I have 5 EB's out on my deck and they used to do great but I screwed up last year and mixed up my own "soil mix". Not even sure I can remember what I put in them, trying to "renew" them, but a complete disaster. I rarely follow directions but usually do my own thing, but live and learn. This season I am going do as the EB instructions advise. So today I emptied them all out and hosed them down. I have fresh potting MIX, the kind recommended by the EB people. But the boxes have a light coat of algae on them, particularly noticeable on the two white boxes I have. My plan was to scrub them out with a bleach solution but I'm wondering if that's necessary.
Do you think I can just refill with fresh mix, flowing instructions, or should I clean them first? They have been out in the weather for years and had a lot of water in the bottoms.
Thanks.
starting fresh on my older earthboxes.
Roseone: I would use bleach and scrub them out good; but you only need a 10% bleach solution to do that too. Some people overdo the bleach then I would let them air dry in the hot sun, kind of a solarization thing.
joy
Good idea, maybe get that done today. Thanks.
Very good idea! Also may I suggest going to Home Depot and buying a 5lb bag of dolmite lime and use one cup on the top four inches and mix it in to your container mix. Get used to saying "container mix" as potting mix is taboo for EBs. Also use two cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer in a two inch line on one side of the EB and plant on the other side as far away as possible from your seedlings.
Thanks Tplant. Those seem like really good ideas. Will give them a try.
That's what I'm here for! If I can be of further help you know where to find me. I also buy the covers, which are very important, in batches of 20 @ 80 cents ea. A lot less expensive. I found garbage bags disolve to quickly. This picture was taken before the two freezes we had that just about destroyed my tomatos.
Hang in there Tplant, you'll have tomatoes before you know it!
Just found out yesterday that I must have shoulder surgery to replace the durn rotator cup or whatever. It is my right shoulder and the doctor put me on vicadin to stop the pain as nothing else helped so my gardening days may be put off for a few days or longer.LOL but my mouth and fingers still work!!!
It's always something Tplant. Just keep on keeping on. We're all rooting for you and you'll be back to tending your box gardens before you know it.
Best of luck and blessings to you.
TPlant: Your tomatoes look good, I hope they survived the freeze you had, my peppers are suffering because I started them early and they are so finicky aren't they? Tomatoes are so much easier.
joy
TPlant--so sorry you have to have surgery. Are they repairing a torn rotator cuff?
We'll be keeping you in our thoughts and wishing you all the best for successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Hope you'll continue to visit here and post as you are able.
Linda
Hi Linda & Joy --- Yes it is my rotator cup and no to having tomatos, well a few of poor quality but will do better next season. Never thought my shoulders would give out? My doctor told me unloading trucks carrying 80lb crates on my shoulders at age 15 to earn extra money to help my parents did not do any good especially in freezing temperatures and in unheated warehouses. That is the way things were in the early and late 50's.
Ted
Ted: I know that must be painful, I just returned from a dear friend's house, who fractured her T5 and the disc is bulging, she is in some pain and when you get up in age, the bones don't heal as quickly, she was using a pitchfork to throw leaves on a burn pile she had and picked up too many and turned the wrong way and that was it. Keeping you in my prayers T.
joy