Welcome to the Self-contained box garden forum

Here is the brand new forum by popular request. The self-contained box garden forum is ready for all of the wonderful ideas and images!

Here we go. Isn't it great to have our own forum. Next year I will have more EB. Too late to start more now in this climate. I expect a frost any time.

I planted four basil plants, 1 eggplant and 1 sweet pepper in my 1 EB. I used leaves from the basil plants fairly early in season, only one is still growing nicely
Here is the Sweet Banana, showing a couple that have turned red. I have given away at least 30 peppers besides what I have used.

Donna

And here is a picture of the Bianca eggplant at other end of EB. I have given away a couple and eaten a couple.

I'm sorry can't remember what soil mix I used, I think it was Black Gold. It actually never receives full sun. It is placed about four feet out to the north of my house, so gets afternoon shade.

Donna

clicked wrong button.

Hi Donna ...
Oh, I've never planted my herbs in an EB but think that would be fun. I'm wondering how you keep the creepers in place like thymes, etc? That's why I wanted this forum. :) It's great to see you ... Can't believe you beat me here. LOL I won't bore you with my pepper plants I showed on the other forum. That's about all I have in my garden right now. When Tplant gets here, I'm going to pick his brain for more ideas. LOL
~Susan

Yippee!

I wonder if it would be possible (or even a good idea) to move some of those EB threads from other forums over to here... there was a wonderful list posted on the DG forum thread that created this forum. :-)

Congratulations on the new forum!

Critter, are you referring to that list of links that was posted?

I am so anxious to learn all about this and try it!!

Woo-hoo! Thank you so much!

I think it would be very helpful to all if we moved all questions to this forum? About herbal gardening in an EB. They love it and the basil has a tendency to take over so plant only one and keep it trimmed. I can not give enough of mine away.
I am really grateful to have this forum because EB gardening is a lot of fun because you grow more quality plants , larger crops, one time fertilizing and no weeding. Most of your seasons are coming to an end and mine is just beginning so I promise to take specific pictures as I go along. However, remember I use the patented earthboxes and not the home made so I can only give basic info on them but there are a few who have made their own successfully and I'm hoping they will share their knowledge and experience with us which I'm sure they will being DG'ers.
I'll be transplanting my seedlings today into 4-5" square containers and will take pictures when completed today. In a way it is good that the season is over for most as what you see and learn through my experience will help you come your set-up time. Just remember always use top quality potting or container mix. If it costs less than $7 for two cubic feet you don't want it and never listen to the advice of salesman at the gardening
center as they never grew in EBs even if they say they have. So many peoples seasons have been ruined because of the wrong mix such as top soil @$2 per bag. You get what you pay for!

I vote Tplant as caretaker and CEO of this new forum!!!!


Boca bob

Absolutely! I second that! ^_^

I have a question . . . do the EB's come in different sizes?

The reason I ask . . . I've been reading about them for the last year or two, since the soil in my yard - what little there is before you get to clay - doesn't produce very good plants . . .

Did I say "the reason I ask", then go off in a different direction? Well, then, let's correct that. Because of the above reason, I have looked at EB's here locally. Last season they were being sold for $50.00 ea. That nursery is no longer in town, and the company that took it's place is selling them for $80.00. I just went to the EB website itself, and they are being sold for $30.00.

They are one and the same! Buy direct from www.earthbox.com while we still can as I fear they may go strictly wholesale to distributers and that will raise the price..

Oh noooo! Why are they going to do that? Even the supplies ... covers, watering systems?

No! Not certain but the EBs are popping up in quite a few nurseries throughout the state so ask yourself as a retailer "Would you buy EBs from me if you could buy them cheaper direct?" I fear there is something brewing!

Prices on the Earthbox website range from $47.95 to $52.95. I don't see anything for $30. Was this a special that has now expired?
No place in my area (Albuquerque, NM) seems to sell these.
http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/EarthBox/products.asp?dept=12

Here is the link for the $29.95 boxes at the EB site: http://shop2.mailordercentral.com/EarthBox/products.asp?dept=5

I guess maybe the $29.95 boxes are the "basic" version? The $47.95 ones seem to come with alot more stuff.

Supporting the local nursery that I like, I bought my first EB TODAY for $64.64 including tax (without the potting soil). Ordering directly will cost me $63.90 (shipping and potting soil included).

Getting the EB TODAY and satisfying the ID...PRICELESS.

Congrats! Let us know what you decide to plant in it! I'm so excited for you. LOL

congratulations susan on getting your EB forum. there was no doubt in my mind that you would, didn't you tell me that southern girls always get their way. LOL

at one time i did own two EB's but after the first year i decided to run my soaker hose through my five gallon containers and therefore i didn't need the EB's anymore. i gave them to a friend visiting from michigan because they were to big to fit on the table which held the rest of my containers.

I use the self-watering containers from Gardener's Supply. I have several of them on carts they have available to raise them up so they are easier to get to (and on casters). The whole thing is very much like an EB. In fact, I think I'm going to get a genuine EB for comparison.

I had my best year yet...tomatoes, cukes, Roma beans, bell peppers, watermelon (one). I tried corn and got almost no pollination, so I'll have to work on that. (I also have 2 varieties of potatoes in fabric tubs, but this is the EB forum, so I'll let that slide)

here's a link for the containers if anyone's interested (this is the whole kit with the cage, fert, soil and red plastic mulch. you can buy just the container)

http://www.gardeners.com/Tomato%20Success%20Kits/VegetableGardening_TerrificTomatoes,35-776RS,default,cp.html

The $30 Earthbox is the basic equipment. What you are paying for if you get the one at 47.95 is fertilizer and growing mix. the 52.95 has organic fertilizer so it's a little more expensive. Does this help clarify?

Hi Frank ...
Great to see you, and thanks for your vote of confidence! LOL Of course we southern gals get our way. We know how to sweet talk our men! grin

grampapa
That sounds interesting. It's great to see different varieties and other choices. :)I'm going to check that link out to see what the difference is. I really don't care what you call them ... I just love EB's! LOL They really work for me.
~Susan

Susan - great forum - so glad you and others have gotten it going and letting me know about it. I've needed some extra coaching on the use of the EB version, even though I've had success with tomatoes, squash, and lettuce. I'd like to try some different crops.

Grampapa - thanks for sharing the great photos! I've been debating ordering some from GS and those on your deck look really pretty. I guess I'd have to get a ladder out for the tomatoes - those are really tall! My DH, bless his heart, cares about appearances more than a fresh tomato (I know, ????), and he doesn't like the look of the EB with the white plastic cover. Do those have a plastic cover?

Hi Book ... great to see you. I'm anxious to learn everything I can from all my friends who use any variety of EB's, so come back and share your knowledge and successes with us. :)

Will do, IO1! I learned the hard way that placing an EB on a concrete driveway is great for getting early March warmth to tomatoes, but the kiss of death to them in late May/June when it gets really hot here. I did get a pretty good crop that first year, but wouldn't try it again. Thus, I'm looking for a location that gets enough sun, sits on dirt or grass, and will meet the "appearance" priority from our den picture windows.

Like grampapa, I have the Gardeners Supply Boxes. This is the 3rd year I have grown my tomatoes in the boxes. I don't have the stands for them, they just sit on the cement along the driveway.
At the end of the season I cut down the tomato plants and dump the dirt in a spot where the soil could use some improving (I have clay soil). In the spring I order the refill kits from GS, the kits have soil, fertilizer and the red plastic mulch.
To answer bookworms ? The plastic mulch servers as a cover, but does not go over the edge of the box, I tuck mine down between the soil and the inside of the box, it gives a much neater appearance.
The start up kit also came with a cage which is very important if you will be growing tomatoes, but I still use some re-bar stakes to tie up the plants as the plants get really heavy from the fruit and grow taller then the cages, the stakes just add extra support.

Great info ladygardener. In an EB, you place a strip of fertilizer granuals either in the center or one edge depending on the crop. Is that the same way with the GS boxes?

Hi gang -- If you live in a hot climate use the white side of your cover as black will absorb to much heat. Also use white EBs if you have a choice of colors. As far as concrete is concerned the new EBs come with casters so that should protect them from hot concrete. If you use other than patented EBs place them on a coulpe of pieces of 2X4 wood planks to keep them off the concrete. This is how I did it in my prior home as all I had was a large concrete patio and very little lawn that did not recieve enough sun because of large trees.

Very good points, T-plant! did have the casters, but had used the black plastic side up to help with warmth in March. Maybe it was the black plastic mistake and not the concrete that was the problem in the heat of June. I also got sick for a week or so, and probably didn't water them enough in early June. Also, I have the dark boxes.

Dark boxes are OK as long as you use a white cover and water regularly.

I have the terracotta colored boxes but do use the white covers. The DH plowed a little garden space using one of those electric tillers and I used the weed stopper material to set mine on. The first year I didn't do that, and the grass and weeds grew up around them causing insect problems. I haven't had as many since doing that. (knock on wood) LOL

Thanks Tplant - I think you've diagnosed the problem. Good idea about the weed stopper material, too Susan.

Okay, here's a question in reguards to growing herbs. Lets say I had room for an EB in my house, and when I watered it I put something under it to keep it from making a mess. Do you think herbs would be happy growing in the house in the winter? I donno, but can you imagine walking over and picking fresh basil, italian flat leaf parsley, oregano and thyme whenever?

If you have a good, sunny window I would think they should be fine. I've read that herbs are easy to grow inside if they just have enough light.

Karen

Bookworm asked