I discovered Earthboxes ® back in 2006, and have been using them ever since, with a great deal of success, growing among other things: Salad greens, kales, collard greens, tomatoes, peppers both hot and sweet, eggplants, garlic, onions, shallots, corn, water melons, summer squash, cucumbers and more.
So what is an Earthbox ®?
An Earthbox® is a container gardening system that will allow you to garden in areas otherwise unusable for gardening. I have many raised beds in my back yard, but on the north side of my house I have concrete. By filling this area with earthboxes, I can expand my garden even further.
Earthboxes ® are low maintenance, weed free and very conservative in water use. The manufacturer calls it a SIP (Sub-Irrigated Planter) Sub-irrigated because at the bottom of the planter, there is a water compartment.You water through a fill-tube, and stop the minute you see water emerging from the discharge hole. This lets you water ONLY as much as needed, you cannot over-water because the plants will take up what they need from the compartment below, but you don’t soak the soil from above. The only way to under-water is to let the bottom compartment run dry.
How big is an Earthbox ®?
A standard size Earthbox ® measures 29″ L x 11″ H x 13.5″ W/D
If you have a small back deck or balcony with enough sun exposure, you can use one or more earthboxes ® to create a lush little garden paradise.
I started out with 10 boxes back in 2006, and as I discovered how many things thrive in them I expanded until I reached 41 boxes, which for me seems to be the perfect number.
Please do visit the Earthbox ® category of my blog, to see examples of what I grow in my boxes. Don’t be shy, do share your own experiences and growing tips, so that we can all learn from one another.
boelsgarden.com/category/earthboxes