Inside the Box masthead
January 2011
In This Issue
EarthBox Education
Featured Product
Seeds In Your EarthBox
Fresh from the Forum
Retailer of the Month
From Our Customers
Join Our Community
Ordering
About EarthBox
EarthBox Education:
Help Grow a School Garden!

We'd like to encourage you to support the installation of EarthBox Instructional School Gardens by donating to one of the projects on Donorschoose.com. This is a cool site where teachers write about their projects, hoping to find funders.
 

Reading about and viewing the projects on the site really inspires a person! One of the best things is that an individual donor only has to contribute a portion of the requested amount, making it both doable and communal. 
 

Take a look -- you may be prompted to support an EarthBox Instructional School Garden in your town!
 

For information on starting an EarthBox project of your own, click here or contact our Education Department at 1-800-821-8838, ext. 8348 or 8369.

Featured Product
Seed Starting Products

If you decide to start seeds early for your EarthBox instead of seeding them directly, you'll need some seed-starting resources. We can help!
 

Check out the nifty new Seed Starting Products section of our website, where you can find such items as seed starting trays and the Potmaker, which helps you fashion seedling pots from old newspaper. We'll be adding more new products soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

We Have a Winner!
 

We've chosen the latest winner in our ongoing photo contest!
 

Marlene Calderon of South Haven, MI will receive a $25 EarthBox gift certificate for her wonderful photo! Here's Marlene's winning entry:
 

photo winner-white border
 

"This is a picture of me with my seven-foot high cherry tomato plant, which I planted along with a cucumber plant on Memorial Day weekend," says Marlene. "It's got lots of tomatoes on it that are about to ripen. In order to prevent it from falling over from the weight, I had to put a nail in my house to attach some support for the plant. I never expected it to get this big!

 

"I've actually had a lot of cucumbers, too!"
 

We'll be posting more winners as we choose them -- and we're still waiting to hear from you!

Photo of the Month Contest

Want to win a $25 EarthBox gift certificate? Send us your EarthBox success photos with the word "contest" in the subject line of your email, and you could be a winner!

 

Please make sure your image is in .JPG format and at least 640×480 pixels or 5 x 7 inches at 72 dpi. We'll pick a new winner every month, and post the entry in an upcoming issue.

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MGA Logo

Home Gardening Seal

Tillywig
Greetings!

Now that the New Year is upon us, the promise of the upcoming spring is no doubt lifting your spirits, in anticipation of growing tons of fresh produce in your EarthBoxes! Well, it's not too early to begin planning your crops; in fact, depending on where you live, you may be planting your early spring crops before long.

 

While most people buy nursery-grown seedlings to plant in their EarthBoxes, many gardeners also have success with direct sowing or starting their own seedlings. In this issue, we'll explore those options in detail.

 

Happy New Year,
 

Frank's Signature
Frank DiPaolo
EarthBox
Olive Green ArrowSeeds in Your EarthBox

 

While we may be just a little biased, we believe that one of the strengths of the EarthBox gardening system is that it's so versatile. It's designed for seedlings, of course, which most of our customers obtain from their local nurseries. But we've also heard from many customers who have planted seeds directly in their EarthBoxes, or who have started their own seedlings for later transplant, and have been pleased with the results. There can be some tricky timing and spacing issues when working with seeds, but if you're willing to take a little care with the process, it can be done successfully.

 

Let's take a look at the EarthBox seeding options.

 

Planting Directly from Seeds   

One benefit of planting seeds over seedlings is that you have more variety. If you have a craving for a type of squash or tomato that most nurseries don't bother to provide seedlings for, then planting seeds is a must. And good luck trying to find an heirloom variety; while more and more nurseries are carrying them, they're still difficult to acquire as seedlings.

 

Direct seeding is best suited for warm climates (so that you can get as early a start as possible) and for easy-to-grow veggies such as cucumbers, squash, and beans. We've also heard of customers directly seeding arugula, radishes, carrots, and more. But be aware that if you're planting seeds directly in your EarthBox, some thinning will generally be required after germination, just as if you were planting seeds in the ground.

 

Growing Seedlings for Transplant
For most plants, it's easier to propagate your seeds elsewhere, and then transplant them into your EarthBox as seedlings. This is also a great way to get an early start on the growing season. Of course, you'll need to keep a sharp eye on the weather, and be aware of the average last frost/freeze date for your region. You'll also need to know the amount of time it takes for the seeds to germinate, so you can better plan when to start your seedlings.

 

Given the proper equipment, you can get seeds started fairly easily in pots, peat cubes, even unused cups. We recommend that you plant a couple of seeds in each hole. If you end up with more than one seedling, just wait until the first true leaves emerge, then cut the weaker seedlings off at the surface of the growing medium. Don't try to pull them out, as the roots may be entwined with those of the other seedling(s).
 

Once the weather's warm enough, you can easily transplant your seedlings into your EarthBoxes in the standard way.
 

The Bottom Line

If you'd like to seed directly into your EarthBox or grow your own seedlings, just keep a few things in mind. First, make your plans and purchase your seeds early. Keep an eye on the last average frost date, and be sure to take into account the germination times for the seeds. If you're starting seeds indoors, be sure to provide the appropriate amount of light. At the very least, put the seedling pots is a sunny area (such as a windowsill), and if necessary, install some grow lights to help them along. Finally, don't hesitate to check with your local county extension agent if you have any questions.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

Olive Green ArrowYour Opinions Are Valued!

 

As we continue to improve our website, we're constantly adding new features. One of the newest is a link that allows our customers to add reviews for each item. At the moment, most of our review sections at EarthBox.com are empty, so we'd like to encourage you to write a review about any product you've tried. Who better than our valued customers? Thanks in advance for your help -- we look forward to reading the reviews and improving your purchasing experience!

Olive Green ArrowFresh from the Forum
A Wonderful Cause
 

Fresh From the Forum

Fellow EarthBoxer Judi recently brought this to our attention:

 

"As I was looking for recipe ideas for use next summer, I found this great site by accident. It's called  AmpleHarvest.org. The goal of the organization is to 'educate, encourage, and enable gardeners with extra produce to easily donate to a local food pantry.'

 

"The site is nationwide. If you type in your address or zip code, it gives you a list of local food pantries within so many miles of your home. You can then make arrangements to donate based on your local food bank's schedule. Often they're looking for fresh produce, and normally have to use cash to buy it. 

 

"So I thought, why not donate what I have extra? My family and I can only eat so much, and the freezer is only so big. How many pickles can two people eat -- and how many times in a week can you pick tomatoes or cucumbers when they're in their prime? 

"I like to use all I grow, and love to bring in produce to co-workers and neighbors...but this idea was too good to pass up. I hope to try it this summer after a great gardening season!"
Olive Green ArrowRetailer of the Month
Bennett's True Value
 

retailer-cropped-orange borderEach month, we at EarthBox salute one of our valued retailers. This month, we shine the spotlight on Bennett's True Value of High Springs, Florida. Owners Marilyn and Gary Bennett have been serving the community for 23 years. EarthBoxes, materials for raised bed gardening, bedding plants, fertilizers, and a large selection of landscaping materials are all available year-round at Bennett's.
 

Bennett's supports EarthBox products with a vigorous program of advertising and promotion. Among other things, they've run a series of color print ads explaining how the EarthBox growing system works. The copy invites customers to visit Bennett's to speak with a knowledgeable staff member, who will happily demonstrate the benefits of owning an EarthBox. They also play a looped video in the store promoting EarthBoxes, especially each spring, which educates potential purchasers. Large color photos of local customers who are growing in EarthBoxes are displayed in the store, showing their fantastic results.

 

Additionally, Marilyn and Gary work closely with the Alachua County Extension Office, which refers people in the community to the store. 
 

Bennett's True Value also sells and services BobCat, Dixie Chopper, Scags, Snapper and Echo equipment, and they offer budget-friendly new and used lawnmowers. For those who do a lot of the "heavy lifting" in the garden themselves, there are hand tools and even a power equipment showroom.  

 

Layaway programs are available, and Bennett's honors requests for special orders! 

 

Stop by and visit:

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

5 South Main Street

High Springs, Florida

386-454-1717

Olive Green ArrowFrom Our Customers
More Kale
 

Kale

"It's November 8, 2010 as I write this, and I'm enjoying the Ornamental Cabbage and Kale in one of my EarthBoxes!"

 

"deep"

Northern Indiana

Zone 5a

Olive Green ArrowJoin Our Community

EarthBox is on Facebook!  Now you can become a fan of EarthBox, joining a community of fellow EarthBox users for conversations, advice and photo sharing -- or just to check out whatever new information EarthBox has to enhance your gardening experience.

And don't forget to check out our videos! This is a members only feature, so if you're not already a Facebook member, you'll need to sign up to view the videos.
Olive Green ArrowOrdering 

To place an order, call us at 866-727-5532 (24/7) or visit our online store.

Olive Green ArrowAbout EarthBox

The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farmers, and proven in the lab and on the farm. Our maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork, and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden -- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort.

It's used successfully on a daily basis by commercial farmers, educators, and consumers. Distributors are also finding it to be a popular growing system.
 
EarthBox is a remarkably easy-to-set-up system that can be used to grow produce virtually anywhere. EarthBox systems have been incorporated into community gardens all over the world, enabling families and neighbors to share fresh produce, while minimizing work and expenses.

EarthBoxes can even be found in classrooms. Our EarthBox Pre-K through 12th grade standards-based curriculum can bring science to life, with hands-on cross-curricula lessons that teach principles of growing and nutrition utilizing the scientific method in student-driven experiments.

To find out more, visit
www.earthbox.com. To request a catalog, call 888-917-3908.
EarthBox® 1350 Von Storch Avenue · Scranton, PA 18509 · 1-866-727-5532