Beginner Gardening: Cauliflower question along the same lines, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Jann, I do love my Earth Boxes, not only because they yield better for me, but because once I get them planted and the micro-sprinklers in place so they are watered, all I really have to do is watch and wait for harvest. No weeding, no muss no fuss. Just keep an eye out for insects, is all. I have them raised up on cinder blocks so they're easy to work with. I like that they're made of recycled plastic as well. I had 5, and the family bought me two more for Christmas.

I have a big raised garden bed and tried a controlled experiment last year, planting transplants on the same day into the Earth Boxes and the raised bed. I even used the same fertilizer and put down plastic mulch around the plants in the raised bed. The plants in the Earth Box were 'way bigger, bore earlier and produced side shoots weeks longer. I am a believer. That being said, our soil here is pretty much pure sand, and although I go to great lengths to enrich the raised bed with lots of compost, it's still not as good as potting medium. btw, I do re-use the potting soil in the Earth Boxes until it gets too bound up with roots.

The thing I really like about them is the controlled watering. I have timers on micro-drip heads to fill them up, and I set it so that they all just overflow a tiny bit, so there's virtually no wasted water. (I place a plant or bucket under the overflow to use the excess, too.) I have two big cisterns and collect rainwater to use on my edibles, but still don't have enough that I want to waste a drop. We go for long periods without rain here in the spring and fall, which are also the best times for growing veggies.

Picture shows my broccoli plants overflowing their Earth Box.

Elaine



This message was edited Jan 27, 2012 11:47 AM