EarthTainer Updated Rev 3.7 Guide Now Available

[rnewste]

I have made some minor improvements to the EarthTainer Guide regarding a more rigid attachment of the Aeration Bench to the outer container. The attachment point for the bolts has been relocated 5-1/2 inches down from the rim, where the two surfaces are flush with each other.



This prevents the inward torque of the sidewalls which was caused by the mounting bolts fastened through the air gap as in the previous Guide. For current EarthTainer owners, you can easily retrofit this new mounting point when you do your clean out at the end of the Season.

Also, as many fertilizer suppliers are moving to Organic products with their inherently lower NPK effectiveness, I am now recommending use of 3 Cups fertilizer in the central strip.

Last, the Sunshine ADVANCED Mix #4 did not perform to expectations, and I have dropped recommending it for use in the EarthTainer. The Coir composition resulted in a too moist environment, and a more compacted Grow Media. As Pro-Mix BX is widely available, I am recommending its use as many have reported excellent results with it.

You can download the free Rev 3.7 Construction Guide at this link:

http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/pd...tion-Guide.pdf

Raybo

[aclum]

Hi Raybo,

Happy to see this recent post (although I'm not container gardening). Was just about to post asking you how your various tomato trials are turning out (or have turned out).

I'm especially interested in what you thought of your Donas from the Villmorin vs Yamagamis (assuming that's where you got your OP version). Also thoughts on Momotoro vs. Ordoriko. Any just any comments in general. Any standouts or outright "not growing again."

Maybe the General Discussion area might be the best place to post?

Thanks!
Anne

[kilroyscarnival]

This looks like a great thing! Thanks, Ray. I described this to my sweetie. He has no real interest in growing tomatoes, and I have no tools or ability to construct this thing, but he showed a real interest in making ME one or two of these EarthTainers. Which I think makes me pretty lucky.

The photo of your crop teeming out of the boxes is enticement enough. Will definitely have to make a shopping list.

One thing I'll have to consider, though, is whether anyone with my Central Florida climate has used these, and what adaptations might have to be done to anticipate or correct for Orlando's sometimes heavy-as-heck rainfalls. I think you are in central coastal California with its milder, dryer summers. Around here a late afternoon deluge, even outside the storm season, could really soak that thing. Would it drain effectively? Would the soil-medium compact too much?

I tried using the "search" for "Earthtainer" and "Florida" together, but maybe it's case-sensitive as I didn't get it to find "earthtainer" as one word. (Beginner here.)

[sunjwd]

Hi.
For those who go "Earthbox style", the centre fertilizer strip works on the principle where it leaches into the container mix to feed the plants. I am reading that organic fertilizer is by nature slow release and thus doesn't leach as well. If using organic fertilizer, would it hurt to forgo the central strip and just mix the 3 cups throughout the mix the same way one does with the dolomite?

[rnewste]

My experience is that formed in a concentrated strip, it has a tendency to last longer, as it takes more time for the inner "core" to be leached out into the surrounding Grow Media. If you disperse it throughout the Media at planting time, you will get a "woosh" of nutrients, then it will be gone (how's that for scientific terminology?)

While encapsulated Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRF) like Osmocote are not recommended for self-watering container applications, I feel SLOW Release Fertilizers would be optimal for this specific application. I am still on the hunt for such a fertilizer....

Raybo