Re: Cheap plastic 2x3 boxes

Too Tall Tomatoes 4/1/2012, 4:45 pm

That's what I call slick. What a Face

kittykat 4/1/2012, 5:16 pm

That's amazing! I feel so woefully inadequate... LOL

Great job!

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CindiLou 4/1/2012, 6:00 pm

Hubby dearest! I have an addition to the honeydo list! Cheap plastic 2x3 boxes - Page 3 889526

I so want one.... Cheap plastic 2x3 boxes - Page 3 1280598131

even though I have enough beds for now!

**gwennifer** 4/1/2012, 7:10 pm

Oh for goodness sake. It even has hoops already!

I want to hate you boffer, but only because I'm jealous. I sit here and think about all the stuff I'd like to do - you just go out and do it. (Although I have finally tried the hard boiled egg trick a few times and haven't had any luck yet).

Well I went and looked at the tubs the next time I was at Lowes. The large 2'x3' ones really are fairly straight on the sides. Sloped a bit, but barely. The smaller ones that were like six bucks were quite sloped on the two narrow ends. I wouldn't consider those at all for the kits. By the way, the 2'x3' measurement is the outside dimension of the tub. There's about a one inch lip all around, making the inside measurement closer to 22"x34".

Portable beds would be great for demonstration gardens.

HereIGrowAgain 4/10/2012, 2:25 pm

Wow! That gives all new meaning to the term "garden cart." I am so jealous. You can put that where ever the plants need to be. No "not getting enough sun" with that.

kbb964 4/10/2012, 2:29 pm

Boffer you set the bar really high with that cart!
you rock

**Furbalsmom** 4/10/2012, 11:19 pm

ARGGGH

I can't believe you did it Shocked

and with such great style too!

lisaphoto 4/11/2012, 10:16 am

I purchased two of the smaller ones and planted one raspberry per box, thinking as they aged, they would fill in the box. One raspberry shriveled up and died, and the other one looks pretty much the same as it did when I bought it. I am leaving the dead one in to see if it makes it, thinking the roots still may be good. Not sure if the trays were a good idea or not for those, they may not be deep enough.

boffer 4/11/2012, 1:48 pm

Thanks all. I've been keeping the cart in my shop at night and rolling it out onto the carport during the day. Everything has sprouted much faster than I expected. cheers

Cindy, I'm surprised you haven't put a box on one of your husband's flat bed train cars!

CCgirl75 4/11/2012, 2:32 pm

What an inspiration! You thought of everything! Cheap plastic 2x3 boxes - Page 3 27650

Chopper 4/11/2012, 2:57 pm

Maybe this will give you some advantage over your godawful (occasionally) weather. Now you need a grow light setup. Get those tomatoes and corn started early with enough light hours to thrive!

boffer 4/11/2012, 3:35 pm

but oh so true! Actually I just got done up-potting some peppers.

Those of us in cloudy climates are familiar with a problem called SADS-seasonal affective disorder syndrome. After weeks/months of gray skies, we get depressed. Big time. My wife spent ridiculous money on a full-spectrum light assembly that supposedly simulates sunlight, and I'm supposed to sit in front of it 30 minutes a day. Well, that lasted about 3 days. The glare is so bad that I can't do anything but sit there. The light is just sitting there getting dusty, so I'm going to set it up over the peppers-maybe they'll enjoy it!

givvmistamps 4/11/2012, 3:40 pm

boffer wrote: but oh so true! Actually I just got done up-potting some peppers.

Those of us in cloudy climates are familiar with a problem called SADS-seasonal affective disorder syndrome. After weeks/months of gray skies, we get depressed. Big time. My wife spent ridiculous money on a full-spectrum light assembly that supposedly simulates sunlight, and I'm supposed to sit in front of it 30 minutes a day. Well, that lasted about 3 days. The glare is so bad that I can't do anything but sit there. The light is just sitting there getting dusty, so I'm going to set it up over the peppers-maybe they'll enjoy it!

SADS is the biggest reason I left the NW (Seattle region) when I was 19! I couldn't take it any more, so I moved to the South and I've been here ever since...though I've moved around a bit: Raleigh, NC; Virginia Beach, then Richmond, VA, then Western NC, and now (because of husband's employment) I'm in North FL. The heat is difficult to take, but at least I have no SADS to deal with!

minervalong 4/11/2012, 5:38 pm

After years of me acting like a very grumpy bear because I wasn't hibernating, the greenhouse is going up this year. The children call it the lizard house because the hope is by basking in the sun in the winter, my mood will be sunnier. One thing for sure, my tomato plants will be, I don't think they like the in and out and in and out that has been going on these last few days as our temps plummeted.

AvaDGardner 4/13/2012, 12:19 am

lisaphoto wrote:I purchased two of the smaller ones and planted one raspberry per box, thinking as they aged, they would fill in the box. One raspberry shriveled up and died, and the other one looks pretty much the same as it did when I bought it. I am leaving the dead one in to see if it makes it, thinking the roots still may be good. Not sure if the trays were a good idea or not for those, they may not be deep enough.

Lisa, have you considered cutting off the wilted/dead greens?

When I have something I replant something and it faints (not just shock), I remove the all the established leaves. This gives it a chance to establish the roots, then grow new greens. Supporting a bunch of greens can be too stressful on a transplant.

I've done it this month with radishes & beets that were picked too young, and a fennel I transplanted. So far, working like a charm, but all of them are root crops.

Ava

AvaDGardner 4/13/2012, 1:34 am

Should we be concerned about chemicals leaching from the plastic and into the media/veggies?

givvmistamps 4/13/2012, 3:02 am

Ava, that depends on what the plastic is made of. Some plastics are safer than others...and of course some should never be used for food/beverage/growing. Look on the bottom of the container you're considering to find the resin number (usually referred to as a recycling code even though most plastics can not be recycled in most areas). I found a guide to plastics HERE that will help you decide whether you want to risk using a plastic container as a soil/veggie container.

lisaphoto 4/13/2012, 9:44 am

Ava, there aren't any greens to cut off I don't think. It completely shriveled up. The main stem is still there. How do I know if the plant is dead? I may be able to return it (bought at big lots)

givvmistamps 4/13/2012, 10:01 am

Lisa, it sounds like the plant will need some time to recover from shock. Since the leaves shriveled, have they fallen off? If not, go ahead and trim them off. If they're still attached the plant might try to keep them alive instead of saving all it's energy for new growth. Also, if the stem still seems okay...pliant, not shriveling or brittle...and if the root system still looks healthy (perhaps you could try to gently uncover a bit of it to take a peek) there's a decent chance it will come back. Some things just freak out about being moved around, sort of like the way a ficus will drop most of it's leaves when it gets relocated, even when you haven't repotted it. Finicky plants can do disturbing things, but they often manage to survive anyway...what I like to refer to as the tenacity of life. Very Happy

AvaDGardner 4/13/2012, 5:48 pm

lisaphoto wrote:Ava, there aren't any greens to cut off I don't think. It completely shriveled up. The main stem is still there. How do I know if the plant is dead? I may be able to return it (bought at big lots)

+1 to Michelle!

**gwennifer** 1/2/2013, 12:42 pm

Hey everyone,

Remember the cool garden cart boffer made using these cement mixer tubs?
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Well I recently heard from him and sad to say, the tubs have not proven able to handle the weight when being supported by their rims only. Here's a quote, shared with his permission:

After a month of use, one tub developed a crack in the corner, so I put support under the bottom of it. All summer, I've been watching the sides, of both the 2x3 and the smaller size, begin to slowly bow inward, so that just the corners were carrying the weight.

His findings go along with the reviews I saw for these tubs online at both Home Depot and Lowes (basically people saying they cracked and weren't built like they used to be). He still believes the tubs to be a worthwhile purchase, but you simply need to plan on supporting the bottoms if using them in a raised fashion.

Lets hear from others who purchased these tubs. How are yours doing?

**walshevak** 1/2/2013, 12:49 pm

Mine are doing fine so far. Grew sweet potatos this summer and have garlic in it right now. Raised it up on 4 cinderblocks. My son used his for lettuce in the shade of the house during the early fall and has kale in it right now. His is flat on the ground.

Kay

**gwennifer** 1/2/2013, 12:55 pm

walshevak wrote: Raised it up on 4 cinderblocks.

Just to be clear, the bottom of your tub is sitting on the cinderblocks, right? So it's like being flat on the ground basically...

Nonna.PapaVino 1/2/2013, 8:28 pm

We put three of the concrete mixing tubs on the floor of the greenhouse and attempted to grow: Sikkim cucumbers, Asian melons and okra. Only the cucumbers did well. It's possible the okra needed soil deeper than the 6-7 inches in the tubs for its taproot to develop correctly. Caveat: these are sitting on the floor. In two to three weeks, they'll be moved up onto the table tops in said greenhouse (still supported), soil will be amended and they'll be planted with cold weather crops: lettuce, mache, spinach, Batavian endive, and anything else I think I can get away with. Nonna

And tell Boffer Hi and we miss him.

**walshevak** 1/3/2013, 6:56 pm

gwennifer wrote:
walshevak wrote: Raised it up on 4 cinderblocks.

Just to be clear, the bottom of your tub is sitting on the cinderblocks, right? So it's like being flat on the ground basically...

One at each corner.

Kay

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