For the first time I am growing a variety of vegetables in my EBs. I usually do tomatos and then melons in the summer when it is to hot for tomatos but a virus has wiped out most of my tomato plants and it is to late in the season for me to start from seed so I bought some hybrid tomato plants and will plant them along with stringbeans, peas, okra, and sugar snap peas. I just recieved five of the newer variety and they sure are a lot easier to set-up.
Hi "T"
What's so different about the new Earthboxes?
And how many sugar snap pea plants were you able to fit into one box?
Jean
Well Hello SweetPea! Haven't heard from you in a long while. The big difference is that they are more rigid, have a larger water capacity and have casters(removable)so they can be set on a patio or deck and much simpler to set up. The EB people say you can plant sixteen peas at eight per row but I only planted six at three per row. I tend to think that they exagerate a little.
Okay, what are Earth Boxes...and what are the advantages to using them...I am wanting to plant some veggies on my deck too...and was trying to figure out where to start...thanks for any info!
JanetS
Hi Janet ---- Earthboxes are a patented product and allow you to grow anything anywhere as long as you have sun. I have nineteen. For complete info go to www.earthbox.com and what they say is fact! Let us know what you think. There are many of us on DG that grow no other way....
Forgot to mention that I also planted strawberries and peppers today in my EBs. I'll be planting some hybrid tomatos tomorrow because of our southern virus which has killed most of my heirloom tomatos. I should have a tasty garden with the snow peas, stringbeans, cucumbers, okra and peppers plus tomatos. I'm getting hungry already! All this in a space approxiametly 3' x 10' with the exception of tomatos where I grew twenty-eight plants in a space of 3' x 35'.
Tplant,
Are the 28 tomato plants in EB's too? If so, can you please post pictures? Our tax returns are coming in soon and I always alot "gardening money" and I want to get the EB's too.
lafko --- I grow everything in EBs. Tomatos, peppers, beans , melons, peas, okra, cucumbers, etc. If it grows it can be grown in an EB including papaya trees...
This message was edited Feb 7, 2007 10:51 PM
Peppers!
More tomatos...
Typical tomato crop...
Honeydew melons
Casaba Melons. This one grew outside my fence. I put my foot in the picture to show size of melon and it still has three more weeks to go.
Ripe honeydew.
Casaba melon.
Thanks Tplant. You've just given me an idea for my DB's next birthday present. He's also in Florida, in the storm channel for Lake Okeechobee, so all his top soil nutrients tend to wash away in the rain. With the EBs, looks like he'll actually be able to grow something.
He sure will g_m. He's a little way above me as I fish Okeechobee and live in Pembroke Pines which is south of the lake. He will be a very happy person if he enjoys gardening. Rely on me for any help or info and that applies to you also lafko06. What are friends for if not to help each other?
Thanks Tplant. I wonder if the EB folks would be willing to wrap them in space ship wrapping paper. I'll be sending EARTHboxes to JUPITER! LOL!
Oh that is a good one!!!!
Tplant:
Some questions
Do you simply just fill the box with an appropriate planting soil and plop in your crops?
I often read about a "fertilizer strip" in EBs. What exactly is it?
How do you mulch?
I'll probably have some more questions later.
Thanks
Brennan
Preparation is simple but not that quick. Instructions come with the EB but you use a top quality potting mix and add wet mix a layer at a time and never all at once. This is down to condition the mix for moisture. You wouldn't want any dry spots. The fertilizer I use is 10-10-10 and I lay it down in a two inch strip either in the middle or the far side of my planting always keeping the fertilizer away from the roots. Example Tomatos. Two to the box. Tomatos are planted on either left side or right side of Eb. Fertilizer is then laid out at the very far side away from the plants. Now peppers at four or six to the box are planted three on each side and the fertilizer goes down the center or top of EB. Mulching is not necessary as the plastic cover protects the mix from weeds however I do pack a handful of cypress mulch on top of the cover where the stem grows to prevent any weeding as those buggers can get in anywhere. Planting diagrams also come with the EB but if not I'm always here.
Thanks Tplant:
I actually went to the site you posted a link for and pulled their directions
Thanks
Okay, I have looked at the site...exactly what do I need to order....did you get the soil and all of the stuff there or just the five item EB Kit...how about the staking thing for tomatoes etc.?
Hi JanetS -- You can, of course, purchase the complete kit but most of us buy what we need from Lowes or Home Depot. The freight is the killer on the heavy container mix so we buy locally and save money. All you need is Miracle-Gro potting mix or many other quality mixes to choose from(no moisture control granules in it) dolomite lime and any fertilizer under the mix of 15-15-15. I use Jungle Growth potting mix 10-10-10 fertilizer.
Thanks for posting all the pictures. I can't believe melons grow so well in them too! That gives me a great idea. Thanks for sharing all the info re: EB's too!!!!
Megan
Hi JanetS:
Always like to give a shout out to my neighbors!
BB
Hi BB..do you use these too? They really look interesting..I looked to see if they were available anywhere here, and didn't see a place to get them...
Hi Janet:
No I don't use them as I have plenty of land. But I have been asked to give a class on container gardening in some of the communities whee we build and I wanted to include the EB hence all my questions. I haven't seen them in any of the garden supply stores around here. Only mail order
BB
That what I thought...when I looked for a supplier Georgia wasn't on the list....thanks!
They are available at some dealers but they cost more. Best to purchase direct. Delivery is prompt.
Thanks!
I've had a EB for a few years now and I really liked it, but I always wanted to grow tomatoes in the ground. So I built a raised bed out of cinder blocks last Spring and it worked great, until the dreaded Bermuda grass took it over! I just now ordered three EBs because I just know that I'll be struggling [and my poor plants too] in that raised bed. One question, I really want to grow summer squash this year in a EB, how many per box?
I only grow two per EB and that is plenty.
I've been reading this thread and just want to let you know that TPlant has been holding my hand from the very beginning of my veggie experience. This'll be my first season growing veggies, and most everything I know came from Paw and the gang on the Tomato forum. True to his word, he'll be available for any questions you have, and has the pics to boot.
Paw, I'm proud to know yah!
P.S. Don't get confused, people. TPlant and Paw are one and the same. It's my special name for him cause of an inside joke...he understands.
Hey, Paw,
I uppotted my tomatoes last night and if I have energy after Bible Study tonight, I'll transplant another 25-30. They were actually looking ok. Thanks for the encouragement to go with the 16 oz. styrofoam cups. Anything smaller and they wouldn't have stood up straight. I made a hole down the center with a pencil, teased the roots loose and sunk them way down. Even managed to get my broken (but still growing) Azoychka down without snapping it in two.
My next question is about all the lettuce, spinach, green bean, okra and bell pepper seeds I have not planted. Have I waited too long? It's ok if I miss this season. I can seed at the end of the season for a fall crop. I just need help with the planting timeframe.
Come back, good buddy!
You are in zone 9 which is equivalent to Central Florida where the EB lab is located and all their growing charts are on their website. Look them up and go by their reco! It should work for you. Personally, I don't know...
Paw,
I went to the EB website, but I don't see the growing chart. Pls. help if you have a link. Thanks!
Google Earthbox Homegrown Vegetables for their charts.
Hey Gymgirl:
Please post some pics if you can so we can see your progress
Thanks
BB
I uppotted the remainder last night and took wonderful pics. Have to have a co-worker upload from my camera disk, as we are disabled at work. Will post pics in about 2 hours!
Great!
