In the fall of 2020 I built a sip bed. 3ft by 6ft following your plans. I put it up on legs though. I absolutely love it. By far the best garden bed we have. I have thousands of red wiggler worms in there. Used 45 mil tpo roofing for a liner. Having it up on legs is awesome. No bending over. I closed it in and insulated so that I can put a heat lamp under in the winter. Plastic hoop cover on top . Allows me longer grow season. Doubles as a warm cat house also cause I put a small door. Eastern Oregon high desert. 110 in summer 0 in winter. I water once per week in the heat. Every thing else 2 per day. You have By far the best design sip on UA-cam. Thanks so much.
That's so great to hear of your successes with your SIP! I'm glad my info was able to help you in the process. Those sound like some cool adaptation. Thanks for watching & sharing your results!!! 😀
"No bending over" means a whole lot once you hit 70! My back hurts watching! LOL. PS: Since you do hoops, do you ever cover with shade cloth during those hot summer days? I'm in Oklahoma and we get temps up to 100 and sometimes below zero.
I did multiple storage bins using your method. Great results out on my dock out over the river. I also used 2x6 material to make big rectangles with pond liner to hold a few inches of water. Then put in 15 gallon grow bags in that pond. So the grow bags sitting in water have outperformed the SIP storage tubs. All used homemade potting mix with your recipe
I've been watching SIP videos for years (even saw your original on this build) and this is the first one that has shown what can and will happen in the bed. I was very curious about the soil in the tubes and happy to see there is no problem. Fortunately all of my SIPs are IBCs so I haven't had to deal with the rot issues. I have every almost.type of bed you can think of (being a UA-cam addict) but the SIPs are the most carefree and consistant IMO. Absolutely the best way to irrigate.
@@Albopepper Maybe you can answer a question I've always wondered, can plant nutrients be fed through the reservoir? Will nutrients wick up? I've always treated my beds like raised beds but have been curious whether bottom feeding would work.
Yes, plants can get some nutrients from the reservoir. This process works better with smaller SIPs like 5 gallon buckets. Sometimes it's a super convenient way to add nutrients for my seedlings which I grow in mini-SIPs. But I don't advise adding nutrients to the reservoir in the large SIP beds. As plants get bigger, they would be able to access some of those nutrients. But you can't really control how well the nutrients are dispersed throughout the reservoir. And if the reservoir overflows because of being full, you can get extra nutrient runoff. I prefer to top water the liquid feeds, allowing them to infiltrate the entire root zone of the plant.
I followed your tutorial for the SIP here in West Texas and it’s been absolutely amazing so far! Only a couple growing seasons deep, but it’s a game changer here where the summer temperatures are constantly about 110°.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience! I'm so glad to hear that the system has been working well for you. As drought and heat waves become more prevalent, SIPs can be a great way for gardeners to maintain their sanity! 😃
Great tips Al! A nice SIP bed would be perfect for a lot of gardeners, who just want a small space to have a kitchen garden of fresh food. Low maintenance and long lasting, it eliminates the heavy lifting of container gardens.
Thanks for watching! I had used the remnants of a 20 mil vapor barrier liner, left over from a concrete pour. But a standard 6 mil liner would get the job done for those upper sidewalls.
Thanks for watching & sharing your tip! I've never tested that for this specific application. It would be interesting to see a test showing how well it works over time! 🙂
Thank you for the time and efforts you put into your videos. I've just built (4) 8x3 SIPS using your guidance. I used longer bulkheads, but everything is the same. I look forward to successful vegetable gardening. God bless.
I have had alot of great success with my SIPs just doing a deep mulch but not mixing it in. Granted Im in the deep south so Im guessing results may very based on your local growing conditions. I used two of your SIP designs for my first year gardening. Im now on year 4 and all my SIPs are still in working order. Cheers
Nice video! You’re becoming a new favorite garden channel. Couple of comments: 1) not so sure a wicking mix is needed in bottom layer but clearly not hurting! I need to go watch your playlist. 2) I think any direct contact with plastic will promote rot especially since wood breathes. Building trade seems to have a variety of wicking or moisture/vapor shedding liners designed for between waterproof building layer and siding or between concrete basement walls and external insulation/soil for just that reason. I don’t know what it’s called but might be worth a look and it may let one get away with using thinner lumber.
Fantastic update, I used your plan for the most part, two years ago now. Can you tell us again how high up from the bottom of the box you put the overflow ? Thank you ! ( I recall you stressing the point of not putting that hole all the way at the top of the tube height. )
I made a big wicking bed 3 m by 1.5 m a number of years ago modifying your plans a bit. It is sitting on the ground (not below ground level). The only thing I have to do sometimes is top up the "soil" and it is still going strong! Thanks.
very informative indeed. Thank you! My question is what are the advantages for having for SIP planter bed instead of regular planter bed other than we don't need to water it frequently? and saving some money in entirely filling it with the soil
Hello Al, on a video you use 75% coco coir 20% vermiculite and 5% perlite. This video you use peat moss as an extra ingredient and I see that the ratios have changed. Can you tell me the ratio and the reason you are adding peat moss? I also saw that you only use it to top off the corrugated pipe? What mix do you used to finished topping it off? Thanks
Instead of picket strips (to protect the top of the frame), I cut some semi-rectangular vinyl downspout pipe that I picked up at Home Despot. Clamps down on the liner and protects from both moisture and errant soil. If they get sun-damaged over time (mine are still going strong after 5 years), it's pretty easy to remove the old ones and install new ones. I use a few 1-inch sheet rock (or other.. your choice) screws to keep them from popping off.
Tractor Supply has a 2x6x2 galvanized steel stock tank for $200. I wonder if that would be a good container for a SIP. You could use 6 inch drainage pipe, drill the overflow hole 5 inches from the bottom, and eliminate the need for a liner, and have 18 inches for root depth.
I think I've watched all of your videos at least once, some several times and really enjoy the information you give and the way you present it! I do have some questions on the dimensions of your Improved: Self-watering SIP Raised Bed (Wicking Planter) Construction Tutorial & Tips video. What are the length and width of the inside? Are you are using 1"x2" spacers for the perforated pipe which would give a 3/4" space? Thanks!
Thanks for all of your support! The new internal dimensions are 32" x 84.5". The bed is about 5 cu ft larger in volume. I used ~ 3/4" spacer blocks. They were just old scraps of wood.
Great video. I am doing SIPs for the first time this year. I followed your video and made them in food grade 55 gallon tubs cut in half. My tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and squash are doing well, but some plants, like beans, seem to do the same in the SIP as they did in a traditional raised bed.
Thanks for sharing your experience with various plant types. From my experience, the beans are not the best candidates for SIP planters. I'm testing a couple varieties this season in SIPs. They do OK, but if the weather gets too wet, the young plants may struggle. I typically try to stick with traditional raised beds for beans, when practical. Most other types of veggies have grown extremely well for me in SIPs. Thanks for watching!
No, I haven't. Generally, I don't recommend perennials in these SIPs. SIPs work extremely well for annual fruits & veggies. This article might be helpful to you: albopepper.com/sip_expectations.php
@@Albopepper hi. I had a follow up question. Do I need to do cover crops in my containers if I do the fertilizer schedule you recommended? I wasn't sure how this works because it is a closed system.
I don't ever do cover crops in my SIPs. I might do more than one crop in a single season. But this is so that I can boost production and get more yield from my limited space. As far as fertility is concerned, adding an all purpose fertilizer can take care of everything.
I have a experiment for you because I have some doubt. You build the box with a inside liner and install the 4" pipe. You place your overflow drain and install a wicking medium in between the pipes and to top of pipes. Now you install water until it runs out of the overflow. At this point you are assuming that all pipes have the same level of water in them, It would be nice to see if this is really the case.
My fill tube is connected to a different drain pipe than the ones that the overflow tubes are connected to. I fill it slowly, and once I see water overflowing, I know the water has infiltrated throughout the entire system. You can test it yourself on a smaller scale using large, clear plastic storage bins.
Oooh I'm glad that you have posted a new video! I just finished creating another 4 SIP bins. Still dripping sweat, I just came in a minute ago from a lunchtime gardening session :). I literally think about your advice and videos for 7 months of the year, and have for a few years now, so thank you. I wanted to actually ask you a question: I loved the original ratios that you had created, and have used them for a few years. The one thing I don't love as much is the labour for mixing the peat, perlite, coir, and then the vegetable mix after the base layer. How do you feel about mixes of porous and airy substances that are pre-made, like Promix HP or Sunshine #4? Also, I've built some this year using Costco clear storage bins and they are a near perfect fit for 3 pipes wide. A huge part of this for me is how do we make it so easy and affordable that anyone with space can have a growing container. I'm thinking about scalability, ease of building them, and how to get everyone growing their own produce now more than ever. Last year I did a whole whack of tomatoes and they loved the setup, so this summer I'm doing a whole whack of them to make litres and litres of pasta sauce. I've also got big plans for automation, but that's just for fun theory ;) Keep up the good work
I'm glad that the info is able to help out! :) I agree that it can be a little tedious to mix up all of that substrate. It would definitely be nice to just get a pre-mixed option which is optimized and ready to go. I'm usually stocking up on 2 cu ft bags of MG when it's on sale. But if the Promix or Sunshine options were effective, that would be great to know. (Especially if they come at a good value.) My best advice in that regard would be a small scale test in something like a tote or bucket SIP. Either way, you're certainly on the right track by looking for the porous types of mix. I share your same sentiments about trying to keep things easy and scalable. I'm also pretty concerned about affordability too, which is why longevity is so important. I've found that the buckets and totes are a great way to test things out and to get started without needing to invest too much. Then if a grower wants to expand, they can take their old mix and dump it right into a larger SIP bed. Thanks for all of your insights & support! 😁
@@Albopepper Well I am happy to try the sunshine 4 this year for a few of my bins as it's what I scooped up and need to find homes for a few extra seedlings that sprung in the grow tent. Taking a look at it, it does just seem like a solid perlite, coir, peat, and vermiculite, but of course they won't tell you the ratios. It did have a lot more perlite than my mixes usually do though :) then I added the 1/5th of potting soil (promix vegetable garden) to keep the classic ratio that I've figured out from your instructions :)
@@Albopepper i've got a lot of confidence in the containers themselves that you've built and improved upon, and the quality of the soil remaining. this is the future of gardening in spaces we can't :)
Awesome episode. I've been wondering how the SIP bed was doing. It's been years now. I have one really important question. Not about the bed, but about your potting mix. Have you ever dug it out and replaced it? Or simply added more as the level invariably drops? Also, what fertilizer do you use in that bed? Thanks -Chuck
Thanks for watching Chuck! I answered the question about potting mix in the video. Also I referenced the video about fertilizer if you'd like to know more. Feel free to check that out.
I'm still confused - by what mechanism the moisture wicks into the soil when the pipes aren't connected? I'm used to using wicking string in two 5gal buckets, so I'd like to learn more about this kind of larger set up!
Hola puedes recubrir la madera con aceite de cocina usado unas tres capas se dejan secar entre ellas . Cada cierto tiempo y esto ayuda a mantener la madera en buen estado.
Thanks for watching! I had used the remnants of a 20 mil vapor barrier liner, left over from a concrete pour. But a standard 6 mil liner would get the job done for those upper sidewalls.
It might be possible to do that. I don't use straight potting mixes in my SIPs, so I can't confirm that through testing. I know though that there's a lot of variance from one brand to the other. Even when using the exact same type of a specific brand, I've seen differences from one batch to the next. A good SIP mix needs to wick well. It also needs good pore spacing for root aeration. For the wicking medium, the most important factor is wicking. Be sure to avoid a mix that is mostly chunks of wood or bark. It needs a large amount of peat / coir.
Thanks for watching! I inserted a 12" height of panel to create a partial root barrier, separating my watermelons from my peppers. I didn't want the watermelons to go too crazy and possibly encroach on the peppers.
Nice looking planter to be sure! Have you considered a sand/peat base media? Gary Matsuoka of Laguna Hills Nursery has an interesting UA-cam take on compost media vs sand! 💯✌️🦚
Thanks for watching! I avoid sand in the media. I've found that a combination of perlite and vermiculite work well (along with peat) to create a good growing medium which also wicks well in SIPs.
Nice to see another Gary follower on this channel. I use a 50/50 mix of peat and pumice for SIPs. Billybudz, have you tried the sand media for SIPs? Al, fantastic and informative video. I enjoy your channel very much.
Ya, CCA wood was restricted for residential use in 2004 so you're not getting much more than 5-7 years with the new mix of treatment. That root issue is common, The liner needs to go all the way to the top-rim of the bed & you need a cap to help keep moisture off the backside of the wood. Paint will keep moisture off the frontside of the wood.
That's a good point that the treatment reformulations can impact longevity. Even without CCA, some treated wood types can last longer than others. I had thought about painting the exposed sides. But I'm now reluctant to do so. I know that painting the treated wood before it has completely dried out is a bad idea. So at a minimum, it's best to wait a few months until the wood is completely cured.
@@Albopepper There are quality cheaper 2yr paints, 5yr, or more expensive 10yr varieties. I want the keep as much copper in the wood as possible so I paint even if it doesn't stick.
Does the liner keep the wood dry or does it tarp moisture against the wood? I think people thought it would help with dragon fruit trellis but it made it deteriorate faster.
Thanks for watching! The inside of the boards is not exposed to the air, so the wood needs to dry from the outside. SIP soil is constantly moist, so the plastic acts as a vapor barrier, reducing the amount of moisture soaking into the wood. Since the boards are not completely surrounded by impermeable or wet surfaces, it's at least possible for them to expel moisture.
I think I'm going to use a much larger sump so that I can aerate or put a small pump in there to increase the quality of the water for the plant-roots. Maybe even have a solar pump on a timer so that in the summer the water cycles to keep the soil moist throughout the hottest parts of the day.
That's a unique idea. It would be neat to see a side-by-side comparison to see if that approach would yield any improvements. I know from my experience, that has not been needed. What you're describing almost sounds like an ebb and flow system.
@@Albopepper I defiantly think leaving the water stagnant is kinda a loss in peak growth times. I'd also be wanting to test PH & TDS/PPMs after spending all that money on the pond-liner.
If you ever test it out, be sure to share your results. I've always gotten explosive growth from my plants, as long as they get good temps, light & nutes.
@@Albopepper I also think the size-rule for composting might apply in that if the wicking bed could be feeding a 3x3x3ft block of high-organic soil then the soil-temp from the highly-active bacteria might offer different amounts of available nutrients.
Perhaps. Once the SIP gets to 24"-32" tall, the soil may simply lose its ability to wick all the way to the top. And of course, the potting mix costs could become ridiculous. Depending on how tall you want, you could make a false bottom. You could line the inside with concrete blocks and then apply the liner above those blocks. For 8x8x16 blocks, that's about $4 per cubic foot @ $2.37 per block. Or you could simply get a couple 4x4s and some decking boards to make an internal platform. That would be for significantly taller beds. (That's besides the option of putting the entire SIP up on legs like the one I show in the video.)
Question: my perforated tubes are tightly packed in my planter with essentially no space in between. Would this cause an issue for the water to wick upwards?
0:36 I've seen some people let their traveling vines ( like watermelon ) cascade out of the bed and run amock in the walking path where the fruit ends up maturing. Is that what is happening in the video?
Great informative video sir!!! Nice to see what happens over time and why we have troubles on occasion. Good choices to fix those troubling problems. Real good video!
Thanks for watching Uncle Dave! I appreciate your feedback. I hope you guys are doing well. We're getting ready for a massive heat wave in a couple days... 🥵
@@Albopepper Being prepared is what we do all day every day, anymore. I had to rebuild my tines on the rototiller because they wore out so bad, just to keep going this year. I did a video. Be safe, love to you all.
Thanks for your interest! 🙂 You can get all of the info you need on the book here: albopepper.com/persephones-quest-for-a-green-thumb-book-review.php It was written for a young audience, but adults have told me they enjoyed it as well. I have an eBook version along with 1 paperback & 2 hardback options. You can listen to the audiobook for free on the page I linked.
We just finished building our second 15' *4' can't wait to see all the veggies it will yield this year! The 10'*4' one were built a few years ago worked great!
Thanks! I had been wondering about that as well. Personally, I'm not concerned about the aesthetic aspect. But from a longevity concern, it's always nice to get things to last longer. I'm concerned about whether the coatings might actually trap moisture into the wood, especially since the inside of the boards are up against an impermeable surface.
This playlist explains lots of concepts about SIPs:
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In the fall of 2020 I built a sip bed. 3ft by 6ft following your plans. I put it up on legs though. I absolutely love it. By far the best garden bed we have. I have thousands of red wiggler worms in there. Used 45 mil tpo roofing for a liner. Having it up on legs is awesome. No bending over. I closed it in and insulated so that I can put a heat lamp under in the winter. Plastic hoop cover on top . Allows me longer grow season. Doubles as a warm cat house also cause I put a small door. Eastern Oregon high desert. 110 in summer 0 in winter. I water once per week in the heat. Every thing else 2 per day. You have By far the best design sip on UA-cam. Thanks so much.
That's so great to hear of your successes with your SIP! I'm glad my info was able to help you in the process. Those sound like some cool adaptation. Thanks for watching & sharing your results!!! 😀
"No bending over" means a whole lot once you hit 70! My back hurts watching! LOL.
PS: Since you do hoops, do you ever cover with shade cloth during those hot summer days? I'm in Oklahoma and we get temps up to 100 and sometimes below zero.
@rcubb7 Any chance you could post a video or picture of your set-up. somewhere? Sounds great.
I did multiple storage bins using your method. Great results out on my dock out over the river. I also used 2x6 material to make big rectangles with pond liner to hold a few inches of water. Then put in 15 gallon grow bags in that pond. So the grow bags sitting in water have outperformed the SIP storage tubs. All used homemade potting mix with your recipe
Thanks for watching & for sharing the results from your projects! 🙂
I've been watching SIP videos for years (even saw your original on this build) and this is the first one that has shown what can and will happen in the bed. I was very curious about the soil in the tubes and happy to see there is no problem. Fortunately all of my SIPs are IBCs so I haven't had to deal with the rot issues. I have every almost.type of bed you can think of (being a UA-cam addict) but the SIPs are the most carefree and consistant IMO. Absolutely the best way to irrigate.
I'm so glad that my videos are able to help out! Thanks for all of your support & for sharing the results from your SIPs. 😁
@@Albopepper Maybe you can answer a question I've always wondered, can plant nutrients be fed through the reservoir? Will nutrients wick up? I've always treated my beds like raised beds but have been curious whether bottom feeding would work.
Yes, plants can get some nutrients from the reservoir. This process works better with smaller SIPs like 5 gallon buckets. Sometimes it's a super convenient way to add nutrients for my seedlings which I grow in mini-SIPs. But I don't advise adding nutrients to the reservoir in the large SIP beds. As plants get bigger, they would be able to access some of those nutrients. But you can't really control how well the nutrients are dispersed throughout the reservoir. And if the reservoir overflows because of being full, you can get extra nutrient runoff. I prefer to top water the liquid feeds, allowing them to infiltrate the entire root zone of the plant.
Another great video! I feel like you are doing some of the best hard garden videos on youtube. Very good content thanks for sharing.
I followed your tutorial for the SIP here in West Texas and it’s been absolutely amazing so far! Only a couple growing seasons deep, but it’s a game changer here where the summer temperatures are constantly about 110°.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience! I'm so glad to hear that the system has been working well for you. As drought and heat waves become more prevalent, SIPs can be a great way for gardeners to maintain their sanity! 😃
I commented on the first video before noticing this one, my question though is: why manure based compost is something to avoid? Thanks. Great Videos.
Great tips Al! A nice SIP bed would be perfect for a lot of gardeners, who just want a small space to have a kitchen garden of fresh food. Low maintenance and long lasting, it eliminates the heavy lifting of container gardens.
Thanks for watching Matt! I really appreciate your support. 😃
Great video, we are going to use this as a guide. What is the blue plastic liner that you are using?
Thanks for watching! I had used the remnants of a 20 mil vapor barrier liner, left over from a concrete pour. But a standard 6 mil liner would get the job done for those upper sidewalls.
One additional idea: apply boiled Linseed oil to your box yearly. This should help preserve the wood.
Thanks for watching & sharing your tip! I've never tested that for this specific application. It would be interesting to see a test showing how well it works over time! 🙂
Thank you for the time and efforts you put into your videos. I've just built (4) 8x3 SIPS using your guidance. I used longer bulkheads, but everything is the same. I look forward to successful vegetable gardening. God bless.
Sounds great! I hope you get awesome results. 😀
I fing love you man! I recommend your sip video to everyone
Thanks for watching & supporting my channel!
I have had alot of great success with my SIPs just doing a deep mulch but not mixing it in. Granted Im in the deep south so Im guessing results may very based on your local growing conditions.
I used two of your SIP designs for my first year gardening. Im now on year 4 and all my SIPs are still in working order. Cheers
Nice video! You’re becoming a new favorite garden channel. Couple of comments:
1) not so sure a wicking mix is needed in bottom layer but clearly not hurting! I need to go watch your playlist.
2) I think any direct contact with plastic will promote rot especially since wood breathes. Building trade seems to have a variety of wicking or moisture/vapor shedding liners designed for between waterproof building layer and siding or between concrete basement walls and external insulation/soil for just that reason. I don’t know what it’s called but might be worth a look and it may let one get away with using thinner lumber.
Thanks for watching & sharing your ideas! :-)
How very impressive. Also, you are very good at explaining in a way that is easy to follow. Excellent 😊
Thanks for sharing your lessons learned for improvements.
Thanks so much for taking time to watch! 🙂
Fantastic update, I used your plan for the most part, two years ago now. Can you tell us again how high up from the bottom of the box you put the overflow ? Thank you ! ( I recall you stressing the point of not putting that hole all the way at the top of the tube height. )
Fantastic update! Many thanks!
Thanks so much for watching! 😀
I made a big wicking bed 3 m by 1.5 m a number of years ago modifying your plans a bit. It is sitting on the ground (not below ground level). The only thing I have to do sometimes is top up the "soil" and it is still going strong! Thanks.
I'm glad to hear your system is doing well! Thanks for watching. 🙂
This is really fantastic
Thanks for watching!
very informative indeed. Thank you! My question is what are the advantages for having for SIP planter bed instead of regular planter bed other than we don't need to water it frequently? and saving some money in entirely filling it with the soil
Hello Al, on a video you use 75% coco coir 20% vermiculite and 5% perlite.
This video you use peat moss as an extra ingredient and I see that the ratios have changed. Can you tell me the ratio and the reason you are adding peat moss? I also saw that you only use it to top off the corrugated pipe?
What mix do you used to finished topping it off?
Thanks
Instead of picket strips (to protect the top of the frame), I cut some semi-rectangular vinyl downspout pipe that I picked up at Home Despot. Clamps down on the liner and protects from both moisture and errant soil. If they get sun-damaged over time (mine are still going strong after 5 years), it's pretty easy to remove the old ones and install new ones. I use a few 1-inch sheet rock (or other.. your choice) screws to keep them from popping off.
Tractor Supply has a 2x6x2 galvanized steel stock tank for $200. I wonder if that would be a good container for a SIP. You could use 6 inch drainage pipe, drill the overflow hole 5 inches from the bottom, and eliminate the need for a liner, and have 18 inches for root depth.
I think I've watched all of your videos at least once, some several times and really enjoy the information you give and the way you present it! I do have some questions on the dimensions of your Improved: Self-watering SIP Raised Bed (Wicking Planter) Construction Tutorial & Tips video. What are the length and width of the inside? Are you are using 1"x2" spacers for the perforated pipe which would give a 3/4" space? Thanks!
Thanks for all of your support! The new internal dimensions are 32" x 84.5". The bed is about 5 cu ft larger in volume. I used ~ 3/4" spacer blocks. They were just old scraps of wood.
Thanks!
You're welcome! :)
I think my next SIP's Im going to use some IBC's.
What is is plastic you used around the edge? (above the 45 mil EPDM liner)
Great video. I am doing SIPs for the first time this year. I followed your video and made them in food grade 55 gallon tubs cut in half. My tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and squash are doing well, but some plants, like beans, seem to do the same in the SIP as they did in a traditional raised bed.
Thanks for sharing your experience with various plant types. From my experience, the beans are not the best candidates for SIP planters. I'm testing a couple varieties this season in SIPs. They do OK, but if the weather gets too wet, the young plants may struggle. I typically try to stick with traditional raised beds for beans, when practical. Most other types of veggies have grown extremely well for me in SIPs. Thanks for watching!
@@Albopepper have you tried growing Asparagus in them?
No, I haven't. Generally, I don't recommend perennials in these SIPs. SIPs work extremely well for annual fruits & veggies. This article might be helpful to you: albopepper.com/sip_expectations.php
@@Albopepper hi. I had a follow up question. Do I need to do cover crops in my containers if I do the fertilizer schedule you recommended? I wasn't sure how this works because it is a closed system.
I don't ever do cover crops in my SIPs. I might do more than one crop in a single season. But this is so that I can boost production and get more yield from my limited space. As far as fertility is concerned, adding an all purpose fertilizer can take care of everything.
I have a experiment for you because I have some doubt. You build the box with a inside liner and install the 4" pipe. You place your overflow drain and install a wicking medium in between the pipes and to top of pipes. Now you install water until it runs out of the overflow. At this point you are assuming that all pipes have the same level of water in them, It would be nice to see if this is really the case.
My fill tube is connected to a different drain pipe than the ones that the overflow tubes are connected to. I fill it slowly, and once I see water overflowing, I know the water has infiltrated throughout the entire system. You can test it yourself on a smaller scale using large, clear plastic storage bins.
Oooh I'm glad that you have posted a new video! I just finished creating another 4 SIP bins. Still dripping sweat, I just came in a minute ago from a lunchtime gardening session :). I literally think about your advice and videos for 7 months of the year, and have for a few years now, so thank you.
I wanted to actually ask you a question: I loved the original ratios that you had created, and have used them for a few years. The one thing I don't love as much is the labour for mixing the peat, perlite, coir, and then the vegetable mix after the base layer. How do you feel about mixes of porous and airy substances that are pre-made, like Promix HP or Sunshine #4?
Also, I've built some this year using Costco clear storage bins and they are a near perfect fit for 3 pipes wide. A huge part of this for me is how do we make it so easy and affordable that anyone with space can have a growing container. I'm thinking about scalability, ease of building them, and how to get everyone growing their own produce now more than ever. Last year I did a whole whack of tomatoes and they loved the setup, so this summer I'm doing a whole whack of them to make litres and litres of pasta sauce.
I've also got big plans for automation, but that's just for fun theory ;)
Keep up the good work
I'm glad that the info is able to help out! :) I agree that it can be a little tedious to mix up all of that substrate. It would definitely be nice to just get a pre-mixed option which is optimized and ready to go. I'm usually stocking up on 2 cu ft bags of MG when it's on sale. But if the Promix or Sunshine options were effective, that would be great to know. (Especially if they come at a good value.) My best advice in that regard would be a small scale test in something like a tote or bucket SIP. Either way, you're certainly on the right track by looking for the porous types of mix.
I share your same sentiments about trying to keep things easy and scalable. I'm also pretty concerned about affordability too, which is why longevity is so important. I've found that the buckets and totes are a great way to test things out and to get started without needing to invest too much. Then if a grower wants to expand, they can take their old mix and dump it right into a larger SIP bed.
Thanks for all of your insights & support! 😁
@@Albopepper Well I am happy to try the sunshine 4 this year for a few of my bins as it's what I scooped up and need to find homes for a few extra seedlings that sprung in the grow tent. Taking a look at it, it does just seem like a solid perlite, coir, peat, and vermiculite, but of course they won't tell you the ratios. It did have a lot more perlite than my mixes usually do though :) then I added the 1/5th of potting soil (promix vegetable garden) to keep the classic ratio that I've figured out from your instructions :)
@@Albopepper i've got a lot of confidence in the containers themselves that you've built and improved upon, and the quality of the soil remaining. this is the future of gardening in spaces we can't :)
Awesome episode. I've been wondering how the SIP bed was doing. It's been years now.
I have one really important question. Not about the bed, but about your potting mix.
Have you ever dug it out and replaced it? Or simply added more as the level invariably drops? Also, what fertilizer do you use in that bed?
Thanks -Chuck
Thanks for watching Chuck! I answered the question about potting mix in the video. Also I referenced the video about fertilizer if you'd like to know more. Feel free to check that out.
I'm still confused - by what mechanism the moisture wicks into the soil when the pipes aren't connected? I'm used to using wicking string in two 5gal buckets, so I'd like to learn more about this kind of larger set up!
Thanks for your interest! Please check this video and let me know if you have any further questions: ua-cam.com/video/VJ2T6gUv8Gc/v-deo.html
Hola puedes recubrir la madera con aceite de cocina usado unas tres capas se dejan secar entre ellas . Cada cierto tiempo y esto ayuda a mantener la madera en buen estado.
Hi Al, can you explain what the blue plastic liner above the pond liner is? And an Amazon link if you get commission! Thx
Thanks for watching! I had used the remnants of a 20 mil vapor barrier liner, left over from a concrete pour. But a standard 6 mil liner would get the job done for those upper sidewalls.
Will regular bagged potting mix be fine for the wicking medium, as well as to fill the entire bed?
It might be possible to do that. I don't use straight potting mixes in my SIPs, so I can't confirm that through testing. I know though that there's a lot of variance from one brand to the other. Even when using the exact same type of a specific brand, I've seen differences from one batch to the next. A good SIP mix needs to wick well. It also needs good pore spacing for root aeration.
For the wicking medium, the most important factor is wicking. Be sure to avoid a mix that is mostly chunks of wood or bark. It needs a large amount of peat / coir.
0:45 What is the purpose of the metal corrugated panel separating in the soil mix?
Thanks for watching! I inserted a 12" height of panel to create a partial root barrier, separating my watermelons from my peppers. I didn't want the watermelons to go too crazy and possibly encroach on the peppers.
Nice looking planter to be sure!
Have you considered a sand/peat base media? Gary Matsuoka of Laguna Hills Nursery has an interesting UA-cam take on compost media vs sand!
💯✌️🦚
Thanks for watching! I avoid sand in the media. I've found that a combination of perlite and vermiculite work well (along with peat) to create a good growing medium which also wicks well in SIPs.
Nice to see another Gary follower on this channel. I use a 50/50 mix of peat and pumice for SIPs. Billybudz, have you tried the sand media for SIPs?
Al, fantastic and informative video. I enjoy your channel very much.
Ya, CCA wood was restricted for residential use in 2004 so you're not getting much more than 5-7 years with the new mix of treatment.
That root issue is common, The liner needs to go all the way to the top-rim of the bed & you need a cap to help keep moisture off the backside of the wood. Paint will keep moisture off the frontside of the wood.
That's a good point that the treatment reformulations can impact longevity. Even without CCA, some treated wood types can last longer than others. I had thought about painting the exposed sides. But I'm now reluctant to do so. I know that painting the treated wood before it has completely dried out is a bad idea. So at a minimum, it's best to wait a few months until the wood is completely cured.
@@Albopepper There are quality cheaper 2yr paints, 5yr, or more expensive 10yr varieties. I want the keep as much copper in the wood as possible so I paint even if it doesn't stick.
My husband built an 8 foot garden table, how much Coir do we add to the bottom mixture.
@Albopepper, where did you find those braces you used to keep the raised bed square? Thanks in advance🙂
Thanks for watching! Do you mean the corner clamps? These are the ones I have: amzn.to/4ciSfx6
@@Albopepper Thanks 👍
Does the liner keep the wood dry or does it tarp moisture against the wood? I think people thought it would help with dragon fruit trellis but it made it deteriorate faster.
Thanks for watching! The inside of the boards is not exposed to the air, so the wood needs to dry from the outside. SIP soil is constantly moist, so the plastic acts as a vapor barrier, reducing the amount of moisture soaking into the wood. Since the boards are not completely surrounded by impermeable or wet surfaces, it's at least possible for them to expel moisture.
I think I'm going to use a much larger sump so that I can aerate or put a small pump in there to increase the quality of the water for the plant-roots. Maybe even have a solar pump on a timer so that in the summer the water cycles to keep the soil moist throughout the hottest parts of the day.
That's a unique idea. It would be neat to see a side-by-side comparison to see if that approach would yield any improvements. I know from my experience, that has not been needed. What you're describing almost sounds like an ebb and flow system.
@@Albopepper I defiantly think leaving the water stagnant is kinda a loss in peak growth times. I'd also be wanting to test PH & TDS/PPMs after spending all that money on the pond-liner.
If you ever test it out, be sure to share your results. I've always gotten explosive growth from my plants, as long as they get good temps, light & nutes.
@@Albopepper I also think the size-rule for composting might apply in that if the wicking bed could be feeding a 3x3x3ft block of high-organic soil then the soil-temp from the highly-active bacteria might offer different amounts of available nutrients.
Well now i know how to rebuild mine next year or two. Whenever the wood decides to give way
Thanks for watching! Hopefully you get as much mileage out of yours as possible. 🙂
@@Albopepper I'm on year 5 and the wood is starting to see better days. But not disappointed in the least!
I want a taller bed. Would using 6" pipe vs 4" pipe give me the same concept?
Perhaps. Once the SIP gets to 24"-32" tall, the soil may simply lose its ability to wick all the way to the top. And of course, the potting mix costs could become ridiculous. Depending on how tall you want, you could make a false bottom. You could line the inside with concrete blocks and then apply the liner above those blocks. For 8x8x16 blocks, that's about $4 per cubic foot @ $2.37 per block. Or you could simply get a couple 4x4s and some decking boards to make an internal platform. That would be for significantly taller beds. (That's besides the option of putting the entire SIP up on legs like the one I show in the video.)
@@Albopepper Thanks for the quick reply and great suggestions.......the wheels are turning.
Question: my perforated tubes are tightly packed in my planter with essentially no space in between. Would this cause an issue for the water to wick upwards?
That's a possibility.
0:36 I've seen some people let their traveling vines ( like watermelon ) cascade out of the bed and run amock in the walking path where the fruit ends up maturing. Is that what is happening in the video?
Indeed!
Great informative video sir!!! Nice to see what happens over time and why we have troubles on occasion. Good choices to fix those troubling problems. Real good video!
Thanks for watching Uncle Dave! I appreciate your feedback. I hope you guys are doing well. We're getting ready for a massive heat wave in a couple days... 🥵
@@Albopepper Being prepared is what we do all day every day, anymore. I had to rebuild my tines on the rototiller because they wore out so bad, just to keep going this year. I did a video. Be safe, love to you all.
Hello, how can I get the book? Is there an electronic copy of it?
Thanks for your interest! 🙂 You can get all of the info you need on the book here: albopepper.com/persephones-quest-for-a-green-thumb-book-review.php
It was written for a young audience, but adults have told me they enjoyed it as well. I have an eBook version along with 1 paperback & 2 hardback options. You can listen to the audiobook for free on the page I linked.
We just finished building our second 15' *4' can't wait to see all the veggies it will yield this year! The 10'*4' one were built a few years ago worked great!
So glad to hear it! I hope you have a great growing season! 😁
I like the build. Maybe varnish would make the wood last longer. Or some protective paint.
Thanks! I had been wondering about that as well. Personally, I'm not concerned about the aesthetic aspect. But from a longevity concern, it's always nice to get things to last longer. I'm concerned about whether the coatings might actually trap moisture into the wood, especially since the inside of the boards are up against an impermeable surface.