What Do YOU Grow in Your Box?

Oh, I'm glad you liked it. I've had so much fun doing it and just had to pass the info on. :-)

It was fun to keep uncovering potatoes!

Moonglow - I have 2 calamondin growing in large decorative pots in an 8b garden north of Houston. They grow really well and have survived 2 winters with several 25 degree nights and north wind. They are tough suckers, and produce well. They make an excellent addition to a well-known citrus based Mexican beverage :)

I learned a lot from that potato thread, Susan. I'll try it in the spring since I missed the fall window of opportunity here due to an unwelcome blowhard named Ike... Had DH drill the holes in the trash can and the Whole Foods seed potatoes ready to go, too. Can't wait until spring for potatoes!

I've done tomatoes, peppers, zuke, cucumbers and lettuce. I have 14 EB's so no excuse not to grow corn...humm lets see if I do 10 EB's with tomatoes, 2 with corn and 2 for cukes that means I still need to buy at least one more for peppers! LOL my DH keeps saying "NO MORE!" because we are running out of room in the yard but I bet I can sneak one more in...Ok I01 you ready for some creamed corn?

Space is a real problem at my house ... I'm counting ... I've got 9 EB's so far. 6 for maters, 1 for beans, 1 for cuckes, 1 for peppers, 1 for zukes. Holy moly, I'm already over the limit! Looks like I need to order 2! grin

I like your plan of allotment, Araness and I01. I only have 4, so I see I need to add more - especially for more tomatoes and peppers. Oh, and I absolutely must try corn! Creamed corn!! yum.

I see visions of EB's filling up my back yard...LOL!!!!

Hi Nanny,

Not bad visions to have! I have 20, and still wish for more. (one can always wish, right?)

Wow - you have 20?? How many of what do you grow in them? What grows the best compared to the ground?

humm wonder if the DH would notice 6 more EB's???

bookworm -- I have 22 EBs and still trying to find something, within reason, that will not grow in them. I have seen pictures of papaya tree in one and doing just fine. I know that any dwarf tree would do well with proper support. You would have to renew the fertilizer every season by slicing the cover, remove the old fertilizer, replace the new fertilizer and tape the sliced cover closed. I did this with a brugmansia but it got to be to large and I re-planted it in the ground and it is now about ten feet tall after only three years It was given to me as a cutting by Dutchlady three years ago and is a beautiful Miami Rose. So use your own imagination?

Ah, lets see... This year I did:

1 box with tomatoes
3 strawberries
4 hot peppers
1 Broccoli
1 Cabbage
1 Brussels Sprouts
2 Water Melon
3 Squash (2 Summer one Winter)
2 Corn
1 Ocra
1 Lettuce (later season converted to winter greens)

It's probably easier to tell you what did not do great for me in the boxes, which was Okra (I think that was because of the cold, cold spring through. It was my first time ever trying to grow Okra) Tomatoes also seem to do better for me in the ground. I had two plants in my box and 18 in my raised beds. Last year I had 3 or 4 tomatoes in EBs and they also did not do as well as the ones in the ground. So many do really well with tomatoes though, so don't let that deter you.

The Brussels Sprouts I also am not having much luck with, but that was the case in ground as well, so I am not blaming the EBs for that.

Everything else did really well. I will grow more corn next year and try to space the plantings so that harvest time might last a little longer. Do you think that might be possible in my area?

I also really like growing things like broccoli, cabbage, squash and melon in the boxes, because it is SO space efficient.

My experience with strawberries was somewhat disapointing. The plants grew beautifully but gave little fruit and then developed Red Rust which is caused by to much water. My conclusion is that the EBs always have a good water supply and perhaps the berries were getting to much? I tried two seasons and googled this info about to much water so I'll not grow them again in my EBs.

Brussel Sprouts did great at six to the EB but only as A WINTER CROP. They do not like warm weather.

Okra did fantastic in warm weather and grew six in the EB. Burgundy, Clemson and one other whose name I can not recall. They required a lot of water. At least once daily.

Corn and watermelon do require warm weather but may do well for you but be sure to use 15-30-15 Super Bloom fertilizer for your corn as they love it. I experimented with 10-10-10 and had inferior results with the same growing conditions for corn. !0-10-10 is fine for watermelon. Make sure you use dolomite lime for required plants that need them. I can't recall at this time but you can google the planting and fertilization requirements for your state as I always do for mine. They are a teriffic aid for my EBs.

Essential - it's interesting how some crops grow better in the ground for some and in EB's for others! My tomatoes did best in EB's my first year, but this year was an off year because my first time ever seedlings got some kind of illness and did not thrive. I think I over-watered them in their infancy.

I plant okra in my flower beds, because they look pretty, and I ran out of EB space. We do have plenty of heat for them, here.

I had no luck with strawberries, either - they just grew beautiful foliage, grew into the grass around the box, and no berries, so I pulled them out and grew summer squash which did great.

For sure I'd love to try corn, peppers, and watermelon. Tplant, which watermelon did you grow? I'm afraid I wouldn't have enough sunny area for them to grow into, though.

Spinach and cilantro seeds are in the box, now. Hoping for luck on those.

Bookworm,
Try using "Messenger" on the tomatoes next year, every 3 weeks. You will not believe the difference! Start as soon as you put them in or when they sprout and get a few inches high.

bookworm- I've grown every type of melon that you can think of? Honeydews would do real well in your area as that is where the Texas King Honeydew is grown for commercial purposes and they are delicious. All melons are direct seeded in my EBs.
Overwatering seedlings is a no no . Water every three or four days but don't drown them. It is tricky to know just when but experience is the best teacher. Make sure they get plenty of light under a gro-lite or flourescents that do not give off heat and keep the light about two inches above them and on a timer set for 16 hrs per day and you will have healthy plants.

Oh Tplant I thought of you a few weeks ago (not that I don't think of you often as it is but..) I bought a French Kiss melon at our local HEB grocery chain and I'm ashamed to say I didn't let the DH have but a bit..it had to be, hands down the sweetest melon I had ever tasted. You came to mind cause I know you like melons and grew some that aren't normal fare in grocery stores and wondered if you had ever tried it...I always say I'm going to try and grow melons but I have such a hard time parting with a EB since I can never have enough tomatoes.

As to okra, I've only grown it in a 5 gallon bucket and then only one plant but it loved our heat, I grew a Louisanna spinless I think, DH isn't a big okra eater unless it's fried and I try not to do much of that these days.

Corn is on the list, Tplant where do you get your seeds? If I plant two at 16 per box that's 64 ears of corn...lol I'd be in heaven...Does corn give you problems? I know they told me some veggies would as well as bread. I'd hate to have to give up some of my green veggies that I love.

tommy, i still have packets and packets of messenger. i can't find an expiration date...unfortunately, i never got to test it for real (no control group), so i cannot tell. do you have photos of your messenger experience?

now i am running a real test growing anaheim peppers in gardeners square foot success kit and regular planter. i feel sorry for the latter - - - the difference is obvious! i have to get more of those babies now that they are on sale.

essentialplanet,

Okra is a heat lover. When the weather is not hot enough, okra will set there and sulk, doing nothing. I had that problem this year, too, but once the summer really got going the okra took off like a rocket. I don't have any EBs yet, so this was in-ground planting.

Karen

Moonglow,
No photos of my Messenger experience but trust me and USE IT!

Here's a quote from the web site:

"How long is the product good?
As long as the packet is not open, Messenger is good for several years. Once you open the packet you should use it within 3 weeks. After you open the packet, put the opened packet in a baggie and seal the baggie tightly. No need to refrigerate it. Don’t mix your Messenger with water until you are ready to use it because once it is mixed in water it is only good for the day you mix it."

Messenger FAQ:

http://www.edenbio.com/garden/index.php?option=com_simplefaq&Itemid=79

Tommyr - I have a bunch of Messenger packets, and I've thought they made a big difference on already established plants, but for some reason this spring I didn't use it... I'll do that with the seedlings this year. I know I overwatered them because I've looked at pics of sick seedlings and the reasons. I'll wait the 3 or 4 days like you said, Tplant. I did have some great grow lights, though, and bought a timer toward the end of their growing time after I forgot to turn off the lights a night or two.

Ok - so corn and melons go in the next two EB's I buy. I asked my in-laws for grow-lights for Christmas last year, and they thought I was nuts. This year they'll know so when I ask for an EB! Also - I may try the SF box for peppers since they are on sale.

Why use grow lights? Did you not have luck with normal tube warm and cool?

I use both but notice the seedlings respond better to the pinkish gro lites. I have two lite stands. The gro lites are far more expensive than the standard flourescents but many use the flourescents and as long as they work for them why not?

Ya'll I got two questions here: Has anyone planted artichokes in their EBs yet? I want to but have never grown them before, any suggestions? Also, I thought about watermelon; but thought the watermelon would wind up wearing the EB as a hat? That doesn't happen? I have Charleston Jr. Watermelon seeds, is that ok to plant in the boxes? Yeah I know, questions, questions, questions right? LOL
joy112854

I think Tplant has grown watermelons, he'll know...course Tplant can grow anything. I remember someone grew pumpkins in one...just don't remember who. Wouldn't that look so nice as a fall porch display...straw bales with a EB full of pumpkins.

Hi Joy,

Watermelons grow very nicely in EB's.
This one is from last year. I only got a couple of Water Melons this year. I got them out a bit late, and it's been too cold & rainy for them I think.

Most people in this area did not get many tomatoes this year, and I had plenty of them + eggplant and peppers a plenty, so I count myself lucky nevertheless.

Gee this just gets better & better!

Essential Planet: Call me silly if you want; but, I see the watermelon, and it looks great; but where is your grow box? Is the watermelon on the ground and the leafs in the box? And, did the watermelon naturally come out of the box or did it need help?
joy112854

Hi Joy,

When you grow watermelon in a box you will find that the plant grows and produces leafs that drape over the box and drop to the ground, so therefor you will most likely find that your melon ends up on the ground. I don't give it any help, it grows wherever it happens to grow.

Here is a picture of a box with watermelon, as you'll notice, you can barely see the box. Off to the right you see a melon on the ground.

I have four EBs that I got this spring. Planted one all organic with Dr Earth soil and fertilizer and Suplice and Zapotec organic tomatoes that I got online. The Suplice is going gangbusters but the Zapotec is just starting to form fruit so don't know if it's a great one for this climate. Another has Poblano and Royal Purple peppers and basil, also all organic. I only got one purple pepper but the Poblano's are doing great. Basil pretty much tried to take over the whole box, hard to keep up with it. I'll be yanking it soon and making pesto. The other two boxes I let my renter plant as she chose. I told her to pick a couple of tomatoes off the site I got mine from and she chose New Girl and Brandywine. Though they were organic plants she didn't choose organic soil or fertilizer (one of those people who will always choose the least expensive, despite the lesser quality). Anyway, she planted hers a full three weeks before I did and mine turned out three times the size and much, much healthier and greener. She did, however, come up with the best looking tomato. Look at this Brandywine....what a chunky one....that's stepladder step it's resting on. For her other box she chose a two zucchinis and a pumpkin. I think she may have planted the pumpkin too deep. It's been languishing all summer and has never formed a fruit at all. Too bad I don't like zucchini because she has it coming out of her ears.

I'm very, very happy with them and will add to the collection soon. Gopher free and easily maintained. For my winter crops I'll have brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and spinach. Interesting that my favorite veggies are all winter veggies. Good thing I live in this zone, right?

You and me both? If you can try Silver Queen corn? DElicious!!

I'll have to do a little research but I haven't seen anyone growing corn around here. Maybe too much of a marine layer. I'd sure love to try though.

This summer, I had tomatoes (4 boxes), eggplant & peppers (1 box each)-I'm still harvesting the tomatoes & peppers, but will soon pull them out,like the eggplant. I think I'll just try to plant collards, lettuce, & kale in the same boxes, w/out changing the soil, as an experiment....

This year so far, I have grown tomatoes and peppers and gorgeous red ripper peas that just wont stop. Right now, I have one full of brocoli and two with lettuce.
But Nanny, go figure, the rest are full of daylily seedlings. lol I want to get some more before next spring, Im trying to bllom the seedlings right in the EB.

How could I forget my okra, it had t bigest stem ever. Huge plants

This message was edited Oct 22, 2008 9:00 AM

Ooooo, full of DL's seeds....I hadn't even thought of that and I ahve soooo many seeds that I got from Dori.

Do you leave them in the box until the bloom and you cull? Oh, this is sooo good!!!

Thats my plan. The ones I grew last year, I wanted the box for peas, so I took them out and planted them. They were so far ahead fo the others. I was keeping it a secret lol, until I saw if they would bloom in there, Im pretty sure they will, well almost certain. The roots just went down and hung out in the nutrient water. They did have a ton of long and twisted feeder roots, just cut them off before planting or it takes 20 minutes a plant it seems.

whoops, well, if you make like an owl and turn your head, these are some right after moving from the blocks. Will look forward to a follow up picture in the spring.

Okay..best laugh for this morning!! LOL

But thanks...I will be doing that for sure in the spring!!