Hi Everyone

I'm trying to create some SIPs for my new plants with materials i already have, one thing i have an abundance of is lava rock , which i think is also pumice stone, very porous and light.

I was just wondering, has anyone used lava rock for sips? I could put that in the bottom and use fabric or burlap for a wicking barrier like bill uses on the billsfigs website.

just curious

thanks!

Hi:  I have actually used lava rocks for a wicking bed container and it worked out fine.  Not exactly your standard SIP container though:

Hi Cheryl

thanks for the tip! I did a lot of reading today and i think im just going to use 4" perforated drain tube, I'll cover it with microfiber with microfiber cloths. The tube should give me a decent size water resevoir and if i dont drill the drain hole too high the tube will also have a bit of an "air " resevoir.

That sounds like what I did.  Drain tube on the bottom in the middle (2") with lava rocks on the sides, landscape fabric, soil.  I extended the drain tube up (L shape) for the funnel.

Good luck with it.  Report back how it goes.

In my opinion, it will only work if the roots were already touching the water source or at least the moisture from the rocks.  But it will work fine.  I'd recommend using hydorcorn.  And don't get the cheap verison on eBay.  True hydrocorn is cheaper.  Guys on youtube already proved that.  I use it as a top dressing on some of my trees.  If you use it, I recommend laying down a layer of weed guard first.  The HC will be easy to remove when time comes to repot your tree.  Good luck!