New Grower 2 Earthbox jr in a 2x2 with Amnesia & Mephisto CDLC

[Antidote]

Thanks mate,you must be close to starting your own.

I think I may be putting off beginning until fall. My wife is making noises about doing some vacationing and I don't want to leave things going without me here. But no hurry, I think I may grow some lettuce or something until then.

 

[sickzone]

I think I may be putting off beginning until fall. My wife is making noises about doing some vacationing and I don't want to leave things going without me here. But no hurry, I think I may grow some lettuce or something until then.

My plants celebrate when I'm not around.

 

[Hunter11]

If you haven't watched Jeremy of BAS 10x10 series, go and watch the beginning. He has some great points on running EarthBoxes.
I've been transplanting at 7 days from a little planter and start adding SOME water to the rez at 14 days. You don't want to fill it up yet. I don't want the water to sit more that 72hrs in the rez. You want a dry period in the rez before you add water. Once I see the rez dry, I add water the next day.

The biggest thing is keeping nutes out of the rez. Limited filling in the beginning limits the time of the water sitting in the rez and the possibility of things going bad quickly. By keeping the nutes of of the rez, the plant nute uptake is NOT being driven by VPD, as it would be in a regular pot. The roots develop into two systems where one mainly takes up nutes and the other mainly takes up water.
I run humic acid in the water all the time and activated EM1 at least once a week. Both help with the rez health and production. It's not required, but it does help keep the rez from flipping pH from nutes going bad in the rez.
In Jrs, I think it's easier to get nuts washed into the rez than the regular size if you use some liquid nutes. I have KNF nutes I use, so I had to figure a way to add it without washing it into the rez, I make a compost slurry with my liquid nutes and apply to the top. If you're not using any liquid nutes or compost tea, disregard this tip.

With the 3.0, I'd say some good quality compost, and BAS Build a flower will take you to the end nicely.

I really like my EB regulars! With the right girls, two regular EBs will fill a 4x4. I'm thinking of getting a Jr and see how well I can use KNF with it. It will be a bit more difficult to keep the nutes outta the rez with the shallower media. Jrs do seem a bit faster to mature, with a bit smaller girl.
Good luck on the grow man!

What do you mean at the end when you say the jr's seem to mature faster with a bit smaller girl? You mean the overall plant is just a bit smaller and they seem to finish faster?

 

[Hunter11]

Day 14 for cdlc and some good growth,but not enough for me to fill rez.
Top watered 750ml and will look to fill rez in around 3 days.

View attachment 1383818

Amnesia growing well,rez still has some water so waiting until dry before first refill.
Waiting on my worm castings to be delivered so I can top dress with Craft blend,castings and Kashi.

View attachment 1383819

I have a question... I understand the reason you don't fill the res. You don't want to fill it until the plant is using enough water to empty the res in a few days... But why top water? Why not just water through the res... But only put in what you were planning to water through the top?

 

[Suki]

I have a question... I understand the reason you don't fill the res. You don't want to fill it until the plant is using enough water to empty the res in a few days... But why top water? Why not just water through the res... But only put in what you were planning to water through the top?

You top water until the roots have grown enough to reach the res.

 

[Hunter11]

You top water until the roots have grown enough to reach the res.

But the roots seek out the water... Wouldn't the roots reach the res faster if you watered through the bottom? And why do you top water? The soil will wick the water... If you only want to water 1/4 gallon of water... What is the difference if you water through the top or through the bottom?

 

[Suki]

But the roots seek out the water... Wouldn't the roots reach the res faster if you watered through the bottom? And why do you top water? The soil will wick the water... If you only want to water 1/4 gallon of water... What is the difference if you water through the top or through the bottom?

Stagnation. If the res is filled from the beginning the bottom soil of the EB is saturated, you're creating an anaerobic situation at the bottom of the planter.

 

[Hunter11]

Stagnation. If the res is filled from the beginning the bottom soil of the EB is saturated, you're creating an anaerobic situation at the bottom of the planter.

That would make sense if you filled the res... But if you only watered what the soil can wick... Then the res is full of air... And this should not be a problem right? I mean if you put 1/4 gallon of water into the soil and a little drains into the res... How is that different than putting 1/4 gallon into the res and have the soil wick all but just a little bit? It's the same amount of water into the soil and res either way, right?

 

[Suki]

That would make sense if you filled the res... But if you only watered what the soil can wick... Then the res is full of air... And this should not be a problem right? I mean if you put 1/4 gallon of water into the soil and a little drains into the res... How is that different than putting 1/4 gallon into the res and have the soil wick all but just a little bit? It's the same amount of water into the soil and res either way, right?

@WildBill can you come explain please? I don't know enough to give a confident answer.

 

[Hunter11]

@WildBill can you come explain please? I don't know enough to give a confident answer.

Build A soil recommended watering 5-10% the volume of soil. An earthbox junior holds somewhere between 3.5-4 gallons of soil. So 5% would be between .17 & .2 gallons of water. 10% would be between .35 & .4 gallons of water. So a quarter gallon would be .25 gallons and would be right in the middle of that. I don't understand why you have to top water that .25 gallons... And why you can't just put .25 gallons into the res. If you watered .25 gallons into the res instead of top watering... Wouldn't you then have a better idea of how fast the plants are using the water... And then have a better idea of when to start filling the res completely?