Anyone Using EarthBox?

oh dear - another overpriced container gardening kit . . . .

get yerself a waxed lettuce box, some soil-less mix from Tru-Value / other (soil-less mix is peat moss, ground up/composted bark, perhaps some perlite or styrofoam pellets to lighten it, etc. - no "dirt" - and it's not "potting soil") a bag of dried cow manure, and follow the directions.

there's just no $300 magic involved in container gardening.

I've seen folks have wonderful success just plunking the bags of soil-less mix (big bags - 2 ft x 3 ft, roughly, ??40 lbs?) right on concrete - making X cut holes in the plastic and growing plants (ususally from starter pots) in the holes. no magic marketing beans invovled.

if you don't pay attention to your containers (especially watering - they dry out faster than land plots) you'll kill the upsidedown tomato plants right along with anything else.

My Dad and Step-mom swear by them. They have them around their pool. The concrete around the pool is the only full sun spot in thier yard so it was containers or nothing. When I visited them everything in them looked like it was doing extremely well. Not a scraggly plant in the lot. Step-mom says it extends the growing season for them in Tennesee and the yields are more than the two of them can eat by a long shot. They mainly grow peppers and tomatoes and sometimes cukes. Dad the engineer likes the water delivery system and says it makes them low maintaince. I've looked into them for myself, but they are a bit pricy. Dad claims they are worth every penny...I just have other places I'd rather spend my extra pennies at the moment.

I don't see how the EarthBox is any different than a regular planter box. When I read the title I had no idea what the "EarthBox" was. I thought that it may be something like the Upside Down Patio Garden at Sam's Club and other stores.

Let us know what you decide to get :)


dan

Dan, what makes them different, other than their high price tag, is that they contain an internal water supply. A wicking mat is used to move the water from the reservoir to the soil.

Basically, it just lets you worry about watering less often. And that's a big concern with container gardening of any kind.

Containers dry out faster than the surrounding environment. Which means you have to water more often. Which in turn means you are leaching nutrients out at a faster rate. Which means you need to fertilize more frequently.

The EarthBoxes mitigate that process somewhat. But, IMO, at too high a cost. And you can easily replicate the wick-from-a-reservoir system with a much cheaper do-it-yourself set up if you so desire.

Me, I just monitor the moisture and nutrient levels in my container plantings, and add more of each when necessary.

Nicko, don't make too big a thing out of monitoring moisture and nutrients.

For most garden vegetables, when the first inch of soil surface is dry, it's time to water. To monitor you just push your finger into the soil to about the first joint. It's that simple.

Fertilization can either be done on a scheduled basis, or when the plant tells you it's suffering a deficiency (most of the time it's very apparent what's needed). And the Earthboxes do not make fertilization easier or harder. You have to add nutrients as with any other container.

Frankly, I can't see how the Earthboxes would be any more or less flood resistent than any other container. Flooding is normally a problem with ground level in-situ gardens, not containers.

For instance, when I grow in containers I mostly use either 5-gallon pails or 20-gallon tubs recycled from cattle feed supplements. The pails are 15 inches tall, the tubs 20. If there's enough rain and runoff to cover either of those, I'm in big trouble regardless. The last thing on my mind would be the state of my tomato plants.

I don't recall the Earthbox dimensions, but don't believe they're even as tall as the 5-gallon pails.

And, as an aside, I do not believe that any market grower is using containerization as his/her standard growing method, let alone something like Earthboxes. It's just not a cost-effective way to go.

A market grower whose land is subject to regular inundation, and who couldn't move, would more likely go with berm beds than containers.

any container _must_ have good drainage - not a couple screwdriver holes either - one inch diameter or so - multiples, depending on size. otherwise you create a swimming pool and the water goes rather nasty at the bottom and will drown plants. also stinketh - all that organic matter going to swamp.

>>lettuce box aka produce box - these are corrugated that has been 'waterproofed' - used to be wax but most are probably polyethylene coated nowadays. lasts a season, then you dump out the soilless mix, dry & store it for next year (I used big trash bags for storage) I got them from the local farmer's market. they like to reuse them, but after a while they get a bit ratty and for a buck you can make a deal for all you need.

if you can find some - the plastic corrugated stuff is great - polypropylene - last many seasons - just don't 'appropriate' USPS mail totes/trays <g> a neighbor did that and wound up with a hefty fine....

anything works for containers - recycling is the most satisfying - unless you're looking for a "show piece" plastic crates from the dollar store - line with corrugated and bingo, 'container'

framing lumber - 2x8 or 5/4x8 - is less than $1/foot - couple nails and instant raised bed / container. not pressure treated, please - will last 5 yrs or better. this also allows you to custom fit the containers to your space. we've got a couple sawmills handy here - I can get scrap lengths (< 4 ft) of re/white cedar for a quarter - smells nice and lasts longer than I'll be around...

I've not yet seen any kind of "watering reservoir' system that worked better than a morning cup of coffee, two half open eye lids and a finger (what KYHeirloomer said) with a hose at the ready.

one trick I've used for stuff that keeps drying out is a 2 liter soda bottle, poke a small (fat needle size) hole in the bottom, fill with water, let it slowly drip. one bottle will take care of roughly 12 inches in all directions.

for small spaces, I'd recommend picking up a copy of Square Foot Gardening - excellent tutorial and info on maximizing your space.