Real "Earth Box"?

CharlieH · January 12, 2007

Hi everyone!
I've been very interested in reading all the different posts on container growing and it has led me to think of how I might do something along these lines on my farm.
What if you did away with the plastic box all together and used a plastic sheet lined hole instead? I'm thinking in terms of a hole 5 foot wide by ten foot long and using a variation of Jackman's drainfill lines as the water reservoir. (a 6" dia. pipe holds about 1 gallon per 8" length.)
It seems like something like this would make more efficient use of my available water. (which is in short suppy.)
Any reason this wouldn't work?
Thanks,
Charlie

Earl · January 25, 2007

Hey, Charlie! Wecome to T-ville.

Your idea sounds interesting as long as it's not me digging the holes. :-) It would be like making an Earth Box and putting it in a hole. Only one way to find out, try it and see. And if you do, take some pictures.

feldon30 · January 25, 2007

Earthboxes are portable, reusable, and allow you to avoid soil-related problems like the three F's: fusarium, flooding, and fire ants. Some people only have concrete jungle in their backyard, or rocks, or hard-pan clay which would take a jackhammer to get into.

I suggest if you have soil that can be amended without too much difficulty into good gardening soil either via open-bottomed raised beds or via Earl's "hole planting method" (digging a 2' x 2' x 2' hole and adding manure, peat, and other goodies to it), just do it.

CharlieH · January 27, 2007

Hi Earl,
Thanks for the welcome!
The main reason I was interested in the "Earth Box" concept was better use and control of available water. I would be using a Bobcat to dig the hole, so it wouldn't be much of a job in that respect. I could pile the removed dirt around the edges of the hole, so the hole wouldn't really be all that deep and that rim would also keep out rain water. The big question to me would be about water pollution, as this would be something I'd expect to last several years considering the effort spent. Of course I suppose a septic tank drain line is pretty polluted but that has been the location of the only really green grass in the yard, during these last few years of drought.

Hi feldon27,
Oh believe me, I could be talked out of it.

Thank you both,
Charlie

January 12, 2007	#1
CharlieH Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 4	Real "Earth Box"? Hi everyone! I've been very interested in reading all the different posts on container growing and it has led me to think of how I might do something along these lines on my farm. What if you did away with the plastic box all together and used a plastic sheet lined hole instead? I'm thinking in terms of a hole 5 foot wide by ten foot long and using a variation of Jackman's drainfill lines as the water reservoir. (a 6" dia. pipe holds about 1 gallon per 8" length.) It seems like something like this would make more efficient use of my available water. (which is in short suppy.) Any reason this wouldn't work? Thanks, Charlie

January 25, 2007	#3
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Earthboxes are portable, reusable, and allow you to avoid soil-related problems like the three F's: fusarium, flooding, and fire ants. Some people only have concrete jungle in their backyard, or rocks, or hard-pan clay which would take a jackhammer to get into. I suggest if you have soil that can be amended without too much difficulty into good gardening soil either via open-bottomed raised beds or via Earl's "hole planting method" (digging a 2' x 2' x 2' hole and adding manure, peat, and other goodies to it), just do it. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 25, 2007	#2
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Hey, Charlie! Wecome to T-ville. Your idea sounds interesting as long as it's not me digging the holes. :-) It would be like making an Earth Box and putting it in a hole. Only one way to find out, try it and see. And if you do, take some pictures.

January 27, 2007	#4
CharlieH Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 4	Hi Earl, Thanks for the welcome! The main reason I was interested in the "Earth Box" concept was better use and control of available water. I would be using a Bobcat to dig the hole, so it wouldn't be much of a job in that respect. I could pile the removed dirt around the edges of the hole, so the hole wouldn't really be all that deep and that rim would also keep out rain water. The big question to me would be about water pollution, as this would be something I'd expect to last several years considering the effort spent. Of course I suppose a septic tank drain line is pretty polluted but that has been the location of the only really green grass in the yard, during these last few years of drought. Hi feldon27, Oh believe me, I could be talked out of it. Thank you both, Charlie