can someone school me on the earthbox

[evertking]

Hello everyone. Im looking a getting a couple of these and got some questions in anyone can help. Like feeding.. do i just mix and add to the res?

 

[2DogWalker]

Ever,

Im definitely not an expert, but I am just finishing up my first MMMJ Grow in 3 earthboxes (2 plants each - 6 total 1 600W HPS approx 12 S.F.... I have another one going in my 2nd flower room as of right now at like 23 days in as well.... with 9 other plants in standard pots...

The first water I water right through the soil until water comes out of the over fill hole (As well as any time I flush - I set up my earthboxes to have a little drain system that I can control - But with the new style I haven't designed a easy to use drain so I have to flush it into my sump crock :(....

Anytime I water/feed normally though I water until I get a some run off out of my drain system right through the watering tube it came with (I filled the resovoirs up with Perlite - I will try without on the next run - should have tested one without perlite and put a airstone in there - This is the plan for next run in earth boxes....if there is another one) I must say though the plant that is 23 days into flower is in an earthbox by itself right next to 3 of the same clones in 7 gallon standard pots and the earthbox is freaking KILLLING em this time......but only one plant in the box by itself.....Hope this info Helps FWIW

Regards,
2Dog

 

[evertking]

thanks.. the way i understand it..is that it is a passive wick system and as the soil drys and plants need water/nutes.. it takes from the res and this being a soilless mix it will retain some of the nutes if you were to keep the res filled with a nute soultion and to me that looks like it could cause problems down the road with burn and lockout. so are you saying that you would top feed and let the plant take plan water from the res when not being fead?

 

[2DogWalker]

Not exactly,

Sorry my answer was a bit confusing... I was using water and feed interchangeably...

The First time I feed/Water My plants I top drench the soil, and let it soak thru until the res is full and then it will begin to overfill, from that point on I feed/water as it was intended with the earthbox through the tube into the res. The plants basically dry out the res and soil before I place more water / feed through the res tube again.

When I flush my plants I water top drench them, and let the run off drain.

Lockout really hasn't been a problem that I could tell to this point,

I have raised some monster veggies in earthboxes with much success as well using straight organic soil and basic feed.

Hope this clarifies for ya..

2Dog

 

[evertking]

got it now.. thanks alot!

 

[2DogWalker]

Here is a link to my grow log with the 3 earthboxes and 6 plants , shows some pictures and details my thoughts a little....Probably a little long winded and confusing as I like to keep it :), but the pictures may help! These are the Older style earthboxes FYI....

Link:

2Dog

 

[danthe man]

Hello everyone. Im looking a getting a couple of these and got some questions in anyone can help. Like feeding.. do i just mix and add to the res?

hi don't take any advice from the response on here that i have seen
look first of all do not add anything to your water no nutrients no PH down or up only thing you want to add to water is em1 if you have city water get a RO unit to deal with the chlorine
if you have well water get RO unit to take out minerals that clogs up every thing ok that takes care of the water
now lets move on to setting up the earth box
first get the auto watering a must
1# you don't wash out dirt from dumping a lot of water all at once if you wash out dirt you loose your prime.
2# if your box never goes dry you never loose prime very important
now lets move onto the peat base potting mix only use earth box mix first and foremost
lots of people try to use other mixes and has had less then desirable results
(DO NOT USE ANY MIX WITH ORGANIC OR SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER IF YOU DESIDE TO USE OTHER BRANDS WITCH IS A VERY BAD IDEAL WHY RISK IT.)
Now before you add peat mix you need to get your auto watering system set up and do a fill see where the water stops you may have to rase up tube to get water to the top just before over flow this helps a lot with wicking problems if you have to rase it up use strait edge and mark the tube so you can make sure your at right level in the future the potting mix is in it. so its hard to adjust properly when full
ok now add the em1 3oz take out auto watering and just poor it in don't worry about mixing it in the water it will mix as water is added .re adjust tube to proper level that you marked on tube .
ok now add the peat mix level it out push down in the corners now use the package of Donilite
and only mix it in the top 3 or 4 inches of the top of peat mix very important
ok now you need to add your gro-kushi 1 cup first dressing 1/2 cup when redressing gro-kushi
now let the box site for 7 days it will have a white layer of fungus now its time to plant your favorite smoke
once you plant your seed or clone top dress with the malibu compost and add your gro-kushi and always i repeat always use the cover and use the white side only
your grow room is warm and you don't need the black side to warm your root when growing indoors. now this is important that you understanding that the gro-kushi brakes down the compost and delivers it to the roots and the roots in return give the gro-kushi food that it like thats why you can't have any other food in the potting mix you want the plant to have one source of food thats the malibu delivered to the plant from the gro-kushi and the plant rewards the gro-kushi with a treat
now there is no need to flush your plant there is no excess nutrients in the plant .
there a big difference when you let the plant chose what it needs then to mixing in water nutrients and the plant has to take it .
only use probiotic for weed grow my plant grew faster then the $1000.00 dollars
worth of advance nutrients no joke also get the drinking water kit from bulk reef supply the blattertank hook up to the regulator and work great when using ro water

 

[Spdsqr]

hi don't take any advice from the response on here that i have seen
look first of all do not add anything to your water no nutrients no PH down or up only thing you want to add to water is em1 if you have city water get a RO unit to deal with the chlorine
if you have well water get RO unit to take out minerals that clogs up every thing ok that takes care of the water
now lets move on to setting up the earth box
first get the auto watering a must
1# you don't wash out dirt from dumping a lot of water all at once if you wash out dirt you loose your prime.
2# if your box never goes dry you never loose prime very important
now lets move onto the peat base potting mix only use earth box mix first and foremost
lots of people try to use other mixes and has had less then desirable results
(DO NOT USE ANY MIX WITH ORGANIC OR SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER IF YOU DESIDE TO USE OTHER BRANDS WITCH IS A VERY BAD IDEAL WHY RISK IT.)
Now before you add peat mix you need to get your auto watering system set up and do a fill see where the water stops you may have to rase up tube to get water to the top just before over flow this helps a lot with wicking problems if you have to rase it up use strait edge and mark the tube so you can make sure your at right level in the future the potting mix is in it. so its hard to adjust properly when full
ok now add the em1 3oz take out auto watering and just poor it in don't worry about mixing it in the water it will mix as water is added .re adjust tube to proper level that you marked on tube .
ok now add the peat mix level it out push down in the corners now use the package of Donilite
and only mix it in the top 3 or 4 inches of the top of peat mix very important
ok now you need to add your gro-kushi 1 cup first dressing 1/2 cup when redressing gro-kushi
now let the box site for 7 days it will have a white layer of fungus now its time to plant your favorite smoke
once you plant your seed or clone top dress with the malibu compost and add your gro-kushi and always i repeat always use the cover and use the white side only
your grow room is warm and you don't need the black side to warm your root when growing indoors. now this is important that you understanding that the gro-kushi brakes down the compost and delivers it to the roots and the roots in return give the gro-kushi food that it like thats why you can't have any other food in the potting mix you want the plant to have one source of food thats the malibu delivered to the plant from the gro-kushi and the plant rewards the gro-kushi with a treat
now there is no need to flush your plant there is no excess nutrients in the plant .
there a big difference when you let the plant chose what it needs then to mixing in water nutrients and the plant has to take it .
only use probiotic for weed grow my plant grew faster then the $1000.00 dollars
worth of advance nutrients no joke also get the drinking water kit from bulk reef supply the blattertank hook up to the regulator and work great when using ro water

have you ever used a different compost other than the Malibu? I’m having trouble with the earthbox. I can’t get a grow. After about3-4 weeks in veg, the plants are killing it, then they start acting like they have a nutrient dificiency. The plant turn bright green instead of the usually dark green. Ialso tried in buckets, mixing it all together, used wrong dolomite, but same issue. I’m not sure when to add more compost either.