Growing with Earthbox

Let us know about your experience or experiences with earthbox. Because I am disabled and have had great success with the earthboxes, I have decided to grow all my plants in them and use the pots for flowers. Because I live in zone 10b (not 10a as designated) I have a head start and right now my tomatos in the "boxes" are twice as big and plentiful as the ones in the containers. I shall be growing melons, peppers, stringbeans(Festina)eggplants and sugar snap peas and probably anything else I fancy so, I'll report my progress as time goes by. Hoping to hear from ya'll!

you've convinced me to get some.

nicksgrammy.... Let us know when they arrive and what you intend to plant in them.

I ordered mine. (I can use all the help I can get).

Signed, "The Black Thumb"/Official Killer of Plants :))

Sweetpea.... I just followed directions. They are all drawn out and easy to follow ... BUT KEEP YOUR THUMB OUT OF THE MIX!! ( Just joking.)

i am going to plant anything and everything in them. i've seen pictures of people growing corn in them and full size cucumber plants on trellises. i got a couple of those little bitty mini greenhouses to start my seeds and will order the earthboxes forthwith.!!!!

Tplant, do you use tomato cages with the Earthbox? I ordered several, just-in-case.

The earthbox has two holders for rods. The rods are the standard green vinyl rods that you can purchase at Home Depot. Buy the tallest rods. You will need them. You can also use, in addition to the rods, the galvanized tomato towers from Parks or Gardeners Supply. Simply push them into the box to support the sides of your plants if necessary. I had too. The rods go out on an angle and thus the plants follow, so the tomato towers work well for extra support in the center of the box. Hope this info helps you!

Yes, thank you! I had ordered tomato cages from Gardener's Supply and was hoping they would work with the Earthboxes.

You could try the cages -- I never did. I'm not sure if they can be set up inside the box!
P.S. -- My beefsteak, in the earthbox, is so loaded with tomatoes that the branches are straining with the weight of the tomatos and I am concerned that the limbs will snap. I had to use the bamboo sticks as additional braces.(placed outside the box) You guys are going to have a lot of fun when your boxes arrive.

This message was edited Mar 1, 2004 4:00 PM

Just read the "earthbox gardening tips" brochureAnd they state you can use wire cages outside the box. Hope you see this Sweetpea!

Tplant, you have so many huge tomatoes that you are worried the plant's limbs will snap? I should have such problems! I am SO jealous! LOL.

Where are your tomatoes -- inside or outside?

Outside ... and yes a couple did snap but the hardy tomato plant endures and keeps on going on and on. Next time I will provide much stronger support by putting the earthboxes on dirt instead of my patio this way I can brace them.

Tplant, the Earthboxes arrived this evening! I am going to buy a granular fertilizer. Can you recommend a good 'ratio' for tomatoes? (e.g., 10-10-10). Thanks! -- Jean

With your "complete earthbox " you should have recommendations " Use any commercial fertilizer as long as the 3 numbers on the label are between 5 & 15." Did you receive one complete box? The instructions are in it.

No, I ordered five of the regular boxes. But they did include complete instructions (except the fertilizer requirements of various types of plantings).

The only difference I could see was that the "complete" setup had a bag of general-purpose potting mix, a general-purpose granular fertilizer, and a small amount of dolomite. I know I can purchase these locally much more cheaply.

I wanted to ensure that I supplied the correct granular fertilizer for each type of planting. I did find the fertilizer requirement for tomatoes, which is a low-nitrogen one (5-10-10).

The tomato and bell pepper transplants haven't arrived yet, but I have strawberry plants ready. I will take pictures from the start and throughout the growing project. Thanks!

Sweetpea ---- Fertilizer is the same for all plants. I ordered two more boxes monday night --- probably should have waited until I moved to the new home, but I just could'nt. I've been looking for fertilizer like you have but could not find the formulation of 5-10-10? What brand and where did you buy it?

Tplant, I didn't buy the fertilizer yet, but I am going to Home Depot tomorrow (Sunday) and will let you know if I find it there and how much it costs.

In addition to the Earthboxes, I also purchased two 36-inch by 36-inch raised-bed boxes from Gardener's Supply (for $34 each). I will use one of them for potatoes.

Since I have the strawberry plants, I will place them in the first Earthbox tomorrow.

This message was edited Mar 6, 2004 11:04 PM

Hi folks...I'm new to this thread and maybe someone can help me out. I own 10 Earthboxes and use them very successfully mainly for chili peppers, cucumbers, squash and cherry tomatoes. However, every attempt to grow regular or plum tomatoes has been ruined by blossom end rot. Yes I added the extra lime to the potting mix and have even tried a commercial BER spray which is I believe a calcium chloride solution. Doesn't seem to matter what I do, I still get very few usable tomatoes except for the cherry's. They grow just fine. Also FYI, I've found that I get better results with everything I grow mixing two cups of a 100% organic fertilizer into the potting mix before planting instead of the band on top. I use Espoma 5-3-3 all organic and then usually foliar feed every two weeks with a kelp extract and fish emulsion. Again, anyone's help sure would be appreciated.

ritchh ... Wish I could help you but I've not had that problem. Judging what you said about foliar feeding, BER can be caused by overwatering and perhaps over feeding. Tomatoes don't like that much nitrogen and in addition to the supply of water and fertilizer always available in the earthbox, you give them more water and more fertilizer than they really need by your foliar feeding. Suggest you go back to basics and do exactly as they suggest. If you lost the basic instructions,let me know and I will provide them to you..Try just one box as per original instructions and stop the foliar feed.

I have used the Earthbox for about 4 years now. I have had a lot of success with them.

Cynthia -- Did you have to change soil and if so, what did you use? Also what type of fertilizer? What did you grow in them? I notice your picture and it shows the black side on your cover. Did you know to use the white side during the hot summer months?
I have had great success growing tomatos and now I will grow a variety especially strawberries and honeydew melons.

I got Earthboxes as an accidental trade on DG (I was supposed to get pineapple plants but UPS mixed up the boxes and I ended up with EBs, which worked out OK) I tried them the first time last fall. I didn't get very good results, but I don't think I set it up quite right. Myabe not enough sun or too much sun (moved it around a little). I also used organic fertilizer--I don't know if that made the difference in this or not. My poor tomato plant got broken off--twice, and I never got anything off that. I chalk that one up to stress. I got a few green peppers off the plants--about what I would normally get from the ones in pots. Is mixing the peppers and tomato plant is a no-no??? It doesn't say that on the instructions.

Butterfly -- Do you still have the directions? If so, try again and do use the fertilizer they suggest and I would not grow tomatoes and peppers in the same box, but you can try and see what happens.

This message was edited Mar 16, 2004 1:32 PM

Tomatoes and peppers are perfectly compatible w/ each other. Am wondering how many of each you put in the Earth box tho; anytime plants are too crowded you'll see a negative effect. Could that be the case?

Fertilizer/plant food are...well, just that. They come in many strengths and "offerings" (some offering more N, some more Phosphorus, for example). You may want to check out that avenue and see what is best for what you are growing.

Horseshoe - The brochure says you can plant eight pepper plants in one box but I disagree with this because of poor air circulation. I would try four or maybe six. As far as fertilizer is concerned they say to use any formulation as long as all three numbers remain below 15. Oh! Tomatoes plant only two.
I saw a mix of fertilizer of 10-10-10 for palm plants and another 6-15-8. I prefer the later because of the lower nitrogen(n) content. I feel toms don't need that much (n) as I learned the hard way with tremendous growth and little fruit.
The earthbox formulation works for me.

I agree Tplant...go with the lower N formula. Also with ya on the crowded plant issue, especially where you're at what with the humidity.

If you planted one tomato in an Earthbox, do you think you could also stick in two peppers? More, w/out over-crowding?

Horseshoe - Just got back from grocery shopping. Have to have corned beef and cabbage this week. I'm certain you can plant two peppers with the tomato and maybe even three. The plants have a tendency to lean out of the box thus giving more room and if you train them to lean, you'll have plenty of room. Hope that answers your question.I am moving next week so my boxes are empty but I intend to plant 2 tomatos and marigolds in the same box and tomatos and nastariums(Don't know if I spelled them correctly) in another. Next box, watermelon(Seedless sugar baby) and cantaloupe. Another will be stringbeans and cucumber and of course the rest of my boxes will be the remaining heirloom tomatos. Would have been in a good month ago but nothing goes as planned!
Haven't heard from LoisianaSweetPea! Wonder how she's doing with her new boxes?

This message was edited Mar 16, 2004 6:46 PM

This message was edited Apr 20, 2004 6:52 PM

stringbeans? Bush beans, or gonna grow pole beans on a trellis?

And will the melons be allowed to sprawl off to the outsides of the box? You'll need to take good pics this year!

Sounds fun!

Shoe and TPlant:
Pepper and tomato plants are supposed to be compatible. I mixed my planting 4 peppers and 1 tomato plant in my box. The instructions say 8 peppers to a box or 2 tomato plants to a box. So I did half of each. The fertilizer I use has all numbers well under 15 (it's the Veggie's Alive fertilizer from Gardens Alive). I'm following the directions (yes, I still have them). I'm assuming I just did something wrong. Everyone swears by these things. Does the box being on concrete cause an issue? I know pepper plants like temps to be a little cooler to set the blossoms (I think 55 to 80 degrees F is the optimum range?). Only way I can get that is to put them in the shade, in which case they won't get enough sun maybe?

Butterfly - Air circulation is the best for your plants although I know in Orlando, in the summer,it is hot-hot-hot. I lived there in 1980 for six months on business and I remember nights, so close was the air, that it was hard to breathe. Although I live in So. Fl, there is always a breeze and most time it is in the 80's in summer with afternoon showers. I suggest you space your plants generously and do not put the boxes or any plants based on concrete for it would be like putting them in a frying pan for concrete conducts heat from the sun! As far as my melons are concerned Shoe, I will let them sprawl and I will take pictures of them and show as soon as I learn how to show them on the "Garden."

ButterflyGardnr,
I had poor results with my 5 earthboxes last summer and I don't know why, either. One had celery and that did very well, one had broccoli and that did well too. Then one had 2 tomatoes, one had 6 peppers, and one had 6 yellow squash plants. Those 3 boxes had dissapointing results, the tomatoes each got two or three fruits and at year end when I pulled the plants, the roots had not travelled far at all. The pepper plants seemed small and yields were 1/4 that of the plants in the ground. And the yellow squash couldn't ripen fruit, it never got very big either, just fell off 1/2 done.

However, those boxes cost a fortune and I'm not giving up. I guess since the celery & broccoli were happy, we'll do that again and maybe some herbs.

Eileen

I think ya'll that are having trouble should call or email the Earthbox folks with questions. There could be several variables. (The hot concrete could be one, but the problem in IL might not be the same.)

Could it be the soil that was used? Did it absorb the water/moisture properly, or too fast?

I've used GardensAlive plant food before, Butterfly. However, an "organic" formula registers different from a man-made chem formula and that may have had an affect. Also the heat/temp...if those peppers get 5 hrs of light that should be plenty in your heat zone (once they are matured plants and flowering).

eileen, the tomatoes, peppers, and squash are all heat lovers. The celery and broc like cooler weather. What kind of season did ya'll have up there? And were the boxes planted and grown out at the same time? (You can see ya'll got my interest up, eh?)

Yes, you're right about the ones that failed being heat lovers...the boxes are black with black plastic/elastic covers. I thought that would heat up the box but maybe it was too cool. I had mine on my wood deck, no concrete to add heat. Our water is hard, full of minerals. But I was asking someone in the container gardening forum about the best soil mix for earthbox, thinking that was the culprit. I got some 40 lb bags of "Walmart brand" dirt - dunno if it was fake topsoil or fake potting soil. Very gritty feeling stuff but at the same time, clay-y. I plan to dump the boxes out in my main garden and refill with some better stuff.

Eileen

I planted my first Earthbox with Ozark Beauty strawberries yesterday. I used Miracle-Gro potting soil in the box and granular 8-8-8 fertilizer I found at Home Depot.

I have to check out Wal-Mart -- I saw some 6-8-8 granular fertilizer there, but didn't stop to get it. I still haven't found the 10-10-10.

The other boxes are awaiting the arrival of the tomato and bell pepper transplants. -- Jean

LSPea, how much Miracle Gro did it take to fill the earthbox? (like how many quarts)
Thanks,
Eileen

Eileen, I'll go check the size of the bag, but I know it took half of one of those BIG bags of Miracle-Gro.

Eileen, that Wal-mart dirt was probably the culprit, at least in part. I've tried to use it and it's pretty yucky. By the time I got done "fixing it up", I might as well have gone with the Miracle Grow potting soil.

The directions also say you can use The product "Jungle Grow" potting mix. I saw this at Lowes. It was available in two or three sizes.Don't know if the name is accurate, but it has a picture of the jungle on it.It is a good quality and very economical.
The plastic cover has an important use. White side for summer,black for cooler climates. I read the brochure and all he asks is that we follow directions "exactly" which means buy the potting soil they suggest (several choices) and use the fertilizer of the numbers of 15 or less for all three numbers. ( Exmpl 10-10-10 )
(not organic - it doesn't last long enough) As far as the amount of potting soil, the box holds 2.2 cubic feet and the soil is 2 cu.ft. Also keep the water in the box full.
The fertilizer(2 cups) is not mixed into the soil but poured on top in a straight line at the farthest point from the plants.Example two tomato plants in front of box - fertilizer in back of box. Peppers 3 on each side - fertilizer in a thin line down the middle. Don't forget the lime? Keep PH at 7 - 6.5.
Tell us if you have any problems anytime for we can help also keep us informed on your success!

This message was edited May 1, 2004 9:33 PM