Learn more about how to use a self-watering planter: Self-watering Planter Basics: DIY Gardening with Sub-irrigated Wicking Beds ua-cam.com/video/CXyV-XsQWNE/v-deo.html Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build) ua-cam.com/video/Lp9Jdyno9hI/v-deo.html SIP Raised Bed (Update 1) + Self-Watering Containers + How-To Monitor Moisture Levels : ua-cam.com/video/5orIjYKFRgE/v-deo.html SIP Raised Bed (Update 2) + Watering & Aeration Screen Explanation ua-cam.com/video/VJ2T6gUv8Gc/v-deo.html SIP Raised Bed (Update 3) + Winterizing Planters & Totes ua-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/v-deo.html Fertilizing SIP Potting Mix. Read more about how keep up your SIP soil: albopepper.com/setting-up-sip-potting-mix-fertilization-year-1.php
This video is amazing. I don't think people appreciate how much work would've went into doing all this data-collecting. 5 star video, you got yourself a new subscriber.
This video makes a lot more sense than all the other videos I've watched and even the instructions on the bags of fertilizer I've bought. I'm going to take what I've learned here and apply it to my tiny garden this year. Thank you for taking something so confusing and making it so easy to understand!
🥇 You sir are a hero. Nobody breaks growing down to the basic concepts the way you do, and yet you never skimp on the details and technical considerations. There is no comparison
I searched for so long to find information on fertilizing SIPs. So much varying information and alot of it was confusing. Your video broke it down so well! Excellent video!
Thank you so much for explaining the uses of these fertilizers. Many videos brag of their crops but never tell what they are doing for fertilizers. I do appreciate you and this video very much. Thank you. Hope to see more of your content.
Thanks for watching Maureen! I'm glad it was helpful. I waited for several years before deciding to publish my results. I've always be frustrated with videos that show what to do and then don't even show the follow-up. For all you know, their special technique was an utter failure.
This is fantastic! I'd never heard of fertilizer banding before, but it makes a lot of sense and means one less thing to remember to do during the season. Thank you!
Your video is much appreciated! I have Earthboxes, Grobuckets and recently have started making my own SIP's. Your decade of use and your results speak for the common sense use of fertilizers 👍👍👍in SIP's.
I'm starting my first garden in years this year...trying to get less dependent on grocery stores when I have plenty of gardening room on my own land...this info is great & will help me out a lot to get back into it...
Awesome! Good for you. I'm definitely being much more mindful about what I can grow for the maximum benefit in my food budget. I hope you have a great season!
Me too...I'm gonna be doing an indoor garden this time too...I just got a SZHLUX PT4000 grow light in yesterday...been seeing videos of other people getting some amazing results with this unit, but I'd love to see one of your sensor test videos on it to see if it's rated output numbers match reality...🤟🏿😎👍🏿
Wow!!! What FANTASTIC information. I love your geeky data collection! Thank you so much for all your hard work and UA-cam posts. I hope you are richly rewarded!
You never disappoint with the info you share. I've been watching since your tomato experiment where you cut it down and let it regrow in one season. I can't wait to use this info on my plants this year! THX! 👍🏾👍🏾 Btw, you look a lot like my BF...too bad he isn't into plants lol... 🪴🪴🪴
This is my fourth time watching this video. Im a pretty new gardener (3 years) and I have hit a crossroads. I put out 13 tomato plants and have only gotten 4 small tomatoes. I have 6 okra plants that are together (for fertilization) and Ive gotten no okra. I have SIP tubs and I am almost positive my micronutrients are gone. Its been a hard summer learning but I've been forced to critically think. I am going to to make the "mix fertilizer" that you use. I was going to just empty out my 13 tubs and start over with new potting mix but in three years I will face the same thing again. I'm ready to have success again. Thank you.
If you are growing plants that are not fruiting, it almost undoubtedly means the nitrogen level is too high - the n of npk. Once the plant is established, feed it a pk rich fertilizer. It is more difficult to find but crucial. He does touch on this in the video.
@@johnlee7085 hi and thank you for responding to my questions. I have 13 thirty gallon sips. This is going to be summer that I will be growing in them. My first question is: much of the containers potting mix is hydrophobic. The compost that I use is rabbit manure. I am really trying to figure out if I can recover the soil or if I should just replace it. I can make my own by figuring out peat moss, Coco coir, and perlite vermiculite. I have looked at his sight and read the articles but still lost about what percentages. Everything is so expensive right now but I really need to get this issue taken care of so I can get my fertilizer added so I will have enough fertilizer realease when it comes time to add the plants. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you so much for responding.
@@loveishope4406 Making your own mix is an expensive investment but well worth it. I did it last year. The peat is easy to find but I struggled finding pine bark fines. Once you have your bark, peat and perlite/vermiculite just start mixing. You will get a feel for the percentages! Just start with a few of your sips if it gets too costly and do the rest next summer.
Awesome info. I've been forced to grow half my garden in containers because the neighbors fir tree roots invaded half my garden. I use Sunshine Mix #4 in the containers with powdered organic fertilizers. I'm going to try your banding technique. Great idea. BTW, I've discovered that fertilizing my sweet corn with blood meal at the 6-leaf stage greatly improves the health of the stalks and crop yield.
There are only I few channels I believe in entirety, you are one! Thanks, great work and maybe sometime you could do some analysis of the synthetic nutrients and help weed out the imposters in that racket
I really like your videos, they gave me some great ideas for this spring and maybe summer. I worked in a hydroponics shop for years and love seeing the DIY recycle and reuse mentality you have and display. If you want to look into a more organic time release fertilizer look at Nectar for the Gods One Shot. They use a bunch or meals, kelp and worm castings bound in molasses so it releases as the molasses, which our root microbes love, dissolves over time. I don't know if it's organic because of the minerals technically but it's all naturally derived
You answered my question -- I was just thinking maybe I should put the fertilizer in my reservoir but I'll do a side dressing to be safe! Awesome content 👍
love your website and videos, they helped me set my own SUP garden out of all recycled materials. Fertilizer is expensive and hard to get where I live (remote island). A friend suggested alfalfa seed meal (otter feed) as it's way cheaper than organic fert. I've tried that, plus my own seaweed, chicken manure, fish compost teas, but I think i'll have to find a way to beef up my beds and pots this year with some good stuff...
Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing all of this knowledge with us! ☺️ I’m brand new to gardening. My husband and I built a raised garden bed from your plans. 7’x3’ (2 ft. tall). We want to try and grow our plants as organically as possible. If I figured it correctly (after the amount of space that the corrugated piping takes up at the bottom) we need 27 cubic feet of potting mix. Can I use your homemade organic seed starting mix recipe? Do I need to change it up in anyway because we are starting with small plants instead of seeds? Ty!!!
My method of fertilizer has always been liquid. I dont like miracle gros ratio of NPK so I find a granular time release with the ratio I prefer and dissolve it into boiling water. Once cooled if I have any solids left they get filtered out. I found with a 6-12-12 tomato fertilizer at 1.5 KG I can add about 7.5 grams or 1/2 tsp per 16ozs of water. It roughly equals what miracle gros outdoor ratio is at 16 Oz's. About 0.025-0.050-0.050 per 7 days. If I'm growing in optimized conditions I can double it but it tends to cause root growth to slow down if its unoptimized.
just came across your vid. i grow lots of vegs would love to see more videos as well maybe some cbdthc plants just to grow. but would like more videos newer led, using coco, and so on with your beds and planers would be great
Thank you for the great info. You mention at the end of the video that you wouldn't add the liquid fertilizer to your wicking watering system - why not?
I just decided to start a 10 x 10 garden this year. I tilled and tilled and tilled my soil after adding manure. I’m looking for good luck but I’m lost with fertilization and watering. I’m a rookie. I have 3 tomato plants that I bought at about 2ft in height, peppers, watermelon, cucumbers, and broccoli that were all starter plants at the local nursery that has been in business for over 70 years in my town. Ivy soil hasn’t been tested and I truly believe that the soil isn’t the best. I asked a lady at the nursery what fertilizer to buy and she pointed me in the direction where there was a line of people wanting there special brand, so I bought a large bag. If you could please give me a few tips on how much fertilizer to use on each plant and when to use it that would be great. Also I was thinking about some type of mulch also. I have pictures of my work that I’d be glad to share with you. I’m not looking to hit the lottery like you did with your garden but I am hoping to grow something lol. SOS PLEASE HELP! I’d be glad to email you or even exchange info to make contact. I know that there is a lot to learn with gardening and I’m willing to put the time in. Thank you very much. Brendon Brooks
Manure is going to add some fertility to the soil. I have no way of knowing how much extra nutrients are required. I suggest following the label on your bag of fertilizer and seeing how the plants respond. Most importantly, keep good records of everything you've done. This will allow you to duplicate the results or to make adjustments next year. Hopefully you have a bountiful harvest!
Hi Al, I am working through a few approaches to raised bed gardening for my next backyard (coming soon). Your videos are amazing and your website as well!! Thank you for the continual flow of knowledge! I was wondering if adding red wiggler worms to a large SIP garden bed would work and/or be beneficial? I have had great success with them in a traditional raised bed which was raised on legs. I would welcome your insight! Thank you, Nathan
You could throw in a handful of worms in the early Spring, going into the 2nd growing season. They may help to break down old roots left over from the previous year. Otherwise, I haven't used them in SIPs, especially not with added food scraps or anything like that.
So a question for you about fertilizers. Do you put a general purpose on your cleaned beds before winter and then the following year vegetable specific blends on the individual beds?
Thanks for watching! No, I don't apply the fertilizer before winter. It is a waste to do so. Leaching, runoff and volatilization would result in too many losses. Also it can cause needless environmental pollution.
I'm hoping it's not too late to start.... So I've watched this video a bunch of times and you even responded to some questions that I had and I was so excited to get started. Right after I posted my questions, two of the nurses quit where I was working and I ended up working everyday for a few months.. I did not get my fertilizer added. I still have it and it is the organic stuff that you talked about in this video. My question is since I'm just adding my fertilizers, do I need to go with synthetic fertilizer since I'm assuming that the organic takes a lot longer to start breaking down. I just want to get my garden going. If I need to buy synthetic fertilizer, would I just look for something that equals 3-4-5 or 3-4-4 or something close. I'm really hoping it's not too late to get ir going.
Sorry for the delay. You could still get decent results from the organics. Just apply them as a side dressing, without messing up plant roots. Depending on how big the plants are, you might still be able to do bands, 6 inches away from the plants. And if you want a temporary, quick boost you can also water the roots with a liquid plant food a couple of times. I've used this one with good success: amzn.to/3A2FUNc
In my opinion you can't beat wicking beds or bottom watering except maybe with aquaponics. And combining the 2 with a dual root zone is amazing. I used to water on top. Then I found out about sip and I can't imagine going back, and I grow all kinds of stuff that way. In some circles bottom watering is also jokingly known as butt chugging 😂. Leave it to the hippies....
I built your 5 gallon design ( really like the concept) and followed the suggested soil recipe. It has been sitting outside with organic mixed in. Our weather is still cool 50 to 60 day time. I put in a hardened starter mostly as a test. It seems to be just hanging in there. I have similar starters still in the smaller pots doing much better. Two questions. Does the cold weather stop the process of the organic fertilizer becoming usable by the plant? And can organic fertilizer ever break down in the wicking type mixes since there are no microbes in it? I did use a lower percentage of the Miracle Gro potting mix, more peat moss and a bit more fertilizer. The plant is just acts like it doesn't have nutrition.
Microbe activity is reduced at lower temperatures. In general, colder root temps inhibit nutrient uptake by plants. Any decent organic complete fertilizer will come with microbes already in it. I'm not sure how you set up your soil since you say you used more peat, less MG mix & more fert. Is the pot wicking ok? Is it possibly TOO moist?
Very useful video!! My main concern with using synthetic fertilizers outside of hydroponics was salt buildup, is that a problem you have run into? Or does the osmocote/jobes organic stuff not have that concern?
Thanks for watching! Precipitation levels and crop size will impact what remains in the soil after a season. For me, I haven't observed any nutrient / salt stress at the application ranges mentioned here. Since these are SIPs, they supply a constant supply of moisture which undoubtedly helps a lot. And even after years of usage, I'm still not seeing any issues. The soil itself could be tested for salinity, but there's also a 2nd option for these SIPs. You could capture the water runoff coming out of the overflow tube. That liquid can be checked with an TDS meter. Or it can even be checked for nutrient analysis, if desired. I wasn't using Osmocote exclusively, but it's an acceptable option at least as a part of a blend. If someone uses only time release though, they may need some Calcium & Magnesium sources like dolomitic lime. Also, check the formulation because some have micro-nutrients while other do not.
I don't recommend that, especially with larger wicking beds. In 5 gallon SIP buckets it might not matter as much. But in large SIP beds, there's no guarantee that the nutrients will diffuse evenly throughout the entire reservoir. Also, you don't know how well the fertilizer will permeate vertically into the upper substrate. Any time I do a liquid feed, I always do it as a root drench. This way I know the nutrients are reaching those top feeder roots. It ensures that the nutrients are evenly distributed to ALL plants. Or I can specially target the plants that I want to focus on (if that's what I'm trying to achieve). In my 4'x8' SIP bed, I've been supplementing my tomatoes within a 2'x2' corner to see how they respond. All of the nutes are applied directly to that small zone. The plants are loving it. Ultimately, some of the nutrients will leach into the lower soil and drain into the reservoir. But by starting out with a root drench, you can minimize any losses of nutrients into the overflow drainage.
@@Albopepper hi, wouldn’t liquid fertilizer wick up with the water. I can see targeting certain plants. Leon said we eat every day so should the plants.😀 He doesn’t use IBC tots however. Large round tubs.
5 mins ago I just snapped this picture: albopepper.com/images/pepper-plants-no-liquid-feed.jpg These pepper plants received ZERO supplementation throughout the season. I did not feed them "every day." Plants and humans are totally different, and the ways we gain nourishment from our environments is VERY different. I haven't heard any explanation for why adding fertilizer to the reservoir is going to be better than just applying it as a root drench. I definitely do not advise it for the reasons I already mentioned. That's not to say the plants won't be able to use those nutrients. But it's really not going to be any better for the plants. I've only supplemented my tomatoes. And that's because the long-lived plants would have completely depleted some of the nutrients. I have 2 tomato plants in 1 spot. So far I've picked 88 pounds of tomatoes. More to come. This is how the plants look today: albopepper.com/images/sept-30-tomato-plants.jpg albopepper.com/images/end-season-tomatoes.jpg After my spring fertilizing, it was all *root drench* nutes. Look at that big box. It would be pretty dumb to just dump the liquid feed into the reservoir. As you can see, I'm growing in much larger wicking beds, (not, small individualized tubs, totes or buckets). And in these larger systems, I think adding the nutes to the water reservoir directly is not the best option.
Thank you so much for these information, can u please help in answer my question, why when i use espoma fertilizer in my pots I get white tiny worms i think they are black soldiers flies, or maybe something like it, and what should i do? And are they harmful for plants? Please help what to do about it
Hi, I've never had that issue. Maybe the manure smell from the fertilizer attracted flies? Or else the potting mix already was contaminated. It might not cause issues for your plants. But I don't know what they are so I can't say for sure. Hopefully the plants still grow ok.
Thanks for watching Jeb! You might be right. Getting the nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in those largeer SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches those roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
How does this differ from fertilizing inground garden beds or raised beds? I know you said that you use compost for those beds, do you also use fertilizers as well? Are there benefits to using this kind of fertilizing for inground or raised beds too? I've had no issues getting bountiful harvests of tomatoes in my raised beds and have used liquid fertilizers some years and not other years without much difference. But I never ever ever get such bountiful harvest from pepper plants. My prepper plants are always small with small fruits and small harvests regardless of the variety and I've grown many varieties. I'm wondering if they would benefit from this type of fertilizing or the nutrient bands. But this would be in a raised bed. What do you think? Do you ever do this in your in-ground gardening?
Hey albo! I want to ask something, there have been these small low bushes springing up around my orchard. I let them grow a bit and they start fruiting. The fruit is in this weird paper like casing with the inside being a small berry-like fruit. The texture feels similiar to a tomato and it also taste similiar too. Do you know what this is?
I have a question about my potting mix which is 4 yrs old and hydrophobic. Have you ever heard that you could water with soapy solution to fix this? I would like to fix this before I add fertilizer if possible. I have 13 containers and I and I can't afford to replace all of the potting soil. Thank you.
Have you considered mixing in either vermiculite and/or coir? Both of those materials greatly enhance water absorption, even when substrate is bone dry. As for soap, I've never used it & I'm not sure if it would have any negative effects. I know there are re-wetting agents you could try: amzn.to/3KTB1fN I would definitely not resort to throwing out the soil potting mix. Worst case scenario, I might try getting solid totes with no drain holes. I would fill them with the dry mix. Then I would submerge it all by topping it off with water. It might need weighted down with bricks. But after a could days, I would expect to see some improvement in hydration properties. Hopefully you can find a solution that works for you!
Hadn’t heard of salt build up in the soil. If potable water from a public water provider is used for irrigation, it almost undoubtedly is treated with chlorine as a disinfectant. The rate is really low, but would potentially build up over time and react with other nutrients in the soil to create salt.
Besides trying to use stored rainwater for irrigation, if we need to use tap water, we fill jugs with the water days in advance. This allows the chlorine to off gas before using it for irrigation. Sometimes, it’s just a gallon jug, but we have also used a hose to refill the rain barrels. The latter is doubly good in that the residual chlorine in the potable water will kill mosquito larvae that might be growing in the water. Be sure to cover the rain barrel or keep it in the shade so that it doesn’t get hot.
Didn’t think of this til later, but chlorine would commonly react with potassium, a common nutrient needed for fruiting plants, to form potassium chloride which is a salt.
Good question! Getting liquid nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in larger SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches plant roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
Thanks for the clarification. We’re in the arid west so we don’t have to be concerned about any irrigation besides what we give the garden during the normal growing season. I was viewing the reservoir as a means of evenly distributing the fertilizer across the entire bed.
With most of the plants that's true. Tomatoes are the main ones that I do extra fertilizing on throughout the season. I'm finding that some extra N and K are helpful later in the season. I'm trying to pump out lots of production. About 50 lb of fruit per plant.
Getting the nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in those larger SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches those roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
Or take a loose handful of your low ballanced fert at the base of every plant and call it a day.repeat at each growing stage if I wish and call it a day.
You bypass the entire root zone and make it more difficult for the nutrients to distribute evenly throughout the planter. Also, this increases the possibility of nutrient runoff.
Bottom watering/ wicking beds/ SIP, whatever you want to call it, is the way to go. Even wicking pots in 5 gallon buckets are better than a regular 5 gallon pot with holes. If you want a lot of different containers you can use fabric pots and oil pans from the dollar store. Just put the pot in the pan and fill the rest of the pan with water. Or several fabric pots in a plastic kiddie pool is an easy way to do it. As far as "fertilizer" goes, it's the wrong approach for organic gardening. You want to feed the microbes, fungus, little bugs and soil biology in general. It will eat your amendments and make them available for the plants.
Organic fertilizer works fine for organic gardening. It feeds the plants AND microbes. The plants generate massive amounts of organic matter in the root systems. The exudates from those plants further feed the biology. Then when the season ends, the fine plant roots remain in the soil and the microbes feed off of them, breaking them down for the next season. That's not to mention the organic woody material used in the potting mix substrate (like bark) which feeds fungus. There is nothing inherently "wrong" with that approach.
Every gardener has to decide what their own approach is. It's good that you have your own personal philosophies and strategies. But I'm not going to push my opinion to the point that I tell people that a certain organic technique is "wrong." Not when it is shown to be effective. Something might be wrong for you. And that's fine. But it's not wrong in general. Organic fertilizers work. Plain and simple. I care about ideals and philosophy. But not more than I care about the *results.* Gardeners deserve to get a good yield for the work they put into their crops. And fertilizers are effective inputs that can ensure ALL gardeners have an opportunity for success.
Miracle Gro is a brand. You can boycott the brand if you like. That's your choice. But they have a whole bunch of products. Some are unimpressive. Some work very well. Same for Espoma branded products.
Learn more about how to use a self-watering planter:
Self-watering Planter Basics: DIY Gardening with Sub-irrigated Wicking Beds
ua-cam.com/video/CXyV-XsQWNE/v-deo.html
Self-watering SIP Sub-irrigated Raised Bed Construction (How to Build)
ua-cam.com/video/Lp9Jdyno9hI/v-deo.html
SIP Raised Bed (Update 1) + Self-Watering Containers + How-To Monitor Moisture Levels :
ua-cam.com/video/5orIjYKFRgE/v-deo.html
SIP Raised Bed (Update 2) + Watering & Aeration Screen Explanation
ua-cam.com/video/VJ2T6gUv8Gc/v-deo.html
SIP Raised Bed (Update 3) + Winterizing Planters & Totes
ua-cam.com/video/aKrjC5sC5cU/v-deo.html
Fertilizing SIP Potting Mix. Read more about how keep up your SIP soil: albopepper.com/setting-up-sip-potting-mix-fertilization-year-1.php
The research scientist in me is in LOVE with this video! Thank you!
This video is amazing. I don't think people appreciate how much work would've went into doing all this data-collecting. 5 star video, you got yourself a new subscriber.
Welcome!!! Thanks for your kind words & support on my channel! 😀
This video makes a lot more sense than all the other videos I've watched and even the instructions on the bags of fertilizer I've bought. I'm going to take what I've learned here and apply it to my tiny garden this year. Thank you for taking something so confusing and making it so easy to understand!
🥇 You sir are a hero. Nobody breaks growing down to the basic concepts the way you do, and yet you never skimp on the details and technical considerations. There is no comparison
Thank-you very much for you kind words and support on my channel! I'm glad the info is able to help you out. 🙂
He's the best online. I still can't believe the yields Albo helped me get last summer. 🥰😍😍
I searched for so long to find information on fertilizing SIPs. So much varying information and alot of it was confusing. Your video broke it down so well! Excellent video!
Thank you so much for explaining the uses of these fertilizers. Many videos brag of their crops but never tell what they are doing for fertilizers. I do appreciate you and this video very much. Thank you. Hope to see more of your content.
Thanks for watching Maureen! I'm glad it was helpful. I waited for several years before deciding to publish my results. I've always be frustrated with videos that show what to do and then don't even show the follow-up. For all you know, their special technique was an utter failure.
exactly!
This is fantastic! I'd never heard of fertilizer banding before, but it makes a lot of sense and means one less thing to remember to do during the season. Thank you!
DITTO!
Your video is much appreciated!
I have Earthboxes, Grobuckets and recently have started making my own SIP's. Your decade of use and your results speak for the common sense use of fertilizers 👍👍👍in SIP's.
This is the single greatest video I have ever watched that's fertilizer related thank you!!!
Thanks so much for saying that Jeremy! I really appreciate your feedback. :-D
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This channel owner is something special.
Great video! 🌞
I'm starting my first garden in years this year...trying to get less dependent on grocery stores when I have plenty of gardening room on my own land...this info is great & will help me out a lot to get back into it...
Awesome! Good for you. I'm definitely being much more mindful about what I can grow for the maximum benefit in my food budget. I hope you have a great season!
Me too...I'm gonna be doing an indoor garden this time too...I just got a SZHLUX PT4000 grow light in yesterday...been seeing videos of other people getting some amazing results with this unit, but I'd love to see one of your sensor test videos on it to see if it's rated output numbers match reality...🤟🏿😎👍🏿
Get after it & "Blessings of Bounty and May Your Gardens and your Life always Bring You Joy, Inspiration and Abundance!" - Hope( & Mark)!💖💖
Wow!!! What FANTASTIC information. I love your geeky data collection! Thank you so much for all your hard work and UA-cam posts. I hope you are richly rewarded!
Thanks! I really appreciate your feedback. :) Hopefully this info is able to help out others!
You never disappoint with the info you share. I've been watching since your tomato experiment where you cut it down and let it regrow in one season. I can't wait to use this info on my plants this year! THX! 👍🏾👍🏾
Btw, you look a lot like my BF...too bad he isn't into plants lol... 🪴🪴🪴
This is my fourth time watching this video. Im a pretty new gardener (3 years) and I have hit a crossroads. I put out 13 tomato plants and have only gotten 4 small tomatoes. I have 6 okra plants that are together (for fertilization) and Ive gotten no okra. I have SIP tubs and I am almost positive my micronutrients are gone. Its been a hard summer learning but I've been forced to critically think. I am going to to make the "mix fertilizer" that you use. I was going to just empty out my 13 tubs and start over with new potting mix but in three years I will face the same thing again. I'm ready to have success again. Thank you.
If you are growing plants that are not fruiting, it almost undoubtedly means the nitrogen level is too high - the n of npk. Once the plant is established, feed it a pk rich fertilizer. It is more difficult to find but crucial. He does touch on this in the video.
@@johnlee7085 hi and thank you for responding to my questions. I have 13 thirty gallon sips. This is going to be summer that I will be growing in them. My first question is: much of the containers potting mix is hydrophobic. The compost that I use is rabbit manure. I am really trying to figure out if I can recover the soil or if I should just replace it. I can make my own by figuring out peat moss, Coco coir, and perlite vermiculite. I have looked at his sight and read the articles but still lost about what percentages. Everything is so expensive right now but I really need to get this issue taken care of so I can get my fertilizer added so I will have enough fertilizer realease when it comes time to add the plants. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you so much for responding.
@@loveishope4406 Making your own mix is an expensive investment but well worth it. I did it last year. The peat is easy to find but I struggled finding pine bark fines. Once you have your bark, peat and perlite/vermiculite just start mixing. You will get a feel for the percentages! Just start with a few of your sips if it gets too costly and do the rest next summer.
Awesome info. I've been forced to grow half my garden in containers because the neighbors fir tree roots invaded half my garden. I use Sunshine Mix #4 in the containers with powdered organic fertilizers. I'm going to try your banding technique. Great idea.
BTW, I've discovered that fertilizing my sweet corn with blood meal at the 6-leaf stage greatly improves the health of the stalks and crop yield.
Ooooh nice! Thanks that tip. And thanks for watching!
What is 6-leaf stage
Thanks for the link for this video Albo another very impressive amount of information we should all be greatful for sharing your knowledge 👍🏻
Wow, you actually understand fertilizer rates better than the companies who make it!!!
LOL, thank for saying that. I would expect them to know what they're doing. But the inconsistent directions certainly don't make sense to me!
There are only I few channels I believe in entirety, you are one! Thanks, great work and maybe sometime you could do some analysis of the synthetic nutrients and help weed out the imposters in that racket
I really like your videos, they gave me some great ideas for this spring and maybe summer. I worked in a hydroponics shop for years and love seeing the DIY recycle and reuse mentality you have and display. If you want to look into a more organic time release fertilizer look at Nectar for the Gods One Shot. They use a bunch or meals, kelp and worm castings bound in molasses so it releases as the molasses, which our root microbes love, dissolves over time. I don't know if it's organic because of the minerals technically but it's all naturally derived
You answered my question -- I was just thinking maybe I should put the fertilizer in my reservoir but I'll do a side dressing to be safe! Awesome content 👍
That last comment by a neighbour - priceless.
Thanks! I was scrubbing through years of footage for this video and found that exchange which was totally random. But it just seemed to fit!
love your website and videos, they helped me set my own SUP garden out of all recycled materials. Fertilizer is expensive and hard to get where I live (remote island). A friend suggested alfalfa seed meal (otter feed) as it's way cheaper than organic fert. I've tried that, plus my own seaweed, chicken manure, fish compost teas, but I think i'll have to find a way to beef up my beds and pots this year with some good stuff...
Those are good ideas! I hope you can find a solution that gives you great results!! :)
Great video! Very much appreciate it
thanks for all the tips. Can't wait to try the SIP's this upcoming season!
Awesome! I hope you have a great season. 😃
Fabulous video!!! Specific info, I was looking for.
Thanks for the tips. I will try it this season. 👍🏻
Thanks for watching! I hope you get great results. :-)
Best Video ever I'm also new to gardenning @to the channel your the best AlboPrepper keep up the good work❤️
Hey glad to see you back!!
Yes indeed. Glad to be back! Thanks for watching!! :)
Very informative. Thank you.
love the pixel style... mega man fan? :)
You betcha! Thanks so much for watching. :-D
Holy 💩 you are awesome bro fantastic work. New subscriber 4 sure! 😁
Great video.
Thank You! So much for this video
Nice! That's a lot of peppers!!
Yes it was!
Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing all of this knowledge with us! ☺️ I’m brand new to gardening. My husband and I built a raised garden bed from your plans. 7’x3’ (2 ft. tall). We want to try and grow our plants as organically as possible. If I figured it correctly (after the amount of space that the corrugated piping takes up at the bottom) we need 27 cubic feet of potting mix. Can I use your homemade organic seed starting mix recipe? Do I need to change it up in anyway because we are starting with small plants instead of seeds? Ty!!!
Thank you. Blessings to you
Thanks for watching! I appreciate that. :-)
Awesome video! Thanks so much!!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching Armando! :)
Amazing content 💗 it!
What a cool guy 😎
My method of fertilizer has always been liquid. I dont like miracle gros ratio of NPK so I find a granular time release with the ratio I prefer and dissolve it into boiling water. Once cooled if I have any solids left they get filtered out. I found with a 6-12-12 tomato fertilizer at 1.5 KG I can add about 7.5 grams or 1/2 tsp per 16ozs of water. It roughly equals what miracle gros outdoor ratio is at 16 Oz's. About 0.025-0.050-0.050 per 7 days. If I'm growing in optimized conditions I can double it but it tends to cause root growth to slow down if its unoptimized.
Very informative
Really appreciated
I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for watching Ronic. :-D
Great video, thanks!
Thanks for watching Tom!
just came across your vid. i grow lots of vegs would love to see more videos as well maybe some cbdthc plants just to grow. but would like more videos newer led, using coco, and so on with your beds and planers would be great
Thank you for the great info. You mention at the end of the video that you wouldn't add the liquid fertilizer to your wicking watering system - why not?
Very informative thanks 😊
I just decided to start a 10 x 10 garden this year. I tilled and tilled and tilled my soil after adding manure. I’m looking for good luck but I’m lost with fertilization and watering. I’m a rookie. I have 3 tomato plants that I bought at about 2ft in height, peppers, watermelon, cucumbers, and broccoli that were all starter plants at the local nursery that has been in business for over 70 years in my town. Ivy soil hasn’t been tested and I truly believe that the soil isn’t the best. I asked a lady at the nursery what fertilizer to buy and she pointed me in the direction where there was a line of people wanting there special brand, so I bought a large bag. If you could please give me a few tips on how much fertilizer to use on each plant and when to use it that would be great. Also I was thinking about some type of mulch also. I have pictures of my work that I’d be glad to share with you. I’m not looking to hit the lottery like you did with your garden but I am hoping to grow something lol. SOS PLEASE HELP! I’d be glad to email you or even exchange info to make contact. I know that there is a lot to learn with gardening and I’m willing to put the time in. Thank you very much. Brendon Brooks
Manure is going to add some fertility to the soil. I have no way of knowing how much extra nutrients are required. I suggest following the label on your bag of fertilizer and seeing how the plants respond. Most importantly, keep good records of everything you've done. This will allow you to duplicate the results or to make adjustments next year. Hopefully you have a bountiful harvest!
Hi Al,
I am working through a few approaches to raised bed gardening for my next backyard (coming soon). Your videos are amazing and your website as well!! Thank you for the continual flow of knowledge! I was wondering if adding red wiggler worms to a large SIP garden bed would work and/or be beneficial? I have had great success with them in a traditional raised bed which was raised on legs. I would welcome your insight!
Thank you,
Nathan
You could throw in a handful of worms in the early Spring, going into the 2nd growing season. They may help to break down old roots left over from the previous year. Otherwise, I haven't used them in SIPs, especially not with added food scraps or anything like that.
So a question for you about fertilizers. Do you put a general purpose on your cleaned beds before winter and then the following year vegetable specific blends on the individual beds?
Thanks for watching! No, I don't apply the fertilizer before winter. It is a waste to do so. Leaching, runoff and volatilization would result in too many losses. Also it can cause needless environmental pollution.
Great video thanks for the information
You're welcome! Thanks so much for watching. :)
Excellent job thank you
Thank-you for watching!
I'm hoping it's not too late to start.... So I've watched this video a bunch of times and you even responded to some questions that I had and I was so excited to get started. Right after I posted my questions, two of the nurses quit where I was working and I ended up working everyday for a few months.. I did not get my fertilizer added. I still have it and it is the organic stuff that you talked about in this video. My question is since I'm just adding my fertilizers, do I need to go with synthetic fertilizer since I'm assuming that the organic takes a lot longer to start breaking down. I just want to get my garden going. If I need to buy synthetic fertilizer, would I just look for something that equals 3-4-5 or 3-4-4 or something close. I'm really hoping it's not too late to get ir going.
Sorry for the delay. You could still get decent results from the organics. Just apply them as a side dressing, without messing up plant roots. Depending on how big the plants are, you might still be able to do bands, 6 inches away from the plants. And if you want a temporary, quick boost you can also water the roots with a liquid plant food a couple of times. I've used this one with good success: amzn.to/3A2FUNc
Awesome. Starting soon our garden and this will help. Are you happy with this composter? Which brand is it? Looks very solid. Greetings from Germany!🎉
Great video, now if I only knew what an SIP was, I’d be doing great. Off to more of your videos, hoping for an explanation lol
This one is a fast intro to the topic: ua-cam.com/video/CXyV-XsQWNE/v-deo.html Thanks so much for watching!
@@Albopepper thank you for responding! I’ve been watching your videos this evening snd I’m learning so much!!
In my opinion you can't beat wicking beds or bottom watering except maybe with aquaponics. And combining the 2 with a dual root zone is amazing. I used to water on top. Then I found out about sip and I can't imagine going back, and I grow all kinds of stuff that way. In some circles bottom watering is also jokingly known as butt chugging 😂. Leave it to the hippies....
I built your 5 gallon design ( really like the concept) and followed the suggested soil recipe. It has been sitting outside with organic mixed in. Our weather is still cool 50 to 60 day time. I put in a hardened starter mostly as a test. It seems to be just hanging in there. I have similar starters still in the smaller pots doing much better. Two questions. Does the cold weather stop the process of the organic fertilizer becoming usable by the plant? And can organic fertilizer ever break down in the wicking type mixes since there are no microbes in it? I did use a lower percentage of the Miracle Gro potting mix, more peat moss and a bit more fertilizer. The plant is just acts like it doesn't have nutrition.
Microbe activity is reduced at lower temperatures. In general, colder root temps inhibit nutrient uptake by plants. Any decent organic complete fertilizer will come with microbes already in it. I'm not sure how you set up your soil since you say you used more peat, less MG mix & more fert. Is the pot wicking ok? Is it possibly TOO moist?
Very useful video!! My main concern with using synthetic fertilizers outside of hydroponics was salt buildup, is that a problem you have run into? Or does the osmocote/jobes organic stuff not have that concern?
Thanks for watching! Precipitation levels and crop size will impact what remains in the soil after a season. For me, I haven't observed any nutrient / salt stress at the application ranges mentioned here. Since these are SIPs, they supply a constant supply of moisture which undoubtedly helps a lot. And even after years of usage, I'm still not seeing any issues. The soil itself could be tested for salinity, but there's also a 2nd option for these SIPs. You could capture the water runoff coming out of the overflow tube. That liquid can be checked with an TDS meter. Or it can even be checked for nutrient analysis, if desired.
I wasn't using Osmocote exclusively, but it's an acceptable option at least as a part of a blend. If someone uses only time release though, they may need some Calcium & Magnesium sources like dolomitic lime. Also, check the formulation because some have micro-nutrients while other do not.
@@Albopepper I really appreciate the info!! Keep up the great work! Thanks
Just saw this video. Leon puts fertilizer in the water reservoir, and recommends it. What do you think.
I don't recommend that, especially with larger wicking beds. In 5 gallon SIP buckets it might not matter as much. But in large SIP beds, there's no guarantee that the nutrients will diffuse evenly throughout the entire reservoir. Also, you don't know how well the fertilizer will permeate vertically into the upper substrate.
Any time I do a liquid feed, I always do it as a root drench. This way I know the nutrients are reaching those top feeder roots. It ensures that the nutrients are evenly distributed to ALL plants. Or I can specially target the plants that I want to focus on (if that's what I'm trying to achieve). In my 4'x8' SIP bed, I've been supplementing my tomatoes within a 2'x2' corner to see how they respond. All of the nutes are applied directly to that small zone. The plants are loving it.
Ultimately, some of the nutrients will leach into the lower soil and drain into the reservoir. But by starting out with a root drench, you can minimize any losses of nutrients into the overflow drainage.
@@Albopepper hi, wouldn’t liquid fertilizer wick up with the water. I can see targeting certain plants. Leon said we eat every day so should the plants.😀 He doesn’t use IBC tots however. Large round tubs.
5 mins ago I just snapped this picture: albopepper.com/images/pepper-plants-no-liquid-feed.jpg These pepper plants received ZERO supplementation throughout the season. I did not feed them "every day." Plants and humans are totally different, and the ways we gain nourishment from our environments is VERY different.
I haven't heard any explanation for why adding fertilizer to the reservoir is going to be better than just applying it as a root drench. I definitely do not advise it for the reasons I already mentioned. That's not to say the plants won't be able to use those nutrients. But it's really not going to be any better for the plants.
I've only supplemented my tomatoes. And that's because the long-lived plants would have completely depleted some of the nutrients. I have 2 tomato plants in 1 spot. So far I've picked 88 pounds of tomatoes. More to come. This is how the plants look today: albopepper.com/images/sept-30-tomato-plants.jpg albopepper.com/images/end-season-tomatoes.jpg After my spring fertilizing, it was all *root drench* nutes. Look at that big box. It would be pretty dumb to just dump the liquid feed into the reservoir.
As you can see, I'm growing in much larger wicking beds, (not, small individualized tubs, totes or buckets). And in these larger systems, I think adding the nutes to the water reservoir directly is not the best option.
@@Albopepper yes, very impressive. I am just learning about all of this. There are so many different designs and processes. Thanks for your answers.
Glad to help! Yes, there are many ways to achieve the same goal.
Instead of building a box would your growing mix and they way you have placed the pipes in the bottom also work in the IBC Totes?
Yes! This could be adapted to IBC Totes. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for these information, can u please help in answer my question, why when i use espoma fertilizer in my pots I get white tiny worms i think they are black soldiers flies, or maybe something like it, and what should i do? And are they harmful for plants? Please help what to do about it
Hi, I've never had that issue. Maybe the manure smell from the fertilizer attracted flies? Or else the potting mix already was contaminated. It might not cause issues for your plants. But I don't know what they are so I can't say for sure. Hopefully the plants still grow ok.
Why not add soluble fertilizer to the reservoir? Does it not distribute evenly?
Thanks for watching Jeb! You might be right. Getting the nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in those largeer SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches those roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
How does this differ from fertilizing inground garden beds or raised beds? I know you said that you use compost for those beds, do you also use fertilizers as well? Are there benefits to using this kind of fertilizing for inground or raised beds too?
I've had no issues getting bountiful harvests of tomatoes in my raised beds and have used liquid fertilizers some years and not other years without much difference. But I never ever ever get such bountiful harvest from pepper plants. My prepper plants are always small with small fruits and small harvests regardless of the variety and I've grown many varieties.
I'm wondering if they would benefit from this type of fertilizing or the nutrient bands. But this would be in a raised bed. What do you think? Do you ever do this in your in-ground gardening?
Hey albo! I want to ask something, there have been these small low bushes springing up around my orchard. I let them grow a bit and they start fruiting. The fruit is in this weird paper like casing with the inside being a small berry-like fruit. The texture feels similiar to a tomato and it also taste similiar too. Do you know what this is?
Nice! They are in the nightshade family. Like tomatillos or Chinese lanterns. I would guess they are ground cherries.
@@Albopepper i searched what ground cherry is and found what i am looking for, thank you! Didn't knew something like this exist
Amazing video! Your work and dedication does not go unnoticed! Great job man!
Thanks for your encouraging words! I really appreciate your support. 😁
❤
Don’t the wooden spacers leave openings which invite mosquitoes to lay eggs in the bucket?
If you have concerns over mosquitoes in your area, they make mosquito dunks which are non-toxic and labeled for organic gardening.
Beautiful and amazing video.
I'd love to see you growing cannabis dude. I'm sure you'd do amazing.
What do you line your beds with?
I've been quite pleased with the "Fish Safe" EPDM liners, 45 mil.
I have a question about my potting mix which is 4 yrs old and hydrophobic. Have you ever heard that you could water with soapy solution to fix this? I would like to fix this before I add fertilizer if possible. I have 13 containers and I and I can't afford to replace all of the potting soil. Thank you.
Have you considered mixing in either vermiculite and/or coir? Both of those materials greatly enhance water absorption, even when substrate is bone dry. As for soap, I've never used it & I'm not sure if it would have any negative effects. I know there are re-wetting agents you could try: amzn.to/3KTB1fN
I would definitely not resort to throwing out the soil potting mix. Worst case scenario, I might try getting solid totes with no drain holes. I would fill them with the dry mix. Then I would submerge it all by topping it off with water. It might need weighted down with bricks. But after a could days, I would expect to see some improvement in hydration properties.
Hopefully you can find a solution that works for you!
@@Albopepper I am going to do this. Thank you so so much.
Hadn’t heard of salt build up in the soil. If potable water from a public water provider is used for irrigation, it almost undoubtedly is treated with chlorine as a disinfectant. The rate is really low, but would potentially build up over time and react with other nutrients in the soil to create salt.
Besides trying to use stored rainwater for irrigation, if we need to use tap water, we fill jugs with the water days in advance. This allows the chlorine to off gas before using it for irrigation. Sometimes, it’s just a gallon jug, but we have also used a hose to refill the rain barrels. The latter is doubly good in that the residual chlorine in the potable water will kill mosquito larvae that might be growing in the water. Be sure to cover the rain barrel or keep it in the shade so that it doesn’t get hot.
Didn’t think of this til later, but chlorine would commonly react with potassium, a common nutrient needed for fruiting plants, to form potassium chloride which is a salt.
Is there a reason why you don’t add fertilizer to the reservoir?
Good question! Getting liquid nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in larger SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches plant roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
Thanks for the clarification.
We’re in the arid west so we don’t have to be concerned about any irrigation besides what we give the garden during the normal growing season. I was viewing the reservoir as a means of evenly distributing the fertilizer across the entire bed.
Is rabbit poop a good fertilizer for growing
So u only fertilize plants once? When first planting
With most of the plants that's true. Tomatoes are the main ones that I do extra fertilizing on throughout the season. I'm finding that some extra N and K are helpful later in the season. I'm trying to pump out lots of production. About 50 lb of fruit per plant.
You mention that you don't recommend adding liquid fertilizer to the water reservoir. Could you please explain why?
Getting the nutrients to evenly distribute could be a challenge, especially in those larger SIP beds. A targeted root drench ensures that it directly reaches those roots. And if there's any rain, this would just push the nutrients deeper into the soil. I prefer to rely on the reservoir as a final holding cache for any excess nutrients that would have otherwise washed away. It helps to reduce any potential for fertilizer runoff.
Or take a loose handful of your low ballanced fert at the base of every plant and call it a day.repeat at each growing stage if I wish and call it a day.
That's one way to do it!
Incredible content as always, looking forward to the next one!
Thanks so much for your support! :-D
Why not use liquid fertilizer in the pipe?
You bypass the entire root zone and make it more difficult for the nutrients to distribute evenly throughout the planter. Also, this increases the possibility of nutrient runoff.
What zone are you in?
Zone 6, Western PA
I'm in zone 9a Houston.
You talk to your neighbor in a normal voice.
Bottom watering/ wicking beds/ SIP, whatever you want to call it, is the way to go. Even wicking pots in 5 gallon buckets are better than a regular 5 gallon pot with holes. If you want a lot of different containers you can use fabric pots and oil pans from the dollar store. Just put the pot in the pan and fill the rest of the pan with water. Or several fabric pots in a plastic kiddie pool is an easy way to do it.
As far as "fertilizer" goes, it's the wrong approach for organic gardening. You want to feed the microbes, fungus, little bugs and soil biology in general. It will eat your amendments and make them available for the plants.
Organic fertilizer works fine for organic gardening. It feeds the plants AND microbes. The plants generate massive amounts of organic matter in the root systems. The exudates from those plants further feed the biology. Then when the season ends, the fine plant roots remain in the soil and the microbes feed off of them, breaking them down for the next season. That's not to mention the organic woody material used in the potting mix substrate (like bark) which feeds fungus. There is nothing inherently "wrong" with that approach.
@@Albopepper it's the only approach for me
Every gardener has to decide what their own approach is. It's good that you have your own personal philosophies and strategies. But I'm not going to push my opinion to the point that I tell people that a certain organic technique is "wrong." Not when it is shown to be effective. Something might be wrong for you. And that's fine. But it's not wrong in general. Organic fertilizers work. Plain and simple. I care about ideals and philosophy. But not more than I care about the *results.* Gardeners deserve to get a good yield for the work they put into their crops. And fertilizers are effective inputs that can ensure ALL gardeners have an opportunity for success.
So you are not organic? Yes you may produce bigger plants but it’s full of chemicals 😢
I'm sorry, what were the names of the chemicals that my plants are full of?
Miracle grow is garbage i will never buy it again
Miracle Gro is a brand. You can boycott the brand if you like. That's your choice. But they have a whole bunch of products. Some are unimpressive. Some work very well. Same for Espoma branded products.
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