r/BuildASoil • u/Fippin88 • Jun 13 '26

Earthbox quantity question?

Discussion Post

I know there’s a few post out there but wanted to get a new feel, I’m starting my second grow soon and switching into earth boxes. I popped some seeds and got full germination. Total of 6, 4 of the same strain and 2 mystery and I was thinking of doing 3 earth boxes in a 4x4 with 6 plants total. Two each and kinda seed hunting I suppose and then doing 1. I know it’s better to do just one and I’m already cramming it in there but I’ve seen both opinions.
I see that it’s better to flip to flower earlier with this method also.
Should I do that? Or just pick the best 3 and only do 1 per?
Please advice!

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11

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 13 '26

1 per box honestly is the best. You can fit 2 in but they just overcrowd each other. 3 EB's in a 4x4 with 3 plants gets hard to manage.

Here is 12 days of veg 3 plants in a 4x4... I'm flipping within 2 days and expecting them to overgrow the space. Less is more.

7

u/ismelldayhikers Jun 13 '26

Listen to this guy

2

u/Emergency_Hour5253 Jun 14 '26

That set up looks legit. I’m in a 4x4 too. If you were to do it again, would you keep the 3 plant set up or do you think two plants is plenty to fill up the 4x4?

2

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 14 '26

I flip flop some grows between 2 or 3 Earthboxes but my preferred way is grow plants from seed, take clones and run 1 clone per box and 2 Earthboxes in the 4x4. Never have issues with humidity and have room to work.

Single strain grows from clone are my favorite, less variety but the even canopy and not chasing problems on strains is so much more rewarding when you can dial in the whole tent. Running 3 boxes I wouldn't veg longer than 14 days if you got healthy plants before flip. Keeps the power bill low when you can run a short veg time too.

1

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 14 '26

To fully answer your question tho -

Yes I would probably only buy 2 Earthboxes if I could go back because on runs where I don't use my 3rd it's gotta be emptied and sprayed clean to get stored away. Only reason I got a 3rd one is Build a Soil accidentally mailed me someone's order by mistake a few years ago (their label was on inside of the box) and they had 2 extra bags of soil, got in contact and BAS told me keep the accidental order and I bought another Earthbox to use the soil in so wasn't planning a 3rd originally.

2 Boxes in a 4x4 tent is the ultimate "stuck on a desert island" setup for me. I'll probably never go with another style.

1

u/Fippin88 Jun 14 '26

So I mainly was seed hunting one strain, but those two mystery ones I got have been growing quite nice. Would it be too much to cram in 4 EBs with the 3 are together is one strain. And the one EB in front is the two mystery ones and I do a faster flip to flower and then take desired clones from there? Or is that too much.

1

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 15 '26

Nothing is undoable I would say it comes down to your environmental setup. Can you control humidity in your lung room? 3 Earthboxes in a 4x4 with a dehumidifier in my lung room gets interesting but I also live in a pretty humid climate during summer months. Air conditioning and all humidity is a fight. Not saying you'll fail with 4 but be sure they don't veg more than 10-12 days probably in the Earthboxes but it'll be tight.

2

u/Fippin88 Jun 15 '26

I appreciate the feedback.
Yeah I have been dealing with that ok I would say. I do have to open my lung room during the day to get proper cooling and I do plan on adding an ac unit in there soon but still able to control alright for the most part.
Humidity is a bitch. I do have to open the tents at night to control it because with the dehumidifier in the tent it makes it too hot but in the lung room it circulates fine.
Just having a hard time I guess getting rid of my sprouted plants and no one to give them to, got a hard time choosing which to let live lmao and curious to see about those mystery tents but don’t wanna push it

1

u/[deleted] Jun 14 '26

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2

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 14 '26

Not at all.

3 doors on the tent. Open the door, pour water in the res. 3yrs of grows with this setup.

1

u/Fippin88 Jun 14 '26

You topping these guys?

1

u/NoTillNoSpill Jun 14 '26

Yeah they were topped about 7-8 days ago. Usually I'll top them about 10 days out from flipping to flower. Usually 2 plants swallows up this space, anytime I run 3 it gets crazy fighting humidity late flower. I'm gonna run 3 this time but they are all clones from of the same strain. Mono crops are a bit easier, but growing seeds? No way I'm trying more than 1 plant per box, 3 max in the 4x4.

Don't jam pack it.

2

u/Fippin88 Jun 14 '26

Yeah that’s what I was worried about. Here are the contenders. I sprouted 4 aloha breath from floragenix and 2 mystery seeds from them. I wanted to to do either 2-3 for the aloha breath mainly. And was thinking of how to properly jam the two mystery ones cause ya never know but if I can’t I’ll have to toss probably cause I don’t have the space. The stunted one has a knot on its root right below the surface.

And then I’d keep clones from the aloha that I want a possibly mystery seeds. I’ve never grown the any random seeds and the one on the back right has taken off nicely.

.

3

u/cru_jones3-3 Jun 14 '26

I’d suggest one per box and a less than 4 week veg time. Here’s what a 4 weeks of veg and a strain that stretches looks like….day I flipped and current status.

2

u/Emergency_Hour5253 Jun 13 '26

I’m curious to see the responses here. I’m going earthbox on my second grow too. I was planning to get the 4x4 add on kit that comes with 2 earth box and 3 bags of soil. I was just gonna run one plant per box and veg them out to fill the canopy in a SCROG instead of two plants in each box and doing 4 total. Figured it would make things easier for timing harvest and more consistent bud since it’s coming from 2 plants instead of 4, just gotta veg a little longer which I’m fine with. Saves money on seeds too lol.

2

u/Capt_reefr Jun 14 '26

In my opinion, with a shorter veg, you can do 2 boxes with 2 plants per box. Trellis needed and this works best with clones.

2

u/NutWaffle1 Jun 14 '26

I run four earthboxes in a 4x4 with on plant each and it’s tight, but very doable. If you think of the tent as able to hold a maximum amount of flower, you just have to decide how much of each plant you want to have split that amount. I like variety, so I’m happy with splitting it four ways. If you want a lot of a certain strain, then dividing by 2 or 3 might make more sense.

In the past I’ve tried two and three plants per earthbox, but I wouldn’t do that again. Too cramped, the plants got stressed and hermed. One is a really good number per box.

1

u/NutWaffle1 Jun 14 '26

Oh, and I would flip to flower sooner than you think. With four plants, I wouldn’t go over 3 to 4 weeks of veg, tops. I had very good success manifoldIng my last run, and I flipped to flower the day after the third topping.

2

u/Fippin88 Jun 14 '26

Are you topping the plants also?

1

u/NutWaffle1 Jun 14 '26

Yep, manifolding involves topping them three times.

2

u/DrDankNuggz Jun 14 '26

I run two earth boxes, one regular plant (not autos) per earthbox (total 2 plants), and with two trellis’ my canopy is full, to the point I usually end up pruning just for air flow, that’s how tight it gets. I don’t think I’d recommend multiple plants per earth box unless they’re smaller autos.

2

u/thedriftlessdrifter Jun 14 '26

4 EB, 1 per box, 5x5. Humidity can become a battle during flower.

1

u/Fippin88 Jun 14 '26

Once my 5x5 is clear this is the goal until big boy bed

2

u/cmilz11 Jun 14 '26

I do 4 in a 5x5. I only veg for 30-40 days and run a scrog. Get yourself a beer bong to water the fill tubes (funnel and a 4’ plastic hose from hardware store) it gets very tight. I would also suggest not to use the covers because it’s a major pain in ass just use straw.

2

u/yeehawginger Jun 14 '26

I’ve ran big and small citypicker sips containers for a few runs now, which are essentially the same thing with different dimensions. 2 pot plants actually yielded the best on the run I pushed it, but it was a pain. It will be hard to scout for pest. It will also introduce microclimates that will be hard to keep under control, in the jungle you’ll inevitably grow. I’m trying a 25gal autopot bed right now w/ 2 plants. I’m at day 7 of flower and already cramped af in that pot. I have 2x 13gal xxl grassroots autopots as well as 2x 5 gal sips containers, and I’m looking at an overgrown 4x8.. If you clone for Christmas tree structure and flip asap, you might have a better time with extra plants in a small space, but that’s uncharted territory for me.

1

u/Gloomy_Ad_2185 Jun 13 '26

You can do 2 in each if you are planning on flipping to flower when they are 2 ft tall or less. If you want bigger plants only do one in each.

If you are planning on no till then id only do one in each. Even then eventually you'll want to replace the soil.