Week 3 The Lettuce Has A New Home!

The lettuce continued to grow and after checking some growing hints from several sources I decided to transplant to an EarthBox. This will be 7-10days ahead of the recommended schedule.

First a little information about an EarthBox. The Earth Box is a gardening system that attempts to be as self-contained as possible. Manufactured in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the EarthBox holds a patent as an improved plant management system. Plants automatically receive fertilizer and water as needed, allowing them to grow at their best possible rate. The Earth Box is a container garden in the form of a window box. It is rectangular and 29 inches long, 13 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches high. Seeds or transplants are planted in potting mix in the assembled container and covered with a plastic cover to keep out weeds and pests and keep in moisture. Placed in a sunny window or outside, the system delivers everything the developing plants need.

In an Earth Box, the water is delivered through a tube at the back of the container. The water flows to a reservoir in the bottom of the container. Moisture is wicked up from the reservoir into the soil as it is needed. This wicking action automatically keeps the soil moist, with excess water draining back into the reservoir. Coupled with the plastic cover on top of the soil, the system conserves water, using much less than conventional container gardens.

Another difference from other container gardens is the way the Earth Box delivers fertilizer to the plants. The fertilizer rests in a trough in the top layer of the soil rather than mixing into the soil. Fertilizer gradually releases into the soil, keeping the system fertilized for an entire season with one application of fertilizer.

Here is a link to learn more about Earthbox.

Since I used this Earthbox (above) last growing season all I needed to do was scoop out the area containing the fertilizer, then add new fertilizer, and then cover with new potting soil. This way one can reuse the bulk of the potting soil for 4-5 years according Earthbox recommendations. In the picture is the EarthBox already to go without its cover.

Here is the box with its cover installed. And everything cleaned up. Now ready to add the lettuce plants. Made openings in the plastic cover and inserted the plants. Here is the Earthbox all planted.

Here are a couple of pictures of a lettuce plant removed from the AeroGarden and prepared to be planted in the Earthbox.

Quite busy this week and didn't get the spinach planted this week like I wanted. Well planting the spinach this comming week and a lettuce update is on tap for next time.

 

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