Hello all wanting to use earth boxes but I also use living soils . Has anyone used earth boxes with living soils ? I know the earth box waters from the bottom and not sure if that will work with living soils . Any input is appreciated thanks.
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I have and it does work as the moisture that wicks into the soil provides the medium to carry the nutrition to the roots. That does not mean I did not have any issues. It was much harder to determine proper levels of moisture in the soil so you become subject to root rot, O2 starvation, etc. I changed my substrate by adding 33% coco, it provided a better environment for oxygen saturation and made my soil drain much better
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@Bbc5272 Welcome to the forum. Those earth boxes and wicking beds do work with living soil and no till. Just make sure you use the right substrate for the reservoir so it wicks properly. Red scoria or pumice is best. I prefer pumice because it’s lighter and has more micros and minerals in it. Makes it easier to make mini versions you can put in grow rooms.
Also, to help with that oxygen issue @Mrb53004 talked about pumice works great in the soil as well as a replacement for perlite. It aerates better and has more micro caverns for mychorrizae and beneficial bacterial colonies to breed in. It also mineralizes the soil.
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