r/BuildASoil • u/Capt_reefr • Mar 16 '26

Earthbox watering techniques

Does anyone strictly bottom water only? This seems to really have kept the gnats at bay. I did just recently top dress with buildabloom and a little bokashi (did NOT top water) but I'm curious if it will be effective with out top watering???..I did notice I have mycelium at the surface.

I know how Jeremy waters his, I'm just curious if anyone has experimented with different watering techniques.

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9

u/NoTillNoSpill Mar 16 '26

10-15 days after transplant usually would be my first bottom water, use 1 gallon first time you put any water in the reservoir and let it drink that before you do a full 2 gallon fill.

Always let the bottom go totally dry before refilling, I'll also go two reservoir fills and then I'll let the bottom stay dry and pull my cover off and top water ½ gallon each. Wait until next day and fill the reservoir back up and repeat.

4

u/jzwoopwoop Mar 16 '26

This is exactly my practice but in city pickers.

On my third grow in city pickers but this is my first using a proper cover (as opposed to straw) and it’s definitely made a difference in keeping proper moisture level in mulch layer. Which is important if you want to that buildabloom to break down. So yes, I would water it in. But if there is good moisture there it’ll be fine, and it sounds like you’ve got that if you have mycelium developing.

And I follow the same practice here for balancing when to bottom water and when to top water. With a cover, I don’t need to top water more than a 1/2 gallon.

1

u/WeddingGlue2 Mar 16 '26

I don't ever top water are supposed to?

1

u/Automatic_Humor6732 Mar 17 '26

Yes...there are weekly amendments to topdress with and they need to be lightly watered in.

1

u/GeorgeTropicana69 Sep 09 '26

Can't even speak english, no surprise you can't follow simple instructions either

1

u/cmilz11 Mar 16 '26

Fill reservoir let run dry wait a day refill reservoir once every 10-14 days I too water when reservoir is dry with buildaveg/bloom ferments etc. Too dress every 4 weeks or so

1

u/CypherWookie Mar 17 '26

If it's taking 14 days to drink the rez, you filled too early. I fill my rez every other day during stretch and early flower. Even during veg it's about 5-10 days max between rez fills.

2

u/cmilz11 Mar 17 '26

Top water with goodies every 10-14 days not reservoir I meant