Garden in a box...? Can I grow cheap, healthy food?
I have a small backyard patio and I want to grow something. For a birthday present, my mother gave me some boxes for container gardening.Will I produce anything? Will I remember to water them? Will I eat healthier if I have easy access to veggies and grow them myself?
The brand I got is Earth Box
www.earthbox.com/consumer/what_is.html
although there are probably other good brands out there.
According to the EarthBox website, "...many people have tremendous EarthBox gardens on their patios, balconies and decks." We'll see...! I'm going to buy seeds, plants, fertilizer and soil this weekend. I'll keep you posted... And I'll keep a tally of the cost and post that as well.
The box is basically a large planter with a fill tube down the side for water. The water pools at a reservoir at the bottom. Supposedly plants take the exact amount of water they need from the reservoir; you can't overwater, and the only way to underwater is to let the water reservoir run dry.
The exact dimensions are 29" Long x 13.5" Wide x 11" High. I have five boxes, although if I had purchased them myself I probably would have started with only one or two, as the upfront cost seemed kind of steep (~$35 each). But my mom does container gardening on her deck and swears that these are amazing, so she gave me the five as a birthday present.
We want to grow the following crops:
1) Spinach
2) Salad greens
3) Carrots and radishes
4) Tomatoes
5) Herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary) -- I'm also going to attempt basil and mint in separate, regular pots.
The Earth Box set up looks kind of complicated at first glance, but it comes with fairly easy instructions. My 3-year-old is going to help me set the boxes up this weekend, so we'll see how easy it really is!
- DrDre's blog
- 5077 reads
- Flag as inappropriate
Comments
Posted 2 years ago
zoester wrote
Flag as inappropriateI have a herb garden in pots with mint and basil and I love it but this post reminds me that I and easily grow something more ambitious like Tomatoes.
Also I read this article yesterday (its linked to bellow if anyone is interested) it was realy interesting. Its about "Slow Gardening" and talks about creating a garden in the back of your pickup truck - Enjoy!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/garden/26slow.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=slow%...
Posted 2 years ago
cesar wrote
Flag as inappropriatedrdre, will this work indoors? I live in an apartment and definitely want to try growing some herbs inside. Anyway. I look forward to hearing how the set up goes.
Posted 1 year ago
Debra Jackson wrote
Flag as inappropriateYou can do a lot of things indoors, provided you have good sunlite. I used to grow cherry tomatoes on my kitchen table.
Herbs are easy. If you take the onions you buy in the grocery store and put them in soil the tops will grow. The tops are great for cooking or salads. Then they continue to grow for future use. Good Luck!
Posted 2 years ago
Stayin Fit wrote
Flag as inappropriatei want to try too. the columbia univ student towers are starting a roof garden this summer!
Posted 2 years ago
Stayin Fit wrote
Flag as inappropriatei want to try too. the columbia univ student towers are starting a roof garden this summer!
Posted 2 years ago
annamaria wrote
Flag as inappropriateWow, this looks really interesting! I have basil, sage, and thyme growing on my windowsill, but you're right, I could probably grow tomatoes or peppers as well.
I have also visited a lot of community gardens in NYC, they are hiding everywhere! If you can find one in your neighborhood, I bet they will be able to help you with what to grow.
Posted 2 years ago
jasmi123 wrote
Flag as inappropriateStarting a vegetable garden can be a little tougher and produce a little more exercise - but hey!... that`s not a bad thing - is it?. You will need to prepare the soil for planting. Besides removing weeds and debris from your vegetable garden to be, you may need to have top soil or fertiliser brought in depending on the condition of the soil. Working the soil can give you quite a work out but you want it to be in optimum condition so that your vegetable garden is as healthy as possible.
Posted 2 years ago
asmi123 wrote
Flag as inappropriateDeciding to grow your own vegetables in your own vegetable garden is one of the smartest things you will ever do for you and your family. Not only are you going to get to enjoy some sunshine and thus get your vitamin D, you’ll get some exercise which these days we all can use a little more, and you are going to be feeding your family a lot healthier.
Posted 2 years ago
joanne wrote
Flag as inappropriateHi, Even though I have a regular vegetable garden I still like growing tomatoes with basil, and other herbs in hanging baskets. And I also grow a variety of squashes, with chives and peppers in hanging baskets. So if someone has a balcony or even a covered porch area hanging baskets work great.
Posted 1 year ago
micbev wrote
Flag as inappropriateA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form is known as a residential garden. Western gardens are almost universally based around plants. Zoos, which display wild animals in simulated natural habitats, were formerly called zoological gardens.
Posted 1 year ago
romankates wrote
Flag as inappropriateYou will need to prepare the soil for planting. Besides removing weeds and debris from your vegetable garden to be, you may need to have top soil or fertiliser brought in depending on the condition of the soil.
Posted 1 year ago
Coll5 wrote
Flag as inappropriateI recently read that $70 spent on planting a food garden can yield $530 worth of produce per season. How's your Garden in a Box, DrDre??
Posted 1 year ago
cesar wrote
Flag as inappropriateHow IS that indoor garden working out DrDre? I bought some herbs and veggie plants some weeks ago. The herbs are doing really well (mint, basil, parsley) for the most part, the cilantro is not working out. But the veggie plants are terrible. I tried planting peppers and tomatoes indoors but they are both not looking good. I also have a lot of tiny flies from these new plants. Any ideas how to get rid of them without using chemicals?
Posted 1 year ago
romankates wrote
Flag as inappropriateI still like growing tomatoes with basil, and other herbs in hanging baskets. And I also grow a variety of squashes, with chives and peppers in hanging baskets.
Posted 1 year ago
romankates wrote
Flag as inappropriateWestern gardens are almost universally based around plants. Zoos, which display wild animals in simulated natural habitats were formerly called zoological gardens.
Posted 1 year ago
bbb wrote
Flag as inappropriateWill I eat healthier if I have easy access to veggies and grow them myself?
Posted 1 year ago
Laura wrote
Flag as inappropriateI know with me, if I have easy access to veggies I eat them more, especially when they're right in my house! Everyone's different, but it's worth a shot bbb!
Posted 1 year ago
jorge.hk wrote
Flag as inappropriateI am planning a roof garden,any pre-requisites to protect the ceiling?
Posted 1 year ago
Publisher wrote
Flag as inappropriateHi jorge.hk!
That is a great question! We found this article that may be helpful for you.
"You will need to ensure that the roof is strong enough to support the size garden you imagine. Soil is heavy and mature plants laden with fruit and vegetables are heavy. Generally, around the sides is the best spot to put your garden plants because it has stronger support. Consider how you will get water to your plants."
Read More!
Happy Gardening!
-GetHealthyHarlem
Posted 1 year ago
hydroponics_grow_box wrote
Flag as inappropriateI have recently purchased a pre-built Homegrown Hydroponics grow box from http://www.homegrown-hydroponics.com and I am very happy with it. I can grow my own food all year long in my basement with minimal effort. It has made my life a lot easier and I do really enjoy growing my own organic foods.
Posted 1 year ago
mpp wrote
Flag as inappropriateHow much space is required to grow Garden in a box?
Posted 1 year ago
kate24 wrote
Flag as inappropriateOf course you can grow an organic vegetable garden in your boxes, as long as you are careful about the fertilizer you buy, so they are 100% organic. I have my own small garden and i bought the soil for it so it's pretty good. I also use a lawn vacuum every autumn to clean the leaves in my yard, so i can use them as an organic fertilizer for my plants.
Posted 1 year ago
jhonplayer wrote
Flag as inappropriateDuring the morning you must eat fruits like banana, mango, peach, etc and during lunch eat light things. Don't eat heavy things like fried things often.
Posted 1 year ago
anuj wrote
Flag as inappropriateThanks for sharing:-
Posted 1 year ago
jhonplayer wrote
Flag as inappropriateRoses are grown in soil too after getting roots, donot cut dead flower as it withers away, if u want to plant it outside,donot disturb the soil surrounding the roots.
Posted 1 year ago
jhonplayer wrote
Flag as inappropriateTo roof a garden go with a hydroponics setup which would only be the weight of water and containers-and a lot less water than when using soil. or use a lighweight soilless mixture.
Posted 1 year ago
plm wrote
Flag as inappropriateIs it possible to grow all plants by garden in a box method?
Posted 1 year ago
mlp wrote
Flag as inappropriateHow to grow the vegetable plants in garden box?
Posted 1 year ago
jghjgh wrote
Flag as inappropriateWhere can one get beautiful designs for my home garden water cascade?
Posted 1 year ago
thelaa wrote
Flag as inappropriatenever heard of the Earth Box but it is a great little solution for people like us.
oh yeah i am a university student.cheers!
Posted 1 year ago
Lexie P wrote
Flag as inappropriateOf course! It is good on your part because it will bring you more benefits because you are planting healthy foods. I guess it has more advantage that finding yourself buying in supermarkets, so why not grow and plant your own food? It is less cost and you will not be tired of looking for the veggies you want to buy.
Posted 1 year ago
jonbntl wrote
Flag as inappropriateThis looks like a fun little project! Do we needs anything else at hand or is it all included? I have a lot of soil around and sifters for preparing it.
Posted 1 year ago
Bobgurung wrote
Flag as inappropriateGarden in the box..? This is amazing technique and very handy too. This kind of containers are very much appropriated for the urban citizens where they have very less space such as balcony or verandas. The systematic container has it's features that suits for the less care or even if someone could not give time for watering it due to hectic schedule. So, anyone can grow healthy and fresh food just in your balcony. Great innovative idea.
Regards
Fiberglass Planters
Posted 1 year ago
matt wrote
Flag as inappropriateinteresting project...cherry tomatoes here i come.. i like the idea
Posted 1 year ago
jonbntl wrote
Flag as inappropriateThis is a great idea! I don't have much space either, but I prefer to grow my own herbs and vegetables when I can so its fresh and I know where its been!
Jon
Soil Sifter