Grow Mediums Advice for new Earthbox/SIP (sub-irrigated planter) indoor grower?

[sidfinch]

What should I know before starting an earthbox/sip indoor run? What hacks have you made to your setup?

I'm new to indoor and ready.

• 4x4x8 tent
• HLG 650R
• Soil
• Earthbox Jr (3)

I plan on using either sohum, or perhaps a local soil specifically made for cannabis. So the soil will likely have some nutrients in it, but not really hot. I used this for my current grow and just put some potting type soil on the top so the seedling had to grow a bit to get to soil with nutes.

I generally germinate in peat pods and plant into final container shortly after roots established, 1-2 days.

Some general questions to start

• Do you follow the general earthbox instructions to mound the soil above the box?
• Is all feeding done via top dressing?
• What about recharge/mammoth p - do those go in the reservoir?
• Can you (advised probably not - or at least controversial) plant two in one, dividing in the middle even? I only considered if same strain and trying to fill trellis, or maybe a smaller strain

What I think I know

• Plant opposite the reservoir fill tube and train towards it
• LST can be accomplished by establishing places to attach on the box itself (velcro, clips, etc)
• Need a riser of some kind to allow for run off (without flooding tent)
• Might want a funnel for filling

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

Subbed in so any other questions fire away! As for mounding soil up YES U DO WANNA DO THAT but u don’t wanna do it too soon cuz u wanna have room to mound fresh compost on top during the grow! I use oly mountain fish compost and then build a flower during bloom! It’s oly compost plus fish bone meal and biochar and kelp and great other goodies! Works all it seems!

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

Yes mammoth p and recharge (after recharge is mixed with water) can go into the reservoir! I’d use recharge maybe every other week in veg and then as bloom is starting swap to mammoth P! Yes toward full tube or away no matter just do it towards an end so after u chop u can amend soil and plant again in opposite end! Also makes it easier to topdress the compost during grow!

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

Like so.....

That’s full tube in behind plant cuz as she grows and I pull top over it’ll grow towards opposite end and open fill tube!

 

[sidfinch]

@TxRebel/Mark - I was looking at adding some of this when planting as earthbox recommends it and anecdotally at least it seems using LED lights requires more.

Dolomite Lime Plus Magnesium and Calcium

Or do you have one you recommend?

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

To be honest man I haven’t ever needed it! Seems like if u start out with good soil and make sure to add extra microbes it stays buffered on its own! Only plant I really tried it on was purple roc berry and wound up actually causing issues so steered clear! Haven’t seemed to need to add cal or mag either but I use calphos in my base and adding rock dust for the worms in my boxes adds extra magnesium to the soil as well!

 

[sidfinch]

Thanks. I can always add some if I see an issue. This first run I need to be observing more and tweaking less.

Space acquired, time to put all this together.

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

with these earthbox juniors I found what I was initially told when starting these which is less is more! Don’t need tons of amendments and stuff! For added microbes unless u already bought some look up recipe for lactic acid bacteria serum! It’ll make crazy microbes from rice, water, milk and brown sugar or molasses! Cost me maybe $5 for the stuff to make 1/6 the recipe and still got a damn 2L bottle filled up with extras off it! 2tbsp per watering and soil will stay buffered from the microbe life!

 

[sidfinch]

Ever tried running two smaller strains in one earthbox jr? I was thinking of maybe doing two sour crack or strawberry nuggets in one earthbox.

 

[Fermented_Fruitz]

I tried asking same thing but even smaller plants you will see the roots coming out the soil surface down on opposite end of the box so think even 2 smaller strains would be liable to wind up rootbound on each other! Plus even small plants seem to come out fairly decent sized in a junior! I am considering maybe doing the 2 photo fem girls I just popped in my full size earthbox side by side in the 2x4! It holds double the soil so prob have plenty of room!