Earth Box Roots

TC_Manhattan · February 27, 2018

Last summer was the first year I grew tomatoes and peppers in my earth boxes.

Before this, I used them for beans, peas, and kale, and their roots would disappear from the earth box mix over winter, so it was easy to add new fertilizer and re-use them the following year.

Now I have these boxes that seem to have their root balls still very much present in the soil(less) mix. Do I need to remove them, or can I just pretend they are not there and plant new seedlings anyways? Not sure how to navigate new fertilizer around them, since the roots act to bind everything together in a cohesive mass.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to have to empty them and use new Pro-Mix every year. $$.

Thanks in advance!

February 27, 2018	#1
TC_Manhattan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Ohio Posts: 457	Earth Box Roots Last summer was the first year I grew tomatoes and peppers in my earth boxes. Before this, I used them for beans, peas, and kale, and their roots would disappear from the earth box mix over winter, so it was easy to add new fertilizer and re-use them the following year. Now I have these boxes that seem to have their root balls still very much present in the soil(less) mix. Do I need to remove them, or can I just pretend they are not there and plant new seedlings anyways? Not sure how to navigate new fertilizer around them, since the roots act to bind everything together in a cohesive mass. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to have to empty them and use new Pro-Mix every year. $$. Thanks in advance!