Hello DGC! I have a question about bottom feeding with Radicle Bags. If i put a couple inches of perlite in the bottom of a 10 gal Radicle Bag and then fill it up with organic soil and the plant, then put plain water in the saucer it is sitting in. Would it be OK? Will the water wick up on its own? Obviously top watering in Recharge and Mammoth P once a week and spraying with Optic Foliar also. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Growers Love!
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Radicle Bags can be bottom fed.
Awesome thank you!
I ran similar setup with a tote and the plants loved it. Just don’t want the soil sitting in a puddle. The top watering if microbes will help keep things the right moisture level as well, especially before the roots make it to the bottom.
I appreciate it thank you!
absolutely! like they have said earlier, just dont leave a puddle under them for more than a day. I have always been curious if you could leave a couple inches of perlite in the bottom of the radical bag to mimic a “hempy” bucket/bed and actually be able to leave the water for prolonged periods of time????????
Thank You!
As others have said, don’t leave it in a puddle of water. However, if you make your own soil that is designed for a SIP you can leave it sitting in a reservoir. Look up Raybo 321 mix. It’s meant to sit in water, but not become saturated. There is essentially 2 parts of aeration to 1 part peat. I used this soil with dry organic nutrients and it grew a great plant, probably one of the best,with minimal care. And I also remember hearing Jeremy from byildasoil claim a similar thing when he ran SIP containers.
Awesome! Thank you!
I bottom feed with Rain Science bags. They are similar to Radical bags. Both of these companies have the best bags for bottom feeding because they do not attract calcium like fabrics do. I have pictures of my setup on IG under the same name. You can absolutely fill the bottom with perlite if you want. This method is a cross between Autopots and Hempy. I kind of got the idea from Scotty preaching Hempy style. You have zero waste water when you feed this way. No more pulling plants in and out to feed/drain.
I appreciate it thank you!! I like your setup!
I have a couple of fabric pots I am experimenting with right now. I like to put a 7 gal in a dollar store oil pan they are the same width then I put a couple of half height bricks in there you know the flat ones without holes. The fabric pot smart bricks. Anyway as others have said when I water from the bottom I didn’t want it sitting in the puddle so if it wasnt drinking enough or the water had been there to long being above the bottom let the bottom of my fabric pot get better airflow but still absorb nutes. It has worked pretty well for me. I have a similar setup with a 3 gal nursery pot I am watring from the bottom as well. It isn;t a true hempy just a pot with the 5 holes in the bottom I have it elevated above the water tray as well so that it can drink down but doesn’t have to sit in that puddle. I also threw a small air stone in there for the heck of it cuz why not right.
haha nice! Exactly, experimenting is how you learn sometimes.
I recommend filling up the radicle bag with soil as usual, and then putting a layer of perlite or pumice in the bottom of the drip saucer (instead of in the bottom of the pot). This is a common way people make sips with fabric pots.
Put about 2 inches of perlite in the drip tray and put the plants on top. At first you wanna top water as usual, but maybe allow a little run off to keep the perlite moist.
When the roots reach the bottom of the pot they will go right through the pot and into the perlite. Then you can bottom water or water to runoff. The roots will grow into the moist perlite and will happily soak up water from the trays.
This has the same “hempy pot” type of effect, but the layer of perlite helps keep the soil from getting soggy which greatly reduces the risks of leaving a plant sitting in water.
This is a great idea! Thank You so much Soup! I actually just finished putting the perlite in the saucers and I can tell this is going to be so much better than what I planned on doing! I am always glad when I ask the DGC for advice!