The EarthTainer II WaterMizer Edition - - New, Improved...and FREE!

[recruiterg]

Do you ever add additional fertilizer, or is everything done when assembling the EarthTainer?

[rnewste]

What I have found that seems to work well is to spread about 2 cups on initial planting in a "picture frame" kind of pattern along the outer sides of the 'Tainer, about 2 inches in. That is all that is needed throughout the growing season. I have a personal preference for Tomato-tone as it bested the other brands I trialed last season.



Ray

[dokutaaguriin]

HI Ray,
Have you ever tried peppers or eggplants in a 'tainer?

Jeff

[rnewste]

Jeff,

Both sweet corn and Eggplant did pretty well in 'Tainers during 2008.









Ray

[dokutaaguriin]

Hi Ray,
Would that be two eggplants in each 'tainer?
Jeff

[rnewste]

I actually gave a 'Tainer to my neighbor (in the photo) and against my advice, she stuck 4 plants in there. I strongly feel 2 plants would have been optimal - - but she had already purchased the 4 of them - - - and I NEVER win an argument with a Woman!!

Ray

[veggie babe]

those pictures are impressive. i gardened all week-end,that is getting the new garden ready. i think i'm already in trouble there is nothing planted yet and i already have deer tracks in the freshly plowed earth. i may have to go to more et,i could have those closer to the house and maybe keep the deer out. any advice from you expert gardeners would be appreciated.
neva

[dice]

[deer]
Tania said the only thing that worked for her to keep
deer and bear out was an electrified fence.

In this picture it looks to be fairly tall, too:
http://t-garden.homeip.net/mwiki/ind...Image:Deer.jpg
(If you look close you can see it between the deer and the
greenhouses).

[mvan]

Originally Posted by veggie babe

those pictures are impressive. i gardened all week-end,that is getting the new garden ready. i think i'm already in trouble there is nothing planted yet and i already have deer tracks in the freshly plowed earth. i may have to go to more et,i could have those closer to the house and maybe keep the deer out. any advice from you expert gardeners would be appreciated.
neva

Have you tried using Milorganite? It is not officially listed as a deer repellent, but Walter Reeves (the "Georgia Gardener") swears by it.

mvan

[hasshoes]

Has anyone grown one plant to an earthtainer?

I'm wondering for us short season folks, if having a larger rooting area would make any difference?

[DennisM]

Ray,
I had read that the Nitrate-Phosphorus-Potassium ratio should be where the the phosphorus is higher than the nitrates and the potassium is between the first two. As an example 4-7-5 would meet this criteria. Tomato-Tone which you recommend and I plan to buy is listed at 3-4-6. Is there a difference in what fertilizer is recommended for in ground versus container gardens that use potting mix?

You recommend two cups of fertilizer per EarthTainer unit at the time of planting. Do you ever recommend adding anymore fertilizer when the fruit is setting?

Finally, are the cages you recommend at WalMart listed as 3/16" or heavy-duty? I also believe that these cages have four legs versus the three-legged ones I found at ACE.

Dennis

[dice]

[one plant to an Earthtainer]
I had one black cherry plant in a smaller, 18-gallon homemade
earthbox last year. It was doing fine until verticillium wilt got
going in the rather ad hoc container mix that I was using.

If it was a container but not a self-watering container, I would
want more room for a full-size tomato plant. (In the ground
they grow 3'x3'x3' root systems in not compacted soil.) The
constant water supply of an Earthtainer, Earthbox, or homemade
earthbox seems to allow them to grow well with considerably
less root space.

[rnewste]

Dennis,

Not sure where you got your NPK numbers for Tomato-tone, but here is a photo directly of the package:



I trialed Tomato-tone against other brands, and it outproduced the "other" tomato fertilizer, in my tests. Your results may vary.....

Regarding the cages, yes, you need to use the 4-leg model as they attach to the corners of the aeration bench perfectly. Take this Bar Code to Walmart (or Menards) to see if they carry them this year.



Ray

Ray, I noticed the whitened edge of one of the rubbermaid containers. You mentioned UV breaking down the container, but you also mentioned your goal of 3 years. Do you have a plan for the UV? Would the fabric draped over the sides be a nuisance?
Steve

[rnewste]

Red,

Not sure what the "white area" that you are referring to. I have not seen ANY UV damage to the Rubbermaid containers to date.

Regarding "3 years", I think you are mixing up my recommended 3 Season then empty out the Potting Mix and completely replace with new. I am planning on getting somewhere around 7 years service life from the outer shell, before having to replace it with a new one (this calculates out to about $1.00 per plant, per year). I will then take the old Rubbermaid and convert it into an aeration bench for a future new 'Tainer (inside the 'Tainer there is virtually no UV deterioration).

I remember seeing a post on another Forum where the poster made a closely spaced picket fence about 20 inches high around the container, which both protected the container from UV exposure, as well improved the W.A.F. significantly.

Ray