How to Plant in an EarthBox
- 1). Place the plant grid in the bottom of the Earthbox. The grid is a black, T-shaped piece of plastic containing numerous small holes. There is a large, circular hole in one corner.
- 2). Insert the watering tube into the appropriate corner section. Place the tube in the largest corner hole.
- 3). Fill the reservoir with water.
- 4). Fill the box with soil and pack down until it fills the wicking zones. The wicking zones are the many small holes throughout the plastic planting grid.
- 5). Level the soil in the box.
- 6). Add 1 pound of powdered dolomite evenly over the soil. Mix it down 2 inches into the top layer. The dolomite is a grayish-white powder.
- 7). Saturate the soil with water.
- 8). Create a gently sloping mound of soil in the center.
- 9). Make a 2-inch trench in the soil along the front of the pot (this is the side where the watering tube is located).
- 10
Add fertilizer evenly in the trench. Use 3 cups of granular organic fertilizer or 2 cups of non-organic fertilizer. Cover the fertilizer with the remainder of the soil. - 11
Water the soil. - 12
Add the red or white mulch covering. The covering should fit snugly to prevent pests, rain and weeds from entering the growing box. Start at the watering tube and stretch the cover over the top of the box. - 13
Cut holes into the covering for the plants. How far apart each plant is spaced depends on their particular growing habits. The Earthbox will hold two seedlings per single row of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants and artichokes; four seedlings per single row of cucumbers, squash and melon; four seedlings per double row of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, strawberries and chard. - 14
Dig the soil out from beneath the holes. This is where the plant's roots go. A screwdriver or sturdy stick is useful here. - 15
Add the plants to the holes. Cover the entire root ball with soil. Push them into the soil to make good root-to-soil contact. - 16
Water the plants in.