GARDENING TIPS
Plant Selection
Try everything, vegetables, herbs
and flowers! Whatever is available at your local nursery will grow in your EarthBox®. Use the smaller 12-16 tall seedlings
available in small pots, or start with seeds. Find out the best varieties for your area and season.
Potting Mix
Almost any brand of potting
mix for containers or hanging plants will work. You’ll need the big bag 56 litter per box. The potting
mix can be used 5-6 seasons before replacing.
Fertiliser
The EarthBox® is designed to be
used with a strip of common dry granular fertiliser or plant food for vegetables. Almost any brand of fertiliser will work
as long as it is not designed to be mixed with water and all 3 numbers on the label are between 5 and 15. You’ll need
two cups of fertiliser for each planting. Organic fertilisers can also be used. Simply use 3 cups of organic fertiliser to
replace the 2 cups of chemical fertiliser. Do not add any additional fertiliser during the growing season.
Planting
Refer to our plant Selection chart
(comes with every box) to learn about plant selection and placement. Resist the temptation to overplant your EarthBox. Select
a sunny spot, as most warm season crops, such as tomatoes, need 6-8 hours of daily sunlight. Cool season leafy vegetables
such as spinach and lettuce require partial shade. The plants should always be planted through the plastic cover into the
potting mix. Always leave the cover on. Gently loosen the plant’s root ball and set your plants into
the soil as far away from the fertilizer strip as possible.
Watering
Allowing the reservoir to go dry
will shut down the system, so don’t try to regulate the water level. Always use the fill tube to keep the water reservoir
filled. You’ll know the reservoir is full when water flows from the overflow hole. Add water every few days when the
plants are young, and every day when your plants are mature. You can purchase the EarthBox Automated Watering System and your
boxes will take care of themselves.
Stakes
Tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers,
beans and other vines or tall plants need support. The EarthBox® Staking Kit (not included) is the perfect solution for your
plant staking problem. Install the staking system and string the netting between the vertical stakes to provide the support
your plants need.
Replanting and Winterizing
At the end of the growing season
remove the old plants, the cover, and dig out and discard the fertiliser strip. Drain the reservoir by tipping the EarthBox
to avoid frozen water in the system. Cover the box with a new cover until you are ready to plant again. To replant add additional
potting mix if necessary, creating a mound, and then continue with Steps 5-8 of the instructions.
For Tomatoes and Vegetables
Most vegetables require a higher
pH level than most potting mixes provide, and they love Calcium! To prevent blossom end rot, simply add 2
cups of dolomite or hydrated lime to the potting mix before each planting. Remember to keep the reservoir
filled. Letting the system go dry stops the intake of Calcium and fertilizer to the plants. If Blossom End Rot develops during
the season, mix 1/4 cup of hydrated lime to a gallon of water. Spray the mix directly on the plants or add it to the water
reservoir the next time you water your EarthBox®.
Three
Simple Rules
- Always keep the cover over the potting mix and fertiliser.
- Always keep the reservoir full.
- Place the fertiliser on top of the potting mix and don’t use water-soluble fertilisers.
