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water Bottom Watering.

Wunder

Wunder

People were talking about 'Quadgrow' and 'Solargrow' sytems. They seem to be a 'Diet Hydroponics' system, whereby the pots sit in a tray which is slowly topped up from a reservoir as the plants take up the water.

I have this small propagator which you fill a small resevoir at the bottom and they bottom feed, nice touch i thought.
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/the-ultimate-windowsill-plant-propagator-pid2558.html
I also read somewhere that bottom feeding is a good thing, allows the roots to breathe etc.

My grow box is a plastic tub, so Im thinking I could fashion my own bottom watering system.
Quite simply fill the bottom few centimetres of the tub when I water, Id have to have the pots slightly raised on some kind of grille, that I could borrow from the oven or something.
I can make sure the air hole and fan is higher up, no problems.

Is this a good idea?
Just because the plants are being bottom fed, it doesnt mean they will over/under water themselves does it.

What you reckon? Beneficial? Worth it?
 
I find that it helps prevent mold growth on top of soil. Also promotes deeper roots instead of shallow ones seeking moisture up top.
 
Generally with bottom watering, you just leave them in the water for a few minutes to soak up some water and then take them out. If you just leave them in there, it can make the soil soggy and too much water is just as bad as not enough.

Now if you are talking about a self watering design like the earthbox, it will work, but you need to have a small wicking chamber that wicks the water up to the root level. From there the plants take what they need. But if your wicking chamber is too big, the mix will be too wet and the plants will suffer. You can Google "earthtainer" and you can read a lot of interesting information about that set up and how to build etc.

Hope that helps
jacob
 
Ahh, thanks. Ive seen products like that, and they seem pretty cool. I dont want to go spending cash on something over the top (for me), im happy with my basic set up. Just thought I could fashion an improvement. Its my first proper season, maybe next year ill go hydroponics, who knows?!
 
Its not too much water that is really that bad, its the lack of oxygen when the plants are sitting in water.The system you are talking about is designed for bottom watering but just add anough water to be wicked up, don't over do it. I probably wouldn't keep the water topped up at all times as suggested. If theres still water in the tray after a few minutes then drain off the extra.
 
Wunder said:
But is leaving my pots sitting in a few centimetres of water going to work out well?
Click to expand...

Like the others said, you don't want them sitting in water all day. Start with a little water and see how long it takes to be soaked up. Add more if you feel the pots didn't get thoroughly wet. If there is a little left in the tray after you check on them don't worry. But if there is an excessive amount of water in the tray after a 1/2 hour or so I would empty it out.

You will get a good feeling in short order for how much water to add. It only took me a few times to figure out how much to add. I would error on the light side, it is easier to go back and add more water as opposed to moving the plants and draining the water off.
 
Hmmm, ill have further think about this, see how realistic it is when im set up.
Can see what you mean with them sitting in water being no good, but if it wicks up then we are doing well.

Thanks for the input again.
 
Just a few ideas:

Use a tray for the water. You could cut the bottom from an identical tub. You'll want to clean it out on occasion.
Instead of an oven grill, take a look at "egg crate" used in fluorescent fixtures.
Run a piece of nylon twine/rope up through a drainage hole into the potting mix. This will wick without becoming waterlogged.
Try to keep the light off the water or you will grow algae.
 
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