Just current

[pdxfire]

My basement room is 9x16 x 6 feet high. I would like to go the UC route but i just don't think it will fit. I'm on dirt though, so i was considering digging in and connecting two 1x14 x1 trenches and lining them with pond liner and setting them up with a flow similar to UC but it would obviously not be an under current - just a current. Would this make any sense? Any suggestions or other ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[orbad]

If you do start digging ditches in your basement, make sure you stay out of the soil under any footings. Be safe and stay clear of a line at a downward 45° angle from the bottom of any footings.

 

[pdxfire]

Great. Thanks for your input orbad. After posting this I have spent many many more hours on this site. I have changed my plan now to putting topfed coco beds directly on the dirt/soil - and I will still dig em in a bit. This method is actually discussed in Jorge's book. He was talking about people removing concrete just to get what I already have - at least that's my hazy recollection of what I read last night.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm a little concerned of picking up pests or contaminants or whatever may be hibernating in the dirt. Also wonder if any problems may arise from basically draining to waste under the house. I could design it to capture the waste but that would involve separating the beds from the dirt/soil and losing any benefit that might arise from having the bed on the soil. Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[orbad]

You don't want to water log any of the soil around your footings either if you are meaning to drain into the ground. The soggy soil doesn't have the same ability to support the load that dry soil does. Your footings will slowly sink.

 

[pdxfire]

I would be running a 4x15 bed along side the foundation about 2 feet away from it. Dig in about 4 inches and put in some gravel and then have a coco bed on top of that. Could use pond liner where it is closest to the foundation or could just line the whole thing and pull excess water out with a pump.

I was thinking the plants would be pulling almost all of the water out and that I wouldn't be impacting the foundations. But would hate to be wrong about that. I guess when the plants are vegging, roots wouldn't be long enough to get to the water that drains through the coco.

 

[growchick421]

So what was the ending decision for ur layout??

 

[pdxfire]

So what was the ending decision for ur layout??

Hey there growchick. Well I just used coco in 4x8 irrigated and properly drained beds.

 

[Medusa]

High PDX. Sounds like your up to something. !!! Hope it works. ! Should I be expecting something? And shat was very tasty and potent. Keep digging M