Hello Friends!

[PrestonTheGrower]

I recently got out of the military and thought nothing would be better than to grow me some fresh vegetables! I just got my 2 earthboxes and I am about to head to the store to get some potting mix and such!!! CAAAANT WAAAAIITT. any suggestions on plants I should start out with?

Thanks,

Preston

[Sun City Linda]

Welcome Preston and a big THANK YOU for serving in the military!  I grow mostly tomatoes which are pretty popular but many grow green beans, peppers and others.  I gues the question is: What do you like to EAT?  Linda

[mjb8743]

I recently got out of the military and thought nothing would be better than to grow me some fresh vegetables! I just got my 2 earthboxes and I am about to head to the store to get some potting mix and such!!! CAAAANT WAAAAIITT. any suggestions on plants I should start out with?

Before you run out to buy your own supplies, please read carefully:

http://www.earthbox.com/earthbox-pdf/EB-WEB-INSTRUCTIONS_NEW-2.pdf

http://www.earthbox.com/approved-for-earthbox.asp

A note about dolomite: rarely will the bag actually say dolomite. You must read the ingredient/analysis panel and look for calcium and magnesium approx 2:1 ratio, with both being in double-digit %'s.

Good luck
Mickie

[writeone]

Yes, welcome and thank you.

I'm an "air force brat." Dad was a lifer -- 25 years.

We also need your location information. Read the intro section to learn how to set up your profile to automatically display that.

Here's an example of a plant guide for FL
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021
It not only tells what crop, when to plant, but it gives what varieties work for this area.

It's different depending on where you live -- even North, vs Central, vs South FL.

[John]

Preston,
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.  Why not try the crop that made the EarthBox famous....Tomatoes!

[PrestonTheGrower]

Thank you! I appreciate the help, I am looking to grow tomatoes, is there a type preferable? I was thinking Roma, but I want the most bang for my buck. Any suggestions there? Once again thank you all!

[stephen12]

linda, (or mrs. linda sorry) tomatoes and green beans are totally the most productive veggie. or fruits. fruits have seeds, veggies dont. scientificly speaking, most "veggies" are fruit.   yeah, how did i get talking about this?  oh, preston, i am growing (with the help of my mom) "better boys, and "sugar sweet" toms. 

[ErnieHodge]

Preston,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your service to our country.

There's one thing that can't be beat, the taste of home grown tomatoes.

Do one box of tomatoes and you will be hooked for life.

[movrshakr]

Stephen, post a picture for us every now and then as your 'maters grow.

[stephen12]

Sure @movrshakr

[writeone]

linda, (or mrs. linda sorry) tomatoes and green beans are totally the most productive veggie. or fruits. fruits have seeds, veggies dont. scientificly speaking, most "veggies" are fruit.   yeah, how did i get talking about this?  oh, preston, i am growing (with the help of my mom) "better boys, and "sugar sweet" toms. 

Good biology lesson.
http://ask.yahoo.com/20010411.html gives more details about that.

My past nutrition instructor explained that dietary classifications for fruit and veggies have to do with the nutritional value assigned to them, thus determining the tomato as a veggie. But I dont' recall what the nutritional guideline is for the determining factor.

I use to work at a tomato lab when I was in community college. It was one of my favorite part time jobs because the job tasks had so much variety. Our main goal at the lab was to cross breeding to develop a hybrid resistant to the race III virus. I had to leaved before they found it when I relocated to go to a four year college.

Stephen, do you keep a garden journal of what you do when? If not, you may want to start. It's a great tool for many reasons.

[PaulB]

As one vet to another, welcome home, you are one of the lucky ones.  One word of advice, begin setting aside a budget for more earthboxes, you are going to need/want them as you find out just what a difference that they make.  Some members here have had their boxes for 8-10 years, with their potting mix 5-6 years old and still growing strong.

There is a lot of excellent information here, on the Tips and Q&A sections, and you can search for a lot of it using the search function.  If you get confused, or need some clarification, always feel free to ask, for we are dedicated to helping each other achieving the best results possible.

One word to the wise, there is something called BER (blossom end rot) that occurs on a lot of the larger tomato varities including Romas, especially during the first year.  Sometimes, in spite of best efforts, "BER happens".

There are two basic tomato growing habits, determinate (bush-type) and indeterminate (grows until frost or disease kills it) and the indets can get 7-10 feet high when grown in the EB, so be prepared to create a trellis for them.  There are a lot of ideas in the Trellis Design Gallery thread, located in the Tips and Tricks section.

May your garden prosper!

[PrestonTheGrower]

Thank you all, for the great advice! i will get to it!

[oldsarge]

welcome to eb's national. one old vet to another we are the lucky ones. all the advice and suggestions you have received are excellent. find a dealer near you and talk to them also. each area is different. the eb bug will grow on you. have a lot of fun and good growing. old  sarge