The Best Earthbox Cover

Quite possibly the best Earthbox covers and yet so simple! I like everything about Earthboxes, except dealing with the covers. Using this new method is easy and inexpensive plus they hold up very well through the season. No more ripped elastic and sagging, I've tested this over the last year and it stays nice and tight.
Rain Bird 1/2" drip water tubing: amzn.to/2SOdVP8
Black plastic for cover: amzn.to/36eTXAf
My everyday gardening knife: amzn.to/3d9IPbD
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If you like the content I produce and would like to help support this channel there is one really easy way and it won't cost you anything. By using one of my Amazon links below any time you begin your shopping I will get a small referral reward even if you don't buy the product listed (when an item is purchased). These little bits add up and help me to buy more garden items to make more videos!
You can use my general amazon link (amzn.to/3qjBw6K) or check out one of the tools below. These are tools I use every day in my garden and highly recommend.
Tree saw - this Silky Professional F180 has a comfortable grip and cuts through branches with ease. I use this for things too large for the pruners. To date there is no rust on it, I put a loop of paracord through the hole in tha handle to make it easier to hang. Link: amzn.to/35Mb77Z
Pruners - The Felco F-2 Pruners are the choice of gardening experts everywhere. They seem to last forever, if you are a real heavy user you can buy replacement blades and make them like new again. Link: amzn.to/3qjzgMO
Snippers - For more precise work such as cutting delicate leaves off of new starts, these Corona stainless steel snippers work great. They have a long narrow blade to get into the tight spots on your seedlings or to prune smaller plants. Link: amzn.to/2TZmk2B
Trowel - Now this isn't really classified as a trowel but the Corona Scopp is my everyday all prupose tool that I probably use more than anything else (besides the pruners). This is not the best for digging in the soil but I don't really do much of that in my food forest. This is an excellent tool for potting, which I do a lot of. It holds a lot more than a traditional trowel and is a very well built tool. I've left it out in the rain many times and no rust. Link: amzn.to/3zRa5We
Knife - This Morakniv knife has held up well, it stays sharp and while the blade has lost its bright color it has not rusted. I use this for opening bags of soil and cutting ropes and twine. This knife is fairly inexpensive and includes a belt holster if you prefer to carry it that way. Link: amzn.to/3d9IPbD
Thank you for your support and if you would like to see more of my videos in your youtube feed please consider subscribing to this channel :)

[@thomaswolfe9539]

It's stupid how much Earthbox charges for simple extra plastic mulch covers. Thank you for this alternative!

[@GardeningSolutions]

And the EB covers don't stay on very well or last very long. Let me know how this works out for you :)

[@eyeonart6865]

I will make my own covers.

[@vincentlok8894]

Awesome! I bought a massive roll of black plastic and used paracord to tie it down over the edge of the box, but the box tapers downwards and the paracord has to be tied around the water tube to keep it up. The cord deteriorates in the sun too. I had thought about magnets or drilling a screw through the box to pin the plastic down but your clips is such a great idea! Thanks!

[@GardeningSolutions]

I tried bungee cords previously and had the same issue, they just don't last in the sun.

[@northernwiman.7472]

I’m glad I found this video. I’ve been looking for a better way to hold my earth box covers on for years. This is the answer. Thanks.

[@davidlangan4902]

Yesterday I covered a number of my earthboxes with Panda (black/white - 6 mil!) ground cover and the clips shown in this video. It worked VERY well and I would recommend this approach!

[@SeededandRooted]

Wow really nice never thought of using them thanks

[@delene121]

this is brilliant thank You for sharing!

[@sofakingphat8087]

I use a piece of foam insulation. I got off a worksite where they were building a new house. It works really well. It’s not fiberglass, but it is a little thick but that helps when you are using straps. I cut it to fit perfectly. I just set it on top and took my Razor knife along the outside of the edge and made a cut and then flipped it over and finished my cut all the way through. I cut a couple of small holes where my plant fit down inside and they went right in no problems. It’s been a dry couple of years so I haven’t had to worry about rain or anything like that yet. so far so good.

[@petermaddison9236]

We are setting up our old earth boxes and this is an excellent solution for covers. Thank you. The PVC support video is excellent too. :)

[@GardeningSolutions]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rickpadgett1999]

I love simple solutions. Good thinking

[@TheSaks40]

Been looking for something like this, works great! Thx for sharing.

[@michaelrobinson9112]

This was the exact video I was looking for! Thank you!

[@jamiefromtexas1380]

Thank you!

[@farmervee_yt]

Thanks so much for the tip!

[@jcpgardenphillips2231]

Thank you! Updating my boxes this fall. 😊

[@claudeloi]

Thank you for sharing this simple economical way for making earth box covers.

[@Badger90]

Nice, thank you

[@sherriatsavinh4995]

Pruning shears with the pointy end worked for me.

[@GardeningSolutions]

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try!

[@lydiaahubbell8545]

worked well for me! I used contractor bag plastic.

[@oleman490]

like your idea for clamps;;;;I used pvc pipe pieces for mine;;;just hot glued pipe to 1x4 to keep pipe straight when cutting groove as used 1x4 against fence and made a pass down the pipe and slightly over a bit for little larger opening; and then to the band saw to cut in1 1/2'' pcs for clamps worked great;;;got a bundle of large construction bags which I I later found not water proof and they didn't make a fuul season without deteriating;;;so now I use the red tomato plastic;;;works great;;;even had a few orange leaf bags that were used to haul off leaves and lots of people used for ornaments in yard;;;they were filled to look like pumpkins and painted to match the season;;;hope that explains;;anyway;;love the earthboxes and even have made my own with heavy duty totes;;;;the yellow lids make the barrier between soil and water and the yellow remenents keep the plastic in place;;;works great and doesn't cost much;;;got harbor freight dolley rollers;;;lg size and covered with planking and built cages around for keep plants off ground;;;ok I stop;;enjoyed;;;thumbs up and have a good one;;;

[@jimd1617]

thank you!!

[@mmercier0921]

I just did a dozen this year. I used trash bags and zip ties. I like the clip idea.

[@yamagrow420]

I like the stand/trellis cage. Cheers

[@Terri_Stauffer]

This is great hack for some of my eathboxes and my earth box juniors. My original earthboxes, are over 30 years old and still going strong but the design is different, one is the tiny hole in front for water drainage and the lip is a bit wider so the clips pop off with pressure, a few clamps along with clips worked. They improved the earthbox but not the cover, thank you for sharing this hack. Love those pvc supports you built.

[@GardeningSolutions]

Thanks Terri, I will have a video on how to make the pvc supports posted soon.

[@jeromewilliams2073]

Thank you for posting this hack. It worked like a charm on my 10 year old (and going strong) Earthbox. You, sir, are a genius!

[@GardeningSolutions]

Glad it helped :)

[@woodwind1335]

I use the water softener salt bags…heavy duty white, good for Florida intense sun. also the same bags that the soil comes in that you replace in the Earth box. It’s ironic you already have the plastic looking you square in the face. There’s also plastic from Amazon called panda it’s black on one side and white on the other it’s quite heavy duty and works very well I’m going to try to learn how to put the elastic in them but I’m using irrigation tubing clips per mate just like the person that made this video works well but if no you need to overfill your earth boxes and have a crown above the edge and then cover it to keep water from getting in from the top and causing your soil to be too hot from fertilizer that’s been hit with water for the top, don’t let water come in from the top make sure your covers go over the edge and you have a mound of dirt as Earthbox recommends.

[@lindacook8819]

I really like your clips

[@MrChinolugo]

Complete thanks for the video Epic

[@GardeningSolutions]

Glad you liked it!

[@jodybradley765]

Cool!!!

[@BIGALTX]

Nice. Did you source any white plastic?

[@GardeningSolutions]

Trying this one: amzn.to/3wrz3w3

[@greggm.9057]

Great Idea!….. I’ve been trying for years to find a solution to not having to purchase the earth box covers. We’ll Done!

[@JulieHebding-qi6ww]

Great idea! Could you please re-post Amazon link for tubing? Can’t find it in the comments. Thank you!

[@matthewbasketball6792]

Hi, awesome videos. What size do you cut your plastic?

[@j0-zef]

AHHhhhh woo - 1:22

[@2blueheelers1]

do you have any instructions on how to make the pvc set up that surrounds the earthboxes?? i relly like those. thanks

[@GardeningSolutions]

Well I see you already found the new video :)

[@ralphmcmahan2139]

Get the thin Panda plastic from a grow shop. White on one side, black on the other. As the name implies.

[@GardeningSolutions]

Thanks for the info :)

[@user-sc6zh3uk9b]

Put the poly in the sun before you work with it soften it up be careful it'll get hot.

[@eyeonart6865]

please show making the pipe covers.

[@GardeningSolutions]

Which part? The video goes over the process.

[@femmegem9466]

Can you tell me about your PVC stabilizers?

[@GardeningSolutions]

There's a video coming up on how to make them, it will have all the details :)

[@michaelhornung7266]

Any chance you might want to sell enough for 1 earth box? I don’t need 50 or 100 feet. It’s awesome hack

[@GardeningSolutions]

I could, you can get my email address from the "About" page.

[@joecotner6444]

What kind of black plastic do you use for the cover?

[@GardeningSolutions]

Previously I just bought black plastic from the painting section at the big box store, recently I started using this and I like it. Very durable and has white and black sides: amzn.to/3OmXUaO

[@jameslowery4550]

Aviation snips is good way to cut the pipe slit and safe.

[@GardeningSolutions]

Thanks James, that's a great suggestion.

[@TheHofrichter]

Why do all the earthbox variations use flexible mulch, instead of just a hard plastic cover?

[@GardeningSolutions]

Multiple reasons - the potting mix settles over time and the flexible cover allows you to mound or overfill when initially setting up. Different plants will require different number and locations of openings. Also, the sides do flex so I'm not sure a hard cover would stay snapped on. It could be done but I think the flexible works good.

[@diverdoug2]

I don’t think the covers are exhorbently priced, I just wish they were not so flimsy. I would pay for an epgraded cover if Earthbox sold them. I am making my own sturdier covers, but I am sure Earthbox could do the same, but make way prettier. My Earthboxes surround the inside of my pool lanai, so the looks matter to me

[@lydiahubbell6278]

I am going to use heavy duty trash bags

[@joaquinuriarte2056]

Panda film or plastic I believe it's wht called black on one side white on the other

[@GardeningSolutions]

That's the stuff!

[@MrChinolugo]

I went to home depot I got the half inch tubing I was so flexy I didn't even hold up the garbage bag

[@GardeningSolutions]

It must be the rigid stuff, not flexible. amzn.to/3PnBt5c

[@MrChinolugo]

Help wich tubing

[@GardeningSolutions]

Here's an example. It must be the rigid tubing, not the highly flexible stuff: amzn.to/3PnBt5c

[@lydiahubbell6278]

But Earthbox soil is supposed to be mounded up

[@GardeningSolutions]

It can still be mounded using this method.

[@nyclear]

Seems like a pain when you want to top dress, no?

[@GardeningSolutions]

It's pretty easy to remove the clips, top dress, and re-cover. I never top dress anyways :)

[@lazyhydroponicsandstuff3682]

Their is a brand call Growbox which will hold x2 as much medium and doesnt use the plastic. same concept. They also give you a shitty fert patch which is a horrible idea Never use the Fertilizer patch. Use either 1/4 to half strength hydro nutrient in your reservoir or use your own worm castings and Dry organic fert

[@marysheilds9966]

Drag it out more and show the wrong way first so that someone has a chance to use their first aid kit.

[@GardeningSolutions]

I'd like to keep my fingers ......

[@MrChinolugo]

😒😒😒😒😒

[@JohnOliver100]

You can get the white plastic here: amzn.to/377kTFX

[@GardeningSolutions]

Great find John, thanks!