Compact gardening solutions are becoming popular for condo and apartment dwellers. For a long time, these hacks were DIY and involved household items combined with a little time and innovation. Now there is a perfect product available that recognizes small space needs along with smarter gardening practices. EarthBox.com has a line of intelligently designed, attractive and easy to use compact garden systems that go together quickly and easily, setting you up for successful gardening almost out of the box. The secret to their products is sub-irrigation. This is exactly as it sounds and provides water straight to the roots, minimizes evaporation and funnels nutrients to plants.
Plants need water, minerals and nutrients, oxygen, light and, in most cases, heat. Providing these in perfect balance can be a challenge for in-ground gardeners. EarthBox® container gardening systems provide the tools for every one of these plant requirements in a foolproof manner. First off, the container is made with BPA free, recyclable resin that has been stabilized to withstand harsh UV rays and enhance the life of the product. That means they are reusable and can last for years. You can even opt for casters so moving the container is easier.
The design of the EarthBox® system was undertaken by professional farmers in a bid to use their experience to help home growers achieve the same bumper crops and high yields available in cropland. The interior system consists of an aeration screen, wicking chambers, a watering tube, and water reservoir with an integrated overflow drain. The concept is deceptively simple but brilliant in execution. The reservoir provides nearly 3 gallons of water. The aeration screen and wicking chambers separate the growing medium from the water and have an oxygen rich layer for plant roots. Top it all off with a mulch cover made from high-quality agricultural film to keep moisture, heat and nutrients in the system.
You can purchase a basic kit or one with the growing medium, fertilizer, and dolomite lime. A peat-based medium is recommended but topsoil is frowned upon. The peat has excellent capillary action, which wicks up moisture from the bottom of the container where the water reservoir is located. Peat is also not as susceptible to disease and fungal issues as some soil-based media. The fertilizer provides the proper amount of nutrients plants need to grow. The dolomite lime aids in balancing the pH preferred by plants and provides trace amounts of calcium and magnesium. Proper soil pH helps plants intake necessary nutrients and moisture.
All EarthBox® kits come with a planting guide, which shows the recommended number of plants each system can support. You can grow a wide variety of greens or herbs with similar growing needs, but it is not recommended that you mix most plants. There are the original kits for growing almost any variety of produce, but also a deeper container for root vegetables and a smaller system for herbs. Different accessories are available to support various crops and growing conditions. EarthBox® also recognizes the importance of engaging children in the science of plant growth and educating them on how food is made through comprehensive and instructive kits, which are available for every school level.
EarthBox® kits are great for any age, from preschoolers all the way to retirees. Because they are self-contained, very little maintenance is required. And best of all, they can fit onto any patio or lanai, bringing the gift of fresh produce to every home – regardless of space limitations.
