Changing soil in Earth Boxes & Raised Beds??

Dark Rumor · February 16, 2020

How often do you change the soil in your earth boxes and raised beds?

I use peat moss, pine bark, perlite, vermiculite and compost in my raised beds and plant tomatoes year after year in the beds, when should the soil be changed to avoid problems like RKN?

I use peat moss, perlite and vermiculite in my earth boxes, does anyone change the soil in their earth boxes, if so how often? Has anyone ever had RKN or other pests/diseases in their earth box because of growing tomatoes year after year?

JosephineRose · February 18, 2020

Yes, Tomato Russet Mite. It is vicious, it overwinters and unless I change the soil, it wipes out my tomatoes.

Having said that, if you don't have that particular pest, it isn't as much of a problem.

You can solarize to sterilize the soil in the EB to kill it, but the warm, sunny period I would need to do that is the same time I need to use the box. I know Marsha grew all winter so she would solarize for 6-8 weeks or so in the summer and that would solve it for her.

The dilemma is, the fresh soil has not broken down the lime yet, so I invariably get BER with the refreshed boxes. I go with it because it is the lesser of two evils, really.

Dark Rumor · February 22, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by JosephineRose

Yes, Tomato Russet Mite. It is vicious, it overwinters and unless I change the soil, it wipes out my tomatoes.

Having said that, if you don't have that particular pest, it isn't as much of a problem.

You can solarize to sterilize the soil in the EB to kill it, but the warm, sunny period I would need to do that is the same time I need to use the box. I know Marsha grew all winter so she would solarize for 6-8 weeks or so in the summer and that would solve it for her.

The dilemma is, the fresh soil has not broken down the lime yet, so I invariably get BER with the refreshed boxes. I go with it because it is the lesser of two evils, really.

I do not think the tomato mite is around here. I have used my earth boxes for more than 3 years, I just wonder if a problem lies ahead. Thanks for the comments.

Hudson_WY · March 18, 2020

It was recommended to me by a Soil Testing Laboratory that rather than replacing the soil in the entire bed - instead - dig a deeper and wider planting well every year when planting the seedling (removing what you dig out) and plant the seedling in fresh potting soil. Over time, the bed is replenished. My beds are 15 years old and producing outstanding healthy plants year after year using this method!

Rosine · March 20, 2020

I did not change it for 5 years.
I put mulching things on top in summer when I have them. In spring they get compost on top and occasionally when I walk by and have a handfull form another project.
I did not have disease, so no need to change that.
When the pot is too full I remove a bit earth and put compost.

The pots are big and heavy, I do not want to remove earth.

Dark Rumor · March 20, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson_WY

It was recommended to me by a Soil Testing Laboratory that rather than replacing the soil in the entire bed - instead - dig a deeper and wider planting well every year when planting the seedling (removing what you dig out) and plant the seedling in fresh potting soil. Over time, the bed is replenished. My beds are 15 years old and producing outstanding healthy plants year after year using this method!

Makes sense, hope I can remember that next year

Father'sDaughter · March 22, 2020

I just keep adding several inches leaf mulch to the top of my raised beds and top that off with a couple of inches of well shredded dry leaves every fall. In the spring I plant through the mulch. I actually stopped turning them several years back.

roper2008 · April 1, 2020

In my raised beds I never change the soil. I add to it every year.

zipcode · April 3, 2020

Not sure raised beds would be much protection against RKN, at least not for long.
In containers, as long as one is careful, I think you can use the same medium for a few good years. The time will be probably decided by how compact it gets, after 2-4 years, depending with what you started, it decomposes to finer particles and becomes increasingly less aerated.

February 16, 2020	#1
Dark Rumor Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 287	Changing soil in Earth Boxes & Raised Beds?? How often do you change the soil in your earth boxes and raised beds? I use peat moss, pine bark, perlite, vermiculite and compost in my raised beds and plant tomatoes year after year in the beds, when should the soil be changed to avoid problems like RKN? I use peat moss, perlite and vermiculite in my earth boxes, does anyone change the soil in their earth boxes, if so how often? Has anyone ever had RKN or other pests/diseases in their earth box because of growing tomatoes year after year?

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February 18, 2020	#2
JosephineRose Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: California Posts: 383	Yes, Tomato Russet Mite. It is vicious, it overwinters and unless I change the soil, it wipes out my tomatoes. Having said that, if you don't have that particular pest, it isn't as much of a problem. You can solarize to sterilize the soil in the EB to kill it, but the warm, sunny period I would need to do that is the same time I need to use the box. I know Marsha grew all winter so she would solarize for 6-8 weeks or so in the summer and that would solve it for her. The dilemma is, the fresh soil has not broken down the lime yet, so I invariably get BER with the refreshed boxes. I go with it because it is the lesser of two evils, really.

March 18, 2020	#4
Hudson_WY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Smoot, Wyoming Posts: 523	It was recommended to me by a Soil Testing Laboratory that rather than replacing the soil in the entire bed - instead - dig a deeper and wider planting well every year when planting the seedling (removing what you dig out) and plant the seedling in fresh potting soil. Over time, the bed is replenished. My beds are 15 years old and producing outstanding healthy plants year after year using this method!

March 20, 2020	#5
Rosine Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Germany Posts: 13	I did not change it for 5 years. I put mulching things on top in summer when I have them. In spring they get compost on top and occasionally when I walk by and have a handfull form another project. I did not have disease, so no need to change that. When the pot is too full I remove a bit earth and put compost. The pots are big and heavy, I do not want to remove earth.

March 22, 2020	#7
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	I just keep adding several inches leaf mulch to the top of my raised beds and top that off with a couple of inches of well shredded dry leaves every fall. In the spring I plant through the mulch. I actually stopped turning them several years back.

April 1, 2020	#8
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	In my raised beds I never change the soil. I add to it every year.

April 3, 2020	#9
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Not sure raised beds would be much protection against RKN, at least not for long. In containers, as long as one is careful, I think you can use the same medium for a few good years. The time will be probably decided by how compact it gets, after 2-4 years, depending with what you started, it decomposes to finer particles and becomes increasingly less aerated.