But, a friend of a friend has some with their watering system and I’ve been told the garden went beserk this year.
Herbs, tomatoes, onions, etc.
It seems like a pretty good system. . .they have their own soil, and fertilizer, and have a nice little reservoir/watering system that can be attached.
But, I don’t need to spend 40-50 bucks a pop on a fancy box, either. (they’re cheaper if you buy more than one).
I don’t have land, but my backyard is a decent brick patio that gets a good amount of sun.
Anyone used one, know someone who has used one, or have an alternate system?
I’m half decent at growing herbs and some vegetables in containers, but I do a lot of work and don’t get anywhere near the results the Earth Box people seem to get for less.
I’ve used them for about 5 years. Same boxes; I do re-order the covers because they’re pretty much only good for one season (they’re very inexpensive, though).
The boxes work very very well. Easy to set up, and easy to maintain. This year on my deck I have tomatoes, bell peppers, frying peppers, and lettuce in the boxes. I have a total southern exposure, which is an added bonus.
I must admit that’s a very cool idea! I’ve never used one because I have a large garden on the side of our home…but these look like they would be wonderful for the patio. cool.
I’d think if you start from seed and you are in a temperate zone then spring would be the time to start.
I do use their watering system. I try to check every day, or at least every other day.
I started my lettuce from seed. The others I started from small plants. I live in NW NJ and we don’t have the longest growing season in the world, so plants - especially short-season tomatoes) work well for me. Some herbs (I use a strawberry pot for these) I grow from seeds.
I don’t have personal experience with them, but my parents do. A couple of years ago they decided that their big two acre plot was just too much to take care of any more, so they moved to a smaller house with a very small yard. However, they still loved their gardening, so they bought four of the very earth boxes you’re looking at, and they love them. They’ve always got something going in them. I realize this is only second-hand anecdotal evidence, but I hope it’s helpful in some way.
See. . .I’d sort of feel like a sucker for buying several boxes for $40, but it seems like the watering system is really easy, the soil and fertilizer are good. They’re all nice and modular, and reusable, obviously.
I’d love to get 5 or six of them going next year, and grow a bunch of food.
My pleasure. I can say I’ve had mine at least 5 (maybe 6?) years and they’re still in fine shape, so past the initial outlay, you should be good to go for quite a while.
