Anyone pump air into their soil medium?

[pray4pistils]

You didn't ask me, but I ran air stones in the bottom of my hempy buckets. So...

do you hear the water bubbling/making noise?

My rig was inaudible aside from the pump itself. Occasionally, you'd hear a little hiss, but that's only when within a foot distance or so.

when you first transplant and the roots are not hitting the res on the bottom yet, do you water from the top?

Wicking wasn't quite enough in my experience. So, top watering was required until the roots reached the bottom section. I didn't run any screen at the bottom, though. Most roots would mat up at the water line. Some descended, though, and were always healthy. The specific purpose for the air stone, in my set up, was to maintain the microherd that takes care of the roots.

 

[The Bling]

PLANTS GET OXYGEN VIA THE DISOLVED OXYGEN IN THE WATER. NOT FROM AIR....

 

[rrog]

I'm going to try an organic soil mix in DIY airpots. See how that compares to a system I ran as Pearl described.

 

[cyat]

I do at 32 psi, and also with a foot pump for inflatables

 

[Scrogerman]

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.

Yeah of course,
I missed your post here, i dont think you understood me at all. I know exactly what H2o2 is man, & i know what bubbling air through water is all about too, aerobic Vs anerobic etc lol. when H2o2 breaks down, what does it release & leave behind?
I think you'll find Pure 02(is released) & pure H2o(is left behind). What makes H2o2 an Oxidiser? its O2 man. If you can eduacte on this subject, please do, id be greatfull.

whats the O2 tollerance of aerobic bacteria? what ppm does O2/DO become toxic to aerobes?.

yeah i think its you that has me wrong. the amount of research ive done on this subject O2, H2o2, H2o is fkin beyond & still more to do. big complicated subject, still learning.

G'Luck!

 

[Scrogerman]

The stuff i read on this subject boggles my mind sometimes, but read 'Oxygen toxidity' effects on aerobic bacteria:

http://m.biotecharticles.com/Biology-Article/Oxygen-Requirements-of-Different-Bacteria-952.html

 

[rrog]

Nice article. I think the key phrase is this: "If oxygen is found at high concentration greater than atmosphere it can be toxic to aerobic bacteria..." That's not possible when pumping atmospheric air.

 

[pearlemae]

mg75 Here's the answers to your questions sorry I wasn't faster getting back to everyone.

Sight tubes are 1 inch diameter,I water via the tubes.

What you see isn't water or nutes but a discoloration from whats is probably a mold of some kind. I only water till it shows in the tube, or to about an inch avove the 90 degree fitting the tubes attached to.

There is very little noise from either the pump, it has rubber feet its not a cheapy fish tank air pump. This pump while small pushes 3 psi which is more than enough for what I do with it. When the box is open you hear a slight bubbling noise.

Generally I water from the top once when transplanting.

As for a flush, plain water for the last week or so. I doubt you can flush alot when growing in soil unless the plant tatally depletes the medium of nutes.
I just finished the last scrog and the pics are of the new run I set it up a week or so ago. an empty box grows no smoke.

I have found this system to work very well, I water generally every third day, when the plants are fuller it may be everyother day. I have never had the water go bad on me. no smells I use EWC TEAS bio thrive and molasses and have never had it go bad. On the other hand I can't push enough air to the roots to do any harm.
Last grow was 2.2 zips per plant under T5 CFLS. Air pump in pic its front right.

 

[Scrogerman]

Nice article. I think the key phrase is this: "If oxygen is found at high concentration greater than atmosphere it can be toxic to aerobic bacteria..." That's not possible when pumping atmospheric air.

ahh sorry yeah edit. Cannabis cann use between 30-100ppms of DO in sol, but you can only get 10ppm approx with atmoshperic pressure normally. so how do we supply what they can use without it being detrimental. h2o2 is the closets ive got man! ? btw1, i dont mean direct application to substrate either, see oxydator tec.?

 

[pearlemae]

I spent a lot of years in the commercial plant biz, garden centers and the like. I used to purchase thousands of dollars of plants from a grower that had installed an ozone injector system that put ozone in the water, so all the plants got more oxygen to the roots. Made a big difference in plant growth/root growth. It was also interesting to see how much nutes they could put to the plants with out burning them. After all in their biz the faster you can grow it and turn the plants the more you make.

 

[pearlemae]

He yrrog, How your garden growing these days, hope its going good for you.

 

[mrwags]

I posted this on the organic soil forum, but I guess since I have a pump attached, they'd prefer I post over here.

Anyway, I'm pumping air to the bottom of a pail per this method: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=135017

Aside from the details, is anyone else pumping air into or under their medium? There has been an inference that this is compromising an otherwise nice organic soil grow. I don't see how that's possible, but it was suggested I ask on this Organic Hydro forum.

Thanks for any thoughts.

I got a 55 gallon barrel and say air is essential,I use 5 inch bubble disc and love the shit out of them.

Think of an Ez-Cloner,without the bubbles in it it will take much longer to get roots and your percentage of healthy girls will drop off as well so what does that tell ya. Oxygen Oxygen Oxygen will make your girls grow BIG AND STRONG you could NEVER get enough.


My Penny
Mr.Wags

 

[rrog]

I'm drilling out the sides of pails and lining with landscape fabric.Turning 7 gallon pails into smart pots. Skipping the rest. Using SubCool's Super Soil next round

 

[cyat]

autopots use airdomes under the soil or coco. havnt tried it yet tho

 

[rrog]

I have always liked the idea of pumping in air. At this point, I'm just not sure it would be an improvement over a smart pot type of scenario. I don't think the difference would be much, if any, and so I'm trying the do it yourself smart pot.

 

[cyat]

I would be concerned about hot air and root rot?

 

[rrog]

In that system, the soil stayed nicely moist but not wet, since the soil was never in contact with the water layer. In my opinion, it was a great watering system. But all the pumps and airstones... again not so sure there's a big payback. Maybe some, but this DIY smart pot idea that Hobbes documented is a good middle point between pumping air and a solid container.

We'll see. I'm too inexperienced to judge much.

 

[rrog]

He yrrog, How your garden growing these days, hope its going good for you.

Hello Pearl. Nice of you to drop in. My last grow I just finished. Root aphids as some here deduced. I have some new bud curing now so what the hell. No biggie. Now starting a super soil grow this week. Plushberry.

 

[h.h.]

I wanted to get away from the mechanics of pumping air. While there seemed some benefit, it didn't seem like an earth friendly direction to go. Not that I'm a saint in those regards. I just want good karma in my grows.
I still use a pump for teas though less often. It seems to boost the oxygen levels of plain water slightly.
By adding air to the medium it seems we were bypassing that step and just combining the two needlessly. A standing reservoir requires constant air and really only seems to amount to an automatic watering system. While there might be a slightly better environment for microlife, it give us less control over the situation.
I cut the bottom of my pots out in the shape of a peace sign. Just enough to support cloth in the bottom. I use shade cloth. I have it. Landscape fabric would probably work better. Roots grow into the shade cloth. You get better drainage, more air, and a wick to boot.
A well built soil should have no problem with air circulation. Take a bamboo skewer to your soil. Open it up. Leave pic-up-sticks in the soil and pull them out gradually as the roots fill up around them.

 

[rrog]

You and I are on the same page H2