I am seriously looking into making my own growing box this season, but I want to make a few changes. I would make mine from large round 5 gallon buckets and then attempt to make a hypertufa surround from a 10 gallon bucket for asthetics. This will involve some time and effort on my part and I wanted to make sure that those of you that have made your own are pleased with the performance compared to the Earthbox sold by the manufaturer.
Thanks
:)
Susan
How has your grow box like the earth box done for you?
Here is a link for making your own and please post any others if you are aware of them. http://josho.com/Earthbox.htm Thanks.
Susan
Susan, there are some photos from last year in threads by DarrellR where he shows growing tomatoes in 5 gal. buckets for his market garden. They are either in Canadian Gardening or maybe the market growers forums.
hi Soul! Foolcontrol makes all his own EBs and said they work great. Someone has instructions on how to make one round if you want to. Let me see if I can find it.
Michelleb
Hey Darius and Michelle, You guys are awesome!! I will d-mail DarrellR if I can't find the threads first and thanks for looking Michelle!! :)
:)
Susan
Susan, you have dmail.
Michelle
I think the measurements of the old EB are 15" x 30" x12" (if I recall right). The mesh grate goes 3.5 inches above the bottom. There are two 3" square holes in the grate. One at each end in the corner on the same side. There is a 1/4" drain hole about 1/2" below the grate. Just drill a 1/4 inch hole. Use a PVC feed tube that goes to the bottom of the container. I found some heavy plastic planter boxes at Garden Ridge Pottery with the same measurements. The only thing I have to add is the drain hole, grate and feed tube. I would recommend buying at least one EarthBox for dimensions and to use as a guide in designing your own. You do not need to bevel the sides. Straight sides allow for a bigger tank. The new EarthBox has straighter sides. Plastic containers at Walmart are often not strong enough. Use two cups of Osmocote for vegetables 10-10-10 for the fertilizer strip.
Here are the things that are most important: a ridgid container (when filled with water and kicked hard but not break, bulge out or lose its shape), the grate must be very ridgid and uniformly flat (it can not sag into the water or it will not work), the container must not leak, two 3" square holes in the grate, water should be able to flow freely throught the bottom of the container after the grate supports have been installed.
I did get a slow leak in my box last year; however, it still grew fine.
I am going to use expanded metal for my grates this year. I will also weld on a thin frame for support.
Use a real Earthbox with the same variety of plant as a control.
Fool, you are a real handy man, aren't you?
Hey foolcontrol, Michelle sent me some plans someone previosuly had online for the round buckets. They buckets I have are free to me and extrmemly rigid. They were pool chlorine buckets. I will take some pics and post.
So yours were just as good as the real deal and your plants were just as good?
Thanks!
:)
Susan
I was happy with the growth.
Chlorine Buckets? How do you know all the chlorine is out of them?
mmmmmmmmmm.. just wash them out... Chlorine is a highly unstable chemical and residue in buckets will tend to evaporate out of it before I even get around to washing them.. but I still give them a rinse :)
I still ned to take the pics and post!!
:)
Susan