Fine Tuning 2009 Raybo Efforts

cushman350 · March 27, 2011

I'm from the Earthbox Forum and fascinated by all things SIP. Someone at EBland posted a discussion Raybo was having in 2009 and wondering what became of the efforts to lessen the moisture of our toms toes. He was running trials in a tainer with an isolation panel between mixes and trying different amendments to dry the mix somewhat. It occured to me one might redesign the mix structure by having it be deeper/taller to let gravity dry your mix naturally. As the mix gets taller gravity changes the moisture of the mix once the weight of the water is too much for the matric potential to overcome. So you get to plant into a new zone you just have created. Make Sense?

cushman

rnewste · March 27, 2011

cushman,

I trialed 33 combinations of Potting Mix, Perlite, Turface, Cactus Mix, Redwood Mulch, Microbark, and Turf Topper. I observed the best results with a 3:2:1 ratio of Potting Mix, Microbark, and Perlite.

To be sure, this is likely not the "final" answer, but I achieved a moisture uptake balance that on successive hot days, the tips of the tomato plants just began to wilt. I considered this to be the optimal state of moisture delivery to the root system - not too much, but just enough. Call it my "Goldilocks Formula".

Please feel free to trial different combinations yourself and report back your observations.

Raybo

March 27, 2011	#1
cushman350 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Wichita Falls, TX [Tomato Hell] Posts: 99	Fine Tuning 2009 Raybo Efforts I'm from the Earthbox Forum and fascinated by all things SIP. Someone at EBland posted a discussion Raybo was having in 2009 and wondering what became of the efforts to lessen the moisture of our toms toes. He was running trials in a tainer with an isolation panel between mixes and trying different amendments to dry the mix somewhat. It occured to me one might redesign the mix structure by having it be deeper/taller to let gravity dry your mix naturally. As the mix gets taller gravity changes the moisture of the mix once the weight of the water is too much for the matric potential to overcome. So you get to plant into a new zone you just have created. Make Sense? cushman

March 27, 2011	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	cushman, I trialed 33 combinations of Potting Mix, Perlite, Turface, Cactus Mix, Redwood Mulch, Microbark, and Turf Topper. I observed the best results with a 3:2:1 ratio of Potting Mix, Microbark, and Perlite. To be sure, this is likely not the "final" answer, but I achieved a moisture uptake balance that on successive hot days, the tips of the tomato plants just began to wilt. I considered this to be the optimal state of moisture delivery to the root system - not too much, but just enough. Call it my "Goldilocks Formula". Please feel free to trial different combinations yourself and report back your observations. Raybo