I'm near Independent Hill a little south of Manassas. I've gone to the wintersown site and it sounds interesting but I haven't tried it yet. Trudi, who runs Wintersown, graciously sent me some tomato seed and I am anxiously anticpating enjoying them! I'm one of those gardeners who shoot for tomatoes as early as possible. I plan to start my peppers and a few tomatoes this weekend (Feb 16-18)and put those tomatoes in the ground beginning of April a little before our last average frost date. I'll probably use Wall-O-Waters to protect them. The rest of the tomatoes will get started beginning of March and will get planted with the peppers mid-April. I find I need 6 weeks to start tomatoes and 8 for peppers. I have a few earth boxes (bought and homemade) but most all the plants go in the ground.

rwk_nova,

How do you like the Wall-O-Water?? I have been looking at them and can not decide.

I did Winter Sowing a bit different than is described. I put the seeds (tomato and strawberry) in the EarthBox where they will finally grow and covered them with milk jugs (bottom cut off - top left off). This way I will not have to transplant anything.

DL

That's a great idea to direct sow into the EarthBox! I'll be interested in when you get the 1st ripe tomato that way. Let me know how it goes..
The Wall-O-Waters really work but they can be a real pain to set up. Especially since it is early in the season and the weather can be cold and damp while your trying to fill them with water from a hose..

Hi,

I'm in Eastern Va and started my tom's and eggplants this past weekend. I wait till May 1st to put most in the ground but I warm up my sfg beds with plastic and will put 2 tomato plants there with a milkjug on at night.

I would like to try making an earthbox this year. How often do you have to fill the water reservoir during August?

I felt I needed to water both the brand name and the homemade boxes almost every day in July and August Summer 2007.

growsveges,

I have 25 of the brand name EarthBoxes. Before I installed the auto-watering system I had to fill my tomato, okra, pepper and eggplant reservoirs 2X each day in July and August of 2007. I filled them around 10-11 AM and then again around 6 PM. The reservoirs were usually almost empty at the morning filling. In the evening they usually only needed 50% filling. I always filled them until water runs out of the overflow hole. The 'hybrid' grow container had a larger reservoir (6 gallons) and only needed filling once each day.

DL

rwk nova and dancinglemons

Wow thanks for the watering input; I was going to try making some earthboxes because I always end up with more tom's than I have room for in the garden, but I know I won't water everyday. I always thought that not having to water everyday was the advantage over traditional containers. oh well, I still have a few square feet of sun that is being wasted on grass...

Hello Dancinglemons.
How about 15 minutes West of Richmond, Va.?
I recall that Snowstorm, we had, last Easter,
which turned a Dining room into a Greenhouse,
which caused some serious grief, around here.
I lost quite a few plants, I'd raised from
seed, waiting to get some real sunshine back.
If you are confident and willing to keep that
close watch on our weather and temps, you may
set them out early, with a reasonable risk. I
had the neighbors laughing, at the 18' Tomato
Trees, until they got a few of the free toms.
I was doing the SFG technique, with some
modifications and my own Hot-rod soil mixes.
Learned some valuable lessons, good and bad.
Working on my second garden spot, this year,
to expand my harvest and selections, to do.
I'll share things, I learned, if you are
interested, just contact me, via an E-Mail.
Mike in Montpelier.

I got mine started today, indoors under lights. I'm aiming for the second or third week in April for transplanting to the garden.

I'm in Gloucester, about an hour east of Richmond.

Cheers!
JP