Earthbox fertilizer question

[roper2008]

What fertilizer's do you all use with your Earthboxes? I only have organic fertilizers, but
the earthbox instructions says they need to be between 5-15. All of mine are below 5.
I will probably experiment between the synthetic and organic, if I can find an organic
above 5.

Another question. I know I sound like a newbie, but pro-mix is too expensive to use in
my earthboxes. I bought a potting mix called Just Natural. I hope it will work well. It does
have worm castings, but probably not much that I have to worry about it. My local
Wal mart is selling it for almost $10 1 cubic foot, online for $6.77. I found it at Southern
States for $4.57 1 cubic foot.

[shatbox]

Earthbox's faq says

"What kind of fertilizer does the EarthBox need?
Each time you plant in the EarthBox, use 2 cups of a dry, granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables (use 3 cups if the fertilizer is organic). The three numbers of the elements making up the fertilizer content (NPK) should be in the range of 5 to 15 (i.e.12-8-10, 10-10-10, 6-8-10) for non-organic fertilizers. "

and

"Can I use organic fertilizer?
Absolutely! Many EarthBox gardeners prefer growing their plants organically. We have recommended several brands of dry, granular organic fertilizers that can be used by placing 3 cups of organic fertilizer, in the form of a strip, in the EarthBox."

I use whatever fertilizer is on sale with the appropriate NPK (which happens to be Ecoscraps' Rose and flower food, lower N level and was on clearance). We need to keep in mind that the NPK numbers are what is immediately available to the plant, so when they say two (or three) cups, and a cup is mostly around a pound; then we are just taking the numbers up to the conventional fert numbers.

I agree, Promix is expensive and I regret using peat (mixed my own). I have used the Just Natural but as regular in planter potting mix. With hand watering, I think the plants didn't get the aeration they needed.

If I could start again I would buy a Coco Coir brick and get pearlite from Home Depot. No more adjusting pH with lime

[TC_Manhattan]

I used Espoma Plant Tone last year in mine, and that's a 5-3-3. Worked fine for me.
It was my first year using earthboxes, and I did not use them to grow tomatoes, but the kale, pole beans, bush beans, and peppers did extremely well.

I did give them a little extra Texas Tomato Food every couple of weeks down the watering tube. (Even my banana tree loves Texas Tomato Food!)

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by shatbox

Earthbox's faq says

"What kind of fertilizer does the EarthBox need?
Each time you plant in the EarthBox, use 2 cups of a dry, granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables (use 3 cups if the fertilizer is organic). The three numbers of the elements making up the fertilizer content (NPK) should be in the range of 5 to 15 (i.e.12-8-10, 10-10-10, 6-8-10) for non-organic fertilizers. "

and

"Can I use organic fertilizer?
Absolutely! Many EarthBox gardeners prefer growing their plants organically. We have recommended several brands of dry, granular organic fertilizers that can be used by placing 3 cups of organic fertilizer, in the form of a strip, in the EarthBox."

I use whatever fertilizer is on sale with the appropriate NPK (which happens to be Ecoscraps' Rose and flower food, lower N level and was on clearance). We need to keep in mind that the NPK numbers are what is immediately available to the plant, so when they say two (or three) cups, and a cup is mostly around a pound; then we are just taking the numbers up to the conventional fert numbers.

I agree, Promix is expensive and I regret using peat (mixed my own). I have used the Just Natural but as regular in planter potting mix. With hand watering, I think the plants didn't get the aeration they needed.

If I could start again I would buy a Coco Coir brick and get pearlite from Home Depot. No more adjusting pH with lime

Earthbox switched to using Coco Coir bricks with their ready to go EB packages a few years ago and it was a big failure. Most reported lots of problems and EB went back to the peat based product.

[shatbox]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Earthbox switched to using Coco Coir bricks with their ready to go EB packages a few years ago and it was a big failure. Most reported lots of problems and EB went back to the peat based product.

I think the key to coir is getting the best brand you can afford, always using that brand, rinsing, and of course getting the perlite ratio dialed in.

Also Sun City Linda, I wanted to start using masterblend too and was thinking of putting the EB up on blocks to drain into buckets every once in a while to rinse salts out but as I type, it's sounding less and less appealing.

Barb, is the loaf to run rainwater off the EB so it doesn't pool?

[roper2008]

Well I'm just going to buy 3 bales of pro mix bx. It won't be so bad if I only have
to replace 1/5 of the soil in each earthbox. Home Depot was out of tomato tone. I
did buy another organic fertilizer that is 5-5-5.

I going to put peppers and eggplant in my earthboxes.

[gardendoc]

Fertilizer in an EarthBox is a murky thing. I use granular based on 2 cups 5-5-5, like 1 cup 10-10-10 and so on. This year I'm trying an idea I picked up after speaking and visiting the tomato farm in FL that originated the EB idea. This year I'm strictly using Miracle Gro, 1 tsp weekly and 1 tsp of snack every other week.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by shatbox

I think the key to coir is getting the best brand you can afford, always using that brand, rinsing, and of course getting the perlite ratio dialed in.

Also Sun City Linda, I wanted to start using masterblend too and was thinking of putting the EB up on blocks to drain into buckets every once in a while to rinse salts out but as I type, it's sounding less and less appealing.

Barb, is the loaf to run rainwater off the EB so it doesn't pool?

Yes that I what the loaf is for but since I've been using the compactor bags as covers with tucking them in, pooling water isn't a problem. I've been just using the masterblend formula for months so what difference does it make if they got rain water since the fertilizer strip is long gone.

I already bought the bags for solarizing the mix in the summer and bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._o04_s00?ie=UT to eliminate the salts, but that is sounding like too much work.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Yes that I what the loaf is for but since I've been using the compactor bags as covers with tucking them in, pooling water isn't a problem. I've been just using the masterblend formula for months so what difference does it make if they got rain water since the fertilizer strip is long gone.

I already bought the bags for solarizing the mix in the summer and bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._o04_s00?ie=UT to eliminate the salts, but that is sounding like too much work.

Barb what bags for you use for solarizing? I get the clear ones from HD, but they are kind of thin.

[Shrinkrap]

Originally Posted by shatbox

Earthbox's faq says

"What kind of fertilizer does the EarthBox need?
Each time you plant in the EarthBox, use 2 cups of a dry, granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables (use 3 cups if the fertilizer is organic). The three numbers of the elements making up the fertilizer content (NPK) should be in the range of 5 to 15 (i.e.12-8-10, 10-10-10, 6-8-10) for non-organic fertilizers. "

and

"Can I use organic fertilizer?
Absolutely! Many EarthBox gardeners prefer growing their plants organically. We have recommended several brands of dry, granular organic fertilizers that can be used by placing 3 cups of organic fertilizer, in the form of a strip, in the EarthBox."

I use whatever fertilizer is on sale with the appropriate NPK (which happens to be Ecoscraps' Rose and flower food, lower N level and was on clearance). We need to keep in mind that the NPK numbers are what is immediately available to the plant, so when they say two (or three) cups, and a cup is mostly around a pound; then we are just taking the numbers up to the conventional fert numbers.

I agree, Promix is expensive and I regret using peat (mixed my own). I have used the Just Natural but as regular in planter potting mix. With hand watering, I think the plants didn't get the aeration they needed.

If I could start again I would buy a Coco Coir brick and get pearlite from Home Depot. No more adjusting pH with lime

Need to find this later.

[Shrinkrap]

This year's boxes!

[MsCowpea]

Gardendoc,

It has been awhile but did you ever come to a conclusion concerning your experiment with Miracle Gro every week and calcium nitrate every other week? Did you notice a difference with your tomatoes?

Did you prefer it over the weekly ‘snack’?

[ginger2778]

I use Tomato Tone, and ProMix BX, which is $26 for a 3.8 cu ft bale, and it will fill 3 Earthboxes. Keep in mind, you are re-using it year after year, and only adding about 1/5 more after you dig out the old fertilizer strip.

[roper2008]

I'll go buy some Espoma at Home Depot.. That's a good deal for pro-mix. Here in Virginia Beach,
everything is expensive. The cheapest pro-mix I can find is 38.99 for a 3.8 cu ft bale.

[ginger2778]

I found this for the Espoma Tomato Tone online.
https://www.idealtruevalue.com/store...hVsaAlgY8P8HAQ