Will Be Setting - up My EBs Soon AS Weather Allows?

I'll show you more tomorrow as long as there isn't any lightning in the area as rain DOES NOT BOTHER ME WITH THE TENT. LOL Also take pictures of my tent and the convenience under it!
Forgot to mention picked off at least eight tiny horned caterpillars. This is surprising as it is very early in the season? Will give a spray of Ortho tomorrow and that should take care of the problem for now with follow-up proceedures.

Forgot to show my first planting and they are the seeds from Beth from Oregon State University. Have four of them planted. Really looking forward to the tomatos as they are what I need for my health. They will get extra special care!

Thanks for your postings, Tplant, and the pictures. Very imformative and inspiring. I am so looking forward to next spring and getting some EB's to try. I hope you'll keep us updated with pictures as your growing season progresses.

Mary K.

How well does weed cloth work?

Hey Paw,
Thanks for your 'salvage' pics, cause that's what my questions are about. My 5 EBs have sat outside empty and uncovered since I pulled the mater vine's out on July 15th. Unfortunately, the covers were not on too tight, and I didn't tape them down -- they came off shortly after I pulled out the vines. The potting mix has been exposed to the elements and I need to know if I can still salvage what's there? Or, do I have to throw it all away? If you say yes, this would be the 3rd planting in this mix, beginning with the Spring 2009 planting. I'm getting ready for Spring. Thanks!

And glad you're on the mend!

Linda

Mary K --- Be glad to keep you up to date with pictures as my season continues while you have your feet proped up by the fireplace on a snowy day thumbing through your catalogs. I know how you feel as I lived in snowy and cold New York 30 years ago! We have a fireplace here but rarely used except when we get those crisp overnite cold snaps which I do enjoy and throw in one of those colorful artificial logs that they sell here an I'm sure up your way also!

Cactus -- Weed cloth works great as long as you buy the top quality cloth at Lowes as Home Depot's allow the weeds to grow right thru them. I also use the lawn staples that are available to hold down the cloth. I also spray Eliminator weed killer from Walmart as it is the best and far better than any that I have ever used. When I'm finished and for some reason remove the cloth, after a short period of time, the grass does grow back as it is not a permanent barreen killer. I'll be taking pictures today as this is what I must do if it does not rain first. Kind of sore today as I have been unable to work my garden for a couple of months because of health but mostly hot and rainy weather.

Gymgirl -- I always leave a cover on mine except for the few that I purposely left the old holey cover on to show others how to prepare for the coming season but all my other EBs were cleaned out prior and new covers were placed. I buy twenty covers at a time @ 80 cents each so it is a lot less expensive than $7 for new mix?
As for your original question I can not really answer as I did leave mine totally uncovered years ago and had to throw away the mix as it was like a single block. The financial choice will have to be yours if you can sneak the cost of new mix on yours and your husbands Visa card? LOL

Uh OH! Just getting ready to go out and we are having a thunderstorm. They come on that quickly. Sun and then open your door and it is raining. Took some getting used to especially when I first moved to Fl and it was raining on one side of the street but not the other. Time out for a cup of coffee. Till later today!

Today or right now it is sunny but I have to wait for my pain med to kick in! Darn arthritis! By the time it works it will be getting rainy as per weather forecast.

This message was edited Oct 15, 2008 9:51 AM

Ok, Paw, mine is an expensive lesson. Invest in new covers and save the potting mix. Down here, I have to use 1.5 bags per EB, at 11.99 + tax per bag. Sooooooooooooo -- I'm looking at roughly $105.00 to refill my 5 EBs... yep....$4.33 for five covers woulda been a better lesson to learn.....

ARE THE NEWBIES GETTING THIS???

Gymgirl --- To bad they don't have other mix that is not so expensive? Miracle-Gro is good but let's face it "We do pay for the name." How about Sta-Green, Pro-Mix, at Walmart for $7 for 2 cu ft which is the perfect size for EBs? Just make sure they say container mix and not SOIL. Down here I have choices of multiple quality mixes! Next time you buy covers buy 20 @ 80 cents each. A lot cheaper in the long run and they don't go bad in storage? Don't know how you get away with 1 .5 bags of mix? After wetting down each layer and then lightly packing down and mounding slightly in the center (depending on what I plant) I just have a small amount left over. What mix do you use? Hey? Were you able to find dolomitic lime up there? Wish I could find a store with a 40 lb bag like I use to buy it instead of $5 for 5 lbs in the organic section when it is the same stuff and we cost me $4.95 for 40 lbs?

Toay is a perfect day to work outside but I have an 11:30 am appointment at the vet for Scooter 's semi-annual shots and Polly's nails need to be trimmed. After that it is out to my garden and finish up my EBs. (I hope?)

Never made it to my garden as there was to much pain in my shoulders.(Osteoarthritis) Saw the specialist today and got a shot in the left shoulder and next Thursday I'll get another in the right shoulder. Than ya'll lookout! Meanwhile was able to putter today as the weather was beautiful but was horrified to see horned caterpillars attacking my seedlings? This never happened to me so early in the season. Immeadeately picked them off and sprayed with an organic powder whereas I would use Ortho concentrated spray but shoulder had to rest and tank sprayer would be to heavy to lug around. Will do that tomorrow. Wonder if Flip or Bocabob are having any problems? Boy, I caught those suckers just in time. You should have seen the damage in one day?? I had magnificent seedling trees, if you know what I mean? One good thing about seedlings is that they rebound rapidly with some Miracle Gro?
Pain finally dissapating in my left shoulder. It was so painful for the past few days that even driving a car with power steering was torture much less moving an EB to its permanent location. Guys! Don't get old? LOL

I've been spraying constantly since my seedlings were put outdoors. At least twice a week. So far no pests or disease to report. I'm using organic oil spray and dipel(BT)

BocaBob

Hey, Paw,
I'll look for the Promix at Walmart for $7 bag. I've been buying that huge (65?75? quarts?) of Miracle Grow potting mix at Home Depot Garden Center for $11.99+tax. It takes 1-1/2 bags to fill just one EB.

Not to worry about the expense though, cause God send me an insurance claim reimbursement check for $75 from my Insurance Company. And my godmother made me promise to use the $50 check she gave me on MYSELF and NOT put it into our household budget account!

Ain't God Good?!!!!

AttaGirl! Go out there and spend money to save our economy. LOL But don't let your husband know??? He might hit you up for grass seed money. LOL

PAW!
You know entirely TOO much about me!!! LOL!!!!

Was able to o a little more puttering today but not much. After yesterday's injection in left shoulder it feels fine today but thr right one is stll sore until next thursday when I get the other injection. Meanwhile tomatos are coming along very well. Wish I was? Boy! Am I ever behind schedule?

TPlant: Where do you get covers for .80 a piece and could you explain please?
Also, please give me a name of the fertilizer you use, the 10-10-10 one, and the Dolomitic Lime, what is the name of the product itself? and the 15-30-15 you use for corn called Super Bloom fertilizer is that the name of it?
You said that I was to mix 2 cups of the Dolomitic Lime into the lower level of the mix; but not the very bottom; so, should it be mixed in with the dirt pretty well say, starting at about and inch above the dirt you put in the first time and then upwards to about and inch before where you put the fertilizer?
I again; apologize for all the questions; but, want to make sure I do this right.
joy112854

Fill your Eb half way with wet container mix then two cups of lime sprinlkled on that, fill to the very top with more wet mix As far as brand names are concerned it does not matter! It is the formula that tells you what to use? Bloom Booster 15-35-15 is the only brand name that I know of but this is for corn only! The covers are from the EB people when bought 20 at a time. Buy them as they don't go bad and you will use them as time goes by. www.earthbox.com will show you all this with their pictorials. Follow their advice and you will outgrow me!!!!

Hey Paw!
I bought six 2-1/2 cubic ft. bags of MG potting mix today, and was also surprised that I'm using 1-1/2 bags per EB when the EB calls for 2 cubic feet to fill it. I must be doing something wrong like wetting my potting mix too much or packing it down too tight when I fill the box. I seem to always need more mix to fill up to the very top of the box. And, I'm following the directions exactly as they way. Filling 1/2 way and watering and gently patting for air bubbles, then sprinkling my dolomite lime, and filling the rest of the way and making a little hill for run-off. Go figure?.....

The new EBs have a larger resevoir so they may use less mix?

Hey Paw!

Wow! The discoveries I have made since I last checked in. Well, I bought six 2.5 cubic ft. bags of the MG potting mix, and didn't use even ONE bag. I kept refering back to your plan to "clean out" your EBs. Well, this would be my 3rd planting in the potting mix, and I decided to examine it closely to see if I could reuse it one more time. Well, I decided to empty the EB completely. I used a shovel and took out all the old potting mix. Once it was in the wheelbarrow, I sifted through for the old tomato stems and roots. Well, when I lifted out the soil bed cover, I nearly died! The tomato roots had grown down completely through the perforations in the soil bed cover and the water reservoir was almost entirely plugged up with a webbing of old tomato vine roots! I took out gobs of roots that looked like wet hairballs. YUK! If I had just dug up the top 1/3 of the soil this time, my plants never would've gotten adequate water -- the dead roots were taking up quite a bit of the surface space in the reservoir.

Well, I cleaned all those dead roots out, washed out all the remaining soil, and repacked the whole EB, put the original potting mix back in. It actually looked really clean and fresh. IThis'll be the last season for this batch, though (unless you say different, Paw). Otherwise, I'll use the fresh mix I've bought for my Spring planting.

NEWBIES: Remember to clean out your EBs COMPLETELY after every two or three tomato growing seasons! I can't speak for other veggie root systems, 'cause I've only grown maters until this season. Good luck!

Thanks, Paw!

P.S. I bought all the parts for BocaBob's automatic drip system, and he talked me through the whole installation process. I spent $75, and Bob says I can hook up approximately FORTY Earthboxes (driplines)! Not bad, hugh?

This message was edited Oct 21, 2008 3:12 PM

This message was edited Oct 21, 2008 3:12 PM

Good for you! You saved a bundle. The way you clean your EBs and the way I clean mine must differ as I simply remove the dead plant and use a trowel to dig out the roots. if they clog which most of the time they do as the picture show size. You are looking at about 2-3' of tomato roots. If you let the EB dry up a little but not completely the roots will come out and no need to remove all the mix. The few in the screen tend to serve as a syphon and do disolve. Of course fresh mix is needed but only to replace the same amount removed by the cleaning process.
Today and yesterday I was able to clean and set up at least ten EBs. I can not work as quickly as I used to because of my shoulders. Disappointing to me as the plants looked of poor quality because they were neglected for to long a time because of my arthritis and then bronchitis and their bout with horned caterpillars but with the cooler weather I'm feeling a lot better and should have all plants set tomorrow including some eggplants. It is amazing how in two weeks the EBs will bring them back into perfect condition but I am going to use Spray-n-Grow on them tomorrow to give them a kick start. Can't hurt..My former helper now goes to kindergarden so I've lost my assistant's help and I sure miss him not working with me!

TPlant: Those are some huge tomato roots there. LOL Mine were not that big; but they were huge. I would like to know if anyone has planted cauliflower or artichokes in their EBs. As cauliflower is not supposed to get too much sun. I thought about making a cover with sticks, like a canapy over the EBs that I have cauliflower in, what do you think? Or should I just look for a shady spot for that particular EB?
Also; do you use the bug be gone on just your corn? And do you use anything else on it like Sevin or Dipel dust?
joy112854

Tplant you can grow anything so those seedlings will be perky and healthy in no time. Terrible that you lost your helper, I'm sure he learned much more with you and scooter than he would in silly old kindergarden! DH told me last night to go ahead and order the EB watering system and he's going to pick out a pressure washer this weekend (needed for other things but would be perfect to clean the EB's after the dirt is removed)

Also, is the corn direct sow? I'm going to make you start doing how-to videos so we won't all bug you so much.

Yes, direct sow the corn as I just answered yours and Joys questions on the Corn thread. Pressure cleaner is a good idea!

Araness,
Before you order the EB watering system, I just spent $75 over the weekend getting the parts for BocaBob's homemade watering system. He talked me through the setup on the phone, and it took all of 15 minutes. Bob says my hookup will water approximately 40 Earthboxes. But, only if you're interest in saving a few pennies....Go over to the http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/905154/#new thread and you can see all the parts (minus the 1/2" and the 1/4" tubing) I bought.

Linda

Finally finished my planting of all my EBs today. Think I will buy three more for corn and stringbeans as I do love them fresh. There are actually five more EBs which are not shown in this picture which contain Okra, peppers and eggplants. I must put down the weed mat and then place the EBs. Maybe tomorrow although our weather forecast says 80% chance of heavy rain. We can use it. Did not plant my Sudduth Brandywine as the seed packet was empty and it was to late for me to order but did include Delicious another of my favorites, Black from Tula, Momotaro, Hillbilly, Marvel Stripe another of my favorites, plus Sungold, Black Cherry, Sprite, Chapman, Church, Magnum and a couple more.

This is the dolomite lime that I use purchased in the organic section of Home Depot. Many have asked about the brand? Brand does not matter as long as it says Dolomitic pellitized lime. Two cups per EB.

This is the fertilizer that I use for corn and only corn as far as veggies are concerned. I have been mispronouncing it all this time that is why I say brand names do not matter but formula does 15-30-15. Believe me two cups and the corn loves it. They grow big and fat cobs. I still use two cups of dolomite lime in all my plantings every season.

All the insecticides that I use! Not pictured is the Ortho Bug BeGone. They work just fine for me! Just be absolutely sure that you do not buy any that say "SYSTEMIC" as you can poison yourself when it is absorbed into the fruit.

That is the same fertilizer I had excellent results with in my daylily seedlings. I never thought of it for the corn or veggies, I guess just that one. I first started using it becuase it was cheaper than osmacote and I have been very happy with it, of course Im talking flowers.

My little work set up today as I did not need the tent or umbrella. It was cloudy all day and made it perfect for planting as this avoids shock to the plants from the sun. They need 24 hours of shade to acclimate but rain is forecast for the next couple of days so all I'll have to do afterwards is use the Spray-n-Grow fertilizer which would be a waste just now and also spray for horned caterpillars as they are definetly out early this year. As long as I AM AWARE OF THEM I CAN STOP THEM BEFORE THEIR NEXT CHEW!

Looks like your livin large down there.

This is last seasons EB that had peppers in it. If you notice you can see some tiny roots still in with the mix. I clean out as many as I can and leave the rest as it is impossible to get it all and the roots will rot and provide additional organic fertilizer. I then spread two cups of dolomite lime on top and mix it into the mix and then drench until the water comes out the bottom spout. I do not fill from the tube at this time as to make sure the soil has been penertrated with moisture. After the planting I will water thru the tube to make certain all water has been absorbed. This final watering is done when EB is put in its final growing place.

Ready to place fertilizer and cover.

I hope you will take a picture of that too. Do you make a trench and mound it up?

As per your request!

T- Darn you are busy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BocaBob

P.S. The harvest has began. Today bush green beans and cukes!!!! Lettuce in one week.

I'll be a little late this season but I'll be there.