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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old January 12, 2007   #1
CharlieH
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Default Real "Earth Box"?

Hi everyone!
I've been very interested in reading all the different posts on container growing and it has led me to think of how I might do something along these lines on my farm.
What if you did away with the plastic box all together and used a plastic sheet lined hole instead? I'm thinking in terms of a hole 5 foot wide by ten foot long and using a variation of Jackman's drainfill lines as the water reservoir. (a 6" dia. pipe holds about 1 gallon per 8" length.)
It seems like something like this would make more efficient use of my available water. (which is in short suppy.)
Any reason this wouldn't work?
Thanks,
Charlie
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Old January 25, 2007   #2
Earl
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Hey, Charlie! Wecome to T-ville.

Your idea sounds interesting as long as it's not me digging the holes. :-) It would be like making an Earth Box and putting it in a hole. Only one way to find out, try it and see. And if you do, take some pictures.
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Old January 25, 2007   #3
feldon30
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Earthboxes are portable, reusable, and allow you to avoid soil-related problems like the three F's: fusarium, flooding, and fire ants. Some people only have concrete jungle in their backyard, or rocks, or hard-pan clay which would take a jackhammer to get into.

I suggest if you have soil that can be amended without too much difficulty into good gardening soil either via open-bottomed raised beds or via Earl's "hole planting method" (digging a 2' x 2' x 2' hole and adding manure, peat, and other goodies to it), just do it.
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Old January 27, 2007   #4
CharlieH
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Hi Earl,
Thanks for the welcome!
The main reason I was interested in the "Earth Box" concept was better use and control of available water. I would be using a Bobcat to dig the hole, so it wouldn't be much of a job in that respect. I could pile the removed dirt around the edges of the hole, so the hole wouldn't really be all that deep and that rim would also keep out rain water. The big question to me would be about water pollution, as this would be something I'd expect to last several years considering the effort spent. Of course I suppose a septic tank drain line is pretty polluted but that has been the location of the only really green grass in the yard, during these last few years of drought.

Hi feldon27,
Oh believe me, I could be talked out of it.

Thank you both,
Charlie
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