Interesting situation - need some suggestions!

okay, well first of all let me explain the setup. I found a natural drip that will be there all summer, I watched it all last year and checked on it in the winter. it is very consistent. The natural drip is funneled into a reservoir, and then from there a 1/2 inch line is ran to the plants. I can put the drip on a timer, but I would rather not, because that is just one more trip to replace batteries. Should I use slower emitters ?

I just picked up some 3 gal grow bags and plan on poking a ton of holes all over it to help aerate. I also picked up some local premium organic soil, perlite, and advanced nutrients 3 part heavy harvest nutrients. I wanted to create a very airy medium so they do not get over watered. How about adding river rocks to the mixture? Any other tricks? I was thinking about doing hempy buckets but the hydro man wouldn't give me advice on such because he is against growing in anything carcinogenic

Most of the plants will start from clone and have a tiny bit of time to get rooted indoors. By the time they go outside it will be a few weeks into summer solstice

The heavy harvest is a time release fert

• Heavy Harvest Spring - 25, 9, 7
  Heavy Harvest Summer - 13, 15, 11
  Heavy Harvest Fall - 13, 14, 16

I have no idea how to use these, except that spring is suppose to be until summer solstice, and summer blend until aug 21(i think), and the fall for the final bloom. Anyone have any experience using these products? How did you mix it in to your soil? How much did you use?

Any advice is appreciated. I really want this outdoor grow, my 2nd this year because the first failed from heat stress, to run smoothly

bump....

anyone got any ideas?

do you think that my soil mix/container will provide enough aeration for a constant drip

anyone used heavy harvest?

The only way is to experiment.Start light work your way up.

at a 2 mile hike I don't have much flexibility to experiment. ive got one shot at this, so if anyone has used heavy harvest please provide input. the directions are very broad...

Apply at a rate of 454 - 908 grams (1-2 lbs) per 3m x 3m (10' x 10') of garden area. This is only a basic recommendation, smaller or large amounts of Heavy Harvest may be required depending on the size of the plants and soil type. Apply every 3 to 4 weeks during the grow season.

.... I will definitely be going on the lighter side, especially since they will be quite small at first, but was wondering how to flush at harvest end on a time release fert like this? I read on another website that Heavy Harvest should be broad casted lightly and evenly in a small trench around the outside of the pot, then covered up with soil.


But I am more worried about aerating my soil properly, not the nutes. The drip will be on 24/7. I will be adding perlite and river rocks to the mixture, as well as poking a ton of holes all over the grow bag. What else can I do to ensure my plants dont drown? Place the emitter into the side of the bag?

All suggestions welcome plzz :jointsmile:

Ok, couple of things-

Media will hold too much water for a constant drip. If yer gonna go constant, skip the soil and just use the perlite. Even that's a little wet- you'd be better off with something like hydroton. But the coarse grade perlite will work.

Heavy Harvest isn't an appropriate formulation for this system- it's designed to be spread as a top-dress in a soil garden. If you mix it into yer perlite, it'll just wash out- and not even at consistant ratios. You might get away with weekly VERY LIGHT top-dressings of yer bags, but you've already said that you can't get there very often.

You might want to look at liquid ferts and a ratio mixer- depending on the flow, you might be able to use something as simple as the dosers that folks use to apply miracle gro to their lawns. A seperate res with a line slowly, drop by drop, bleeding fertilizer into yer main irrigation feed is a more likely scenario, tho.

Heavy Harvest won't work for this - solubility issues. Will clog the hell out of needle valves.

I'd be looking at plants in the ground, using your water source as, well, a water source. You'd be able to use the ferts that you've already paid for, and walking four miles round trip isn't really that bad. Be glad that you don't have to carry water.

I know, it's not as sexy, but it'll work. The system that you're describing won't.


My $.02 US (not worth much, and plummeting daily- Thank Ya, Dubya)

i was told that maybe i should air layer my soil, bottom 4 inches river rock, then soil, then perlite, then rock, then soil, then perlite, etc

I have a valve on my res so I can turn the drip down to slow as hell

i like your ideas but perlite is rare in these areas right now, took me forever and a drive to find 1 bag

I can check out my plants 1-2 times / week

thnx for feedback rhizome, waddya think now?

well i figured it out. just put the timer on the res. it drains the res twice a day. hopefully this will suffice