Question for genuine Earthbox users

Tomatovator · June 5, 2008

I have 2 EB's that I got last year. According to the video they should each take over 2 cubic feet of potting mix to be full. I was only able to get about 1 1/2 cubic feet in each box. Think that will work? Do you really have to pack it in to get the full 2 1/2 cubic feet in as the directions state?

caascher2 · June 5, 2008

I am using mine this year again as well. I was only able to get 1 1/2 cuft in mine. The squash I planted are doing well and the soil has not compacted to where you need to add more.

rzr · June 8, 2008

You do not want to pack it too much, but it does need to be enough so that after it has been watered and settled it does not enclave in the middle. You want the water to roll off the top, which means you want the mix to sort of mound up to the plants in my opinion, that way when it rains, water will not go through the opening around the plant.

Tomatovator · June 8, 2008

rzr
I know what you mean and I think I have mine mounded up pretty good. I actually use black Gorilla tape to seal the cuts in the cover after I plant the plant. Last year I did get the full 2 1/4 cuft in the boxes but not this year. I think the brand of mix I was able to find this year is not as fine as the stuff I used last year. So far so good however as all the plants are growing nicely and are getting blossoms.

dice · June 9, 2008

Some tests for diseases with various "biorational" (bacteria
and/or fungi) controls in container mixes found that the
mixes with the most "large pore air space" consistently showed
better performance (faster growth, both in the test containers
and in the control containers with no additives) than mixes with
less air space.

With that in mind, packing it in might not be such a good idea.
Better perhaps to let it settle on its own and then fill in a little
more container mix on top to get the level of mix that you want
in the container (to let rain water run off of the mulch and down
the outside). I would just prune a few bottom leaves if
necessary and pile extra up around the stem, too (it will root
into the added container mix) to keep the initial mounded
shape on the surface of the container mix.

June 5, 2008	#1
Tomatovator Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Zone 6 Posts: 461	Question for genuine Earthbox users I have 2 EB's that I got last year. According to the video they should each take over 2 cubic feet of potting mix to be full. I was only able to get about 1 1/2 cubic feet in each box. Think that will work? Do you really have to pack it in to get the full 2 1/2 cubic feet in as the directions state?

June 5, 2008	#2
caascher2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Va. Beach, VA Posts: 178	I am using mine this year again as well. I was only able to get 1 1/2 cuft in mine. The squash I planted are doing well and the soil has not compacted to where you need to add more. __________________ Carol Mom to Lindsay, Eric and Elyse

June 9, 2008	#5
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Some tests for diseases with various "biorational" (bacteria and/or fungi) controls in container mixes found that the mixes with the most "large pore air space" consistently showed better performance (faster growth, both in the test containers and in the control containers with no additives) than mixes with less air space. With that in mind, packing it in might not be such a good idea. Better perhaps to let it settle on its own and then fill in a little more container mix on top to get the level of mix that you want in the container (to let rain water run off of the mulch and down the outside). I would just prune a few bottom leaves if necessary and pile extra up around the stem, too (it will root into the added container mix) to keep the initial mounded shape on the surface of the container mix. __________________ -- alias

June 8, 2008	#3
rzr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Pflugerville, TX Posts: 79	You do not want to pack it too much, but it does need to be enough so that after it has been watered and settled it does not enclave in the middle. You want the water to roll off the top, which means you want the mix to sort of mound up to the plants in my opinion, that way when it rains, water will not go through the opening around the plant.