My Box

I've been accused of being cheap a time or two.  I don't necessarily deny it, I do like to save money wherever I can.  I mean with six kids, you have to.

I like the idea of gardening.  Growing your own vegetables is so much better than buying them at the store.  I have attempted it with varying degrees of success.  Some years are good and some years not so good.  I think I got it from my grandparents and dad.  I remember working in the garden with both my grandpas, and my dad still gardens.

My dad found a planter box called The Earth Box.  I checked it out on the internet and liked it a lot.  It has some advantages that I like and hope will work as advertised.  

Now.  These things cost about $60 or $70 bucks.  I did see it on sale once for $50.  It consists of a box about 3 feet long and a foot wide.  It isn't very tall, only about 18 inches.  It has a porous platform that sits off of the bottom a couple of inches.  This serves as a water reservoir.  The dirt is on top of the platform.  In the back of the box there are two indentions that extend to the bottom, in the water, in which dirt is also placed.  The water wicks through the dirt and feeds the plants.  There is a fill tube that extends from the water to the top of the box.  The top is covered by plastic which prevents weeds.  It also prevents rain water from soaking the soil.  There is a weep hole just under the platform that prevents excess watering.  They claim that all you have to do is keep the water chamber from drying out, and you will grow more than you ever have.  We will see.

So I say to myself, "Self, you can make one of those for a lot less than $50."  The pics below are of the "earth box" that I made.  I don't know how well it is going to work, but I have high expectations.  

The box cost me $4 at Wal Mart and the pipes and other things I already had.  I plan on using a garbage bag across the top as my weed barrier.  It took me an hour or so to make it.  I think I may make more, and think that the next ones won't take quite as long to build as my first one.  I plan on putting two tomato plants in it.  

The little girl was my project manager, and kept me on schedule and within budget.

El Toro Negro