This year I used my EarthBox to root boxwood cuttings. I stuck 50 cuttings and within 8 weeks had rooted cuttings ready to pot up. The soil stays moist and the box just made it all so easy. I have owned the EarthBox for about fifteen years.
I would recommend people use organic amendments instead then you dont have to get rid of it each year! Also put some worms in your earth box and use a mulch layer. These are things that I have found that improve upon the official method.
I've been replanting my Earthboxes for years, what I do is remove the fertilizer strip, empty the old potting mix into a wheelbarrow, remove as much plant material as possible then mix in a pound of organic garden lime.The false bottom usually gets root-bound when you do tomatoes, so that need taken out and cleaned off as well. Rinse it out well and put the old potting mix back in, and top it off with some fresh potting mix to get a nice mound. Works like a charm every spring, takes me about 45 minutes for 2 boxes. If you are using Earthboxes and not using automatic watering definitely give it try, I couldn't believe the difference and if you go out of town you don't have to hire the neighbor kid to water, who you know really isn't.
great video. I've just learned about EarthBox and will be using it to start a garden in my new home. Only challenge with this video is that the sound and video are not synced, so it requires good memory! :)
Adding more fertilizer on top of old increased salt content? What about at the end of the season running water through the box and lowing rain water to flush the box?
I use a yolink water leak sensor. It can be set to detect when the water level is low and sends a message to my phone. Time to water! Use zip ties and set it so there is about a 1/4 inch to the bottom of the fill tube so it never runs out of water. Easy to do and a clean set up.
I used a cork with 2 straws one inside the other so it long enough to clear the top of the black fill pipe. Put a hole in the cork push one end of the straw into it then drop I to the pipe. Make on the straw a black magic marker then fill with water and mark another line on the straw at the level of the top of the black pipe. As the water goes up and down you can easily see what the water level is and if you need to fill. I only did this for one of my boxes as they all have tomatoes and drink at about the same amount.
Thanks for this, and for EarthBoxes; I've been using 4 for probably close to a decade, and the watering system.. I think it's worth noting that a "Frequently Asked Questions" page at the EarthBox site says, "You can use the same growing media up to 6-10 growing seasons." So evidently the media should be entirely replaced eventually. I'd appreciate any clarification about this-is there a way to know when to replace it, by appearance, or some measurable property like pH? Does the soil actually get a bit better in repeat uses (at first), due to the buildup of organic material (e.g., good fungi)? Does the box ever need to be cleaned and disinfected? -Tom
After three years dig it all out or tip into wheelbarrow. Turn soil well. Add a few bits and bobs of banana skins apple cores small twigs. Done this for ten years works great. Add small amount of grass clippings too👍
Hello, I am starting an earthbox from scratch and don't have any dolomite. I do have some lime I have used for whitewashing wood and stones. Would this work?
Because it's a full growing season worth of fertilizer, it gets slowly released throughout the season. I've been doing this for years, paired with an automatic watering system it's the easiest vegetable gardening you'll ever do. For tomatoes drop an antacid tablet in the watering tube every week, it will prevent blossom end rot.
Why are you killing those tomato plants? Is this a northern thing? Even if you don't want them to produce again, till them into the soil for good compost later.
"There is a possibility that your fading tomato plants have a disease, insects or a fungus and burying them directly into the garden risks infiltrating the soil with these and passing them on to next year’s crops. You may decide to add the tomato plants to the compost pile; however, most compost piles do not attain high enough temperatures to kill off pathogens. Temps need to be at least 145 F. (63 C.), so be sure to stir the pile if this is your plan. The best idea is to dispose of the plants in the municipal trash or compost bin. Tomatoes are susceptible to Early blight, Verticillium, and Fusarium wilt, all soil borne diseases. Another effective management tool to combat the spread of disease is to practice crop rotation." Read more at Gardening Know How: End Of Tomato Growing Season: What To Do With Tomato Plants At End Of Season www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/end-of-tomato-season.htm
Yeah, I was wondering about that. If one uses organic, is this step needed? He said it was their organic 7-7-7, and it's next to impossible to find a comparable blend in the stores. On the facebook group there's one or more people who use organic and DON'T remove the strip - they just mix up what's there into the box - sort of just stir it up.
This year I used my EarthBox to root boxwood cuttings. I stuck 50 cuttings and within 8 weeks had rooted cuttings ready to pot up. The soil stays moist and the box just made it all so easy. I have owned the EarthBox for about fifteen years.
Did you use the cover while the cuttings were growing?
I would recommend people use organic amendments instead then you dont have to get rid of it each year! Also put some worms in your earth box and use a mulch layer. These are things that I have found that improve upon the official method.
Can you further explain this for a beginner, like a lil guide I can follow
I've been replanting my Earthboxes for years, what I do is remove the fertilizer strip, empty the old potting mix into a wheelbarrow, remove as much plant material as possible then mix in a pound of organic garden lime.The false bottom usually gets root-bound when you do tomatoes, so that need taken out and cleaned off as well. Rinse it out well and put the old potting mix back in, and top it off with some fresh potting mix to get a nice mound. Works like a charm every spring, takes me about 45 minutes for 2 boxes. If you are using Earthboxes and not using automatic watering definitely give it try, I couldn't believe the difference and if you go out of town you don't have to hire the neighbor kid to water, who you know really isn't.
Mark Wood you should try some enzymes. That will help eat the dead roots
@@Terpedup925 What kind of product is that?
@@Terpedup925 What do you recommend, and how do you apply it to eat the dead roots?
@@sn232 SLF 100 at 5 ml per gallon of water.
Yea u do my plants got so big I had to water every day they suck that earth box dry
Thank you for this video! I have been replacing (repurposing) my soul. This will save me some cost of soil.
Thanks for posting this video...very helpful.
Great idea! Thank you!
great video. I've just learned about EarthBox and will be using it to start a garden in my new home.
Only challenge with this video is that the sound and video are not synced, so it requires good memory! :)
Thank you sir.
I use a blub planter to make the holes for the plants.
Adding more fertilizer on top of old increased salt content? What about at the end of the season running water through the box and lowing rain water to flush the box?
Do you need to rotate crops in the earthbox instead of, say, planting tomatoes after tomatoes?
I live in west central Florida. I am wondering if it would be too hot now to expect anything to grow from plants I will purchase?
I wonder if I could plant gladiolas in this boxes? Thank you
There should be an indicator on the outside of the box so you don’t have to constantly check it/add water if it’s not needed.
I use a yolink water leak sensor. It can be set to detect when the water level is low and sends a message to my phone. Time to water! Use zip ties and set it so there is about a 1/4 inch to the bottom of the fill tube so it never runs out of water. Easy to do and a clean set up.
I used a cork with 2 straws one inside the other so it long enough to clear the top of the black fill pipe. Put a hole in the cork push one end of the straw into it then drop I to the pipe. Make on the straw a black magic marker then fill with water and mark another line on the straw at the level of the top of the black pipe. As the water goes up and down you can easily see what the water level is and if you need to fill. I only did this for one of my boxes as they all have tomatoes and drink at about the same amount.
Do the roots fill up the bottom reservoir?
Thanks for this, and for EarthBoxes; I've been using 4 for probably close to a decade, and the watering system.. I think it's worth noting that a "Frequently Asked Questions" page at the EarthBox site says, "You can use the same growing media up to 6-10 growing seasons." So evidently the media should be entirely replaced eventually. I'd appreciate any clarification about this-is there a way to know when to replace it, by appearance, or some measurable property like pH? Does the soil actually get a bit better in repeat uses (at first), due to the buildup of organic material (e.g., good fungi)? Does the box ever need to be cleaned and disinfected? -Tom
After three years dig it all out or tip into wheelbarrow. Turn soil well. Add a few bits and bobs of banana skins apple cores small twigs. Done this for ten years works great. Add small amount of grass clippings too👍
Hello, I am starting an earthbox from scratch and don't have any dolomite. I do have some lime I have used for whitewashing wood and stones. Would this work?
These boxes look really cool. Can you ever add too much dolomite over time? Does it build up like the fertilizer?
If you're growing tomatoes they're gonna eat up the calcium so you will have no worries.
Why a stripe of fertilizer, why not mixed into the mix?
Because it's a full growing season worth of fertilizer, it gets slowly released throughout the season. I've been doing this for years, paired with an automatic watering system it's the easiest vegetable gardening you'll ever do. For tomatoes drop an antacid tablet in the watering tube every week, it will prevent blossom end rot.
Mark Wood thanks!
so you can remove just the fertilizer and it encourages root growth in desired pattern to share with it's neighboring plants.
@@MarkWoodChannel that is a good idea, but isn't that what the Dolomite is for??
There is a weird sound effect whenever you talk. Sounds like some faint musical instrument. You may want to check on your sound for the next video.
i just spread in the yard and start new, you never know what's living in the soil.
Why are you killing those tomato plants? Is this a northern thing? Even if you don't want them to produce again, till them into the soil for good compost later.
"There is a possibility that your fading tomato plants have a disease, insects or a fungus and burying them directly into the garden risks infiltrating the soil with these and passing them on to next year’s crops. You may decide to add the tomato plants to the compost pile; however, most compost piles do not attain high enough temperatures to kill off pathogens. Temps need to be at least 145 F. (63 C.), so be sure to stir the pile if this is your plan. The best idea is to dispose of the plants in the municipal trash or compost bin. Tomatoes are susceptible to Early blight, Verticillium, and Fusarium wilt, all soil borne diseases. Another effective management tool to combat the spread of disease is to practice crop rotation."
Read more at Gardening Know How: End Of Tomato Growing Season: What To Do With Tomato Plants At End Of Season www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/end-of-tomato-season.htm
Build up of salts?? Must not be organic fertilizer
Yeah, I was wondering about that. If one uses organic, is this step needed? He said it was their organic 7-7-7, and it's next to impossible to find a comparable blend in the stores. On the facebook group there's one or more people who use organic and DON'T remove the strip - they just mix up what's there into the box - sort of just stir it up.
That music that comes on every time you speak is very annoying.