Re: Small wicking box experiment

boffer 2/8/2014, 11:49 am

We needed some chard for the soup pot, so the harvest concludes this experiment.

Plants are very healthy. The MM has stayed at a good moisture content from top to bottom. The roots did eventually work themselves down into the gravel. I couldn't get a picture that showed it, but the gravel took on a green tint as the water level dropped.

Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 Dscn3714

Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 Dscn3714

Water Usage Chart:

Conclusion: Using wicks worked great. My 3 wicks were strips of an old cotton terrycloth hand towel. I don't know how the wick material or number of wicks influenced the results.

I'm trying one more variable. From what I've read, a lot of folks used pea gravel in the tub, so I'm going to try that. (no wicks) I had used crushed rock for my first attempt.

Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 Dscn3716

Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 Dscn3716

Three chard plants that I had harvested from before transplanting.

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**camprn** 2/8/2014, 12:14 pm

This is terrific news. Thanks Boffer! clap

**sanderson** 2/8/2014, 3:32 pm

Well done! Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 3170584802

mschaef 2/8/2014, 3:42 pm

This is awesome...I love the scientific approach to finding out your answers. Great job!!!

plantoid 2/8/2014, 4:07 pm

Thoughts ....
The crushed rock was impervious ie. it won't or don't soak up water . Certain pea gravels won't be so clever either. Granite or basalt rock are common impervious rocks .

Now if it were first fired broken clay pots you'd have an ideal wick , crushed & broken fired clay house bricks might be ok as well so long at it is not the impervious very dense engineering brick , crushed concrete pavements or pavers blocks may be ok so long as they are not water resistant .

I suppose you could use any gravel around a nylon sock filled with pure vermiculite & take the sock from the bottom of the container up into the top two inches of MM etc. that would make a fantastic wick ..
Wash the socks first and rinse them several times in warm clean water to remove all traces of detergent /bio action cleaners .

boffer 2/17/2014, 9:15 pm

No use dragging this out. The MM is nearly dry, and the plants are starting to look stressed.

Small wicking box experiment - Page 3 Dscn3726

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Water Usage Chart:

Conclusion: The pea gravel didn't work either. Don't make a wicking box without a wick! Razz

**camprn** 2/17/2014, 9:19 pm

boffer wrote:No use dragging this out.

Conclusion: The pea gravel didn't work either. Don't make a wicking box without a wick!

Doh!

LOLOLOL!

**sanderson** 2/17/2014, 11:47 pm

Sort of like planting without seeds! rofl

torpedos 2/19/2014, 8:03 am

i did a few, on one i used a sock to about 8 inches up. on the other i used a 4 inch pot in the bottom to reach down into the wáter below, but i added a rope to extend the extra inch to reach the bottom and absorb the wáter some more. i did it with a few goji berries. at the time they are dormant, but i would get pics one i get some fruit.

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Date		Scale Reading (inches)
1/13		0
1/14		½
1/15		¾
1/16		1¼
1/17		1½
1/18		2
1/19		2½
1/20		3
1/21		3½
1/22		4
1/23		4¾
1/23 Added 2½ quarts of water which filled the reservoir to the muslin.
1/24		1
1/25		2¼
1/26		3
1/27		3½
1/28		4¼
1/29		5
1/30		1¼
1/31		2
2/1		3
2/2		4
2/3		4¾

Date		Scale Reading (inches)
2/3		0
2/4		½
2/5		¾
2/6		1¾
2/7		2½
2/8		2½
2/9		2½
2/10		3
2/11		3
2/12		3
2/13		3¼
2/14		3½
2/16		3½
2/17		3½


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