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I live on a slight slope and the ground is like concrete so I was thinking of trying containers. I have a level garden spot where a pool was that I’m building back up but that will take some time. Thanks.

Last season, I grew 3 melons in a homemade SIP - sub-irrigated planter. Earthbox says 4 can be grown in theirs, which is 2 cu ft, but I thought that might be a bit too much; however, they did not suck out the water in the reservoir like tomatoes, which are only 2/container, and the roots were small, compared to most other plants, so maybe 4 would grow in 1 container. I didn't grow them again, but only because of certain bugs in my area - the plants did great. If you aren't into making these, and don't want the higher prices of Earthboxes, Lowe's and HD sell their versions of them.

Those look great. I’m going to give one a try. Thank you for the info pepperhead. I’ve got to find a bunch of dirt.

Dobro - note that these SIPs require a peat based soil mix - one that will wick the water up from the reservoir. Promix or Sunshine mixes are two that are good, or you can make up your own cheaper, with a mix of peat and perlite, about 80:20%.

Thanks again Dave, I spent a good bit of time this morning looking into that Box. These systems look a bit costly but they are reusable and they say the mix is as well a couple of times. I’m thinking of my back too so that makes some extra cost justified.

Dobro, Here's a link that you could find useful - while not active, it is the old forum for Earthbox, before they were bought out, and I found all sorts of useful info on it, when I was starting out with these things.
https://web.archive.org/web/201611242034 ... ox.com:80/

There are also many videos on YouTube for Earthbox. And here is the original site I found for making them out of tubs or buckets:
https://www.postoilsolutions.org/documents/Earthbox.pdf

And thanks again Dave. I needed info on the mixes and that forum has 39 pages of it. I’m making coffee now for some serious reading. I’m looking forward to trying these systems.

Glad you found this useful, Dobro. There is an incredible amount of info on that old site. That's where I learned a lot of tricks, one of which is putting that fertilizer in a "brewing sock" - a stretchable fabric, that I put 2 c of 10-10-10 fertilizer into a piece of, about as long as the container, tie off the ends, and lay it in a trench, about 3" up from the bottom, and this can be taken out the next season, and topped off with a little fertilizer, and put back in. This helps because you don't always want the fertilizer in the middle (where you put it for two rows of plants) or on one side (for only 2 or 3 plants, you put it on the opposite side). You don't want to plant directly over the fertilizer - did that one time, and the plants were stunted.

You don't need to do this, but using the regular method, of just pouring into a trench, be sure to mark it, so you know where that line of fertilizer is.

Along those lines, if you decide to use organic fertilizer, you will see many suggestions that you will have to use twice as much, as it is less quickly accessible to the plants. But I've also been told that you can mix that up totally with the soil mix, as it doesn't burn the roots.

I’ve looked over some systems and that Lowe’s one looked pretty decent and the Earthbox seems to be the one. I’m not sure which way to start but I’m sure I’ll end up with both. I like the idea of a complete kit to start with that includes a media.

If you are thinking of Getting the Earthboxes, get on their email list - you might get a deal quickly, like free shipping, or something for 1st time buyers. Or google Earthboxes promo codes, and see what comes up - they always have something.

That forum is still open but I didn’t read around much. I signed up for email.

I have grown ice box watermelons in containers. I did not use a SIP. Instead I used a half barrel and I planted 3 vines. I planted sugar baby which is about the size of a thai watermelon and about 11 lbs. Although the vines produced a lot of flowers only 1-3 melons matured on any one vine. I water every day. The vines grew to be about 6 ft long. I think I should have fertilized it heavier because I think 3 vines were too many even for that size pot, not because of root volume, because the roots could still go into the ground under the pot, but because the vines were heavy feeders.

I used my standard peat lite mix with osmocote, but I did not add the extra 1/2 cup of 6-4-6 that I usually do with the tomatoes. The leaves were not as big as they should have been. I do find that especially with vine crops, it takes a lot of leaves to produce fruit.

Thanks for your reply imafan, I plan to to a couple of regular containers as well. That was the intent of my post and Dave mentioned these self watering systems to which I had seen ads but never looked into them. I’m looking into some small watermelons and cantaloupe to put in them.

I ordered an earth box today and I’ve got the stuff to make a couple as well. I looked around and the prices were all close so I figured I’d give that kit a try.

Have fun and Good luck. Looking forward to progress reports.

I’ve been using 2nd hand diy containers and learning a ton. There are some differences depending on dimensions, etc. but I’d say it adds a completely new dimension to gardening experience.

Thanks Apple star, I’m looking forward to trying these out. I had always assumed that these were more complicated than they are, like hydroponics. I started really looking into them at Dave’s suggestion and I’m interested. I’d enjoy any input you have as well and I’m hoping that I have good reports to post.

dobro13 wrote:I ordered an earth box today and I’ve got the stuff to make a couple as well. I looked around and the prices were all close so I figured I’d give that kit a try.

Good luck, dobro! I'm sure you will have success with these. Let me know when you start making them - I'll share the tricks I have learned, and some of the cheaper items to use.

Sure thing Dave, I’m going to make a bucket version as well and give it a try.

I have made SIP with rubbermaid tubs using the postoilsolution instructions. I find the cover used as a separator does not last more than one season. I need to find a substitute. Since the bins are cheap when they go on sale, I might get a second bin and insert it into the first one and use that instead. I think it will be stronger. The homemade SIP I made with a rubbermaid tub had a 5 gallon water reservoir and a 10 gallon soil volume.

Thanks for the reply imafan, what I have so far is the same 18 gal tote as I made a hydro DWC with. I’ve got a load of plastic coffee cans that I didn’t know why I kept saving, until now. I’m going to cut and use those to support the screen and as wick baskets. The top cutout as the screen and I’m hoping these coffee cans will solve the weak screen issue as there will be 5. This is a rough draft from a rookie so I hope I haven’t made this sound as if I actually know what I write about. (I had some grin and wink emojis but they wouldn’t post)