Earth Box (EB) Question

[Shawn]

For those that have EB's, where do you get the replacement mixes and additives?  I may want to start something in the next two weeks but do not have anything but the box itself.

I order a bale of Pro Mix  BX and it lasts me for years. I add a bit of fresh each spring to build up.

The bale weighs a ton, though, and you have to have someone get it from a center.

shop.gyostuff.com/Pro-Mix-BX-Growing-Medium-with-Mycorrhizae-38-cu-ft-PT10381.htm?categoryId=-1

They say Mir Gro is good too, which is probably more available to you and your needs, not being able to lift..  The EB forum has suggestions.

I get my additive nute kits from Amazon and Ebay..whichever I can buy cheaper.

Once can also go custom and buy nutrients and dolomite in quantity, but I like the kits because they come with fresh covers with the elastic around them .

I prefer NOT to get the organic because they develop huge clusters of creepy maggots under the plastic. I really got creeped out one summer, and had flies all over the place when they started to hatch. Needless to say it was a summer of wasted supplies.

I buy in bulk for 6 EB's in the Winter so I get them cheep.

www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=EarthBox%C2%AE+Replant+Kit+&_sacat=0

[Shawn]

@cornne, I am thinking forward to Spring.  I want to purchase the replacement stuff for the EB.  Was looking at this one.  Is this what I should be getting?  Also should I just use the Mir Gro potting mix with it? 

yes that is the replacement kit. There is also one that is Organic which I do not use because it forms fly larvae and a natural infestation of grubby wormy uglies hatch on top of the nutes under the cover  and the yard is plagued with flies when they hatch!!!!

 As for nutes, the dolomite and the envelope of powdered nutes is all you need for the season in the Spring.

However, with my tomatoes I add a watered  mix of Texas Tomato (worm castings /guano) a few times during the summer when I water..

This year I did add some Bloom Booster every 2 or three weeks as well, and the yard is still filled with flowers!

ps...I am sure there are posts over on the EB forum where folks have purchased the dolomite and fertilizer generically and saved money by buying in bulk and measuring it out, but I never searched it out.

[Shawn]

I have my replacement kits and my potting mix will be here in a week or so.


I have another question as I do not remember..  is it hard to figure out how to put everything in (ie mix, dolomite etc)?  Are the instructions easy?  I ask because for some reason I think I messed it up a few years back.  Anyway, looking forward to the end of May to plant my tomatoes.  I will need to get some stakes for support I think.

Here is a tutorial video. very Helpful.

Mix in your Dolomite, form your trough and add the fert on top!

For my tomatoes, I put 2 plants in front, then I mound in back of those 2 plants for my fertilizer.

But different people have their own way..I really don;t think you can do anything wrong.

The only thing that I found to be a cause of failure is an ant infestation one year and a soggy brand of soil I added another.

[Shawn]

Thank you

[elainev]

I've used EarthBoxes for years. I place the fertilizer in a knee high panty hose, tie the top and lay it beneath the soil. Once the plants are gone, I simply remove the knee high and all the fertilizer salts come out with it. Easy peasy. No need to leave that old fertilizer in there over the winter.

After reading a horticultural extension guy's advice, I'll add this year to each EarthBox's water reservoir

(for only tomato, pepper, cantaloupe and cucumber). This is in addition to the regular fertilizer:

1 tablespoon Epsom salt on the 15th and 30th of the month

1 teaspoon calcium nitrate weekly (each Friday)

Gonna see if that helps with blossom end rot on tomatoes and to get a bumper crop.

[cloudshaper]

So I've never used the Earthboxes before, but after looking them up they seem very similar (yet much more expensive) than the City Pickers boxes I got from Home Depot.  Has anyone used both and have thoughts on the differences? 

I don't have the City Pickers anymore, gave them to a friend when I downsized into an apartment - but I got such great yields from them I would buy them again!  (So. Many. Tomatoes.)

[Sher]

I have never tried the City Pickers.

But the 10 Earthboxes I bought in 1998 have been outdoors year round and are still in great shape.

I just use mine as mini square foot gardens with potting soil, manure and fertilizer boosts as needed.

I just took a look at Home Depot's City Pickers page. They look nicer than Earth Boxes and are probably made of similar material.