Garden Patch

Has anyone used these? www.aGardenPatch.com
They look like the eb only modified. Might make me one or two.

I've seen many people posting about Earth Boxes. So if you do a search on it you should be happy with all you read about them.

Here is the result of a search I just did on them:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/search.php?forum=&search_text=Earth+boxes&limit=0&search_area=body&limit_poster=&Search=Search

This message was edited Jan 26, 2008 11:22 AM

Earth boxes are definitely very popular and the people who have them all seem to be happy with them. But I think on some thread (sorry, wasn't able to find it!) people were talking about some of the EB knock-offs not being as good. I don't know if this brand specifically was mentioned or not, but you may be better off getting a geniune EB if you want something like this.

is an earth box that thing they show on tv that you grow lettuce in indoors--grows it with a light type fixture on top

planolinda - you need Tplant

BocaBob

planolinda --- this will tell you all about EBs. www.earthbox.com They are the real thing and not a knock-off. I have twenty-two of them and will be purchasing more.

Thanks "T"

BocaBob

i looked at it quickly and will have to go back and spend more time on it-boccaobob--when you said i need "tplant" i thought you were telling me to use a whole new system--glad tplant responded and cleared up my confusion--thanks both of you

PlanoLinda I think you're talking about the Aero garden.

THAT is expensive.

so much to learn so little time!!!!!!!!

So little time? Where are you goin?? LOL Tommy -- Aero Garden and Earthbox are different. WWW.earthbox.com

not going anywhere--just seemed like the thing to say now that i have a whole nother way to think about growing stuff!! still figuring out lasagna, no till, compost etc methods and now i have the earthbox to think about--oh the pressures of being an obsessive gardener!!!!!!!!!

I know they're different tplant. Linda was asking about an indoor growing unit with a light. That's the Aero garden. At least from her description it sounds like it.

Yes, and that Aero Garden retails for about $130-160+ (!!!)

I purchased an Earthbox a few years ago and really like it. I can keep the same soil in it for more than one year as long as the "crops" are rotated. I think the company says you can use the same soil for three years. I was able to grow even indeterminate tomatoes and they were fine. Cucumbers did not succumb to disease, as they have in my garden soil. Bush beans thrived.

I believe that one of the differences between the EB and the Garden Patch is that the Garden Patch wants you to purchase their fertilizer patch, which you lay on top of the soil. I assume that you have to keep buying replacements for this patch year after year. The EB allows you to use your own fertilizer, and a couple handfuls out of your existing bag of fertilizer (5-10-5, for instance), should be less expensive.

Even when the EB plastic covers (you get 2) wear out, you can just use a black plastic bag and hold it down with earth staples. Or maybe use some of the red or silver plastic mulches.

So once you have purchased the initial EB, you don't every have to buy anything from them again.

The only problem I had was that an ant colony seemed to take up residence a couple of times. Do the conditions inside such self-watering containers invite ants?

NisiNJ

Ants take up residence pretty much wherever they feel like it--I don't have any self-watering planters and I still have ants in plenty of my regular containers (not to mention in the hot tub, the house, every single square inch of garden beds, etc).

For the first time ever I also have ants in some of my EBs but they don't seem to do any harm and they run out of the drain hole when I refill them. After awhie they leave. Guess they get tired of being washed out. As far as the mix is concerned I believe they state every five years but I just add fresh mix to replace the loss when removing old roots. However, if the mix smells sour I do not hesitate to replace it!