Quote:
Originally Posted by ricman
Pea Rock and or gravel are used in the water reservoir of many SIP designs with a weed barrier placed over the top of the gravel or pea rocks and then back filled with potting mix. A drain hole is typically located near the top level of the gravel or pea rock. The potting mix wicks up the water allowing the plants to absorb moisture as needed. At least that's the idea...
Rick
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Rick,
Yes, I know a lot of people do it, but rocks really have no place in container gardening, SIP or otherwise. In a standard container a bottom layer of rocks will create a perched water table effectively decreasing your container size. I am not sure what purpose it would serve in a SIP.
Can't tell from the photos if they were using the rock in the containers, but I imagine it was possibly used as a fill material between the watering tubes. An empty tube would be a better way to fill in the gap.