EarthBox-water from under...

Ed of Somis · June 27, 2014

I keep looking at the self-watering boxes/systems. I think I understand the principle of an underneath reservoir...and the wicking up. Are these things really as great as they sound? I currently grow in containers and water from top. My tomatoes are doing well, but not great. My leaves often roll, and the plants just look OK. Fruit is really good. I see amazon has the EarthBoxes...but they are kind of pricey. confused

TNTiger · June 27, 2014

They work very well! The key is that the moisture level in the box remains constant. The soil is never super wet and never dry. If you get one just be sure to set it up EXACTLY as instructed and you will be impressed with the results.

I have seven of them and I've had great luck with Peppers and tomatoes. Keep an eye out for sales at Earthbox.com . . . you can get some nice discounts every so often.

Irv Wiseguy · June 27, 2014

I grow tomatoes, peppers, squash and corn in Earthboxes and have great success. If you want to buy locally, I bought some a few years ago from Green Thumb Nursery in Ventura. Don't know if they still sell them, though.

As TNTiger said, if you buy them directly from Earthbox wait for a sale, especially the free shipping sales they have every so often. Their shipping rates are high.

Irv

IronPete · June 27, 2014

The guy who does Rusted Garden on Youtube (Gary Pilarchik I think) has a video on how to turn those 5 gallon containers into self watering units and then he has a followup video on how well they did. It may be worth your while to check those out. Here is a link to his page. You can find it on there somewhere. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAP...69AUdb7o-TZLSw I think it would be a lot cheaper than using earthboxes so it may fit your budget.

Good luck! Pete

Ed of Somis · June 27, 2014

Great ideas and info! thanks. How do you support those big tomato vines once they get 4-6 feet high?

Dewayne mater · June 27, 2014

I definitely recommend earthtainers designed and bettered many time by our own Raybo, Rnewste. Look at any of his update posts and you'll be sold. Directions are posted in workbench and they are incredibly detailed so that a building neophyte like me had no problems in construction.

I had a summer that my house foundation was under repair the whole time, all the way around the house where my beds are. If I wanted tomatoes, I had to try something, so I built 3 earthtainers. They did so well, I built 3 more the next year and have been using them, in addition to plants in the ground ever since. There are many advantages they offer and few disadvantages. For me, they have been highly productive, earlier than in the ground tomatoes and they've tended to last through the summer heat of N. Tx, not producing much, but, they come back and produce well again in the fall when it cools off. Earlier than in the ground by about two weeks is awesome for me because it acts to extend my productive season of fresh home growns. Try em!

Dewayne Mater

Balr14 · June 27, 2014

I swear by EarthBoxes and so does everyone else I have recommended them to. I have tried others as well as a number of DIY containers. They do OK, but they just don't last more than a few years. I've got a couple Earthboxes that are 15 years old. You can buy them directly from their website for $30.

Balr14 · June 27, 2014

For supporting plants, I put one or two 5' tomato baskets in each Earthbox, through some holes in the plate over the reservoir. I then wire them in place, so they can't move. That works pretty well up to 6' or 7'.

ginger2778 · June 27, 2014

I've got 40 and 3 more from a closeout at a local garden center. Those 3 were $20 each, including the starter kit of ferts and lime.after I started with my first 5, and couldn't believe the results, it was inevitable for me to buy more.( they are so much better than growboxes brand, having used both)
Their best sale is close to the end of the year, they usually offer buy 2 get a third free, with free shipping then.
One of my favorite expressions" they're not idiot proof, but they are idiot resistant"

Barb_FL · June 27, 2014

I was new to Earthboxes this year; I'm up to 8 and love them. I also built a container and having spent the entire day on it (getting the lid inside was no easy task for me), I thought EB were definitely worth every $.

My first 3 were the green ones, then I bought 2 for $50 (used) Terracotta with wheels locally at a nursery store, and my last 3 were white. I bought one set of wheels for the white ones, and have to say that my $10 dollies bought at Harbor Freight is way superior for moving them. I've been pushing them out of the hot sun for a couple of weeks now.

I remember EB having a great sale on their Splash colors, but I didn't buy them b/c the colors are dark and I live in Florida. For months now, I have covered the bottoms of the green ones with a white sheet so the roots don't cook.

For support, I use 4' square tomato cages, that I stick in the EB, and when the plants got big and heavy, I connect bungee cords on the cage, and under the earthbox back to the other side. I also put in 6' bamboo poles as needed. This has held up to moving twice per day with no tipping over in high winds.

I also made some bucket containers (very easy and cheap), but the tomatoes didn't do well in them. However, eggplant is thriving in them.

Finally, also trying to do things on the cheap, I used the bottom of some bunny cages I already had and drilled some drainage holes, and bought containers, cut the 3" holes for net pots and air holes, placed the buckets on bricks so just the net pot is exposed to the water. This was super easy and cheap and in theory similar to the rain gutter system I've read about here, but after awhile, the tomato plants were not thriving. I think the media stayed too wet.

IronPete · June 27, 2014

If 12" makes you nervous keep in mind that the Square Foot Garden guy recommends raised beds with bottoms that provide only 6" of depth. He grows nice tomatoes so 12" should be plenty. Just my 2 cents (Canadian currency of course so its my 1.9 cents US, lol!) Pete

Ed of Somis · June 27, 2014

yea, long ago I really gave up the idea of "saving money" by growing my own food. Bottom line...I just really enjoy growing stuff and eating it or giving it away.

Barb_FL · June 27, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

yea, long ago I really gave up the idea of "saving money" by growing my own food. Bottom line...I just really enjoy growing stuff and eating it or giving it away.

Couldn't have said it better.

ginger2778 · June 27, 2014

Barb, I think the place where Earthbox falls down is those plastic mulch covers. They are expensive, and just don't last. Thats why I am trying the garbage bag with fabric store elastic vertically around each end. If it holds up, when I replant I will use white tall kitchen trash bags secured that way.

Ed of Somis · June 28, 2014

Do I understand you guys cover the top (with plant sticking through) with plastic? This is a form of mulch...right?

June 27, 2014	#1
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	EarthBox-water from under... I keep looking at the self-watering boxes/systems. I think I understand the principle of an underneath reservoir...and the wicking up. Are these things really as great as they sound? I currently grow in containers and water from top. My tomatoes are doing well, but not great. My leaves often roll, and the plants just look OK. Fruit is really good. I see amazon has the EarthBoxes...but they are kind of pricey. confused

June 27, 2014	#4
IronPete Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Charlottetown, PEI, Canada Posts: 302	The guy who does Rusted Garden on Youtube (Gary Pilarchik I think) has a video on how to turn those 5 gallon containers into self watering units and then he has a followup video on how well they did. It may be worth your while to check those out. Here is a link to his page. You can find it on there somewhere. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAP...69AUdb7o-TZLSw I think it would be a lot cheaper than using earthboxes so it may fit your budget. Good luck! Pete __________________ Thanks; Iron Pete "We can agree to disagree."

June 27, 2014	#10
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	I was new to Earthboxes this year; I'm up to 8 and love them. I also built a container and having spent the entire day on it (getting the lid inside was no easy task for me), I thought EB were definitely worth every $. My first 3 were the green ones, then I bought 2 for $50 (used) Terracotta with wheels locally at a nursery store, and my last 3 were white. I bought one set of wheels for the white ones, and have to say that my $10 dollies bought at Harbor Freight is way superior for moving them. I've been pushing them out of the hot sun for a couple of weeks now. I remember EB having a great sale on their Splash colors, but I didn't buy them b/c the colors are dark and I live in Florida. For months now, I have covered the bottoms of the green ones with a white sheet so the roots don't cook. For support, I use 4' square tomato cages, that I stick in the EB, and when the plants got big and heavy, I connect bungee cords on the cage, and under the earthbox back to the other side. I also put in 6' bamboo poles as needed. This has held up to moving twice per day with no tipping over in high winds. I also made some bucket containers (very easy and cheap), but the tomatoes didn't do well in them. However, eggplant is thriving in them. Finally, also trying to do things on the cheap, I used the bottom of some bunny cages I already had and drilled some drainage holes, and bought containers, cut the 3" holes for net pots and air holes, placed the buckets on bricks so just the net pot is exposed to the water. This was super easy and cheap and in theory similar to the rain gutter system I've read about here, but after awhile, the tomato plants were not thriving. I think the media stayed too wet. Last edited by Barb_FL; June 27, 2014 at 06:29 PM.

June 27, 2014	#11
IronPete Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Charlottetown, PEI, Canada Posts: 302	If 12" makes you nervous keep in mind that the Square Foot Garden guy recommends raised beds with bottoms that provide only 6" of depth. He grows nice tomatoes so 12" should be plenty. Just my 2 cents (Canadian currency of course so its my 1.9 cents US, lol!) Pete __________________ Thanks; Iron Pete "We can agree to disagree."

June 27, 2014	#2
TNTiger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: TN Posts: 120	They work very well! The key is that the moisture level in the box remains constant. The soil is never super wet and never dry. If you get one just be sure to set it up EXACTLY as instructed and you will be impressed with the results. I have seven of them and I've had great luck with Peppers and tomatoes. Keep an eye out for sales at Earthbox.com . . . you can get some nice discounts every so often.

June 27, 2014	#3
Irv Wiseguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 281	I grow tomatoes, peppers, squash and corn in Earthboxes and have great success. If you want to buy locally, I bought some a few years ago from Green Thumb Nursery in Ventura. Don't know if they still sell them, though. As TNTiger said, if you buy them directly from Earthbox wait for a sale, especially the free shipping sales they have every so often. Their shipping rates are high. Irv

June 27, 2014	#6
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I definitely recommend earthtainers designed and bettered many time by our own Raybo, Rnewste. Look at any of his update posts and you'll be sold. Directions are posted in workbench and they are incredibly detailed so that a building neophyte like me had no problems in construction. I had a summer that my house foundation was under repair the whole time, all the way around the house where my beds are. If I wanted tomatoes, I had to try something, so I built 3 earthtainers. They did so well, I built 3 more the next year and have been using them, in addition to plants in the ground ever since. There are many advantages they offer and few disadvantages. For me, they have been highly productive, earlier than in the ground tomatoes and they've tended to last through the summer heat of N. Tx, not producing much, but, they come back and produce well again in the fall when it cools off. Earlier than in the ground by about two weeks is awesome for me because it acts to extend my productive season of fresh home growns. Try em! Dewayne Mater

June 27, 2014	#9
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	I've got 40 and 3 more from a closeout at a local garden center. Those 3 were $20 each, including the starter kit of ferts and lime.after I started with my first 5, and couldn't believe the results, it was inevitable for me to buy more.( they are so much better than growboxes brand, having used both) Their best sale is close to the end of the year, they usually offer buy 2 get a third free, with free shipping then. One of my favorite expressions" they're not idiot proof, but they are idiot resistant"

June 28, 2014	#15
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	Do I understand you guys cover the top (with plant sticking through) with plastic? This is a form of mulch...right?