Earthbox

[cornish crabber]

Hi everyone. I've been 'lurking' on here for some time and have just signed up to be able to post. I have learnt a good deal from you all over the last few months, for which many thanks.

My question is about the Earthbox that I've seen advertised in gardening mags. Seems like a good alternative to growbags, and possibly more cost effective over a few seasons.

Has anyone used one? Are they any good? Any problems with using them?

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine cornish crabber.

Sorry, haven't seen the earthbox - is it something like the link-a-bord for raised beds?

[cornish crabber]

Hi Shirley
It's a box with a lid that has a water reservoir at the bottom. You fill it with compost and add a strip of fertilizer and plant your tomatoes or other veg through holes in the lid and them just keep the reservoir from drying out. The lid reduces water loss so there is no need for regular watering. Have a look at earthbox.co.uk

[JennieAtkinson]

Hello Cornish Crabber and welcome to the Vine. "Lurketh" no longer!

Can't help you with the Earthbox though!

[rustylady]

Principle sounds the same as a raised bed. Bear in mind that the compost will need either renewing or re-fertilizing after you've raised a crop in it. Growbags are quite cost effective. All my used compost from the greenhouse gets used to topdress the outside borders and beds.

[Sue]

Cornish Crabber
Hi and welcome to the Vine
I've looked at those earth box things and thought they were very expensive. But if you've only got a terrace or patio to grow things on then perhaps it would be worth it.
However raised beds work well and mulching will keep water from evaporating, although that isn't a problem at the moment thanks to the downpours recently.
Sue

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi Cornish Crabber - welcome to the vine! sorry cant help you with the earthbox, but keep your questions coming! Bernie

[terrier]

http://www.earthbox.co.uk/

Hi, Cornish Crabber, welcome to the vine.
Here's the link for Earthbox.
Looks like a bit of an expensive gadget to me, maybe some of the other more experienced grapes might take a look.

[cornish crabber]

Thanks for your comments. Yes it does seem like an expensive toy, but I thought it might overcome my tendency to under or overwater growbags and buying replacement compost would work out cheaper than new growbags each season. But I suppose it would take a long time to make up the initial cost of the Earthbox.

[gwtgator]

I've got an earthbox in the backyard...yellow and red tomatoes, jalepeno and green peppers. It is an expensive gadget (and you'd probably be able to make one yourself for half the price - google for it), but it's a foolproof way to grow some really healthy plants. It can't be overwatered and it's good for smaller areas, but the box itself it is a bit of an eyesore. First post, Fl, US.

[BarleySugar]

Hi Cornish Crabber and welcome to the vine. I had a look at the earthbox on the Harrods website, it doesn't seem very large for the money (and they were cheaper than some!). From a pic on another site it looked bath tub size, but when I saw the measurements and what you can get in it, I would need more than one to give a worthwhile growing space. Your call of course, the convenience might outweigh the cost for you, depending on your circumstances.
Personally I don't use growbags as I find they are too shallow and hard to water and I think they get expensive if you buy watering kits and supports. In the greenhouse and on the patio I use pots, and add water retention granules and plant feed to the compost. The pots, being deeper, allow supports to be put in more easily, and the roots get an increased depth of compost that dries out less quickly. Depending on the pot's size, it's weight, and your strength they are also moveable (you can get wheeled pot stands for the really heavy ones).

[happygrower]

The EarthBox

Hi, I'm new to the forum and picked up on this thread. I've been growing vegetables in EarthBox for 2 years now and really am impressed with the results.

Contrary to what's been posted above, you don't have to replace the potting mix every year, some of my friends in the USA have had the same mix in their EarthBox's for over 7 years.

It may seem expensive but in 2 of my boxes I've only got 2 tomato plants and I'm getting 30-40lbs of each plant. Once the summer veg are finished I planted winter veg last year and served up EarthBox brussels for Xmas dinner.

As a long term investment they're really quite cheap and you do get a much better root system than in a growbag. Plus you use up to 80% less water and 60% less fertiliser.

Box size isn't everything, I can outgrow quite most of my friends with just 5 EarthBox's

[Hilary B]

Thanks for your comments. Yes it does seem like an expensive toy, but I thought it might overcome my tendency to under or overwater growbags and buying replacement compost would work out cheaper than new growbags each season. But I suppose it would take a long time to make up the initial cost of the Earthbox.

The peat-free growbags we use for tomatoes are so little more in price than bags of compost generally, that it seems unlikely to be worth the bother.
We put the growbags next to the rainwater butt, and use a small automatic watering system (cost about £30, and now on its 4th year, needed new batteries this year). We bought the watering timer etc for when we go away, but it is so good that we use it all season.
The big problem is disposal of the emptied out growbags.....