Tplant- My plant is o.k. I don't understand I have been watering it, I guess not every day I did not want to overdoit. My first earthbox came in today, actually I thought it would be bigger, I guess I'll have to see the results with my two own eyes to believe that something this size can be so productive. One more question what ratio of plants do you use on the earthbox, what I mean is that the pamphlet tells you you can plant 16 peas/beans but do you plant 1/2 of what it tells you or what?
Thank you so much again for your help.
Signed
An inesperienced gardener.
Earth Boxes
Hi carminator1. I now have 15 Earthboxes and this will be my 5th season using them. This is what I've found to be the best planting density for me based on what I have grown:
Tomato & Eggplant - 2
Cucumber - 4
Lettuce - 8
Broccoli - 6
Peppers (hot & sweet) - 6
Summer Squash - 4
Basil - 8
Italian Parsley - 8
Hope that helps you a bit. Just use common sense. If 8 peppers seems like a lot (and it does to me) just back off a bit. Same with 6 summer squash as per their literature which I have backed down to 4.
Rich
I agree with ritch. I would even go one tomato if it is known to be a big plant such as the Brandywine family. My brandywine has over twenty very large tomatos. It makes up in quantity and quality for having it's own box. Plant marigolds up front and around the plant but in rhe same box.
As far as their instructions on how many to plant ? I would only plant four peppers in a box because once again they make up for it in quantity and quality. Plant a third less than they suggest except for determinate(bush) tomatos. I use this method and it works great for me..
Thank you ritch and Tplant:
After seeing the size of the Earthbox today, I knew that I could not plant as much. Tomorrow I will go to the store and buy some Jungle Growth, dolomite lime and also some stakes I am sure that the tomatoe plants will grow a lot so I will need them.
One more thing, I Just started some peppers, cucumbers and sweet basil seeds and placed them on a small plastic greenhouse that I bought in Walmart. My question is that acording to a book I read it sais that once you place the seeds in each pot and put the plastic cover on top you must place the small greenhouse in a heated mat or underneath a heated lamp. Is this necesary? I just went online and they are prety pricey.
If you keep them in a warm area you should have no problem with those seeds. I usually start basil and cucumbers in plastic six-packs on a window sill or under flourescent lights and never have a problem. The pepper seeds like a lot of warmth but even they should be no problem. They might sprout a day or two faster with a heating mat but it's not worth the price for just those few days.
Rich
carminator1....don't know if you're planning to grow any of that in an Earthbox but you might want to check my post here of Feb. 12 which has a photo attached of my Earthbox cucumbers from last year and I'll attach here a shot of my Earthbox basil. Sorry the picture is a little dark and you can't see the Earthbox behind all the foliage but trust me there are 8 plants in an Earthbox.
Rich
Ritchh:
Thank you so much for sharing your picture, it is amazing. By the way are those in the back cherry tomatoes? I also think I can see some serrano peppers. Also thank you so much for your quick response on the heating mat, I really did not want to spend $35 to $40 for one unless I really had to.
This is what I am thinking I just got one of my Earthboxes yesterday and I should have another one arriving shortly. I ended up ordering replacement covers because I did not think that the earthbox came with them, so now I have a bunch. I am thinking of planting my 2 tomatoes in one of them. I purchased better boy and the other one is Juliet grape tomatoes. In the other Earthbox I am thinking either 2 cucumbers and 2 peppers or just 1 cucumber and 2 peppers, but those I started from seed the day before yesterday so I imagine it is going to take a while for me to be able to plant them in the earthbox. The basil I was just thinking of purchasing a normal container to plant it in since I only ordered 2 Earthboxes.
Hopefully if my Earthboxes will do good this year so I can purchase 2 more, they are kind of pricy so I want to try them first
Thanks again
To the right of the basil are grape tomatoes, to the left are Arledge Heirloom hot peppers and above them top left are Tobasco peppers. Also barely visible in the bottom right corner are Thai Dragons. I grow lots of hot peppers, 10-12 varieties every year. I grow lots of basil in pots other than Earthboxes along with lots of flat leaf Italian parsley. As long as you don't let them dry out basil is very happy in pots and doesn't need full sun to thrive. My wife is Italian (or more correctly Sicilian) and if I grew nothing else would have to grow the basil and parsley or get thrown out of the house (lol).
Rich
Ritch:
This is another post that I placed in another forum but have not gotten any response on:
Just bought some cheap seeds from Walmart 10 cents each package. Hopefully they'll turn to be good seeds. By the way have any of you tried those Jiffy pots and if you have are they any good?
I planted my peppers and cucumber in this pots so I was wondering whether you have had any experience with them in the past.
Also I was going to buy the full plants in Lowes or Homedepot but after seeing this seeds for only 10 cents a package I thought I should give it a try.
I have used both the Jiffy pressed peat pots that you add soil to and the Jiffy pellets that expand when put into warm water. They both work fine but expect the outside to get quite moldy from constantly being wet (does no harm to the plants). Also when you plant them make sure the entire pot is below soil level as exposed portions of the pot will act like a very efficient wick drawing moisture from the pot & soil making it difficult for the plant roots to penetrate into the soil.
Rich
Ritch:
Thank you so much for all your help, I have used the pots in the past and liked them but this year I thought I should try the Jiffy pellets. I am going to have so much fun with my new earthboxes. I was just telling my husband that one of the reasons why I am such a clumpsy gardener is because I am not patient enough, I want tomatoes and I want them now.
By the way what do you do with all the spicy peppers? Do you dry them, make salsa, or do you have a special way of storing them?
carminator1 ---- I've been following your threads and you made me laugh about being impatient for your tomatos. You remind me of aries44. LOL No matter what we do it still takes an average of 85 days at least, after final transplant before we can take the first bite. We can water, fertilize, pray and even pay our back taxes but it still will take at least 85 or more days. Again Welcome. LOL
Tplant:
I am glad I made you laugh, but it is true, every day I come down to see my tomatoes to find out whether or not they have any flowers comming yet, I have had such bad luck with tomatoes in the past that I want to prove everybody that I can do this. About a couple of years ago I was in Corpus Christi texas and I decided to plant 3 tomato plants outside in my garden, well no luck the tomato plants grew rapidly and produced nice tomatoes but right when they were turning red is when the bottom of the tomato started to get a gray/black and rotted away, to this day I have no idea what I did wrong, I used to water them and they definetely got plenty of sun. Last year a friend of mine from Michigan gave me a recipe to grow tomato plants from seed and so I followed it step by step, the tomato plants were doing great but still to young to plant outside, one day I placed my tomatoes outside it was sunny and beautiful, I went to the grocery market and suddenly rain, but not just rain I am talking about pouring rain, when I got home I looked like I just jumped into a pool with all my clothes on, but my tomatoe plants were all over the floor the jiffy pots were ruined and it did not take them long to die.
I hope to have better luck next time.
That rotting at the bottom you describe is in fact Blossom End Rot and is caused by a lack of calcium and to a lesser extent magnesium in the soil and can be made even worse by uneven watering. That's also why the Earthbox instructions for tomatoes advises adding 2 cups of dolomite which is in fact limestone. I also add a few tablespoons of Epsom Salts which is magnesium sulfate.
Rich
Hey Ritch:
I just planted my 2 tomato plants in my earthbox, misread the part where it sais to place the lime at the top of the soil, instead I mixed 2 cups of lime at the bottom, and then when I realized it I decided to put one cup of lime on the top of the soil and mixed it in, I guess I did not know what to do. It is o.k or should I throw out the potting soil buy a new bag and replant the tomatoes? everything else I did follow correctly.
carminator1 -- I guess ritchh must be unavailable so if you don't mind I would like to assist.
The instructions call for adding two cups of dolomite in with the soil. Mix it into the potting mix as you go and not all on the bottom. If I were you I'd remove the plants and be certain to mix the lime removing the equivalent of one cup if possible, if not, I don't think the extra lime will hurt but do try to get some out ! Oh, and scoop out the fertilizer off the top of your mix and redo two cups two inches wide down the opposite end of the box away from your tomatos. Of course you'll have to remove your tomato plants but it won't bother them too much.
Tplant: thanks for your advice, I will do that. I finally got my other earthbox today so I'll just have to wait for my peppers and cucumbers to grow, that way I can plant them in my earthbox. My cucumbers are already comming out of the seed.
Hey Tplan:
I remember that you once asked in one of the earthbox forums about self made containers that resembled the earthbox, whether they were good or not? Well I just found this web address in one of the earthbox forums and this guy shows the results of his man made earthbox, let me know what you think.
[HYPERLINK@www.dougs.org] or if this does not work go to the forum you started called earthbox, you should be able to find it there.
This message was edited Mar 22, 2005 7:39 PM
Hey Tplant, yes I got busy last night but you answered the question better than I would have anyway. I got a new espresso machine and boys will be boys and play with their toys! I have seen the home-made earthbox article and I'm sure the finished product works fine. It seems to me though that material cost, time spent making it and a questionable useful life span make it somewhat impractical. That soft flexible Rubbermaid type of plastic I believe would dry out after a season or two and be very prone to cracking. The EarthBox is very well constructed with UV light stabilized plastic. My originals are going into their 5th season and look as good as the ones I bought last year. I'm sure they will last 10 years or more. Over that kind of life span you are talking maybe $3.50 a year which is actually quite cheap. Besides I no longer have the patience to build one (lol).
Rich
T-plant, Ritch:
Thank you so much for all your help, I still can't belive that I made that stupid mistake about the lime, but hopefully it is not to late to rectify it, according to the earthbox instructions it sais to add two cups of dolomite lime into the top 3-4 inches of potting mix and re-smoth.
About the self made container, I think you are right ritchh, The container itself does not look as strong and durable as the earthbox, but I though I should give it a try and ask. There seem to be a lot of people in this forums trying to replicate the earthbox. Tomorrow I will mix the potting soil and try to remove 1 cups worth of lime and replant the tomatoes again.
In fact I just bought a tester so I think that once I mix in the potting soil I will test it and see if it has the right conbination of PH.
Hello,Joined DG today.I shouuld be getting my two Earthboxes in 2 to 3 weeks.First time EB user.I'll be planting Creole tomatoes from www.tastefulgarden.com. in Heflin Alabama.They are said to resist diseases caused by wet humidity,blossom end rot and fusarium.They are said to be a medium to large fruit that produces all season long.I'll be planting Big Red sweet bell peppers from www.chileplants.com in Rosemont New Jersey.They are said to be 3" to 5" long by 3" to 4" wide,matures from green to red,thick fleshed and extremely sweet.I've been trying to find ready made cages for my EB tomatoes about 6' tall.Does anyone know of such a creature?I've seen folding one's but I don't think they were wide enough.If not I'll make them.Are my fellow EB growers cageing and (stakeing your tomatoes so the plants won't blow over?One year I planted tomatoes in the ground and was worried I wouldn't give them enough water.I over watered.As I was watering, the ground turned white with hundreds,maybe thousands of about 1/4" worms.Took them to my extension agent.She told me their name (don't remember it)and said they kept surfacing because they were drowning.Finally a forum(s) where all are freindly and helpful :)
This message was edited Apr 1, 2005 9:59 AM
This message was edited Apr 1, 2005 12:16 PM
Welcome netnut ! EBs are a lot of fun. Anything you plant will grow and grow well as you will find out from your experience and that of others in this forum. As far as staking is concerned, I use the green vinyl coated rods that I purchase at Lowes and/or Home Depot. If we can be of any help just ask....
THANX Tplant, So much valuable info and a very friendly place to land.
This a great thread going on here, I got three of them about two weeks ago. Never used them before, so looking forward to growing veggie's in them and compare them to what I grow in the garden. Taking in a lot of good advise also. Keep them coming folks, thanks.
Hello there:
Sorry it took me so long to write but I just wanted to plant all my earthboxes and take some pictures of the progress. This past week we have had flash flodding here in P Cola so I did not know whether my plants were going to survive it or not, I was sleep when all the water came down so about 6:00 am I decided to move my earthboxes into a safer area but they were soaking wet. So far they seem to be doing good here is a picture of my 2 tomato plants, one of them is a better boy the other is a juliet cherry tomato plant. They have doubled in size since I planted them and they both are getting some flowers expecially the cherry tomato on the left.
Here is a picture of my other earthbox. on the back I have 2 peppers (1 sweet banana, 1 regular sweet pepper) and on the front I have a cucumber I started from seed. On the box that is not an eathbox I have decided to plant some basil and the other one is another sweet banana pepper. By the way I have been moving my containers a lot to get the most sun, I am pregnant and it is extremely difficult for me. I am thinking of having my husband build a plantform with weels for my 2 earthboxes, does anybody have a good idea of a good way for me to move my earthboxes without killing myself? they are extremely heavy.
Those containers weigh 60 lbs ? You must NOT move them in your condition. You risk a hernia ! What side of the house are they on ? And how many hours of sun do they get in one place ?
They are in my backyard they get about 4 hours max of sun closer to the house and another 3-4 hours when I move them farther away from the house. My husband told me to place them in the front of the house where the sun hits the most but I live in a townhouse community and I am afraid that somebody will steal them plus I have a neighbor that always leaves her cats running around and she has 10 or more cats, they get in my yard and poop everywhere plus they get all over my plants. What if I was to make a plantform with wheels, do you think it would be safer then?
Definetly safer ! I lived in a townhouse so I know your dilema..but if you are on dirt it may be a problem unless you used balloon tires. I grew cherry and small determinate tomatos under your conditions. I only had about 4 hrs. of sun but I had tomatos. If you can't make a cart leave them in the area of the most sun and stop dragging them around. You will have tomatos but not as many.
OK...I hope you guys are right about the good things I just read about the EB...I just ordered 3 of them....
I will let you know how I make out!
Margie
Oh they work Picturelady ! Just follow set-up directions exactly and don't take shortcuts. We are here to help you when you need help ! Welcome to EB world and Happy Gardening.
Thank you Tplant...I will let you know when they arrive and will put my questions to you! They said they would take 2-3 weeks to arrive and then I will be away for a week or so...So I plan to plant the first week in May. Probably alittle bit late for CA...but I think it will be OK. I am just planning to purchase plants. I am thinking of planting strawberries, italian & bell peppers and maybe one tomato to try it out. I also have have a 3x8 bed to plant...the tomatoes did great in it last year...but the string beans did absolutely nothing...so maybe I will also try the green beans in the EB! Looks like they will get filled quickly!!!
Hooray!!!
Finally a hint of spring despite the fact that it's going down to 36° tonight here in NJ. I went out this afternoon and planted three Earthboxes, 2 with Romaine and 1 with Buttercrunch (plants bought at my local nursery). If they survive the next couple of nights I should have lettuce towards the end of May. I'm contemplating putting broccoli in a fourth but since I'll be double cropping all of these Earthboxes (peppers, squash and basil) it may be a few weeks to late. I even had the nerve to unwrap my one remaining fig tree so watch it snow by weeks end.
Rich
Looking real good ritchh ! Hope your weather holds ?
Another day of flash flooding here in P-Cola. Well at least my plants made through the weather for the 3rd time. My juliette tomato plant is starting to get small tomatoes already, well I only counted 2 so far but it does have plenty of flowers, my better boy is also doing well, but does not have any fruit yet. Also the pepper I planted in another container (not an earthbox) seems to be infestated with some sort of aphids, but thankfully my earthbox peppers are clean. I am going to have to buy some ortho bug killer or something to treat that pepper plant. By the way have any of you had infestation of any kind in your earthbox plants? I am surprised that I do not have any, expecially when my insfestated plant is so close to the earthboxes. Can you recommend a good bug killer, or is ortho bug killer o.k.?
carminator1 ---- I use Ortho Bug-Be- Gone and I spray once a month as a preventative and never had a problem. I mix it in with Messenger.
I've used the Bug-Be-Gone in the past when it was Diazinon and it killed just about everything. Don't think they can sell Daizinon any more and haven't used the new version. I tend to use either Insecticidal Soap or something based on Pyrethrum and/or Rotenone. Not as powerful as Bug-Be-Gone (you have to pretty much hit them to kill them) but a lot less toxic to me!
Rich
T-Plant: When you say you use Bug-Be- gone, do you mean you use it even if there is no infestation of any kind on your plants or when you notice some? Also, do you use it on the earthbox or just other containers where you have planted?
Thanks for the info I am going to go to Home Depot and see if I can find any.
I use it once a month on all plants bugs or no bugs. I believe the instructions say to spray ever three or four weeks as a preventative. I am late with my spraying because of high winds.
I was able to find the Bug-be-gone but not the diazinon, I went to Home depot yesterday, where did you find the diazinon?