THIS COULD CHANGE CONTAINER GARDENING FOREVER

[@BIGALTX]

I'm trying an experiment with my EarthBoxes and Wicking Tubs. If this works, this could be a time saver and a money saver. I may not ever have to buy the EarthBox covers again. Hopefully, you can benefit from this video. Stay safe, alan Check out my Website. I've written dozens of articles pertaining to all areas of homesteading and self sufficiency. Here's the link: homesteadadvisor.com/ If you enjoyed this video and would like to see more videos like this. please give this video a thumbs up and leave me a comment! Please subscribe, it would really help my channel! Thank you for watching! ❤

[@DeanFamilyAcres]

Great tips! We need to do a better job of mulching our garden and tubs. Praying you’re well today.

[@melindaroth5796]

THANK YOU ALAN ❤ Still praying 🙏 for brother 🙏

[@davidgarner8990]

TP2:…… I plant in 5 gallon buckets, and always leave about 3-4” up at top of bucket, then fill with cedar chips ( a natural insect repellent and great scent), then when I feed Maters with Espoma Tomato Tone granular, just put hand full of it over cedar chips and water it down through chips………always has worked well for me for many years now !!!! Thanx for you videos !!!!!!…. Proverbs 3:5&6

[@BIGALTX]

Thanks for the great tips!!

[@chrisvanderwoerd9932]

I started using a 6 to 8 inch strip of plastic sheet over the fertilizer strip and mulching the rest. It seems to be working fine. The plastic keeps rain from running through the fertilizer strip. I use binder paper clips to keep the plastic sheeting in place. Getting tired of what seems to be Earthbox ever increasing price gouging.

[@BIGALTX]

The covers haven't gone up much but everything else has !

[@teresacoffman5529]

Excellent timing for the content. Thanks!

[@BIGALTX]

👍😎

[@lelandshanks3590]

Looks like a good idea, just got fresh mulch we will try it

[@ClickinChicken]

poling studies show weeding garden is #1 gripe of gardeners, #2, pests bugs, #3 deer and rabbits! Good practice. Neat and Tighty.. Blowing hot air about poling studies....

[@tambrasmith9707]

It looks good

[@rlbgardener6465]

Hello Alan, praying for you and saying all is going to be great. I have been gardening in tubs for years and been using wood chips as mulch. But last year I used wheat straw and I was very satisfied, and will use it again this year since I already have it on hand. So happy gardening and God Bless.

[@BIGALTX]

Wheat straw is great. I just don't think we have much of it available in ETX

[@mayshomesteadchronicles]

Howdy from Texas!

[@BIGALTX]

Hahaha... howdy to you TOO !

[@texascheri8445]

I am using cardboard in my garden for walkways and just thought you could probably cut some to fit these boxes as well. I always have plenty of boxes.

[@tater357]

Those Hossinators are looking fantastic. Won't be long now and you'll start seeing some blooms.

[@BIGALTX]

So far they look really nice... but so do the Red Snapper :)

[@tater357]

@@BIGALTX I was finally able to make a comeback with the rest of my Hossinator seeds. My first go around got bit by that last deep freeze and had to start all over with peppers and tomatoes. But from seed, I planted on 3/14 and had transplanted several in the garden 2 weeks ago, and got alot of em planted out day before yesterday.

[@scottw.2450]

I’ve been making use of all the firewood scraps each year and mulching tomato plants. It’s probably better than anything else because it holds moisture and feeds the plants. Seems to make a big difference!

[@BIGALTX]

Thanks for the info!👍😎

[@kevinogara3673]

I have used the same earth boxes for at least 15 years. They are great. Maybe I have been doing this wrong, but I always put the black side out. I live in the northeast where it's colder. Thought the black side was to warm them up. Have used the covers multiple times before replacing. Also have used black trash bags.

[@BIGALTX]

I think you're doing it right. As I understand it... it's black side up if you are in the north and white side up if you are in the south

[@psalms125selah]

Your Tomato plants look great! Tomato Plants love mulch! I live in North Florida and it helped extend my growing season for Tomato's to last well into the Summer, as well as holding in the moisture for the plant by just watering the mulch real good in the mornings when needed, otherwise the soil temps would get too hot and they would stop producing flowers and start dying back towards July, and with the Mulch they will last till end of August to September! I also would take the suckers off and root some of them in seed starting mix at the end of June, and put them in Pots and place the Pots in a location with Full Sun Morning to shady in afternoon, to have production all the way to frost! Another thing Tomato roots love is to have their surface roots covered with Mulch, giving those roots more territory to spread out in! The Mulch keeps the plants healthy and thus aids in disease and pest prevention!

[@BIGALTX]

Great tips, thanks!! I hope this DOES extend my season Last year was so hot, so long that the tomatoes did terrible for most everybody.

[@psalms125selah]

@@BIGALTX You can do it! Remember the Sucker Pot Method, and if the Temps get above 95 consistently you can Move the Plants under a Tree on the Sunny Morning Side sun edge of the Tree with shade in the Afternoon, and always to check moisture level and temp underneath the mulch layer, it kind of helps you to know how often to water the mulch without over filling the wicking reservoir and washing away the nutrients! Consistent moisture and soil temps no higher than 90-92'F is the best for Tomato's! In Florida the Trees help protect my Sun loving plants from the Harsh and Intense gamma rays that we are all seeing! Even my Sweet Potato plants got scalded bad last summer, unless I plant them out this way! I pray you have a successful harvest this Year!

[@zanderwow]

Following!

[@shashakeeleh5468]

Absolutely mulch containers!!! I use cypress mulch from bigbox and it takes about 3 times longer to break down; fill in a few spots each season. At first, I thought it might float but hasn't thus far. However, my pots have sides to them and yours don't. Still, costs the same and use less. MULCH!

[@BIGALTX]

Amen... thanks for the confirmation!

[@diverdoug2]

Love your videos. 1st year for me growing in earthboxes. After the first season and the fertilizer is done, I was wondering how to keep my peppers gooing more than one year. Watching this video makes me think I will switch to mulch for their second season. How do you fertilize your mulched earthbox peppers for the second year? It seems that there still might be some rainwater getting through the mounded mulch, so would you still just use a one pound fertilizer strip? Would you switch to using water soluble down the tube? Thanks so much! Doug in South Florida.

[@BIGALTX]

Yes, I fertilized the exact same way, with the fertilizer strip. And you’d be surprised… The mulch really repels water. Kind of like a thatched roof. Don’t forget to lime if you think it needs it. Not sure if it needs as much lime the second year as it does the initial planting, but not a bad idea to get a pH test.

[@elizabethcoen4110]

I learned about Hoss Tools watching your channel. I have the Hossinator, Red Snapper and, Bell Rosa growing. Are you planning to trellis yours?

[@BIGALTX]

I have cages for all of them Hopefully, a video next week

[@joniboulware1436]

Anytime you can eliminate the use of plastic it is good.

[@BIGALTX]

Agreed

[@mangofever4681]

We know that the mound and earth box plastic prevent the rainwater from washing out the initial fertilizer line. How do the fertilizer line on top reach the roots on the bottom with the plastic on top, maybe only top feeder roots are tapping into the fertilizer like tree roots.

[@BIGALTX]

The fertilizer line is really not “on top”. It is down in the container an inch or two. Then you’ve got the mounded soil on top of that. I don’t know how it works… It just does 😊

[@mangofever4681]

Hello, thanks for the insights. I am thinking about buying the half size earth boxes that are available at my local Lowes. It's the only earth boxes we have where I live. I am wondering if I can get the same results with just one tomato plant in the half size earth box?

[@BIGALTX]

I've never seen them so... don't know anything about them

[@sherolyncraig6041]

how do you support the round tubs? I'm down around San Antonio and my tomatoes went crazy in these pots and I cant get them supported now. They are happy and have tomatoes everywhere coming. But want to get something in place earlier next year.

[@BIGALTX]

I'll try to have a video next week on my Wicking tub and Earthboxe tomato cages Stay tuned

[@sherolyncraig6041]

@@BIGALTX are you going to do another series reading scriptures? Was a nice way to begin the day.

[@BIGALTX]

@@sherolyncraig6041 No plans to do that at the moment, but maybe some day :)

[@louisbrayton5117]

That might be a mistake with the earthboxes, the cover is there to keep the water source and food source (fertilizer) separate. A good rain may possibly flush a massive amount of fertilizer into the water and burn the plants. Try putting a plastic bag strip over the fertilizer and then mulch to create a watershed...

[@BIGALTX]

We will see. I just got about 6 inches of rain !!

[@tambrasmith9707]

Can u use shavings like u use for the chickens

[@BIGALTX]

If they were very coarse, not fine like sawdust, it might work I'm afraid they might blow away though

[@pondholloworchards]

You are living in the future 😁 mulch is the way

[@dgc940]

Grass isnt m enemy as bad as the mistake I made 3-4 years ago by planting morning glory. Ive spent the last 3 weeks pulling up morning glory shoots out of my buckets ugh. And last year I let a lambs quarter get big and go to seed. It taste good but man it sprouts up everywhere.

[@BIGALTX]

Morning Glory is the devil Soooooo hard to get rid of

[@rogerscheuermann4409]

Can you use hay - seedless??

[@BIGALTX]

I think hay would have a tendency to blow off in the winds Chips seem to stay in place better

[@susieq23]

Have you heard of investigated concerns of so much growing with plastics involved around food product. Plastic has already been found in Fish in the ocean that we eat. Now more recently actually I human tissue. This is so frightening.

[@BIGALTX]

That could be a problem, depending on what kind of plastic it is, I guess

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

I guess you don't have a ground termite issue in your neck of the woods. They invade wood chips here.

[@waynespringer501]

Why would you plant your tomatoes right against the container wall which restricts one side of your tomato roots from growing outwards, in fact it will promote them root wrapping around your other sides roots?

[@BIGALTX]

It looks like it's against the wall, but it's really about 2-3" away

[@RA-rf4nz]

Why not just use left-over cardboard from shipping boxes for you earth box covers? Should provide decent runoff at least until your annual harvest is completed..

[@BIGALTX]

Hmmm... that IS an idea... thanks!

[@jerrywilson1775]

I have used wicking tubs for years - try cheap white trash bags!

[@BIGALTX]

I did last year. Started to this year till I thought of this We'll see which one works best I'm always experimenting :)

[@davidthedeaf]

@@BIGALTX I read tests showed RED colored plastic would do well for tomatoes. That was several years ago, not sure what other studies have shown since. Thicker the mil the better. I have used black plastic and it was good too.

[@mike1968442]

Alan, twice a year I add cardboard completely covering all my flowers beds and I have extremely large ones. Then on top of the cardboard, I place the mulch. The cardboard breaks down and becomes “dirt”. I haven’t pulled a weed in 5 years since I started doing this.

[@glumGlumm]

Garden is suppose to be simple no need a lot crap.

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

Exactly, I love getting "mulch" from neighbors' curb piles. You would not believe the amount of grass and leaf they throw away. Grateful for this video because who needs a famcy cover when you can use some kind of mulch? Sooo much simpler.

[@BIGALTX]

Hopefully it will work well... we will seeeeeee

[@dianeladico1769]

@@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim I'd be a little concerned about all the junk people put on their grass for mulching veg. Around here the only ones who bag their clippings are the folks who spray all the time.

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

@@dianeladico1769 You are so right, I've started taking notes as to which neighbors spray, it's quite a lot of them. Sometimes they have a helpful sign in their yard like "Weed Man", or sometimes you have to keep an eye out and you can see a big obvious chemical-vat-covered truck pull up to their yard.

[@dianeladico1769]

@@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim That's smart of you. My neighbor across the street won't even collect grass from her own front yard because the man next to her has one of those green carpet lawns and she's worried about overspray.

[@mindofmadness5593]

Why not simply Make your own cover? Just a thought Amigo.

[@BIGALTX]

I made some last year but just wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be I actually cut some material up this year with the intention of making my own, then decided not to

[@mindofmadness5593]

@@BIGALTX Makes sense. Due to some disabilities I have to 'MakeSo' with everything. My first thought, being a Texan myself, was those plastic covers would cook the plants anyway and I would assume the overflow spiggot would keep the water level proper with the mulch. Your way seems better IMHO.

[@BIGALTX]

@@mindofmadness5593 Hope so, but we'll see if it works out well