Anyone pump air into their soil medium?
- Thread starter rrog
- Start date
Last year I ran a 32 gallon trash can with a 5 gallon bucket wicked reservoir at the bottom, running air to the reservoir. Soil on top and around the sides. Three, 3 gallon, bottomless pots sticking out the top.
After reading some links provided by Mad Lib (perlite thread), I'm not so sure it was the pumped air or my set up that did the most good. The wicks were not only wicked up moisture, they also served to wick it down and away from the perched water table. As the reservoir emptied, it supplied air and as I filled it, this air was pushed up into the soil. The extra soil also worked to lower the PWT as well as serve as a buffer where I could supply stronger teas.
The goal, it seems, is to lower this table. Pumped air, I would say, helps when other conditions are less than favorable. There is more than one approach to correcting said conditions.
Where I think pumped air works for me is when using yucca tea in the reservoir.
Whips it up real nice. Lots of bubbles. Strong bubbles. Also in August, it helps to keep the roots cool.
After reading some links provided by Mad Lib (perlite thread), I'm not so sure it was the pumped air or my set up that did the most good. The wicks were not only wicked up moisture, they also served to wick it down and away from the perched water table. As the reservoir emptied, it supplied air and as I filled it, this air was pushed up into the soil. The extra soil also worked to lower the PWT as well as serve as a buffer where I could supply stronger teas.
The goal, it seems, is to lower this table. Pumped air, I would say, helps when other conditions are less than favorable. There is more than one approach to correcting said conditions.
Where I think pumped air works for me is when using yucca tea in the reservoir.
Whips it up real nice. Lots of bubbles. Strong bubbles. Also in August, it helps to keep the roots cool.
Whys dont you go one further & bury bubble tubing in a spiral fashion directly into the pots/rootzone. At first i thought naa, but after reading that link from h.h id be intersted to hear peeps results. What a mad idea! I wonder if any benefits for Coco growers too?? mmmm funny as!
Certainly gives new meaning to the words Air-pots! lol Super Smart Airpots lol! I wonder what effects it'd have on PH?
Certainly gives new meaning to the words Air-pots! lol Super Smart Airpots lol! I wonder what effects it'd have on PH?
That's what I'm doing, anyway.
I took you said under the soil layer? im talking actually spiralled into the whole medium. if your doing that hows it working, are you seeing any growth improvments & health etc.
Sorry ive read this thread a little sketchily!
G'Luck!
Thats like a variation on a Krusty topped off with soil yes? soil held roots dangling down into a bubbler?
I mean Growdoc's irrigation style with his beds, but with smaller gauge pipe, pushing air through the soil itself with airtubing, now im confused lol!
Like i said in ref to h.h's link here: http://www.growingproduce.com/americanvegetablegrower/?storyid=471
Bare with me if ive got something wrong here"!??
Thats an interesting link, water/air slurry being pumped to the root zone. Im keen on the benefits of growing with added O2 to the rootzone, always have been & im an avid fan of H2o2 in hydro!
I mean Growdoc's irrigation style with his beds, but with smaller gauge pipe, pushing air through the soil itself with airtubing, now im confused lol!
Like i said in ref to h.h's link here: http://www.growingproduce.com/americanvegetablegrower/?storyid=471
Bare with me if ive got something wrong here"!??
Thats an interesting link, water/air slurry being pumped to the root zone. Im keen on the benefits of growing with added O2 to the rootzone, always have been & im an avid fan of H2o2 in hydro!
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Here's my last grow with this technique https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=135017
I don't risk hurting the micro-life with peroxide, though.
I don't risk hurting the micro-life with peroxide, though.
H2o2 is just pure water & pure o2, O2 itself is an oxidiser, why its harmfull to microlife, according to that link there pumping O2 & its beneficial to microlife. i think it takes H2o2 around 20 mins to start to sepearte/free its O2 . I still aint learn enough on the subject.
yeah because of the O2? pure water aint an oxidiser is it? so if O2 is the culpurate of oxidisdation, how are those guys in that link making it benefit microlife(which they do claim)? with an O2 water slurry, sounds real close to H2o2 to me! why i mentioned the time it takes for h2o2 to release the o2! but its the O2 thats the oxidiserr??? see what i mean, or am i just mental lol!
Appoligies if ive taken your thread off route here, but this subject really facsinates me! Hope you dont mind man, ill delete my posts if you like? no probs!
best growth booster ive ever seen in hydro is H2o2, when used with the right nutes(full mineral), thats why im taken by it, i know what DO does to/for nute uptake!
If the same or similar benefits of O2 can be applied to organic/hydro then i wanna know all about it bro!(as per thread title)
H2o2-Aka-Hydrogen Dioxide!¬)
Cheers G'Luck!
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I think O2 is the issue! im trying to learn chemistry & bonds etc. Got a much better grasp on it than i did a couple years back!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peroxide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide Aka Hydrogen Dioxide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidizing_agent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen
Its the Ox thats gives me clues, per'OX, Di'OX, O2 etc. Oxidisers! ill get there one of these days lol!
Cheers bro!
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A couple years ago I found that switching from H2O2 to molasses worked pretty well. I didn't know then that I was likely feeding beneficial Lacto-B bacteria, which is a like a guard dog for many harmful bacteria. I then started heavy bubbling of the res, and added a heater of all things. Despite the heat and lack of H2O2, things really responded well and I never once had bad bacteria colonize in my res.
sounds dangerous to me bro! 'Aerobic bacteria'(O2 loving) being the prominent words! conditions have to suit the method or things would of gone tits up so to speak(anerobic)! lo! ill look into that cheers bro! Organics & Hydro to me is a new animal really!
Always chasing better flavour though
In that vein does anyone know at what ppm of DO does it become detrimental to Aerobic bacteria? as an oxidiser?/harmfull?
Seems to be Aerobic bacteria aint so aerobic?? lol! Suppose its like most things, too much ul kill ya! right im off to the pub! lol
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pray4pistils
Member
The whole goal is to promote aerobic bacteria and other microorganisms. They're not dangerous. They provide the plant's food source and fight off the actual pathogens!
It simply doesn't. The more dissolved oxygen the better. You can't add enough. Your theory that H202 is simply water with dissolved oxygen in it is completely and epically WRONG. Peroxide is its own compound with the elements bonded to each other. Bubbled water is simply water with air bubbles dissolved in it. Btw, air and oxygen are NOT the same thing either. Air is mostly nitrogen that also has oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gasses blended together.
Again, more dissolved oxygen = more aerobic microorganisms = more plant health. MORE IS BETTER. Get some!
P.S. I used to pump air into my hempy buckets. Now that I've gone 99% organic, I don't bother. It did help when I was running mostly chem. If nothing else, it kept the anerobic bad boys away and that was a BIG help.
there is a way to introduce 99% pure oxygen into your res or medium without tanks etc...
devices like oxygen concentrators are widely available...
http://www.amazon.com/EverFlo-Oxygen-Concentrator-OPI-MSRP/dp/B001TL7Q2Y/ref=pd_sbs_misc_3
it actually separates the oxygen from the air and concentrates it in a tank. just run the airline into you res or medium.
now all they need to invent is a CO2 concentrator for our foliage
devices like oxygen concentrators are widely available...
http://www.amazon.com/EverFlo-Oxygen-Concentrator-OPI-MSRP/dp/B001TL7Q2Y/ref=pd_sbs_misc_3
it actually separates the oxygen from the air and concentrates it in a tank. just run the airline into you res or medium.
now all they need to invent is a CO2 concentrator for our foliage
oh... and for the big dogs... you can get the whole system...
http://www.ogsi.com/aquaculture_fish_farming_.php
http://www.ogsi.com/aquaculture_fish_farming_.php
So here's my two cents on the subject. I have been growing with this method for the last 18 months. Five gallon ( or close to it) kitty litter buckets. In the bottom I place a 4 in dia air stone, cover the stone with approx 3 to 4 in of red lava rock.
I place a piece of fiberglass window screen down next, it helps keep the growing medium out of the rock and help keep the roots out of the rock also, I found that out after the first run.
I use coir, fine and chunky, mixed with EWC, bat guano, blood meal, kelp meal, perilite, vermiculite, dolomite lime and beneficial microbes.
The air stones are hooked to a 3 psi air pump which puts the air to the roots via the rocks which are the water res also..
Any way one can get more air to the root system is beneficial for the plant. Commercial flower growers inject ozone in to their water for the added oxygen.
Watering is always from the bottom via the site tube on the side, one thing this does, is help stop fungus gnats as the soil surface stays dry.
This is the only method that I've grown with and I have had great results. feed very little nutes , not really any need for them I've gone both ways with nutes and with out. Generally I water every third day more often when the plants get bigger and use more.Also I noticed that the nutes I have been using for bloom says that it can ferment if left in an anaerobic environment, the air stone prevent that.
Each pot holds about a gallon when you first fill them. I've had great results, will be trimming the last grow today and will post it in the grow diary I've been writing.
I place a piece of fiberglass window screen down next, it helps keep the growing medium out of the rock and help keep the roots out of the rock also, I found that out after the first run.
I use coir, fine and chunky, mixed with EWC, bat guano, blood meal, kelp meal, perilite, vermiculite, dolomite lime and beneficial microbes.
The air stones are hooked to a 3 psi air pump which puts the air to the roots via the rocks which are the water res also..
Any way one can get more air to the root system is beneficial for the plant. Commercial flower growers inject ozone in to their water for the added oxygen.
Watering is always from the bottom via the site tube on the side, one thing this does, is help stop fungus gnats as the soil surface stays dry.
This is the only method that I've grown with and I have had great results. feed very little nutes , not really any need for them I've gone both ways with nutes and with out. Generally I water every third day more often when the plants get bigger and use more.Also I noticed that the nutes I have been using for bloom says that it can ferment if left in an anaerobic environment, the air stone prevent that.
Each pot holds about a gallon when you first fill them. I've had great results, will be trimming the last grow today and will post it in the grow diary I've been writing.
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So here's my two cents on the subject. I have been growing with this method for the last 18 months. Five gallon ( or close to it) kitty litter buckets. In the bottom I place a 4 in dia air stone, cover the stone with approx 3 to 4 in of red lava rock.
I place a piece of fiberglass window screen down next, it helps keep the growing medium out of the rock and help keep the roots out of the rock also, I found that out after the first run.
I use coir, fine and chunky, mixed with EWC, bat guano, blood meal, kelp meal, perilite, vermiculite, dolomite lime and beneficial microbes.
The air stones are hooked to a 3 psi air pump which puts the air to the roots via the rocks which are the water res also..
Any way one can get more air to the root system is beneficial for the plant. Commercial flower growers inject ozone in to their water for the added oxygen.
Watering is always from the bottom via the site tube on the side, one thing this does, is help stop fungus gnats as the soil surface stays dry.
This is the only method that I've grown with and I have had great results. feed very little nutes , not really any need for them I've gone both ways with nutes and with out. Generally I water every third day more often when the plants get bigger and use more.Also I noticed that the nutes I have been using for bloom says that it can ferment if left in an anaerobic environment, the air stone prevent that.
Each pot holds about a gallon when you first fill them. I've had great results, will be trimming the last grow today and will post it in the grow diary I've been writing.
interesting...
questions if i may...
your sight tube looks much bigger than anything i have seen on dwc style setups. what size is it?
i see the water/nutrients in the site tube is almost at the middle/top. does that mean the medium is saturated to where the sight tube indicates?
do you hear the water bubbling/making noise?
when you first transplant and the roots are not hitting the res on the bottom yet, do you water from the top?
how do you flush (if you do at all)?
thanks!
