Tell me about earth boxes

16 years ago

I have never seen them before today on this forum. I looked at their website and I'm not sure what the hype is about. Can someone tell me their thoughts please? thanks!

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Comments (2)

justaguy2
16 years ago
Lots of people use them, myself included. Many also make their own as the principle behind them is fairly simple.

An earthbox (or gardener supply SW container) is simply a self watering container. All this means is that underneath the potting mix is a reservoir holding water.

The idea is that the water wicks up into the potting mix and therefore provides a more consistent moisture level for plants for a longer period of time than the same sized container without the water reservoir.

The earthbox is unique among self watering containers as it is intended to also be self fertilizing.

The 'official' way to use an earthbox is to place granular fertilizer in a band or strip over the top of the potting mix and then cover the container with a waterproof cover.

The water wicks up from the bottom and as the surface is moistened the nutrients in the fertilizer enter the potting mix gradually. The idea is the potting mix has a more consistent level of nutrients and moisture for plants than they would otherwise.

EBs are a proven method of growing healthy plants and one reason I think they are so popular is they take the guess work out of the 2 major things people often struggle with. Do I need to water and do I need to fertilize and if so, how much. These 2 questions become a moot point with an EB.

There is even an automatic top off system available for the EBs now. Mate an EB with auto top off system and you can literally set it up, plant and do nothing else until harvest time (in theory anyway).

Some people prefer to have more control over watering and fertilizing and thus won't be attracted to EBs or other self waterers, but for others they are a great tool.
bruce825
16 years ago
Justaguy2 says it better than I can. Anyway, I'd encourage you to make them yourself.

I put a bunch of links on how to make/use Earthboxes on this Flickr page.

I think they're a great product, even better/cheaper when you make them yourself!

Here is a link that might be useful: rooftop EBs
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Tell me about earth boxes

Comments (2)

justaguy2

bruce825

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