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Small wicking box experiment
+11
squaredeal
Goosegirl
Lemonie
FamilyGardening
plantoid
tumtumsback
has55
sanderson
yolos
camprn
boffer
15 posters
Page 3 of 3
Page 3 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
Re: Small wicking box experiment
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.
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.
Three chard plants that I had harvested from before transplanting.
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.
- Water Usage Chart:
The MM is nicely damp throughout, and the surface of the MM is staying damp too.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
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.
Three chard plants that I had harvested from before transplanting.
Re: Small wicking box experiment
This is terrific news. Thanks Boffer!
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: Small wicking box experiment
This is awesome...I love the scientific approach to finding out your answers. Great job!!!
mschaef- Posts : 598
Join date : 2012-03-12
Age : 38
Location : Hampton, Georgia
Re: Small wicking box experiment
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 .
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 .
plantoid- Posts : 4096
Join date : 2011-11-09
Age : 73
Location : At the west end of M4 in the UK
Re: Small wicking box experiment
No use dragging this out. The MM is nearly dry, and the plants are starting to look stressed.
Conclusion: The pea gravel didn't work either. Don't make a wicking box without a wick!
- Water Usage Chart:
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
Conclusion: The pea gravel didn't work either. Don't make a wicking box without a wick!
Re: Small wicking box experiment
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!
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: Small wicking box experiment
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.
torpedos- Posts : 11
Join date : 2014-02-17
Location : San Antonio, TX
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