Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Imthechuck]

@ marsha

how do make sure all of your earth boxes get enough sun and don't block each other?

I am currently playing musical earth boxes with 12... and can't figure out how to arrange them since our sun is much lower in the southern sky during our winter

My back yard faces south but I don't have a ton of space....

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

@ marsha

how do make sure all of your earth boxes get enough sun and don't block each other?

I am currently playing musical earth boxes with 12... and can't figure out how to arrange them since our sun is much lower in the southern sky during our winter

My back yard faces south but I don't have a ton of space....

Weeellll, my property is 1/3 of an acre, so finding full sun isnt that much of an issue for me. Also, my philosophy is put the box where the sun is, regardless of whether there is grass underneath it that will die. Grass is overrated IMHO.

[elight]

This is a complete non-sequitur, but if anyone is looking for tomato cages, please let me know. I bought a 150' roll of CRW (remesh) in the spring to make tomato cages. I've made 8 or 9, and realize I'm probably never going to use the rest of the roll. I think you can probably get 30 cages out of the roll, so probably about 2/3 of it is left. Trying to clear space from my garage - let me know if you want it and I'll make you a deal. I'm located in Orlando.

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

@ marsha

how do make sure all of your earth boxes get enough sun and don't block each other?

I am currently playing musical earth boxes with 12... and can't figure out how to arrange them since our sun is much lower in the southern sky during our winter

My back yard faces south but I don't have a ton of space....

If you know the plants(cherry/regular).If you are familiar with that particular plant growth/height.All this would help in placement in boxes,and box angle location.If you can put up a sticks/poles(sundial)in different areas of yard and monitor shade/sun movement.Taller growing plants should not shade your smaller growths(bush/dwarfs).Much to the wifes chagrin I resorted to trimming some tree branches for that reason.Take note of shadeline from house/fences versus sunrise/sunset.In my case the sun rises east,then over head(12 high noon) and settles west(Long part of house is north to south,plants on east side of house)So my plants are in a east to west row configuration.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

@ marsha

how do make sure all of your earth boxes get enough sun and don't block each other?

I am currently playing musical earth boxes with 12... and can't figure out how to arrange them since our sun is much lower in the southern sky during our winter

My back yard faces south but I don't have a ton of space....

I also play musical EB with my 14. My backyard faces south as well; plot is 1/3 acre but that includes the house and pool. Back yard is pretty cut up. What I do have is a large pool deck; all but 2 of my EB are on casters, so moving them is easy until the plants get huge. The 2 not on casters are on mover's dollys. (Always on the lookout for plants not getting huge).

Sun in the winter is a problem for me; I will have one plant in the EB do great at the expense of the other.

The worse case was last fall when I grew Matt's Wild cherry - that plant was a beast and hogged all the sun. Why is it the smaller the tomatoes, the bigger the plant.

Hopefully this fall, I'm not growing beasts.

[Barb_FL]

Marsha - No lizards on the NEW sticky traps; a couple of fly looking bugs, and if I look down on it, I can see some white flies. So glad I have the right brand now. To make then even cheaper, cut them so they are not doubled over and apply Vaseline on the other side. The goo on mine, looks like Vaseline (that I why I think the lizards leave it alone. I think a lizard could get out of it also).

This week pics:

Last pic is broccoli - the top row is Premium Blend that Larry grows and gave me seed. The far right of the middle row is: PackMan, the middle slot in the middle row is PackMan save seeds from broccoli I let go to flower during 2013/2014. the left slot in the middle row is some Burpee seed I got at HD - not sure when. The up close middle row is Green Magic recently purchased and planted. Looking for an alternative to Premium Blend that is hard to find.

[Fiishergurl]

Barb, your seedlings look really happy and healthy! Nice job!

I've been on the road a ton working but love reading everyone's posts.

Ginny

[ginger2778]

Barb, I am so glad to hear that you found a yellow sticky trap that was safe. I also ordered some more Seabright Labs ones. The sticky on the cards, if you touch it you will discover it isn't Vaseline, muahahaha! BTW- mineral spirits removes it.
Also- great idea about vaseline on the other side, quite brilliant, really. I must try that. I guess the silver lining to that poor bird getting stuck, which I still think about, was that you and the others, and me too, all learned that there are different kinds of glue. I went back to the safer one, but at least that poor little bird allowed you to discover one that works better, safer.

[Zone9b]

Barb
Your broccoli plants look very good. I read that Premium Crop Broccoli has become very popular. It appears the very few vendors that have seeds available have priced them accordingly.
Larry

[Imthechuck]

I found 2 lizards in rough shape on the yellow traps this morning.....

[kurt]

If the lizard traps(glue hazard) get out of hand maybe isolate the hanging system with some fine fishing line away from any solid type branch or staking.Mind you those lizards will jump away from danger but I have yet to see them jump thru air after the prey they might see on the Yellow Traps.The birds will see a lizard on the Yellow Traps and think they are easy prey.As a side note when my Mangoes are in full harvest I hang CDS on fishing line(away from fruit to prevent the guillotine effect)to thwart birds ,squirrels,rats even possums at night.The flickering reflection drives them away.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

I found 2 lizards in rough shape on the yellow traps this morning.....

I think from your photo that you got the severely sticky dangerous type too. The only safe one that I have found that still does the job is the one from Seabright industries as the maker. There is a big difference!!!

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

@ marsha

how do make sure all of your earth boxes get enough sun and don't block each other?

I am currently playing musical earth boxes with 12... and can't figure out how to arrange them since our sun is much lower in the southern sky during our winter

My back yard faces south but I don't have a ton of space....

EB is no different from in ground planting. I plant mine in raise beds at about 2ft spacing.
In summer in North hemisphere, the sun shines most of the day at a high altitude/angle. So the top of the plants get plenty of direct sun.

Gardeneer

[ginger2778]

The spacing is different. You can plant 2 tomato plants in one earthbox, and they do very very well.

[Zone9b]

I am surely impressed at the tomatoes my fellow Florida gardeners grow in the EBs. They would make my life easier, especially related to watering. However, I have one problem with them. I can make a 4' x 16' raised bed with 2"x10"s and fill it to the top with compost for about the price of 1 EB.
Larry