Yes you can use 10-10-10. It works fine. It is purely chemical and will build up salts in your SWC so you absolutely should put it in as a strip so it can be found at the end of the season, and absolutely positively should be removed at the end of every season. Those salts build up some not so good stuff over time.
Your plants don't know their nitrogen source isn't organic. Lol.:)

[QUOTE=Imthechuck;594127]Has anyone just tried plain old 10-10-10 fertilizer in swcs? I am trying to reduce costs this year.

I'be been using 5-10-10 for vegetables but I can get a 40lb bag of 10-10-10 for like $15[/QUOTE]
I use 10-0-10, which I purchase from one of the big box stores for almost everything in the garden. Once in a while I use some starter fertilizer for seedlings but 10-10-10 for everything else. I don't have any SWCs but I have raised beds, native soil and lots of pots of various size. In the past I used fish emulsion but to me it didn't seem to do much but stink. /puke
Larry

[QUOTE=ginger2778;594130]Yes you can use 10-10-10. It works fine. It is purely chemical and will build up salts in your SWC so you absolutely should put it in as a strip so it can be found at the end of the season, and absolutely positively should be removed at the end of every season. Those salts build up some not so good stuff over time.
Your plants don't know their nitrogen source isn't organic. Lol.:)[/QUOTE]

Marsha - This got me thinking about something else you said; about not having to remove the fert strip if organic was used. This seems totally logical to me but what about the first 5" that we always discard b/c of salts. Is that unnecessary too if organic was used? Can we basically reuse the entire box going forward?

I transplanted into my first EB of the season 2 days ago. I used 4 Cups (3 TT/1 C Plant Tone). We shalll see. The recipients Dusky Rose and General Lee (Thanks Marsha).

I also have 6 other plants in their final homes (SunGold, ICD, Painted Pink, Brad's Mix, Wild Fred, and not-NBD). Holding off on many others ready to plant because it is SO hot and harder to control the shade when not in 4" pots.

I have flowering plants already; I can't even imagine Ginny's right now.

Also need to get out a cactus stub in the backyard to get plants off the blazing pool deck.

Morning and Evenings are definitely getting better;

I must be crazy. ..
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Brought the teenagers in because of rain and didnt want them all wet on the trip to Florida.


Loaded up in the back seat...
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[IMG]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160928/eae4b3e30fb1c8a7ecacbc0a9b320aaa.jpg[/IMG]

Ginny

Ginny - when do you begin the journey home? Drive safe.

We got torrential rain right before dark today. I was going to leave all my tweens out, but at the last minute brought them under the porch. Only the 6 teenagers in their permanent homes were left out. The EB was on casters so I was able to roll that back under the porch. I'm so glad I did. Huge heavy rain and threat of hail which I have never seen at our house.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;594151]Marsha - This got me thinking about something else you said; about not having to remove the fert strip if organic was used. This seems totally logical to me but what about the first 5" that we always discard b/c of salts. Is that unnecessary too if organic was used? Can we basically reuse the entire box going forward?

I transplanted into my first EB of the season 2 days ago. I used 4 Cups (3 TT/1 C Plant Tone). We shalll see. The recipients Dusky Rose and General Lee (Thanks Marsha).

I also have 6 other plants in their final homes (SunGold, ICD, Painted Pink, Brad's Mix, Wild Fred, and not-NBD). Holding off on many others ready to plant because it is SO hot and harder to control the shade when not in 4" pots.

I have flowering plants already; I can't even imagine Ginny's right now.

Also need to get out a cactus stub in the backyard to get plants off the blazing pool deck.

Morning and Evenings are definitely getting better;[/QUOTE]
Barb, you actually remove the first 5"? I only remove just the top layer, then dig out the fertilizer strip and discard. Then a cup opf dolomite mixed into the entire remains, then push a mounded up amount near the tube side length. Then I make a trough, put in my 3 cups only of TT, and add Promix BX to fill in and top off until its a well rounded bread loaf.
BTW- I bought one EB stand a few years ago, and I am so glad I did. I haven't gotten the severely sore back I used to suffer with anymore.

The EB forum does say you dont have to dig out the organic fert. Strip, but I do anyway, because that is the only place my promix gets muddy. The rest is damp but yet still has that grainy not soggy feel.
I am replenishing my boxes now, 3 per day.

Marsha - On 'top layer', do you mean the mix above the rim (the loaf part)? Mine isn't too loafy at the end of the season.

I don't have the EB success that you do, but one thing we are doing different is I add the promix more in the middle, so the bottom is reused mix, then promix, then reused mix for the very top and loaf. I probably thought of this since I'm ditching so much of the mix each time and want to get more than 1 use out of the new promix.

On my one EB I filled this year, I'm trying to keep the mix much more 'pressed'. The bottom is pressed hard from the solarizing, then the new Pro-Mix, then the reused mix. I pressed harder than usual but not to the extent I did solarizing thinking the plants would need air.

I really want to have success with the earth boxes this fall.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;594213]Marsha - On 'top layer', do you mean the mix above the rim (the loaf part)? Mine isn't too loafy at the end of the season.

I don't have the EB success that you do, but one thing we are doing different is I add the promix more in the middle, so the bottom is reused mix, then promix, then reused mix for the very top and loaf. I probably thought of this since I'm ditching so much of the mix each time and want to get more than 1 use out of the new promix.

On my one EB I filled this year, I'm trying to keep the mix much more 'pressed'. The bottom is pressed hard from the solarizing, then the new Pro-Mix, then the reused mix. I pressed harder than usual but not to the extent I did solarizing thinking the plants would need air.

I really want to have success with the earth boxes this fall.[/QUOTE]

Mine isn't much of a loaf either, it settles to below the rim. No I just remove the top that is present, it looks awful and discolored. Then the entire mix gets remixed from top to bottom with a cup of garden lime (dolomite lime). That way my most recent mix is reused. Lastly, brand new on top to fill in after the fert.strip is added, piled high.

This is a very good example of a Tomatoville page to bookmark. If you use Earth Boxes or ever plan on using them, the exchange of ideas here will be of significant value. I may use them one day and therefore it is bookmarked, so I don't have to attempt through endless searches to find the conversation again. :yes:
Larry

Your right Larry - Marsha is the queen of EB. I think the info provided by EB must be for determinate tomatoes. I've been following it for seasons now for tomatoes, even buying many packs of their refill kits. I even bought 2 EB worth of their potting soil (very light on perlite).

Marsha - Thanks for the response. The only part of mine that looks yucky is < a thin frosting on a cake. Too late for this season, but I will keep more of the mix going forward.

Marsha - Are your babies in full sun yet? Since mine are still on the pool deck with all that radiant heat, I'm still throwing the shade cloth over around 11 AM unless there is a mixture of sun/clouds.

I also removed a lot of my pepper plants. I don't want to deal with white flies this year. A few weeks ago when I posted about some of mine with ratty looking leaves and Kay said to get bone meal (I did). I removed all the leaves from 2 of them and they are coming in so nice now.

Kay - That Buena Mulata plant has to be the most productive pepper plant in the world. I like it better when the peppers are bright purple; but they are too hot for me.

Barb, it is a beautiful and productive plant. It would be worth growing just as an ornamental. You should made the Salsa Morada hot sauce. You only use 8 ounce of the purple peppers that have been seeded and 1 1/2 pounds of green bell peppers. It has just a little heat to it and the chocolate in it makes it so good. Even my friends that can't handle much heat at all love it. I can't remember if I sent the recipe with the seeds. If not, I can email it to you.

Yes, please do - I checked once before and I think because they ran out of seeds, they must have taken it off.

On my way!! Left at 4am.

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Full sun, Barb. They will be 1 month from seed sow on Saturday.

Looks good Marsha - Are they your Enjoya plants? they really look good.
Do you leave your seedlings out now in all weather even tons/ huge rain?

---
Ginny - Drive safe and report back when you are home.

Larry - any more tomatoes fruiting? Kay - any fruiting other than the micros?

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;594302]Looks good Marsha - Are they your Enjoya plants? they really look good.
Do you leave your seedlings out now in all weather even tons/ huge rain?

---
Ginny - Drive safe and report back when you are home.

Larry - any more tomatoes fruiting? Kay - any fruiting other than the micros?[/QUOTE]
Thanks Barb,
The large ones are Enjoyas, and a few of the younger ones are too, there's a mix of peppers sweet and hot. Yes, all the plants are out full time regardless of the weather.I have been spraying them early almost every day with weak copper and BT spray, because I really don't want them to get fungus and worms for the swap.
I feel I have a responsibility to people to give them healthy strong plants. It's a pride thing.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;594253]Your right Larry - Marsha is the queen of EB. I think the info provided by EB must be for determinate tomatoes. I've been following it for seasons now for tomatoes, even buying many packs of their refill kits. I even bought 2 EB worth of their potting soil (very light on perlite).

Marsha - Thanks for the response. The only part of mine that looks yucky is < a thin frosting on a cake. Too late for this season, but I will keep more of the mix going forward.

Marsha - Are your babies in full sun yet? Since mine are still on the pool deck with all that radiant heat, I'm still throwing the shade cloth over around 11 AM unless there is a mixture of sun/clouds.

I also removed a lot of my pepper plants. I don't want to deal with white flies this year. A few weeks ago when I posted about some of mine with ratty looking leaves and Kay said to get bone meal (I did). I removed all the leaves from 2 of them and they are coming in so nice now.

Kay - That Buena Mulata plant has to be the most productive pepper plant in the world. I like it better when the peppers are bright purple; but they are too hot for me.[/QUOTE]
Barb,
I agree Marsha is a trove of information but you add quite a bit to the conversation yourself,
Thanks,
Larry

Larry you do too! Marsha, Barb, Kay, Ella, Kurt, Gardenboy.... i have used advice from every single person I mentioned from this thread and more. I knew absolutely nothing about gardening in late 2013 and mostly from advice on this forum (well and Laura in Fl that i first met on the earthbox forum) I have had a wonderful time growing tasty beauitiful tomatoes in an entirely tomato hostile environment.... :-)

I love this forum and the people on it, mostly you Floridians... :-)

Ginny

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[QUOTE=Fiishergurl;594370]Larry you do too! Marsha, Barb, Kay, Ella, Kurt, Gardenboy.... i have used advice from every single person I mentioned from this thread and more......

had a wonderful time growing tasty beauitiful tomatoes in an entirely tomato hostile environment.... :-)

I love this forum and the people on it, mostly you Floridians... :-)

Ginny

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

+1

Ginny - Are you driving alone? Where are you?

I'm home! I left at 4am yesterday morning and got home around 10pm. I had planned to drive over 2 days but wasnt tired so made it all the way home.

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Plants made it... :-)

Thank goodness we didnt fill up the car and truck to go up there. We usually drive together in the truck and tow the car but this time i drove home alone so i could get home sooner. My husband somehow fit 16 tomato cages (he bent the legs back), 5 cases of sauce/salsa, a 7 gallon swc with my 4 full sized shishi-to pepper plants in it, 26 teenagers on the floor boards of the back seats, my suitcase, a storage tub with misc stuff, my pillow, my dog and dog bed, my three laptops, TTF fert, mykos, watering can, 5 1/2 gallon stainless steel cooking pot, 20 to 30 bamboo stakes, my new food mill (it fit in the stainless steel pot), 6 pairs of shoes (hardly any!), two large pans, a brand new really nice butcher block knife set (present from my in laws and the first time I have ever owned really sharp nice knives... I didnt even know what I was missing), and various and sundry other items in my little corolla.

He loves growing tomatoes too. I even felt silly having so much tomato gear but hey, priorities. He is bringing home the other stuff.

Ginny

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;594302]Looks good Marsha - Are they your Enjoya plants? they really look good.
Do you leave your seedlings out now in all weather even tons/ huge rain?
---
Ginny - Drive safe and report back when you are home.
Larry - any more tomatoes fruiting? Kay - any fruiting other than the micros?[/QUOTE]
Barb,
A few tomatoes are being set but so far it’s been pretty slow. Skyway, BCD, Granadero and Esterina Cherry have set a few, but I think it is about to change. Because of somewhat frequent showers our humidity during the evening and early morning has remained fairly high. As a result the night time low temperatures have been slow to come down but looking out at the forecast it appears in one week it looks like the showers will be significantly less and the nighttime lows are finally going to fall into the upper 60s. Hopefully that will be enough to do the trick and result in many more tomatoes setting.
"Hope Springs Eternal in the Human Breast"
Larry

[QUOTE=Fiishergurl;594370]Larry you do too! Marsha, Barb, Kay, Ella, Kurt, Gardenboy.... i have used advice from every single person I mentioned from this thread and more. I knew absolutely nothing about gardening in late 2013 and mostly from advice on this forum (well and Laura in Fl that i first met on the earthbox forum) I have had a wonderful time growing tasty beauitiful tomatoes in an entirely tomato hostile environment.... :-)
I love this forum and the people on it, mostly you Floridians... :-)
Ginny
Thank You, We'll be happy to have you back gardening in Florida.
Larry

Of the past 5 nights, the lows have been 3 @ 69 and 2 @ 70. I've buzzed the flowers I have but never see any pollen sprayed.

The days are still so hot, but the mornings feel decent until 9ish without cloud cover.

---
Ginny - Glad you back home safely. That is quite a car full.

---
I have 12 plants in their final homes now. Need to get working on the back yard.

Barb, my outside tomatoes have been slow to set fruit because of the heat here. I do have lots of blooms so I am hoping fruit set will be picking up. The ones that do have fruit are Russian Swirl, Indigo Rose, Sweetie and Peacevine.

I am growing what Ellie calls a basket tomato outside. It is not a micro and the plants are about 2 feet tall. I planted two of them in 3 gallon pot and there are a couple of tiny tomatoes on them but many blooms.

I am getting ripe tomatoes on 2 of my micro varieties. I really want to see how they taste but I also want to save seeds.

Everyone seems to be super busy, in a good way. I am realizing now that Florida gardening has multiple challenges. And it is not just a common once like temperature, rain/humidity, and pests. There is a short-day problem as well, and each day plants get less sun. How do you manage to have them setting fruits? It is now about 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. I know tomatoes need about 8 (of direct sunlight). Still.

Ginny, glad you arrived safely.

[QUOTE=efisakov;594410]Everyone seems to be super busy, in a good way. I am realizing now that Florida gardening has multiple challenges. And it is not just a common once like temperature, rain/humidity, and pests. There is a short-day problem as well, and each day plants get less sun. How do you manage to have them setting fruits? It is now about 12 hours between sunrise and sunset. I know tomatoes need about 8 (of direct sunlight). Still.

Ginny, glad you arrived safely.[/QUOTE]

They set fruit just fine once it cools down. They say they really need only 6 hours of direct sun. The winters here mostly have dry weather, cooler, clear sunny skies prevail. Then, since our season is so long, after Dec. 21 the days get longer and longer.

When you move down you will see....:)

[QUOTE=ginger2778;594413]They set fruit just fine once it cools down. They say they really need only 6 hours of direct sun. The winters here mostly have dry weather, cooler, clear sunny skies prevail. Then, since our season is so long, after Dec. 21 the days get longer and longer.

When you move down you will see....:)[/QUOTE]

I am mentally there already.

Its raining buckets here right now. Wished i had looked at the radar and protected the plants. Dang. Orange/Red coming across right now.

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Ella you are a Floridian in my book... :-)

Ginny

[QUOTE=Fiishergurl;594421]Its raining buckets here right now. Wished i had looked at the radar and protected the plants. Dang. Orange/Red coming across right now.
Ella you are a Floridian in my book... :-)
Ginny[/QUOTE]
We got a shower about 5 pm, but had to go ahead and water plants anyway.

Barb did you grow Jimmy Nardello and if so did you like it or not so much?

What did you like about the advarski (spelling? )

Ginny

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