I have almost 2 acres of tropical fruits, herbs and vegetables growing successfully, but have never used the smart pots or the stackers. My years of experience growing things is in ground and earthboxes, but am just planting some of the stackers and and want to use the coco coir. I have a couple of questions about the coco, stackers and smart pots. If anyone can help me, I'd sure appreciate it.
1. How do I hook up an automatic watering/feeding system for the stackers? I have auto watering everywhere else on my property and we travel, so I have to have something in place. I understand that the water will need to come from a garbage pail or some such so that the fertilizer can be added. Is this correct??? I haven't been able to find any posts from anyone about using an automatic feeding/watering system with the stackers. It appears that everyone is hand watering, but I know there must be someone who has an automatic systems working.
2. If I use the coco coir in smart pots, can I use just the coco like in the stackers and water them with the same feed/water system as the stackers?
Thank you so much for any help you can offer.
Kelly
Stacker & Coco questions please.....
Hi Kelly.
I'm into coir 100% and use lots of stackables and have a auto water/feed system.
What type of stackables are you using? I've tried them all. I have used two kinds of watering systems. One type is just a watering system from the outside faucet through a 1/2 inch poly tube. I then run 1/4 in micro tubing up the stack and water from the top with a sprayer and let gravity water down the stack. I then feed the plants once a week manually with water soluble fert. The second system is a water,fert system(hydroponic type). I have a 32 gallon Brute plastic can with a submersible pump in it. Instead of coming from the faucet, the water/nutrient mix is pumped from the tank through the 1/2 in hose and then up the stack with 1/4 in line. Mind you, you need a good strong pump to raise the water/fert up 5 feet or so to the top of the stack.
The answer to #2 is YES. Last year I used the coir straight, this year I'm trying a 80/20 mix with perlite.
BocaBob,
Why did you decide to add the perlite this year?
Kathy
We can buy big 4 cu ft bags locally for $8.00 (very cheap) and it aerates the coir for a lighter mix. Plus I am experimenting.
Hi BocaBob,
Thank you so much for answering my post so quickly. I have the NJ stackers, 12" and 24" and have some of the vegie stackers on the way. I am also going to pick up more of the NJ stackers this weekend. The corporate office is only a couple of miles from my house and they are having a large sale right now, end of season clearance.
Which system do you prefer? I have so many plants that I can't hand water them, and we travel quite a bit as well. Do you have the hose system on a timer? If so, how often does it run? The hydro system, is it filled by a hose on a timer or do you fill it at specific times with a hose?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but I'm sure you've figured most of this out already and if you are so kind as to share the info, I'm sure you can save me lots of time and expense.
I have a website with my gardens posted at www.mommystuff.net , so I spend a fair amount of time answering emails from people with questions too. It helps so much to have others who have already "been there" who can offer advise.
Thanks so much.
Kelly
This message was edited Dec 9, 2009 5:40 PM
hi, kelly. link didn't work for me =(.
Sorry Moonglow. I had a , at the end and had to remove it. Link works now.
Thanks, Kelly! I'm a Calamondin fan =).
Kelly: What a beautiful website, you have your own little garden of Eden there.
joy
Hi Joy, Thanks for taking a look. I'm trying to update it right now, but it's slow going. I took a bunch of photos at the end of summer and things looked quite different. Everything filled in, etc. Of course, now it is looking sparce again with cold weather coming. I should have it updated by January. Fondly, Kelly
Kelly: Good, will give us all something nice to look at over the winter. LOL
joy