Dear gardening friends!
I noticed that most of the "big box" stores down here are starting to get their spring veggies and such in. I couldn't resist buying two tomato plants the other day even though I know we'll get at least one more big freeze. Weather here near Austin has been CRAZY, MAN, CRAZY! 80-degrees yesterday, 35-degrees last night...makes for some anxious gardeners!
I'm hoping to load up my EarthBox with peppers this year. I had two plants in pots that did very well last year, and lasted up until almost Christmas.
Hope the sun is shining where you are, and here's wishing for a great garden season in 2008!
happy trails,
bobbi c.
Showing posts with label EarthBox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EarthBox. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Get ripe, already!
Mornin' garden friends!
In some of my previous posts I've talked about my EarthBox, and how much I love it. Right now, on November 14, I have two tomato plants in it, and they are LOADED with green tomatoes....the most tomatoes I've EVER grown anywhere. Thing is, they just aren't getting ripe. Around here, our annual average first frost date is around the 21st, so I'm getting anxious. Yes, I could pick them and make fried green tomatoes, or I could put them in a sack and hope they ripen eventually, but they just won't taste the same. I moved the box into more sunlight, but I'm really getting annoyed here.
I've been hearing from several other gardeners around Texas, and they are saying that things are taking longer to ripen this year, too. Huh. Maybe it's not just me....maybe it's the weather, or something. Who knows, either way, I can just taste those ripe, luscious tomatoes, even if only in my mind.
Get diggin'!
bobbi c.
Leander, TX
In some of my previous posts I've talked about my EarthBox, and how much I love it. Right now, on November 14, I have two tomato plants in it, and they are LOADED with green tomatoes....the most tomatoes I've EVER grown anywhere. Thing is, they just aren't getting ripe. Around here, our annual average first frost date is around the 21st, so I'm getting anxious. Yes, I could pick them and make fried green tomatoes, or I could put them in a sack and hope they ripen eventually, but they just won't taste the same. I moved the box into more sunlight, but I'm really getting annoyed here.
I've been hearing from several other gardeners around Texas, and they are saying that things are taking longer to ripen this year, too. Huh. Maybe it's not just me....maybe it's the weather, or something. Who knows, either way, I can just taste those ripe, luscious tomatoes, even if only in my mind.
Get diggin'!
bobbi c.
Leander, TX
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
tomatoes!
Dear friends,
It's been a while since I posted here. We've had torrential rains for days and days. The weeds are knee-high, the grasshoppers are voracious, but the plants are happy! You might remember I talked about the EarthBox I bought. I finally harvested a handful of ripe, juicy cherry tomatoes from it yesterday. I'm sold on those Earthboxes! The plants are much healthier than the ones I put out in the raised beds, and even though I have to add water to the box even when it rains, they are relatively maintenance free.
All we had to do was tie up the huge vines to the porch!
Now all I need is an extra burst of energy to haul a few loads of mulch to smother those weeds!
Dig it!
bobbi c.
It's been a while since I posted here. We've had torrential rains for days and days. The weeds are knee-high, the grasshoppers are voracious, but the plants are happy! You might remember I talked about the EarthBox I bought. I finally harvested a handful of ripe, juicy cherry tomatoes from it yesterday. I'm sold on those Earthboxes! The plants are much healthier than the ones I put out in the raised beds, and even though I have to add water to the box even when it rains, they are relatively maintenance free.
All we had to do was tie up the huge vines to the porch!
Now all I need is an extra burst of energy to haul a few loads of mulch to smother those weeds!
Dig it!
bobbi c.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Great garden magazine, Mother Earth News
The Earthly Gardener by Bobbi A. Chukran
February 14, 2007
Dear friends,
I picked up the current issue of Mother Earth News magazine the other day, and this particular issue is chock full of great articles. It includes a great article about how to grow tomatoes all year long, how to grow cherries and asparagus, and an especially important feature on “Real Food…Why Growing Your Own is Best.” Pick it up on the newstand, check it out in a library, or subscribe. I find it a valuable resource for organic gardening and general DIY projects.
Thanks to Susan from my Writing the West writing group for her tip about using a heat mat. She says that she uses one in CO when starting tomato and basil seedlings, and that the extra heat underneath the plants makes for a stronger root system. Thanks, Susan, I’m going to add a heat mat to my “things I have to have” list!
Speaking of things I have to have, I finally bought an Earthbox this weekend. I’m looking forward to using it and testing it here in my garden. An Earthbox is a container gardening system, self-watering and highly efficient.
Dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran.
February 14, 2007
Dear friends,
I picked up the current issue of Mother Earth News magazine the other day, and this particular issue is chock full of great articles. It includes a great article about how to grow tomatoes all year long, how to grow cherries and asparagus, and an especially important feature on “Real Food…Why Growing Your Own is Best.” Pick it up on the newstand, check it out in a library, or subscribe. I find it a valuable resource for organic gardening and general DIY projects.
Thanks to Susan from my Writing the West writing group for her tip about using a heat mat. She says that she uses one in CO when starting tomato and basil seedlings, and that the extra heat underneath the plants makes for a stronger root system. Thanks, Susan, I’m going to add a heat mat to my “things I have to have” list!
Speaking of things I have to have, I finally bought an Earthbox this weekend. I’m looking forward to using it and testing it here in my garden. An Earthbox is a container gardening system, self-watering and highly efficient.
Dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran.
Monday, April 30, 2007
EarthBox–How to Grow your Own Herbs, Flowers or Vegetables without a Garden
The Earthly Gardener by Bobbi A. Chukran
I mentioned a while back that I had bought an EarthBox for my birthday. I finally got around to setting it up last weekend, and so far, I’m very happy with it. The EarthBox is an ingenious system that’s sort of a hybrid hydroponic/soil-based system, that allows you to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables anywhere. These are especially good for folks who don’t have a real garden….people who grow things on balconies, patios, decks, places where the soil is bad or non-existent, etc. It’s basically a large, self-watering container garden.
I got the terra cotta colored one (it also comes in dark green), and it fits in well with the other clay pots and objects in my garden. The idea behind the EarthBox is that you fill the bottom with water, insert a screen thing, then fill the rest with any potting soil. I used two bags of organic potting soil I found at the local garden center. You add a line of organic fertilizer (provided with the box) along the top of the box, put on a plastic “mulch” over the top, then cut holes in that and plant. The plastic fits over the top snugly like a shower cap, with elastic around the edges. The fertilizer will last all season; you don’t have to add more until after the harvest.
After a while, you do have to add water (through a convenient pipe that sticks out the top) but there’s an overflow hole so you never over-water. That’s always a problem with tomatoes. We had a hard, driving rainstorm, and the whole thing, including plastic mulch top, is still intact. I have mine sitting out in the front garden by the porch. It has casters on the bottom so you can roll it around easily. I wish I could put it up on the wooden porch, but that area just doesn’t get enough sun.
The two plants I put in the EarthBox last weekend already look better than the two I planted out into the garden several weeks ago.
It’s raining now, but eventually I’ll get some photos and include them here. I love experimenting with new garden “systems” and am curious to see how this works for us. The EarthBox website has more information, and a great forum there for folks who use these in all sorts of situations.
The only thing I didn’t like about the EarthBox was the fact that I had to stick my hands through the holes in the plastic mulch to plant the tomatoes. I would much rather plant, then add the mulch over the top, but I see why that wouldn’t work so well unless you were very careful. Also, I used large plants….using smaller seedlings is recommended, and would be much easier to deal with, too.
Some online users have expressed dismay at the customer service when ordering directly from the company. I bought my box at a local garden center, so that wasn’t a problem for me. I would suggest calling or e-mailing the company to make sure the boxes are in stock before ordering.
There are lots of links online to alternatives to the EarthBox. Just do a search for “self-watering containers” and you should find plenty of information and ideas.
dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright © 2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. All rights reserved.
I mentioned a while back that I had bought an EarthBox for my birthday. I finally got around to setting it up last weekend, and so far, I’m very happy with it. The EarthBox is an ingenious system that’s sort of a hybrid hydroponic/soil-based system, that allows you to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables anywhere. These are especially good for folks who don’t have a real garden….people who grow things on balconies, patios, decks, places where the soil is bad or non-existent, etc. It’s basically a large, self-watering container garden.
I got the terra cotta colored one (it also comes in dark green), and it fits in well with the other clay pots and objects in my garden. The idea behind the EarthBox is that you fill the bottom with water, insert a screen thing, then fill the rest with any potting soil. I used two bags of organic potting soil I found at the local garden center. You add a line of organic fertilizer (provided with the box) along the top of the box, put on a plastic “mulch” over the top, then cut holes in that and plant. The plastic fits over the top snugly like a shower cap, with elastic around the edges. The fertilizer will last all season; you don’t have to add more until after the harvest.
After a while, you do have to add water (through a convenient pipe that sticks out the top) but there’s an overflow hole so you never over-water. That’s always a problem with tomatoes. We had a hard, driving rainstorm, and the whole thing, including plastic mulch top, is still intact. I have mine sitting out in the front garden by the porch. It has casters on the bottom so you can roll it around easily. I wish I could put it up on the wooden porch, but that area just doesn’t get enough sun.
The two plants I put in the EarthBox last weekend already look better than the two I planted out into the garden several weeks ago.
It’s raining now, but eventually I’ll get some photos and include them here. I love experimenting with new garden “systems” and am curious to see how this works for us. The EarthBox website has more information, and a great forum there for folks who use these in all sorts of situations.
The only thing I didn’t like about the EarthBox was the fact that I had to stick my hands through the holes in the plastic mulch to plant the tomatoes. I would much rather plant, then add the mulch over the top, but I see why that wouldn’t work so well unless you were very careful. Also, I used large plants….using smaller seedlings is recommended, and would be much easier to deal with, too.
Some online users have expressed dismay at the customer service when ordering directly from the company. I bought my box at a local garden center, so that wasn’t a problem for me. I would suggest calling or e-mailing the company to make sure the boxes are in stock before ordering.
There are lots of links online to alternatives to the EarthBox. Just do a search for “self-watering containers” and you should find plenty of information and ideas.
dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright © 2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. All rights reserved.
Raised bed gardens--easy, fast and inexpensive
april 4, 2007 by bobbi a. chukran
Mornin’ Earthly Gardeners!
As promised, today I wanted to give you a few ideas for some small raised bed gardens you can make in your own backyard, front yard or small piece of land. One uses common cement blocks you can find at stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot or a masonry supplier. They usually cost less than $1.25 each, last time I checked. The blocks are around 12″ each, so it’s easy to decide how many to buy.
Here’s a photo of my largest cement block garden.
And here’s another view, at the corner.
To make the bed, all I did was find a relatively flat spot in our front yard, stacked the cement blocks end to end until the bed was as long as I wanted it, filled it with a mixture of homemade compost, store bought compost, topsoil and bagged dirt and sand. I mixed it with a hoe, and raked the top smooth. Then I planted! It really was as easy as that. We didn’t have a lawn there, so it was a bit easier. But if you do have lawn, cut it as low as possible, try to dig out the grass, cover the grass with a thick layer of newspapers, then put down the cement blocks and fill with soil.
I told you it was easy! I eventually painted my bed to match the garage that you can see in the background of the corner photo. I used a very watered-down latex paint, leftover from painting the house. It’s been painted for years now, and still looks as good as in the beginning.
One thing I learned is that most smaller plants and vegetables don’t have to be planted in two feet of soil. Over the years, the organic matter has changed the consistency of the soil in these beds, and it’s deeper. But the height of the blocks is sufficient for most things you’d want to grow. I actually have a small fig tree at the end of the bed, and it’s doing fine.
Also, we have a series of cedar board beds, at the other end of the front garden. Here’s a photo of those:
Those are a bit more difficult to make, but basically I used 2″ x 12″ untreated cedar boards and screwed them together using butt joints at the corners. It wasn’t hard, but was unwieldy since I didn’t have a workshop set up at the time. I basically assembled them in the garden. Each of those are about 4-feet square and I grow all sorts of things in them: rosemary (seen at the left), lavender and native salvias (at the right in the front), garlic, potatoes, and even a few small crepe myrtle trees for shade in the middle of several of them. Since potatoes require deeper soil, I made a little division in the middle bed at the right side for them using two scraps of pine boards. As the plants grow, I’ll put in more soil in that area.
Neither of these beds take up much room. The cedar beds are in an area that’s smaller than a normal sized backyard. They could also be painted or “colorwashed” to match a fence, or whatever. I just wouldn’t paint on the inside of the boards.
And speaking of small container gardens, here’s a photo of my tomatoes I planted some time back in my new EarthBox. I spied a baby tomato on one of them yesterday! How exciting!
The weather guys are calling for colder temps this weekend. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had a “late” freeze this time of year. It’s already down in the 60’s (it was 86 yesterday!) so I’m keeping a close eye on the plants! That’s the beauty of the EarthBox, you can wheel it inside the garage, or to a sheltered location, if the weather threatens.
dig it!
bobbi c.
copyright©2007 bobbi a. chukran. All rights to text and photos reserved.
Mornin’ Earthly Gardeners!
As promised, today I wanted to give you a few ideas for some small raised bed gardens you can make in your own backyard, front yard or small piece of land. One uses common cement blocks you can find at stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot or a masonry supplier. They usually cost less than $1.25 each, last time I checked. The blocks are around 12″ each, so it’s easy to decide how many to buy.
Here’s a photo of my largest cement block garden.
And here’s another view, at the corner.
To make the bed, all I did was find a relatively flat spot in our front yard, stacked the cement blocks end to end until the bed was as long as I wanted it, filled it with a mixture of homemade compost, store bought compost, topsoil and bagged dirt and sand. I mixed it with a hoe, and raked the top smooth. Then I planted! It really was as easy as that. We didn’t have a lawn there, so it was a bit easier. But if you do have lawn, cut it as low as possible, try to dig out the grass, cover the grass with a thick layer of newspapers, then put down the cement blocks and fill with soil.
I told you it was easy! I eventually painted my bed to match the garage that you can see in the background of the corner photo. I used a very watered-down latex paint, leftover from painting the house. It’s been painted for years now, and still looks as good as in the beginning.
One thing I learned is that most smaller plants and vegetables don’t have to be planted in two feet of soil. Over the years, the organic matter has changed the consistency of the soil in these beds, and it’s deeper. But the height of the blocks is sufficient for most things you’d want to grow. I actually have a small fig tree at the end of the bed, and it’s doing fine.
Also, we have a series of cedar board beds, at the other end of the front garden. Here’s a photo of those:
Those are a bit more difficult to make, but basically I used 2″ x 12″ untreated cedar boards and screwed them together using butt joints at the corners. It wasn’t hard, but was unwieldy since I didn’t have a workshop set up at the time. I basically assembled them in the garden. Each of those are about 4-feet square and I grow all sorts of things in them: rosemary (seen at the left), lavender and native salvias (at the right in the front), garlic, potatoes, and even a few small crepe myrtle trees for shade in the middle of several of them. Since potatoes require deeper soil, I made a little division in the middle bed at the right side for them using two scraps of pine boards. As the plants grow, I’ll put in more soil in that area.
Neither of these beds take up much room. The cedar beds are in an area that’s smaller than a normal sized backyard. They could also be painted or “colorwashed” to match a fence, or whatever. I just wouldn’t paint on the inside of the boards.
And speaking of small container gardens, here’s a photo of my tomatoes I planted some time back in my new EarthBox. I spied a baby tomato on one of them yesterday! How exciting!
The weather guys are calling for colder temps this weekend. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had a “late” freeze this time of year. It’s already down in the 60’s (it was 86 yesterday!) so I’m keeping a close eye on the plants! That’s the beauty of the EarthBox, you can wheel it inside the garage, or to a sheltered location, if the weather threatens.
dig it!
bobbi c.
copyright©2007 bobbi a. chukran. All rights to text and photos reserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
