Earthtainer - troubleshooting the grow media

Mom2Es · May 21, 2013

This is my third year trying Earthtainers for my tomatoes in East TN. I've had mixed results so far (better than other containers I've tried; not as good as my friends who are growing them in hay bales).

Anyway, now that it is finally warming up here, I am getting ready to recharge my mix and finally put my plants in the containers. My grow media is one year old, and I used the a 3:2:1 ratio last year. Or, so I thought. The closest thing I've found to micro-bark was some stuff at the big box store labeled "organic soil conditioner." I thought it looked like the pictures on the Earthtainer instructions, but on closer inspection of the bag, I see that it is 50% bark and 50% compost. So now I am wondering if my mix has possibly been running too wet with the compost in there.

Any thoughts on whether I should leave the mix ratio as-is or whether I should try to increase the ratio of Perlite this year?

JamesL · May 21, 2013

Sounds like that the 50% compost component is your problem. Probably running too wet and not enough aeration. You would be better off buying a bag of the big bark nuggets if you can get them and break them into smaller pieces.

Mom2Es · May 21, 2013

Yeah, I think I'm going to try to get it to something resembling the 5:1 and not bother with the micro-bark. Now, I just need to find where I put that calculator...

TightenUp · May 21, 2013

no expert here but adding chunky perlite my help, chunky being the key.

i tried a peat, perlite and pine bark mulch mix with good results.

the pine was definitely smaller than nuggets however larger than bark fines.

i also did a mix of just peat and perlite which did better than the one with the mulch. it ran a little wet but i went heavy on the perlite so it wasnt bad

May 21, 2013	#1
Mom2Es Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: TN Posts: 4	Earthtainer - troubleshooting the grow media This is my third year trying Earthtainers for my tomatoes in East TN. I've had mixed results so far (better than other containers I've tried; not as good as my friends who are growing them in hay bales). Anyway, now that it is finally warming up here, I am getting ready to recharge my mix and finally put my plants in the containers. My grow media is one year old, and I used the a 3:2:1 ratio last year. Or, so I thought. The closest thing I've found to micro-bark was some stuff at the big box store labeled "organic soil conditioner." I thought it looked like the pictures on the Earthtainer instructions, but on closer inspection of the bag, I see that it is 50% bark and 50% compost. So now I am wondering if my mix has possibly been running too wet with the compost in there. Any thoughts on whether I should leave the mix ratio as-is or whether I should try to increase the ratio of Perlite this year?

May 21, 2013	#4
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	no expert here but adding chunky perlite my help, chunky being the key. i tried a peat, perlite and pine bark mulch mix with good results. the pine was definitely smaller than nuggets however larger than bark fines. i also did a mix of just peat and perlite which did better than the one with the mulch. it ran a little wet but i went heavy on the perlite so it wasnt bad __________________

May 21, 2013	#2
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Sounds like that the 50% compost component is your problem. Probably running too wet and not enough aeration. You would be better off buying a bag of the big bark nuggets if you can get them and break them into smaller pieces.