My 39 Earthboxes + 3 EB + 1 EB? Update

[alfredpong]

Paul,

I know that you know I am not very good with math, but I bet you don't know that I am not very good with gardening because my wife had been doing practically all of the gardening for the last 30 or so years.  Digging and weeding are not on top of my list in gardening. I remembered we planted over 200 tomato plants after purchasing the first orchard (knew nothing about running an orchard or fruit trees or gardening).  We harvested less than a bushel of tomatoes.  We bought the first orchard with the intention of not running it, but we ended up running it anyway.  We are presently operating a second orchard; I say we do know a little more about the fruit trees and gardening this time around.   

Since rediscovering the Earthbox, things have changed.  My wife and I have a role reversal.  Now, I am doing most of the gardening and my wife is doing more work in the orchard.  Thanks to the EB - I have to say that the garden looks pretty good for one that hates digging and weeding.  The tomatoes that in the pictures are yellow cherry and red grape and the peppers are bell pepper and cayenne pepper.  My wife bought 2 yellow cherry named "sweet thing" from Wal-Mart last year, but she couldn't find any this year.  She ended up getting "yellow cherry" and "yellow pear" from a greenhouse farmer that doesn't advertise.  I hope that they are as good as the ones she got from Wal-Mart and I will let you all know in a few weeks.  The lone watermelon is a sugar baby and it just grew overnight.  I am trying to grow them on trellis and I don't know how successful this will be because sugar baby do get pretty big.  I think the muskmelon and the honeydew will do OK.

There is a picture showing 3 EBs - one in the middle with 7 yard long bean plants and I am trying to spread them out allowing them to have more room to grow rather than clotting up in the middle.  The 2 on either side are egg plants.  My wife thought they are the long slender purple ones, but it turn out to be small round white ones.  The Chinese okras sitting on the black landscape cloth are doing fine; they are not slimy like the American okra.  They grow to be about two feet long and they are sweet tasting.  You can eat them raw, stir-fry, in soup, etc.  I will show pictures when they are ready.

Al - Fulton, MD (Zone 7)
(see pictures below)

















Also, how do I use the image uploader on the forum. I cannot upload these on here, unless i use photobucket.

[astarte]

Non slimy okra, this is something I'm going to have to try at some point.  I can't stand okra because it always slimes in your mouth like an unhappy slug or caterpillar that you're slowly juicing.  Hope you're doing taste tests ;-}

[johnthomasc3]

Wow, what a great setup.  What do you do with all of your stuff?  Do you sell it?
I am curious about your watering system.  It looks like you have a great system set up.  Where is the water coming from? City? Well?  I saw on your prior thread about what components you used.  It really looks like you came up with a great plan.   I am thinking about trying to set something up outside if I can figure out an attractive way to keep the deer away.

[alfredpong]

Hi John,

I do sell my vegetables along with my fruits (white peaches, Asian pears, and non-astringent persimmons).  I used a non-toxic botanical soap mixed in with 1-1/2 dozen of whole eggs per 100 gallons of water to spray the trees, vegetables, and other plants that deer likes to munch on.  Earlier in the year, I noticed that deer is doing a number on the lower part of my Asian pear trees.  About 6 weeks ago, I started to spray my trees and vegetables with this solution and new growth is coming back.  It is not 100%, but it is quite effective.  You can also hang deodorant soap or milorganite (fertilizer from Home Depot) in old socks or stockings on the trees.

I use well water and the problem with the timer I am using is that you can't set the time based on the time of day.  Let me know how you get along with the deer.  You can give the solution a try on the plants that the deer likes to dine on.  Good luck!

Al

[alfredpong]

Astarte,

If you zucchini, you will love it because it taste at least 9.5 times better than the zucchini.

Al

[astarte]

If you zucchini, you will love it because it taste at least 9.5 times better than the zucchini.

I may have to try one of those next year.  I've refused to eat Okra for years because its slimy and gross, but I adore zucchini.

Now the zucchini i planted in the front yard has gained me a resident baby bunny.  I can't bring myself to release the hound (see photo) on it.  It also eats dandelions.  Its just so gosh darned cute since its this 3/4 lb ball of fluffers that is in with my resident chipmunks etc.  If I could teach it to eat rosemary which i have too much of....

-l.