Lettuces in EBs

Post Reply
User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Lettuces in EBs

#1

Post: # 301Unread post peebee
Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:25 am

Ohhhhhh yes I'm gonna love this section! Especially since the queen of Earthboxes is on board, all hail Marsha aka ginger :)
I hesitated using my EBs this winter for cool season crops like lettuce as I was unsure about just using them as "regular" pots as opposed to EBs. Meaning, I took off the plastic tops & am watering from the top now that our winter rains have started. I figured greens would not need bottom watering as tomatoes would. I removed the fert strip & lightly mixed in granular 5-5-5 fert. So my question is, would this somehow mess up the potting mix for my summer crops next year & would this added usage mean the potting mix would have to be replaced earlier than the 3 year expectancy? Thanks.
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

Barb_FL
Reactions:
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:24 pm
Location: Indialantic, FL

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#2

Post: # 418Unread post Barb_FL
Thu Dec 12, 2019 4:23 pm

I bought a whole bunch of EB Juniors and am growing lettuce in them. It's great. I usually use my recycled tomato mix for lettuce, broccoli, not the other way around.

Is your 5-5-5 organic (like happy frog?) - If so, I don't think it would mess you up. I think mixing it, is a good idea. I mixed tomato tone in all my tomato EB vs the fertilizer strip this season and thought my plants took off faster than ever.

I know someone who just bought 6 EB (full size) and is dedicating 4 of them for lettuce.

I am also growing Garlic (first time ever) in an EB. Also broccoli in one too.

Hopefully, Marsha will chime in.

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1412
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#3

Post: # 492Unread post Ginger2778
Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:00 pm

peebee wrote: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:25 am Ohhhhhh yes I'm gonna love this section! Especially since the queen of Earthboxes is on board, all hail Marsha aka ginger :)
I hesitated using my EBs this winter for cool season crops like lettuce as I was unsure about just using them as "regular" pots as opposed to EBs. Meaning, I took off the plastic tops & am watering from the top now that our winter rains have started. I figured greens would not need bottom watering as tomatoes would. I removed the fert strip & lightly mixed in granular 5-5-5 fert. So my question is, would this somehow mess up the potting mix for my summer crops next year & would this added usage mean the potting mix would have to be replaced earlier than the 3 year expectancy? Thanks.
Barb did a great job answering. A 5-5-5 is likely organic, and they don't remove the fert. strip when it's organic, so mixing the fertilizer in should be perfectly fine to reuse it.
As an aside, I actually never replace my potting mix, I just solarize to sterilize, replenish the lime and fertilizer, and top off with some new mix.
Thanks for the nice compliment.☺
- Marsha

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#4

Post: # 506Unread post peebee
Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:26 pm

Thanks to both Marsha & Barb. Yes, I've known that you don't replace the mix in your EBs Marsha. I've polarized garden beds before so I might try it. Do you do this every year?
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1412
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#5

Post: # 684Unread post Ginger2778
Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:22 pm

Yes, a 3 mil thick clear plastic bag around the Earthbox. Use clear, not black, clear gets much hotter, and that's the goal. Solarize for at least 6 weeks per UF/IFAS teaching.
- Marsha

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#6

Post: # 829Unread post peebee
Fri Dec 13, 2019 11:38 pm

That sounds simpler than I thought. I was ready to remove all the medium into bags to polarize. I'll take my time looking for the best deals on bags online if not locally. Thank you!
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1412
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#7

Post: # 912Unread post Ginger2778
Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:05 am

peebee wrote: Fri Dec 13, 2019 11:38 pm That sounds simpler than I thought. I was ready to remove all the medium into bags to polarize. I'll take my time looking for the best deals on bags online if not locally. Thank you!
I guess you mean to solarize? :) Its very simple, takes sbout 2-3 minutes per Earthbox, works really well.
- Marsha

User avatar
peebee
Reactions:
Posts: 608
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#8

Post: # 930Unread post peebee
Sat Dec 14, 2019 12:20 pm

Haha yes I meant solarize. Spell check on my phone auto-corrected the s to a p. Sorry for the confusion :lol:
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

Gardadore
Reactions:
Posts: 841
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:15 am
Location: NE PA zone 6

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#9

Post: # 1221Unread post Gardadore
Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:18 pm

What are the lowest temperatures that one can solarize an Earthbox at? I’m trying to figure out if it’s remotely possible to find 6 weeks to do that and then be able to use the EB. I plant them usually last week in May and early June with Eggplants, Zucchini and greens. That would leave April and first part of May to solarize. There can still be snow on the ground here the beginning of April!

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1412
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#10

Post: # 1244Unread post Ginger2778
Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:01 am

Gardadore wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:18 pm What are the lowest temperatures that one can solarize an Earthbox at? I’m trying to figure out if it’s remotely possible to find 6 weeks to do that and then be able to use the EB. I plant them usually last week in May and early June with Eggplants, Zucchini and greens. That would leave April and first part of May to solarize. There can still be snow on the ground here the beginning of April!
It works as a South Florida thing because it's too hot and humid here in the Summers, even in May. Im not sure solarizing will work out for you, but then, it is probably OK, because you don't have the pathogens and bugs there that we get. I still wouldn't change all of the soil until you start getting bad results.
- Marsha

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1412
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#11

Post: # 1249Unread post Ginger2778
Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:23 am

Gardadore wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:18 pm What are the lowest temperatures that one can solarize an Earthbox at? I’m trying to figure out if it’s remotely possible to find 6 weeks to do that and then be able to use the EB. I plant them usually last week in May and early June with Eggplants, Zucchini and greens. That would leave April and first part of May to solarize. There can still be snow on the ground here the beginning of April!
It works as a South Florida thing because it's too hot and humid here in the Summers, even in May. Im not sure solarizing will work out for you, but then, it is probably OK, because you don't have the pathogens and bugs there that we get. I still wouldn't change all of the soil until you start getting bad results.
- Marsha

Gardadore
Reactions:
Posts: 841
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:15 am
Location: NE PA zone 6

Re: Lettuces in EBs

#12

Post: # 1553Unread post Gardadore
Mon Dec 16, 2019 9:18 pm

Well it sounds like a great solution for pathogens and bugs and we do get them here as well, just maybe different ones. But if it must be 6 weeks then that would be a problem. Maybe removing the mix in some boxes and putting that in the clear plastic bag could be done for two weeks in May. Might be an interesting experiment. Thanks for your input - kind of suspected what your answer might be!!!

Post Reply

Return to “Containers, Earthboxes and Raised Beds”