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Swamp tube(ish)

T

tommy1984

Member
A few years back we tried putting a pond in way back on the family property because we had a wet spot that never dried up. Long story short, it didn't work now we have a massive hole in the ground with one corner of it constantly holding about 2 inches of standing water, even with heavy rains it don't get any deeper than 3-4 inches as it just spreads across the hole and dries back down to the 2 inches in the corner with in a day or 2.

Im wondering if I could do a swamp tube type thing here? Maybe test with 1 plant and if it works there is enough room for 2 or 3 the next season.

Let me know if I can do the following, take a plastic storage tote about 30 - 40 gallons or so and set in right in the 2 inches of water with the entire bottom cut out, then fill with pro mix or some other potting mix, add ferts, put in seedling and call it done?

would the water wick up supplying a constant fresh water source to the plant? as long as the corner of the pond didn't dry up would the wicking affect of the water be all the plant needs? Would it be to much water?

Next question is how would you fert a plant in this situation other than mixing in time released when you dumped in the soil? obviously if the soil is staying saturated from the wicking then you wouldn't want to come in and dump water soluble nutes on it, and top dressing would work either because you'd have to water it in..

Thought/advise on this is greatly appreciated.

Tommy
 
gorilla ganja

gorilla ganja

Well-known member
Your method will work great.
Time release or your favorite organic mix.
Check the ph of the water and add lime if necessary.

Check out Erdpurt crosses in my signature for my swamp attempt this year.

Best of luck and may all your buds be Huge.

Peace GG
 
Chunkypigs

Chunkypigs

passing the gas
Veteran
I'm playing with some rootbound moms in smarties in a swamp that I didn't get planted.

I think they wick too much when left in standing water. I'd like to drill holes in the bottom of a tote then fill it a couple inches higher with stones or hydroton then organic soil above.

these plants are way too rootbound to come out nice but I left them where a ripper would find them before you get to my good plants in the ground.

potted ECSD
picture.php


planted ECSD
picture.php
 
T

tommy1984

Member
Ok fellas I went up to that spot I'm thinking of and took a pic for you, also I used the sun seeker app on my phone and it's showing 7-8 hrs of direct sun light at the summer maximum and about 5 hours of direct sun now (all in the afternoon) should I be worried about the lack of direct light? http://imgur.com/YQtiglu This is after a month long heat wave.
 
gorilla ganja

gorilla ganja

Well-known member
I have seen monsters grown in a couple inches of water.

IMO swamp tubes work better the taller and wider the containers.
Maybe a large garbage pail instead of a totes. But totes work if your water level does not fluctuate that much. As long as the top 2/3 stays out of the water you should be fine.

Since it is on a family property maybe you can trim a few branches or trees to get more light. But that amount will give decent plants.

That's just one advantage of the swamp compared to where I usually hide them in the forest. They get better light.

Peace GG
 
T

tech1234

Member
I have a lot of experience in this. A spot with a fairly stable water line is best because you can plan for it. Major water height changes with rains/seasons is not the best. My favorite is high ground in or around a stable swamp. Look for an island or peninsula type thing that is 2 or so feet higher than the rest and look for where there is "normal" forest vegetation rather than swamp grasses and such. Dig down a couple feet in these locations and you'll hit water. Then I come up out of the ground 2' with a burlap 3' ring and fill with native/compost/promix/time release/(5cups in this sized hole) and most importantly shit tons of perlite. You want a super light mix in these wet locations. You can top dress with compost/native to hide the "white" from the sky.

 
H

HIMALAYAN GANJA

Member
GROWING IN HOLES ON EDGE OF SWAMP

GROWING IN HOLES ON EDGE OF SWAMP

tech1234 said:
I have a lot of experience in this. A spot with a fairly stable water line is best because you can plan for it. Major water height changes with rains/seasons is not the best. My favorite is high ground in or around a stable swamp. Look for an island or peninsula type thing that is 2 or so feet higher than the rest and look for where there is "normal" forest vegetation rather than swamp grasses and such. Dig down a couple feet in these locations and you'll hit water. Then I come up out of the ground 2' with a burlap 3' ring and fill with native/compost/promix/time release/(5cups in this sized hole) and most importantly shit tons of perlite. You want a super light mix in these wet locations. You can top dress with compost/native to hide the "white" from the sky.

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/attachment.php?attachmentid=333584&thumb=1]View Image[/url]
Click to expand...


High tech 1234 i am currently preping for next year and amdoing exactly that holes on the edge of swamp or river where earth always remains moist thus reducing watering to almost zero hopefully. could you tell me what you think : i will put holes where earth is always wet at 2 feet under but there is no actual water. is this good or is a spot where water pools at bottom of the hole do better? thanks alot if some one wants to give their opinion on this
 
MJPassion

MJPassion

Observer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Any location that's constantly moist will work for your needs.

Standing/stagnant water is a no no.
 
Y

yasker

New member
I grow swamp tubes in water one foot deep at planting time, the first week in June, in the floodplain of a seasonal stream. The tubes are 18" tall and set directly on the soil. By August the water is gone. The soil in the tubes stays moist from capillary action. Even if there is a drought by September, the roots have followed the water down. The swamp never completely dries out, even if it dries enough to walk around without boots, which is sometimes does in September.

I make cylinders out of fence wire and line them with landscaping fabric. The diameter of the tube determines the volume of soil, typically ten to thirty gallons, depending on ease of access and whether I feel like packing out that much soil mix. I use my own compost lightened up with about 25% perlite. I've grown in 5 gallon tubes which is a convenient amount to pack but the restricted root space limits yield.

This year I experimented with late finishing sativas, not expecting them to finish. We had a record warm autumn, and they did. These are Zamaldelica.
 

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H

HIMALAYAN GANJA

Member
Hello yasker thanks for those pics. very nice also i like how the pic shows nicely the actual tube since alot of swamp grow pics never show the tube or pot being used and how it is placed in relation to the soil underneath. i
 
S

St. Phatty

Active member
tommy1984 said:
A few years back we tried putting a pond in way back on the family property because we had a wet spot that never dried up.

Thought/advise on this is greatly appreciated.

Tommy
Click to expand...

Summer of 1998 or 1999 I used a fresh-water lagoon as a location for an outdoor grow.

There was plenty of water, so the plants got put on piles of dirt.

Got maybe an ounce from each plant. Didn't use any fertilizers.

One thing about locations like that - the plants stand out when they get big. So they're real visible from the air.

I think you have a better chance of harvesting, at some locations, if you plant under a bigger cover plant, like blackberry. If all goes well, the Cannabis will grow up into the cover plant and get itself some sun.
 
H

HIMALAYAN GANJA

Member
question for yasker.

question for yasker.

yasker said:
I grow swamp tubes in water one foot deep at planting time, the first week in June, in the floodplain of a seasonal stream. The tubes are 18" tall and set directly on the soil. By August the water is gone. The soil in the tubes stays moist from capillary action. Even if there is a drought by September, the roots have followed the water down. The swamp never completely dries out, even if it dries enough to walk around without boots, which is sometimes does in September.

I make cylinders out of fence wire and line them with landscaping fabric. The diameter of the tube determines the volume of soil, typically ten to thirty gallons, depending on ease of access and whether I feel like packing out that much soil mix. I use my own compost lightened up with about 25% perlite. I've grown in 5 gallon tubes which is a convenient amount to pack but the restricted root space limits yield.

This year I experimented with late finishing sativas, not expecting them to finish. We had a record warm autumn, and they did. These are Zamaldelica.
Click to expand...


Can you please tellme how many gallons of soil are in those tubes shown in the pics? those plants are the perfect size so i think the soil volume you have used here would be a good oint of reference for me thanks for sharing
 
Y

yasker

New member
Plants were started from seed in late April, put out in early June and topped repeatedly. Tubes are placed on the north side of small clearings in maple tree freshwater swamps. It's very stealthy, but it does limit the hours of direct sunlight, and reduces yield.

The water is typically a foot deep at planting, leaving about six inches of soil above water. The water level drops as the season progresses and the roots follow the water down the tube into the mud.

I use my own compost, pushed through a 1/2 inch screen and blended with about 25% perlite by volume in the finished mix. The perlite is mostly to lighten the load for packing the soil out to the site. The plants have done fine without it. At 50% perlite the soil dried out too fast before the roots could chase the water down to the mud.
 
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