I am planing on making a number of the Earthbox-like selfwatering containers to use in the garden next year. The 18 gallon Rubbermaid containers that I will be using are 24"X16"X16.5". How many of the large Dahlias that get 4-5 ft high do you think I can put in each box? Maybe just one if I have the boxes sitting close together?
Susan
Dahlias in Earthboxs
Susan, my dahlias that were about that tall got to be pretty large around by the end of the summer. So, I am thinking that one per box is about right. Nat
Sounds like a great idea to build your own EB's. Can you show us detailed pictures of how you do it ? I pay $29.00 + potting soil + dolomite lime and fertilizer. I have seven store bought EB's and am an avid believer in them. Go to the tomatoe forum and see"My New Garden."
Here's a link to some directions for making the E-Boxes from Rubbermaid containers. I have not tried them, but it sounds like they work well for many people. If you can find the containers on sale, cost could be under $5.00 each. I am going to group them , then make a covering by using a brushwood edging from Smith and Hawkins to surround them and cover the tops with plastic landscape fabric and cedar mulch so none of the plastic container will end up showing. The area I'm going to use them in has lots of tree roots and poor soil, so I think the dahlias will do much better in the boxes than in the soil. Will post some photos next summer. I'm glad to hear that you like the earth boxes.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0518193614037.html
Susan
What all can be planted in the Earthbox?
Most anything. Go to www.earthbox.com
here's another 'how-to' for the EBs:
http://www.josho.com/Earthbox.htm
i remember reading on some thread - that using the grid cover for a flourescent light works well instead of having to use the 2nd box within a box.
Here's another 'how to' I've found for making homemade EarthBoxes. There are several varieties, and some great information. It's in a PDF file, so if you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will need to download that first.
http://www.hometown.aol.com/jmalt31/myhomepage/Earthbox.PDF
We are getting ready to start our first vegetable garden. We were going to plant it all in the ground, but I recently learned about this, and decided to try it out.