What fertilizer will you be using in your EBs this year?

[peebee]

Hi everyone, it's almost time to start up my Earthboxes for the upcoming season. I'm all out of fertilizer, I've used Ecoscraps till now but wondering what you all have been using lately.

[HL2601]

I use Tomato Tone by Espoma. It's always been great for me.

[maxjohnson]

I use Osmocote permanently now in all my containers from now on. Because fertilizer cost is kept rising, I bought a few extra 8lbs bags just in case.

Last year I made my own potting mix for earthbox with: sphagnum moss, perlite, aged fine sized pine bark. Mixed in Osmocote. Result was excellent. It was tricky to fully wet the moss, I had keep turning and mixing the moss as I spray it water on it.

[Barb_FL]

I'm using greenleaf nutrients Mega Crop- it's dry that is soluble; I use it as soluble form down the tube. It use to be $67 and now $110 for a 25 lb bag. Other than putting crab shell in the mix (pro-mix or Sunshine #4), I haven't used the fert strips in several years now for tomatoes.

Max - Are you using Osmocote in an EB or just regular container? Do you need to supplement it with something else?
You are so right about fert prices going up; I overstock when I see a decent price. Potting mix too.

[peebee]

@maxjohnson , like Barb asked, is this for all pots or just EBs? Am I reading right, you are mixing 2 cups osmocote into the mix for 1 EB?
@Barb_FL you're so right, everything is going up. But like you & I think many of us gardeners, I have been stocking up for years so it isn't new, but boy do we need to do it more than ever.

[maxjohnson]

Yes. Sorry that was a pretty rough estimate, maybe 1.5 cups after checking which is probably overkill. The fertilizer pellets are fluffy and light so it's not that heavy for that volume. The instruction on the bag is 3 tablespoon per 2 gallon. I mixed it thoroughly with the potting mix, not top dressing.

I use Osmocote everywhere, raised beds, pots, and EB. I grew tomatoes in the Earthbox last year as usual, didn't have to add anything extra. The Maglia Rosa was loaded.

[Greatgardens]

I've used mainly Jobe's Tomato and Vegetable granular fertilizer for several years, but got to the point that I could not find the more economical 15# bags, so for 2023 I switched to Tomato Tone as my primary plant food. I will supplement with MG crystals "down the tube" during fruiting.

[rossomendblot]

I don't have Earthboxes but have converted some similar sized old recycling bins into wicking containers. This year I'm trying a plant-based fertiliser which is the by-product of the anaerobic digestion of maize, sugar beet and silage. It comes in pellets and has an NPK of 8-6-11.