Soil bed idea.

[Buddahbear]

After reading a thread on organic soil beds (and reading Organic Marijuana Soma Style) I've decided to grow organic with a soil bed. "They are made out of wood lined with black waterproof plastic.
The bottom 5 centimeters is made up of hydrocorals, little round clay pebbles, covered by a piece of plastic coated chicken wire. On top of the chicken wire I place, some felt root cloth, then 25 centimeters of organic soil mixed with perlite. In each corner of the bed I have a 70 MM PVC pipe 35 centimeters high, going through the soil, the felt root cloth, the chicken wire, and the hydrocorals, giving an air layer to the bottom of the beds."

I plan on using a charcoal filter for out take fan (connected to a small out take vornado fan) and a squirrel cage fan for intake. I'm going to suppliment multiple warm CFLs (42 watt) and a central 400 watt High Pressure Sodium.

I plan on growing Greenhouse White Widow seeds that I've already acquired.

This is not my first grow, this will be my first soil bed grow though. Any experience or suggestions before I start assembling everything?

[phytokind]

Well if you haven't already, you should get Soma's book, Organic Marijuana Soma Style, there's a diagram and pictures of his soil bed.

[orange_cloud]

hey , fellas,
this is first time I have heard about bed growing.
I looked at the scheme, and I was just curious: where does water go if u overwater. theres no drainage system. is there?

[bud breath420]

sounds like a good idea... i might go out and get that book

[Buddahbear]

Well the actual soil drains into the hydro coals through the plastic coated chicken wire (with cheese cloth).

Does anyone know if Sea of Green would work on this? About how many clones would a 1.25 meters X 1.25 meters X 35 centimeters soil high soil bed hold? (with about 8 100-watt equivelant CFL, odor reducing, co2 producing bulbs with a 400 or 600 watt air-cooled high pressure sodium

[stinkyattic]

Although I've heard of this, the idea of a non-draining system worries me in that the water hanging out in the clay pellets would be a potential place for ROT, and PESTS, and if you ever had to flush the plants, it would be impossible.
I'd add a drain hole with a removeable bung so you have the option of letting stagnant water out of the bottom of your trays.

[orange_cloud]

Although I've heard of this, the idea of a non-draining system worries me in that the water hanging out in the clay pellets would be a potential place for ROT, and PESTS, and if you ever had to flush the plants, it would be impossible.
I'd add a drain hole with a removeable bung so you have the option of letting stagnant water out of the bottom of your trays.
sounds like a good idea. I would do same.
... but maybe there's some explanations about drainage or water flushing problem in the book thou.?...

[Buddahbear]

I don't think the hydro coals would be a place for rot because they have all that fresh air flowing through them. The soil DOES have a drain (into the hydrocoals) and the hydrocoals allow for a good passage of air.

[orange_cloud]

well imagine what happens if u overwater.
well I guess water gonna drain to hydrocoals. but...
how do u know how much water is in hydrocoals? what if by accident u water level goes above hydrocoals?
canb u imagine how many days it gonna take for the vater to vapor through those pipes?
how do u flush plants before harvest?

[Buddahbear]

"These 4 tubes in each bed help the roots to have a constant air- flow, and the hydrocorals underneath make it almost impossible to over-water your garden."
Quote from Soma magazine.

I think the principal works that soil can be wet as long as it's allowed to breathe is what makes this work. I'm definitely going to be using alot of Perlite in this one.

I'm thinking I'm going to use

50% Fox Farm Ocean Potting soil - contains all vegging nutes I'd need.
25% Fox Farm Light warrior (I usually top my soil with this because it gets good airation, but I might put it on the bottom layer as well seeing as the whole organic soil bed thing works)
25% Perlite/Vermiculite
With extra Guano from www.Guanokelong.com just the way Soma does it.

Standard hydrocoals/pebbles.

I think I'm going to use the following lights on the 20 clones (After I harvest 20 clones, doing 4-5 clones a week from the mothers I have):
For Vegetation.
I'd be doing continual harvest, so different batches of clones go into flowering at different times. First 5-10 clones go through vegging for a bit (not sure how long I should veg them for... 2-3 weeks or something for SoG?) Then next 5-10 clones, etc until I have a full bed.
I have a small Vegging Chamber where I keep mothers and clones vegging.
I use two 105 (daylight spectrum) watt CFLs in a 1.5X2X4 cabinet.

Flowering.

430 watt High pressure sodium, give guano tea after 3rd week of flowering, flush in the last week or two. If I feel that my light's a little weak I'm going to add some compapct fluorescents.

Nuties-
Fox Farm Big Bloom
Guano Tea
Super Thrive
Soil w/veg nutes.

[Organic Rasta]

The idea of the grow bed is to "NOT" over water....MJ plants like a dry climate and will thrive with proper feedings and waterings....considering the other requirements of the environment are met....like humidity and temperature.

By not over feeding or overwatering...the bed is designed to have enough aeration and relies on you; the gardener, to water just enough and not go beyond.
Flushing of a properly built organic soil or soilless medium isn't needed if the correct amounts of ferts and nutes are used.
True organics not have salt buildups.

Buddah if you're going to grow in a reduced scale bed ....remember to stick as close as possible to what Soma uses....I'd like to be around when you get this bed going. It's going to give you lots of buds and healthy plants.

Then when it's done....I have some info that the 3Little Birds (3LB) posted about reusing organic soil. Do a google search on 3LB or 3 Little Birds and growing...they have some great info you might be able to add as well.