Earthbox Side Dressing

[Imthechuck]

This is my first year using swc's and they are working great.


I am using earthboxes and 5 gallon swc's.


Currently Im using the snack i.e. calcium nitrate that I read about on earthboxes forum.


I have half a bottle of flora nova Bloom left from last year, and I was wondering how much I should put down the tube weekly?

http://generalhydroponics.com/site/g...nova_bloom.pdf

Can I use with the calcium nitrate or should I replace one with the other every other week


Thanks

[Sun City Linda]

Did you set your containers and EBs up with granular fertilizer? If so, the fertilizer strip and snack, calcium nitrate is likely all you need for now. With Tomatoes which are heavy feeders, my experience has been they can run out of steam later in the season and I sometimes will add other supplement then.

[Imthechuck]

yes 5-10-10, I will wait till later in the season


I am amazed how well the swc's are doing!!!!

thanks

[Sun City Linda]

Welcome to the club. Quite a few of us here on TVille grow in Earthboxes or home made versions. I have Earthboxes and they DO grow wonderfully well by most accounts!

[Cole_Robbie]

I'm not positive, but I don't think you want to mix the cal nitrate with any other fertilizer; it can react and form precipitates that render it less available to plants. The fertilizer regime I followed the last two years came from a seed company. For outdoor soil tomatoes on drip, I alternated cal nitrate and another fertilizer that was something like 5-18-38.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Did you set your containers and EBs up with granular fertilizer? If so, the fertilizer strip and snack, calcium nitrate is likely all you need for now. With Tomatoes which are heavy feeders, my experience has been they can run out of steam later in the season and I sometimes will add other supplement then.

+1 Linda, me too. Ever since adding the calcinit, no BER ever again.

[Imthechuck]

Im definitely a swc convert, planted some other plants with homemade compost, peat etc.. and there is a huge difference in the tomatoes / eggplants / peppers + growth

[Cole_Robbie]

Nice job plumbing those buckets together. Did you just use a rubber grommet around the hole in the side of the bucket? If you put drip lines in the top of them, and let the water drain back to the tank through the bottom tubing, they would be hydroponic Dutch Buckets.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

+1 Linda, me too. Ever since adding the calcinit, no BER ever again.

Same here so far.

Ginny

[Imthechuck]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Nice job plumbing those buckets together. Did you just use a rubber grommet around the hole in the side of the bucket? If you put drip lines in the top of them, and let the water drain back to the tank through the bottom tubing, they would be hydroponic Dutch Buckets.

Yes I used rubber grommets, found the idea on YouTube after researching swcs

[Imthechuck]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Welcome to the club. Quite a few of us here on TVille grow in Earthboxes or home made versions. I have Earthboxes and they DO grow wonderfully well by most accounts!

How long do you think synthetic fertilizers last? Best guess would be great!

[Sun City Linda]

My best guess is for heavy feeders like tomatoes, which is actually the only thing I know anything about btw, After the first big rush of ripe tomatoes if I have planted two to a box they are likely to be getting hungry. A very accomplished market grower I know on another forum just uses the Calcium Nitrate snack weekly and 1 cup of 10-10-10 at planting or the equivalent. He grows an early Spring crop of tomatoes then replants for Fall, adding ferts again.

[Imthechuck]

most of the tomato plants have grown over the trellis 7-8ft or so!!!

Black Cherry, Sungolds are doing great

The Black Krim is putting out good size tomatoes, but the Homestead heirlooms are super small i.e 1oz and the package says 8-10oz...... not sure whats going on. This is my first time with Homestestead not sure if I got the right seeds from supplier?

anyway Quick Question:

I will be starting a second season in January sometime, Do i need to add more dolomite lime again after pulling out plants?

Thanks

[Imthechuck]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

most of the tomato plants have grown over the trellis 7-8ft or so!!!

Black Cherry, Sungolds are doing great

The Black Krim is putting out good size tomatoes, but the Homestead heirlooms are super small i.e 1oz and the package says 8-10oz...... not sure whats going on. This is my first time with Homestestead not sure if I got the right seeds from supplier?

anyway Quick Question:

I will be starting a second season in January sometime, Do i need to add more dolomite lime again after pulling out plants?

Thanks

[Sun City Linda]

The insturctions from EB say to add dolomite each time you replant. Some add less than the two cups. One guy who grows a lot only adds dolomite once a year, but uses Calcium Nitrate at the rate of 1 teas weekly.