ROLS 4x4 Smart Pot Keep It Simpler Stoner water only method

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I know you can get around the fungus gnat issue there are several ways most all are microbial or fungal inoculants and or soil mites. remember with large amounts of soil indoors you are going to have at least a few flyers always but so long as they are not prolific no worries. Effective treatments that work well: Mosquito Dunks. Take a 5 gallon bucket of clean non tap water. With a gloved hand break up a whole dunk into 5 gal and allow it to sit for about 10 mins. Then water your beds or pots with it. The main active ingredient is Bacillus Thurgensis and will wipe em out in about 3 days no more flyers. Another one that has worked well for me is OG biowar. Mix per the instructions and water as usual all gone in 3 days as well. If your pots are large enough you shouldnt worry bout the worms they will go deeper for moisture as the upper layers dry out. IMO what you should be doing is observing leaf texture to know when to water. When leaves make the hardest prayer hands the soil is nearing its tipping point going too dry. Wrinkly dry looking leaves say water NOW. Too much water droopy clawed leaves with full looking wrinkle free leaves, sometimes the edges turn upwards and look frilly. Ive seen plants actually sweat water with a bead on every point on a serrated leaf as if placed by gnomes or something. In Big soil beds over watering isnt a big deal unless we are talking swamp status with poor drainage. If you got 20% air in your mix or better youll be fine. Dont be afraid to let your room get hot either. Big soil means they can take the heat. Mid to high 90's some days no worries but watch that you dont dry out they drink LOTS when its hot. One thing I should mention is that you cannot go high temps and big water without MEGA fresh air exchange. Something about stale air makes plants burn with that kind of heat indoors. They take it outdoors just fine and will indoors too IF you got buku air exchange. Just thought Id share my thoughts and experiences on the subject. I look forward to seeing some big soil bed action ... or did you throw in the towel??


FE

I just got done building a 4x8 using 2 4x4 Smart Pot fabric bed that is suspended in the air with monofilament wire from underneath and wood frame supporting the sides. I saw your thread a long time back and loved your beds with the plastic coated chicken wire. They've been on my mind since trying to replicate something similar.
I thought about quitting but I have a grower buddy that told me that everyone has problems and even the big guys have their day in the infirmary too once in a while. Explained it as if it's a continual process so I might want to get used to that.
the fresh air exchange is essential because it allows more CO2 for better transpiration rates. no air + heat is no good but I haven't thought about increasing the temp for transpiration rates. Does that effect their growth rate?

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I've never built anything before and my dad never taught me how to do that sort of thing. So be kind

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

this looks cool. Organic living soil is still a pretty new concept to me so i will be watching and learning, maybe implementing some of the techniques and concepts in my indoor gardens. I grow in coco now but have used organic peat-based mixes in the past indoors and nothing beats the flavor IMO.

peace!

I keep hearing that coco is great for recycling soil but you say you can tell a difference in taste by the medium? Interesting. The one side of the bed has this mix in it, minus the worms but the other side is going to have a promix, peat, happy frog blend. will recycling peat give me pH problems after a few rounds? I was told coco is better due to that.
I have a shit ton of hydro pellet left over from the hydro beds. I'm thinking about throwing some of that in there for increased drainage as well.

Glad to have you two aboard!!

 

[FatherEarth]

Nice job. Doesnt matter if you know how to build its about if it functions once you are finished. If you can see something in your head and then build it in real life thats all you need. Trial and error will teach you the rest. On that note. Id try and keep the wood frame out of and away from the soil. In the pics looks like soil touching the 2x4. It will rot really quickly if it stays in contact with soil and kept moist. Interesting design. Ive seen something like that with cinder blocks outside made to be a fence. With a 4" round post layed on top of the blocks and another going through the holes in the blocks with cinders used as the connections for the posts... Thanks for sharing...


FE

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

that's how I got the idea. back in the 70's and 80's they did this and I remember something similar for a toy shelf in the early 80's. the monofilament bottom has stretched though so I think I just might use your pallet/chicken wire idea. I was worried about the wood rotting from the bottom moisture but pallets are free I suppose and in my area you can find them quite easily. Thanks for the advice!!

EDIT: maybe I can suspend the chicken wire instead like the netting I used.

 

[Nes]

EDIT: maybe I can suspend the chicken wire instead like the netting I used.

I wouldn't trust chicken wire anymore than I'd trust trellis net to hold up that much soil. It'll rust with time as well.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

guess pallets it is. it is a lot of weight to put on those boards too and I'm worried that the smart pot will eventually tear. that brand is garbage. my gopro bed was tits. and it's half the price but I have to order online.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

actually, I can take the cinder blocks and put them on their side and use the holes for the air. I have a TON of those two foot long boards which I can use to adjust the height of the blocks. no wood, no wire and not terribly priced. now to see how many my car will hold without blowing out the suspension. I'm thinking 9 per bed.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

So I ended up doing FatherEarths bed idea with the chicken wire and pallets. worked much better as well. Everything got a layer of Killz and then exterior white paint.