Quote:
Originally Posted by sharpstick
sure
kitty litter earthbox post
the earthbox design keeps a reservoir of water that is available to wick up into the soil at all times so doesn't dry out. i've even kept tomatoes alive into the summer longer in them. (hard to do in the florida heat)
earthbox company/
i have some commercial ones, but they are a bit pricey. i do appreciate their research and development and highly recommend them. the kitty litter knockoff was an act of desperation when i needed a planter and had a growing pile of kitty litter pails!
going out to cut off leaves now. thanks.
billy s |
I have half a dozen Earthboxes, and there are some things different that I see between your construction and theirs. One is that you did not mention anything about perforating the bottom of the pot that holds the soil. If you did not do this, then there is no way for the air to "oxygenate" the soil from the bottom. Therein probably lies the reason for the blackening of the leaves, which is tantamount to overwatering.
Another is that Earthbox does not use anything else for a wick other than the soil it self. About an eighth of the width of the bottom of the box is filled with the soil and is actually submerged in the water. So the soil is the actual wick. The perforated plastic plate that holds the soil only runs 7/8ths of the width of the box and is elevated from the bottom of the box by about 2". The 1/4" overflow holes are drilled 1.5" from the bottom. This would leave an air gap of approximately 1/2" to which the bottom of the soil is exposed.
I will post a copy of "Rubbermaid" system of hydroponics for banana that I got from the net several years ago.