system. This will stop the outer edges from drying up. Then they can really utilising the extra air.

Also air pruning stops those big circling roots and divides them up into finer hairs where the plant can take up more nutrients.

Using a surficant also helps a lot - it’s how I bypass it shooting out the sides.

If it’s just not co-operating stab it with a thin BBQ skewer. Works a charm.

lastly when potting them up it’s crucial to do it in layers. Pushing and compacting a good inch layer into the holes while keep the middle lighter.

Oh yeah - cheap airport knock offs don’t work. You need the original ones I find for best results.

Watering everyday sounds like it takes practice with different stages of growth...
Click to expand...
Oh wait, air pots. Those are different. I use fabric ones.
 
GrownAtHighAltitude

GrownAtHighAltitude

Well-Known Member
Dreminen169 said:
Jeremy over @ buildasoil seems to have great luck with the earth boxes. I got a earthbox jr. on the way that I’m going to try out & if I like them I’m probably just gonna build more myself. I’ve been seeing great results lately with the earth boxes. Best part is there super inexpensive & easy to build :hump:
Click to expand...
Earthboxes FTW

DAY44_8_16_01.jpg

Mine have the autowatering system and it's basically a hands-free operation.

(Left to right; Alien Kush F3, Tahoe OG, Shoreline OG)
 
GrownAtHighAltitude

GrownAtHighAltitude

Well-Known Member
The issue with perlite is not a technical one. It works well for the purpose for which it was made.

The OG organic hippie growers had a problem with the energy input and environmental concerns surrounding the manufacturing of it. I can't remember the specifics but this was the thing that rubbed folks the wrong way.
 
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