Interesting project. Please do not take this as a critcism, because I think you have done a great job so far.

Recently I started many seedlings for the coming spring, I have found that given totally identical seeds and identical growing environment, I have gotten seedlings with a great deal of variations in sizes and growing habits.

I think your work is the first step in determining the outcome of each of the different designs.

dcarch

WOW!

I loved reading about your experiment!

I use the bootleg EB as noted in your 2nd design (I think).
It's easiest for me to assemble.

p.s. You saved me $50 from buying the real EB. Thanks!

Darlette
eager 2nd yr gardener

Wow - way cool! Thanks for sharing your experience... looks like I'll be posting on Freecycle for old totes!

Joe. I have been using your original paint pail design for a couple of years now and am very happy with them. Thanks for sharing your latest project. Garaj

Loved your designs. Loved the pictures, will be sending your link to my friends. I had built one using the 2 tub design w/out the aeration tubes, this fall and have it full of lettuce and spinach, inside of one of those popup greenhouses. I probably over planted it but it sure looks nice. Your page answered a lot my questions I had about earthboxes. Thanks! Melinda

Joe,

I just sent you a message. Let me know if you didn't get it.

Great Info! I have four of the dual tubs.

Appmy,

I did not get any message. You can send me an email from my website or here is my email address.

JMALT31@aol.com

Thanks,
Joe

Very interesting information. One question: did you have a fertilizer strip in these boxes, or were you "continuous feeding" with a dilute fertilizer solution? The reason I ask is because I thought the EB folks recommended planting the tomato close to one edge, with the fertilizer strip on the opposite edge.

Cheers,

Ed.

Hello Ed,

Yes I did use the band of fertilizer but I wrapped the band around the plant in a wide U shape with the round (bottom) part of the U facing the rear of the tub. I mounded the potting mix in that shape to protect the fert from any water the came through the X cut in the mulch cover. I then added the band behind that mound.

Thanks,
Joe

I am pushing it back to the surface in case anyone missed it in the last round.

Wow - I am very impressed by how really simple the mechanics are, and how well I have read this type of thing works. Must be a real boon to rooftop growers in the cities etc. Thanks for sharing your designs. I have always wanted to try an earthbox just for fun. Can't get used to the whole "wormless" notion, though! I might have to get one of these built as a gift to my MIL for next Christmas as she has relocated to a retirement community and all gardening is restricted to a patio area. Has anyone come up with any clever ideas for putting the basic single unit on wheels?

raisemybeds,

You can simply place the tub on a small dolly with casters maybe some short corner supports to keep the tub on the dolly and a small notch by the overflow hole so that the wood does not get wet. you can even use the plastic wood that they sell now.

Thanks,
Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to my website

Just pushing back to the top to relate to another post.

jmalt31,

Nice Job!

I see a Misco SW planter at the end of the test line up in one of your pictures. I have two of these planters that seem to be outpacing my Earthboxes, although my testing is still in the early stages. Do you have any comments on the Misco SW Planters? Have you compared their performance with your Earthbox planters?

Nlight

Nlight, I compared Misco planters (I did not know that was what they were called) with Earthboxes. For me no comparison--Earthboxes were superior.

However, miscos are cheap (though I don't think they would hold up for years as the EB does). I think they might compare to a 5 gallon home-made version but not sure.

I'm new to this forum, formerly of the Earthbox forum because a few posts by some of us were about building our own boxes and designing homemade gravity fed watering controls. I understand their point ($$$) but some were really off the wall blaming us for the decline and fall of the free world so I thought this forum might by more friendly towards experimenting and new ideas. I have one Earthbox which really works well and one homemade of my own design but basically the some as EB for about a fourth of the cost. Had good results with my tomatoes but next year my homemade will have a float valve from an evaporate cooler (swampbox) to control a constant automatic gravity fed water supply. http://www.coolercenter.com/floatvalves.html
I've found the most important thing is the correct soiless potting mix that promotes the best wicking function.
http://www.fafard.com/pDet1.aspx?prodID=LTG
This is what I will try to find locally next year, but had OK results with
http://www.fafard.com/pDet2.aspx?prodID=PPM

hi to all
cushman350

Farkee,

Can you expand on your thoughts? In what ways was the Earthbox superior. The Misco (manufacturer) planters I bought from Wally World have more soil volume than the Earthbox (two Misco planters @$10 each as compared to one Earthbox @ $35). The two Misco planters have alsmost as much water volume as one Earthbox. I've had both growing Big Beef Tomatoes for about 2-3 weeks. The Misco tomatoes seem to be a bit more hardy, but it is too soon to tell.

What was your experience?

Nlight

Nlight, I just found the durability of the Earthbox to be superior. I also prefer the larger water reservoir to cut back on watering. At a given time I have 20 or 30 regular containers, 8 earthboxes, 3 miscos, 5 50 gallon containers and 16 raised beds to boot. All watered by hand.

I find a larger soil volume means greater production from that one container. However, you are correct that two Misco wouold probably produce the same as one earthbox.

But I did not have the same variety in both containers so it was unfair of me to say I preferred one over the other.
The same tom in both containers would be the only fair test.

Let me know how yours does in terms of production and I may change my mind.

Hi newbie here. The link to jmalt31s website is no longer valid. Through the kindness of Phyllis__mn I have obtained jmalt31s first document. It has peaked my interest in homemade selfwatering containers and I would like very much to see the two documents referenced in this thread. Would somebody please send/forward them to me. Thanks in advance.

les49

yes I have seen none of the documents. where can I get a look. or email them to me is fine.

I would be interested in the PDF file myself. The above link no longer works? My email address is sumi_1729@yahoo.com

Thank you

Add me to the list of people that would love to see the documents, articles, and or pictures. Has anyone gotten lucky? I'm planning to try some EB's this year.

Andrea

dangould
sumilea2008
zoneborder

checkout
http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm#Top
maybe I got lucky at least it has the info I was looking for on the dual tub design!

Sure would like to obtain a copy of the head-to-head test results though.

les49

dangould
sumilea2008
zoneborder

In the googling process found the first document. You can peruse, copy or whatever at

http://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf

Reminder----no pvc!

les49

I made 4 mock EB's last year and am planning on making more - I loved them. The root system on my jalapeno's was insane - I could not pull the plants out of the box at the end of the season.
Please be smarter than I was tho - when I placed my EB's around the yard I neglected to position the fill tube for easy access, not a problem at first but later in the season I had a hard time watering what with all the lush foliage - by this time they were pretty heavy, too so shifting was way too much work!
Awesome design, Joe!