Customer Reviews

EarthBox RB-EB-PBB Garden Kit

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The Earth Box is an innovative approach to container gardening. The reservoir system ensures that the plants get exactly the water they need. All you have to do is keep the reservoir from drying out, which requires you to fill it every other day or so. You can't over-water - you just fill the reservoir until water comes out the overflow hole. Plants use different amounts of water at different times of their growth, so when I fill the Earth Box every other day, I sometimes topped it off quickly and sometimes needed to fill nearly the entire reservoir. When plants are using more water, it can take a lot of time to fill the reservoir. I set up a rain barrel with a 1.5" flexible tubing and a spigot, which fills the Earth Boxes very quickly. It took forever using a watering can. The fertilizer strip system works wonderfully too, providing adequate nutrients without risk of burning the plants (you don't use slow release fertilizer in the Earth Box).

You can use the Earth Box to grow transplants, or to plant from seeds. One word of caution - make sure the cover doesn't cover your plants, especially your emerging seedlings, or the sun will burn the plants. I cut out a square instead of an X for each plant (if the plants are too small to rise above the cover), which increases the chance of weed seed getting into the potting mix but decreases the chance of sunburn.

My plants were a little slow to take off, but they out-grew and out-produced my garden plants. The Earth Box is easy to set up and easy to maintain. However, they are heavy once filled. I use a hand truck to move them in for the winter. They are made of durable plastic, but they can be punctured - one of mine got caught on a protruding nail head and now has a hole in the bottom. Also be aware that the Earth Box requires ongoing purchases - at least of the covers which will need to be changed every year. However, you can use your own potting soil and fertilizer.

I have one (actually five) and the EarthBox is a great invention if the cost of your vegetables does not matter to you. However, if cost is a factor, then these will be the most expensive tomatoes or peppers or cukes or melons or squash that you will eat this year. In addition to the initial cost of the EarthBox, you will also spend approximately $20 for potting soil (more for organic potting soil) and something additional for the plants. In a single box, it is recommended that you plant only two tomato plants, or four cucumber plants, or four melon plants, or six squash plants, or eight pepper plants, etc. (You can get more information at the manufacturer's web site located here: http://www.earthbox.com/consumer/faqs.php) At approximately $80 to $90 for the initial set up, the vegetables you grow this year, though very nice, will also be very expensive. Next year, you will need to purchase a replanting kit, which includes fertilizer, dolomite and two replacement covers, at a cost of about $12. The original potting soil can be reused for five years. As long as you regularly add water to the box and place it in a sunny location, your vegetables should grow. I've had success with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and corn. I was amazed that I could grow 16 corn stalks in a box and that the ears of corn were excellent. I have not had great success with melons, but will try again this year. Of course, it goes without saying that the quality of the seeds or vegetable plants you select is very important. If you select inferior tomato seeds or plants, then the tomatoes you grow will look great, but won't taste great. The same is true for corn. So be careful about buying mass-produced seeds or plants from the mega hardware stores, which will also not be organic, if that is important to you. By the way, it is not difficult to build your own earthbox-like planting box. Plans for these planting boxes are posted on the Internet. By doing so, you may save about half the cost. I plant vegetables both in a garden and in earthboxes. In my experience, the earthbox definitely produces more vegetables per plant and requires less work than a garden, but if cost is a factor, then a garden is less expensive. If you care for a garden, then quality is not substantially different from the EarthBox grown vegetables. But if you don't like to weed a garden or don't have the space for a garden, then the EarthBox is the way to go.

I purchased 2 EarthBoxes to test my green thumb with vegetables. For comparison, I planted 2 tomato plants in my first EarthBox and 2 tomato plants in some inexpensive flower/vegetable pots that use the same "water from below" concept. For the first week and a half, there wasn't much of a difference between the Earthbox and the pots, but soon after, the plants in the EarthBox started to pull ahead. After 4 weeks, the plants in the EarthBox are one and a half times the size of the other plants, have much more foliage and are much more mature.

I'm sure a number of variables combine to yield these results, and for me, that's the beauty of the EarthBox; it provides water and fertilizer, and the cover gives protection from weeds and from pests like snails and slugs. Plus, it's easy to set up and to maintain.

My second EarthBox is growing bell peppers, cucumbers and some peas that have grown so well, they look like they want to do battle with my wysteria. So far, I'm very impressed and highly recommend the EarthBox system.

I bought the EarthBox to grow tomatoes on my lanai in the Florida sun. I planted tiny plants about 2 wks. ago and they're triple their size and flowering - I expect tomatoes by mid-August - about 8 wks. total.

Especially useful in hot climates is the fact that the box is on casters, so it can be wheeled out of the direct mid-day sun, if you want to do that. The directions for assembly are clear and assembly simple. You will need a large bag of potting soil, but that's about it. If you plan to use the box for tomatoes, you don't need to buy the staking framework that's sold for a hefty price separately. A few good stakes from a home supply store will do fine.

Last year I tried the `upside down planters' and they failed miserably. This year I decided to try self-watering containers after reading a book by Edward C. Smith. I ordered the Earth Box because it was set up ready to go. I was late getting started and needed to get the vegetables in as quickly as possible. Set up was very easy. I followed the directions as given as I filled the box. The only thing I wish they would change is to make the water fill tube of clear plastic so there is never a guess when it is time to fill the water reservoir. The tomato plant is healthy with many tomatoes on it. Bush Green bean, lettuce and greens are also doing well. Next year I plan to have more containers, add other vegetables and perhaps some flowers. Some plants do not want such good treatment. Herbs do better with less rich soil and need less water. They will just rot in self-watering containers.

I can kill a plant by driving past the nursery. Even mint shrivels when I cast my one good eye upon it. Until I discovered the Earthbox, the only thing growing on my patio was some kind of nasty looking grayish bump that I am praying does not house wasps. It's small, dark gray, about the size of a hand and in the corner of the overhang. If you know what this is and if it is home to a dangerous insect, please speak up. Now. But to return to the Earthbox.

It's not foolproof, you have to put it together and it's not, shall we say, structurally elegant. And after you've put it together, the wheels will fall right off if you lift the box. Getting them back on once you've planted the box requires lots of yelling and a stiff drink. However, when it comes to growing plants, Boy Howdy, it's a winner. I planted tomatoes, scotch bonnet peppers and a small anaheim-stye chile in one box. The other I filled with lavendar, rosemary, basil (also lemon basil and pineapple basil), dill, chives. garlic and oregano. And almost everything thrived. The dill got squooshy and just disappeared one day. I think the Oregano ate it. It has that kind of look, the Oregano does.

The Earthbox is self-watering and self-feeding, a trick children and houseguests might learn. The boxes are compact and take up very little room. After minimal labor and minimal attention (mostly snipping back the herbs and staking the tomato plants) I harvested tomatoes and peppers all summer long, and the peppers are still going strong. Can I tell you how Mother Earthy it makes you feel to serve a Caprese salad with your own basil and tomatoes! Now I want my own buffalo so I can make the mozarella too! Best of all are the herbs. The lavendar and rosemary scent the air and make sitting on the patio like being in a spa. Well, without the facials, the pedi and the massage. And no fancy robe. Okay, it's not like a spa at all. Get off my back.

I'm thinking about adding another two or three Earthboxes and dreaming eggplant, beets, carrots, Sugar snaps, English peas, and pumpkin dreams. No zucchini though. You do know that Zucchini is not food. It is a vegetable prank. Anyway, next time you're in Southern California, drop by and say howdy. We're friendy, we are, us country folk.

Free tip: Refill a plastic bottle with water, shove the opening (at about a 45 degree angle) into a large pot or planter. Presto, instant watering system.

I got my earth box when I moved into my house, the old neighbors left it behind. I thought it was ugly and was going to chuck it. I am so glad I did not. First of all the las vegas soil is more like baked brick and it is near impossible to grow things in the ground. The ground is so hard that I pay someone to dig my holes. Than you have to water 4 times a day in summer. The Earth Box is awsome, I fill it with quality soil and plant my tomatoes or peppers, fill it with water and everything just takes off. In winter I fill it up once a month or so with water and am able to grow things like crazy. No one believes me when I tell them I have tomatoes in my backyard. As far as quality goes this is a strong plus. The Vegas summers are brutal and just about everything will get sun fade and crack or melt. My earth box has lasted at least 4 summers and still looks like new. I am a huge fan of the product and have told everyone that I know to invest in one. Yes it looks like a cheap plastic box and its appearnce suggests you should pay a couple of bucks for it but believe me it is worth the $50 that it costs.

I planted 6 basil seedlings in my earthbox a couple of weeks ago (after our last freeze) and they have basically doubled in size, very healthy, and very easy to care for once the initial planting was done. The 2 seedlings that I planted in the ground at the same time look comparatively weak. If you're an inexperienced gardener or have poor soil, the earthbox is a great alternative.

We got two of these and planted spinach seeds March 24. Today is April 26 and we are harvesting a "small bag" of spinach every two days. the watering by pouring in the tube is great. The plants always have water. The leaves don't get dirty because no sprinkling so the dirt doesn't get spattered up onto the leaves, much easier to rinse. Because of the great conditions we are able to have more plants than described in the literature. We have the plants 2" apart in 3 rows. Every other day we use little scissors to clip off the leaf with the stem. You can see new leaves starting to come up from the center of the plant. By the way the very first thing that comes up are two thin leaves then the regular leaves start to come up from the middle two at a time. We started by buying seed when the spinach scare started... then finally got the two containers. I also add a tsp of miracle grow mixed in a quart of water to the tube once a week. I didn't put any fertilizer in the original dirt mix when I planted the seed. We are very happy with the Earthbox.

We just bought an Earthbox and planted tomatoes a week ago (Feb '08), so I don't know how the thing will work long-term. Because we wanted to get an early start on the plants, I was planning to wheel it in and out of my garage to take advantage of the sun during the day and avoid cold nights.

I do know, however, that getting those ballyhooed casters on requires more hands than I have. The engineers who designed this box did not provide for a way for the casters to stay in the holes if the box is lifted more than 2" off the ground. I felt like I was in a Three Stooges scene. "Don't lift it off the ground," you advise. Fine, but even rolling it over an uneven surface while trying to keep it level to prevent the water tank from draining all over everything caused the casters to fall out. Gravity appears to be everywhere. In a fit of pique, I took the casters off and if I have to move it, I drag it. I'll show those engineers.

This is not to indict engineers everywhere, but don't you people test your designs before foisting them on an unsuspecting public?