EarthBox 1010011 Garden Kit, Terra Cotta

I purchased Earth Boxes through Amazon because it was cheaper than through their website, especially with the free shipping.I planted a variety of vegetables in my boxes about 2 weeks ago-so far they are doing well and seem to be growing rapidly. The tomato plants already have blossoms.They were easily assembled (be SURE to get a kit that includes the casters as they will be quite heavy once you get the potting media in them). There are additional directions on the web site ([...]) and I do recommend looking at those in addition to the directions that come with the planter. The website directions are a little different. There are also videos on the website that show how to assemble and plant the box. The videos are good and helpful, but they take an extraordinarily long time to load, so plan to watch them before you plant the box when you have quite a while to spend watching them-and take notes!So, at this point, I am very happy with my purchase-am looking forward to the fresh vegetables later this summer.Although the box kits seem expensive, you can re-use the potting media you put in for 5 seasons-all you have to buy is the fertilizer and dolomite. You can get that from the Earth Box website in pre-measured packages, or just buy it at a garden center. If the boxes hold up beyond 5 years, even though you would then have to replace the potting media as well, it still becomes a great balue, especially considering all the time you save and the money you save not buying other fertilizers and sprays for your plants. EarthBox RB-EB-TRC-PBB Garden Kit, Terra CottaEarthBox RB-EB-TRC-PBB Garden Kit, Terra Cotta

I have owned Earthboxes for over five years and have had mixed results attempting to grow vegetables in them. While I have never been as successful as some of my friends, they have been overall satisfactory as a method to grow vegetables. Recently I needed to purchase some additional grow boxes so I ordered both Earth boxes and the only competition I can find, The Garden Patch Grow Box. Both have some advantages and disadvantages, but overall, I would have to choose the Earth Box as the superior system.Pros:Comes with wheels for easier mobilityHas plenty of accessories availableSturdier plastic than the Garden Patch Grow BoxesOne Piece design also makes Earth Box seem sturdierCons:Water hole tends to get plugged up on some units.Drainage hole is difficult to see so I am not always aware it has overfilled. (The Garden Patch has a wonderful side hole that is easy to use and see.)Some accessories (like the tomato supports) are awkward.Plastic cover is difficult to use with transplants. (The Garden Patch's burlap cover not only contains fertilizer, but is much easier to use with transplants.)While I have determined I prefer the Earth Box for its sturdiness and one-piece design, it is more expensive and I wish they would adapt better plant supports, an easier to use mulch or cover, and an easier to see overfill hole.

I'll get more of these! I planted 4 sweet pepper plants (not the Bell kind, which I had assumed, but elongated, resembling the hated hot pepper variety) bought at a local Meijer's in this and 4 of the same in my regular garden. (I'll admit I'm strapped for time and energy to garden well and don't prep the soil that well with fertilizer or other amendments. At least I compost and use some of that in my garden, which seems to have gotten some positive results.) The plants in the regular garden were somewhat pathetic, producing only a few somewhat sickly peppers per plant. The plants in the Earthbox grew VERY well. I was impressed with how healthy the leaves of the plant looked -- hardly any evidence of blemishes, rot, or even little insect bites. And then, the peppers! How they grew! And grew and grew! More little flowers kept forming, producing more fruit! I didn't count but could easily have gotten up to a dozen peppers from the most prolific plant. These were big, too! The size you might see in a supermarket. HOWEVER, and this probably isn't the fault of the Earthbox, their TASTE was only a bit above average. Even after I let them stay on the plant a while to turn red. Not as sweet as the Bell peppers I like. Next time I buy pepper plants, I'll make sure they're of the Bell variety.I'm thinking about other plants to grow in these, like tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, and carrots. I had this planter on my deck and will probably put the others on the deck, too, which I hope will deter rabbits from sampling them. I've seen a groundhog come up on the deck and, of course, squirrels. But so far never a rabbit.When I wondered about overwintering the Earthbox, I went to their website and found a forum that answered my questions. A lot of other good info there, too!

The media could not be loaded.  This video will show you the difference in the boxes.This is my first year growing stuff.. i was skeptical because i can barely keep a bush alive but i blame it on my clay soil. :) I wasn't sure what would work better and be cost effective and so on so i got the 3 types i could find info about and here are the pluses and minuses...Growbox: my least favorite but works fine. This was the third box i received and initially i was a little put off because it didnt seem as well built as the earthbox and i couldnt get the two pieces snapped together forever..finally did (there was a little warping on the backside). I dont like that it doesnt have wheels since i will move my boxes when its stormy but its still doable. I dont like the patch thing on top of it that has the fertilizer because as you can see it curls up and can possibly blow away. I do like the fact you can see how much water is in it through the lip thing on the front and i mainly got it because the price was overall cheaper.. however i will not buy this again. note: things do grow fine in it so far and it does get the job done. approx: $30+$7 shipping (takes around 1.5CF potting mix)Earthbox: I have two of these so far and i will buy more. I like the shape of this and the growbox because when comparing to my homemade ones you have more space overall and more planting room. It comes with the fertilizer that is good for the whole season, dolomite, and several covers (2-3 depending on where u buy) This one is a little deeper than the growbox but takes 2 cubic feet of potting mix.. the stuff i bought was 16.99 a bag (happy frog organic potting mix) so after all of that on my porch we spent hundreds..but it was fun and you can reuse for like 4-5 years so i read. I love the wheels and the over all clean look of the box. Note: you can also buy this for like $30 plus shipping if you just want the box. Otherwise it is $49 on amazon, $56 locally for me, or 50-56 plus shipping online. My plants look great so far and im very impressed with the box over all.Home Made containers: I like these because they cost me about $6 each to make. These are great because they are deep and you should probably use them to plant deep rooted veggies like carrots, onion etc. I dont like the fact that they take alot of dirt and have such a small top area (5 gallon bucket size) They are cheap and a little labor intensive but you also have to buy fertilizer which i read is to be replaced every month whereas the earthbox and growbox is like each crop or something like that. So that can get spendy. They also dont have wheels and are not worth it to me to make any. they are semi easy to drag to move since they arent huge. As you can see my plants are flourishing in these.Overall im not sure how long the plastic will last with the homemade ones but i read the earthbox has lasted others since they became established 15 years ago.from now on i will just add to my collection with earthboxes. (they have a great forum too)Use neem oil to keep the bugs away! my spinach was infested with white fly and i was devastated but it got rid of them. the only problem i have is green worms on my broccoli and cauliflower and i just keep watch to pick them off.

I was skeptical about this product. However, after only a few weeks, I am eating fresh veggies out of it. The tomato plants, 2 of them, that I planted are now about 7 feet tall and spreading out all over the place. I didn't purchase the trellis kit. I used 2 stakes in the beginning that are about 5 ft tall. Well, I now have put a huge shepherd hook into the ground and tied the two poles to it for support. I don't know that the trellis would have been strong enough to support these plants. I planted 2 of the big boy tomato plants. I have approximately a dozen tomatoes that should be ready in a few more days. I have already eaten 2 from it and they are sweet, and just lovely. I had earlier purchased 2 of these boxes at our local nursery, which were a lot more expensive. They are the same identical boxes. I have cucumbers in one and green beans in the other. I have been averaging one cucumber a day. They are wonderful. The green beans are in blossom and spreading everywhere.I cannot say enough about this product. I am just thrilled. I need to fill it with water every 2 days. That is because of the size of the plants and they take a lot of water.I highly recommend the earth box kit. The fertilizer pack and the other packet you spread on the soil are the best on the market. I love the idea that I can buy those separately and use for the next growing season.These are worth the price. You will not be disappointed.