EarthBox [LOS] - HSC - Garlic Budder

Introduction - Week 05 Summary - Ensign's log, stardate 9347.48, This was another recovery week of growth. Dropped the soil level of each EarthBox and added straw mulch. Attempted to sprout more cover crop which started to sprout at the end of the week. Went back to watering every two days with mulch mistings on the off days. Also received a 7gal Grassroots fabric pot. Plan to fill and start cover crop next week. Once (or if) the cover crop is sprouted, will start a new seed (or maybe seeds). I’m still hoping that these plants recover, but not sure if they will. [START OF WEEK 05] ========================================================== Garlic Budder #1 - WEEK 05 - Full Veg Wk2 Garlic Budder #2 - WEEK 05 - Full Veg Wk2 04/01/24 → 04/07/24 This Week's Estimated Goals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLI: ~19 mol/m2/d PPFD: ~300 μmol/m2/s VPD: ~1.0 kPa This Week's Meter Readings & Averages [Lights On: 16:00 - 10:00] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DLI: 17.69 mol/m2/d PPFD: 273 μmol/m2/s VPD: 0.92 kPa Soil %: [36.3, 36.4, 38.9, 33.3] ========================================================== Day 01 - Monday - 04/01/24 - Total Days: 035 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.0°F [26.1°C] - Humidity: 72.2% - VPD: 0.92 kPa - Soil %: [32, 29, 30, 33] ----------------------------------- - [21:00]: Evening check. --- Both girls are still droopy. --- #1 looks like she needs water.. --- #2 looks sort of okay, but still stunted. --- Well at least the two cover crop plants seem to be doing great! Both have just exploded with growth. --- Damnit Ensign.. - [21:02]: Checked the Ecowitt soil moisture sensor data: --- 32% - [CH01 EB1 - Garlic Budder #1] --- 29% - [CH02 EB1 - Secondary] --- 30% - [CH03 EB2 - Garlic Budder #2] --- 33% - [CH04 EB2 - Secondary] - [21:03]: Misted the top soil of both growbags with distilled water (~30 sprays each). --- Mainly focused on the top soil, but also misted the top growth. - [21:11]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank is about half full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~2gal). Day 02 - Tuesday - 04/02/24 - Total Days: 036 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.4°F [26.3°C] - Humidity: 71.1% - VPD: 0.98 kPa - Soil %: [28, 26, 28, 29] ----------------------------------- - [10:20]: Before the evening check, going to build a plant caddy! --- After a bit of tinkering, managed to assemble to the unit. --- Have to say that the fully assembled caddy feels very sturdy and can easily support the weight of a full pot. --- Also the --- This will be used later to hold the extra bucket of soil. --- Today is de-mounding day! --- Also plan to water (it’s been a good week since the last watering) and sow some cover crop (again). - [18:13]: Evening check. --- Well growth is still droopy. --- Now I think I may have under-watered? - [18:18]: Checked the Ecowitt soil moisture sensor data: --- 32% - [CH01 EB1 - Garlic Budder #1] --- 29% - [CH02 EB1 - Secondary] --- 30% - [CH03 EB2 - Garlic Budder #2] --- 34% - [CH04 EB2 - Secondary] --- [*smokes a bowl] --- Okay! Going to attempt to fix this grow! --- Have no idea if this is going to work, but going to do it anyways! --- Going to de-mound the EarthBoxes. --- It’s been at least 7 days since the last watering so the soil should be pretty dry. - [18:25]: Temporarily removed all 4 Ecowitt soil sensors. --- Placed them in a solo cup for later. - [18:26]: Time to start digging! --- Using my hands, I dug out the back area of each EarthBox. --- Scooped the soil into an old 5 gallon bucket. --- Once enough soil was removed, the new top soil was smoothed and leveled out. --- Also tried to mix and loosen any chunks and compacted soil. --- Repeated this process until the soil level for both EarthBoxes was at least an inch below the top of the container. --- Wow! To remove enough soil, had to also fill a smaller plastic bin. --- There was a lot more soil than I thought. Once the fabric pot arrives, there should be more than enough to fill it (may even need to get a larger one). --- This extra space is for the straw mulch. --- Was extra gentle around each grow bag. --- Also quickly gave the tent’s floor a vacuuming. - [20:04]: Prepped the new top soil for cover crop seeds. --- For each EarthBox, ------ Added 4 cups of BuildASoil Worm Castings --- Each growbag got a cup sprinkled around the outer edges. --- Gently tilled the worm castings into the top soil. - [20:37]: Okay, once again, going to try to sprout some cover crop.. --- For each EarthBox, ------ Sprinkled 1tbsp of White Clover Cover Crop ------ Sprinkled 1tsp of 12 Seed Clover Crop --- Tried to go evenly. --- Gently tilled the seeds into the top inch of soil before patting the top soil down flat. --- Also tried to push and bury all of the larger seeds that were just sitting on top of the soil. - [20:52]: Time for the straw mulch. --- For each EarthBox, ------ Cut and sprinkled some BuildASoil Organic Barley Straw --- Used a pair of scissors and added enough straw to cover the top soil about a 1/4 inch thick (maybe 8-9 cups each). --- Going with straw instead of rice hulls this time because once the soil has cover crop again, plan to add worms again. --- Alright. Time to water. Please don’t frack this up Ensign.. --- Going with a basic wetting solution. - [21:22]: Filled a pitcher with 3 cups of distilled water. --- Added 1/64tsp + Half 1/64tsp of Quillaja Saponaria Extract [60] --- Added 1/32tsp + 1/64tsp of Horticultural Aloe --- Added 1/16tsp + 1/32tsp of Mycrobe Complete --- Mixed the solution and poured it straight into a pump sprayer. - [21:38]: Misted the top soil for both EarthBoxes. --- Sprayed around each grow bag. --- Focused on wetting the straw mulch as evenly as possible. - [21:43]: Placed all 4 Ecowitt soil sensors back into each EarthBox. --- Also made sure each sensor ID was correct. - [21:46]: Time to use the new caddy! --- Placed the extra soil bucket onto the caddy. --- Currently have it in the front left corner. This bucket will be eventually replace with a fabric pot for another seed attempt (#64). --- Done! --- Going back to watering every other day. Will mist the mulch on the dry-back days. - [21:52]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank is about half full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~2gal). Day 03 - Wednesday - 04/03/24 - Total Days: 037 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.0°F [26.1°C] - Humidity: 73.1% - VPD: 0.90 kPa - Soil %: [37, 40, 45, 34] ----------------------------------- - [09:46]: Quick morning check. --- Both are still droopy. --- #2 needs support. Added the support wire back. --- Using a spray bottle, misted the mulch of both EarthBoxes. Just enough to wet the top mulch (~1/4 cup). - [23:25]: Late night check. --- Both plants are still looking pretty droopy.. --- Not sure what’s wrong. --- Might try adding the humidity domes back. - [23:27]: Using a spray bottle filled with some premixed CalMag water (1tsp of CaliMagic to 1 gal distilled water), --- Misted the top soil of both growbags (~40 sprays each). --- Mainly focused on the top soil, but also misted the top growth. - [23:33]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank was about half full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~2gal). Day 04 - Thursday - 04/04/24 - Total Days: 038 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.1°F [26.2°C] - Humidity: 72.7% - VPD: 0.91 kPa - Soil %: [44, 40, 44, 34] ----------------------------------- - [16:24]: Evening check! --- Plants are droopy and growth is pretty much unchanged. --- Now I think the soil is too dry. --- No signs of cover crop growth neither. --- Decided to add more soil to the base of each plant. --- This will lower the height of each plant, but I don’t really care. --- I just want these ladies to live! --- For each EarthBox, - [16:30]: Ripped the brown paper bags off. --- Only removed the paper that was above the soil. --- Removed the support wire for #2. --- Also temporarily removed the soil sensor nearest to each plant. --- Brushed the rice hulls aside and flattened the mound down a bit. - [16:34]: Using some of the extra soil from the de-mounding, --- Added a few handful of soil around the base of each plant. --- Made sure to secure each plant base by gently pressing out the new top soil. --- Took some of the surrounding straw mulch and covered the exposed soil. --- Also placed the soil sensors back in. - [17:00]: Took the weekly height and light distance measurements. --- #1 was about 5.5" tall. --- #2 was about 6.25" tall. --- #1 was about 28" away from the grow light. --- #2 was about 27" away from the grow light. - [17:14]: Filled a pitcher with 3 cups of distilled water. --- Added 1/64tsp + Half 1/64tsp of Quillaja Saponaria Extract [60] --- Added 1/32tsp + 1/64tsp of Horticultural Aloe --- Added 1/16tsp + 1/32tsp of Mycrobe Complete --- Mixed the solution and poured it straight into a pump sprayer. --- Misted the top soil for both EarthBoxes. --- Sprayed around each grow bag. --- Focused on wetting the straw mulch as evenly as possible. - [17:37]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank was still pretty full. Going to refill anyways. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~1gal). --- Oops! Kinda forgot to take PPFD readings. - [20:40]: Took general PPFD readings. --- Both plants were around 273 μmol/m²/s which gives a DLI of 17.69 mol/m²/d --- Going to leave the PPFD where it’s at. --- I want to increase the PPFD, but probably shouldn’t. Day 05 - Friday - 04/05/24 - Total Days: 039 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.0°F [26.1°C] - Humidity: 72.7% - VPD: 0.91 kPa - Soil %: [37, 40, 43, 35] ----------------------------------- - [21:46]: Evening check. --- Plants are still stunted and droopy. --- Seeing these plants like this is depressing.. --- Just going to mist the mulch today. - [21:52]: Using a spray bottle, misted the top soil of both EarthBoxes with distilled water (1/4 cup each). --- Mainly focused on the mulch. - [22:00]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank was about half full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~2gal). Day 06 - Saturday - 04/06/24 - Total Days: 040 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 79.0°F [26.1°C] - Humidity: 72.8% - VPD: 0.91 kPa - Soil %: [37, 40, 41, 34] ----------------------------------- - [20:59]: Evening check. --- Growth has not really changed at all. --- Still stunted and droopy. - [21:17]: Filled a measuring cup with 3 cups of distilled water. ------ Added 1/64tsp of Quillaja Saponaria Extract ------ Added 1/16tsp + 1/32tsp of Recharge --- Mixed the solution and poured it straight into a pump sprayer. --- Misted the solution onto the top soil of both EarthBoxes (~1.5 cups each). --- Mainly focused on the top soil, but also misted the top growth. --- Also going to start to bottom water. - [21:22]: Using a measuring cup, --- Poured 1 cup of distilled water into each fill tube. - [21:26]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank was still pretty full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~1gal). Day 07 - Sunday - 04/07/24 - Total Days: 041 ----------------------------------- Daily Averages [~23:00] - Temps: 78.9°F [26.1°C] - Humidity: 72.8% - VPD: 0.90 kPa - Soil %: [39, 40, 41, 34] ----------------------------------- - [20:19]: Evening check. --- Still no improvement in growth. --- I think I may have damaged these plants beyond recovery.. Damnit Ensign.. - [20:25]: Using a spray bottle, misted the top soil of both EarthBoxes with distilled water (1/2 cup each). --- Mainly focused on the mulch. --- Nice! --- Can finally see cover crop growing in! --- Finally something positive for this grow week! --- Was getting worried, but can see some sprouts growing up through the mulch. --- Despite the soil sensor data, I’m almost certain I let the soil dry out too much. --- Going to continue with the waterings, until the cover crop is more fully established. - [20:32]: Checked the humidifier. --- Tank was about half full. --- Refilled the humidifier with distilled water (~2gal). - [20:38]: Got a package from BuildASoil! --- Another pleasant surprise to end the week! --- Received a 7gal Grassroots fabric pot along with some BuildASoil Potting 3.0 soil. --- Since there’s more than enough excess soil (from the de-mounding), won’t be using the new soil yet. --- Next week, plan to fill the 7 gallon pot with some soil and will try to start some cover crop. --- Once the cover crop sprouts, will start a new seed of some Garlic Budder! --- Hmm, --- Since both plants are still stunted and I’m not sure if they will recover, may just pop 3 seeds. --- Another rough week of growing, but maybe next week will be better. [END OF WEEK 05]