Brian's Veggie Grow Challenge
By: Brian Puckett, Vice Chairman Helena Beautification Board
Brian tests two popular grow kits in this veggie GROW challenge
Backyard gardener and Helena Beautification Board Vice Chairman Brian Puckett takes a grow challenge to see which small space growing container will produce the most yield.
As the winter, mild albeit, is coming to a close it is time to start up the vegetable boxes. In a recent article Vegetables in a Tight Space there was a lot of feedback about the different types of small planters out on the market and which ones are the best to use.
We are going to test out two of the popular brands, Earth Box and the Smart Pots' Big Bag Bed Mini, to see which will give you the best harvest in a limited area based on the instructions given for each product by the manufacturer. Each week, the results of activity, pictures and how the seeds are producing will be documented here for the world to see.
Here is a little bit about the two products that were chosen. The Earth Box is product I have used over and over. The rectangular box is made of plastic holding 2 cubic feet of soil and has a water reservoir in the bottom just incase you miss a day of watering. The Big Bag Bed Mini is circular in shape made of waterproof fabric holding 2.1 cubic feet of soil. The fabric that the bag is made of allows for air to get to the plant roots.
Join our journey as we learn more about how these two products stand up against one another.
As the winter, mild albeit, is coming to a close it is time to start up the vegetable boxes. In a recent article Vegetables in a Tight Space there was a lot of feedback about the different types of small planters out on the market and which ones are the best to use.
We are going to test out two of the popular brands, Earth Box and the Smart Pots' Big Bag Bed Mini, to see which will give you the best harvest in a limited area based on the instructions given for each product by the manufacturer. Each week, the results of activity, pictures and how the seeds are producing will be documented here for the world to see.
Here is a little bit about the two products that were chosen. The Earth Box is product I have used over and over. The rectangular box is made of plastic holding 2 cubic feet of soil and has a water reservoir in the bottom just incase you miss a day of watering. The Big Bag Bed Mini is circular in shape made of waterproof fabric holding 2.1 cubic feet of soil. The fabric that the bag is made of allows for air to get to the plant roots.
Join our journey as we learn more about how these two products stand up against one another.
Week 14... And The Winner Is
With 14 weeks in the books the journey has come to an end. I hope that everyone has had as much fun biting their fingernails in anticipation as I have. As we all know, I am not an expert by all means but do what to provide all of the insight I have been able to gain throughout this process to allow other backyard gardeners the opportunity to be equipped with the best out on the market. Below I will breakdown 5 stages and who I thought the winner was between the Earth Box and Smart Pots Big Bed Bag Mini...
Set Up - Tie. Both were extremely easy to set up. The Earth Box provided easy to understand instructions on how to prepare the soil as well as individual packs of lime and fertilizer. The Big Bed Bag Mini only needed soil, but was slightly difficult to keep the sides of the bag up while pouring in the soil.
Seed to Plant - Earth Box. Every seed planted in the Earth Box turned into a thriving plant. The BBB Mini had one seed that never made it to a plant so we have to give this win to the Earth Box even though they both did extremely well.
Plant Growth Rate - Big Bed Bag Mini. Each week the BBB Mini was producing plants that were taller and thicker than the plants in the Earth Box.
Plant Maintenance - Earth Box. The watering was made easy by the Earth Box as well as more forgiving than the BBB Mini. The water reservoir in the Earth Box makes sure that you do not over water the plants but also allows to miss a watering day if you had to.
Pea Pod Production - Big Bed Bag Mini. The plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini were all larger and thicker allowing each plant to produce more pea pods per plant.
OVERALL WINNER - Tie!!
Both are great containers for your vegetables and your selection should come down to your personal preference. This journey has been a great test to point out both the benefits and pitfalls for both. It has also shown that you can't go wrong with either one in being easy to use and produce great crops. Thank you to everyone that came back each week to see the progress and withstand my horrible puns. My challenge to you is now get out there and start growing your own vegetables.
Disclaimer: I am not a spokesperson for either Earth Box or Smart Pots Big Bed Bag Mini, but could easily be for either of them.
Set Up - Tie. Both were extremely easy to set up. The Earth Box provided easy to understand instructions on how to prepare the soil as well as individual packs of lime and fertilizer. The Big Bed Bag Mini only needed soil, but was slightly difficult to keep the sides of the bag up while pouring in the soil.
Seed to Plant - Earth Box. Every seed planted in the Earth Box turned into a thriving plant. The BBB Mini had one seed that never made it to a plant so we have to give this win to the Earth Box even though they both did extremely well.
Plant Growth Rate - Big Bed Bag Mini. Each week the BBB Mini was producing plants that were taller and thicker than the plants in the Earth Box.
Plant Maintenance - Earth Box. The watering was made easy by the Earth Box as well as more forgiving than the BBB Mini. The water reservoir in the Earth Box makes sure that you do not over water the plants but also allows to miss a watering day if you had to.
Pea Pod Production - Big Bed Bag Mini. The plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini were all larger and thicker allowing each plant to produce more pea pods per plant.
OVERALL WINNER - Tie!!
Both are great containers for your vegetables and your selection should come down to your personal preference. This journey has been a great test to point out both the benefits and pitfalls for both. It has also shown that you can't go wrong with either one in being easy to use and produce great crops. Thank you to everyone that came back each week to see the progress and withstand my horrible puns. My challenge to you is now get out there and start growing your own vegetables.
Disclaimer: I am not a spokesperson for either Earth Box or Smart Pots Big Bed Bag Mini, but could easily be for either of them.
Week 13... Still Pickin'
Well folks, we are quickly approaching the final stage of this challenge. As the days are getting longer they are also getting warmer and warmer preparing for an Alabama summer. For anyone that is out there growing veggies or have annuals, don't get caught up in not watering your plants. The only way you will be able to keep your plants healthy as hotter days approach is by keeping all of your little buddies adequately hydrated. Regular watering will make sure that your plants continue to product vegetables after the first batch has been picked.
This week we were able to pick some more peas from plants in both of the containers. The Big Bed Bag Mini led the way again this week with the amount of pea pods picked (say that 10 times fast!) with 38 more. The total pods picked from plants being grown in the BBB Mini is standing at 165. The plants in the Earth Box were not that far behind this week with providing peas to pick. 34 was the total for the week and bring the total of pods picking from the plants in the Earth Box to 121. If you are looking at those numbers and asking yourself well how much is that really. So to break it down let's compare it to a can of peas you buy at the store. Those cans typically have roughly 300 (or so) peas in it. The average amount of good peas in a pod that I have picked is 7. That all means that in the last two weeks I have been able to pick enough peas to fill almost 7 cans worth, all from two small containers.
Thanks to everyone that has been following and be sure to check back again next Monday for the week 14 update.
This week we were able to pick some more peas from plants in both of the containers. The Big Bed Bag Mini led the way again this week with the amount of pea pods picked (say that 10 times fast!) with 38 more. The total pods picked from plants being grown in the BBB Mini is standing at 165. The plants in the Earth Box were not that far behind this week with providing peas to pick. 34 was the total for the week and bring the total of pods picking from the plants in the Earth Box to 121. If you are looking at those numbers and asking yourself well how much is that really. So to break it down let's compare it to a can of peas you buy at the store. Those cans typically have roughly 300 (or so) peas in it. The average amount of good peas in a pod that I have picked is 7. That all means that in the last two weeks I have been able to pick enough peas to fill almost 7 cans worth, all from two small containers.
Thanks to everyone that has been following and be sure to check back again next Monday for the week 14 update.
Week 11 & 12... Let's Feed the Masses
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So...this week's update is going to be slightly different in that I am giving you a whole two week update rather than just the one.
Week 11 was very non-eventful with the pea pods just doing their thing. Getting bigger day by day to prepare themselves for the pickin'. Towards the end of the week I started to pick the first pods of the plants. Even though it wasn't that many ready to pick yet, it was still super exciting for me and my 7 year old. For week 11, I picked 22 pea pods from the plants in the Earth Box and 7 pods from plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini.
Now to the good stuff; week 12. The Big Bed Bag Mini is producing peas like no ones business. During the week, I was able to pick 120 pods off of the plants in the BBB Mini compared to the 65 pods picked from plants in the Earth Box. I have to admit that I am very happy to be able to pick 65 pea pods, but to see the BBB Mini almost double that amount is simply amazing. Adding in the totals from week 12 bring the total amount of peas picked to 87 for the Earth Box and 127 snapped off for the BBB Mini. Breaking it down so far I have been able to pick 3.95 peas per plant planted in the Earth Box and 5.29 peas per plant in the BBB Mini.
I am extremely anxious and curious to see how the plants in each of the containers will continue to produce as the season progresses. Stay tuned.......
Week 11 was very non-eventful with the pea pods just doing their thing. Getting bigger day by day to prepare themselves for the pickin'. Towards the end of the week I started to pick the first pods of the plants. Even though it wasn't that many ready to pick yet, it was still super exciting for me and my 7 year old. For week 11, I picked 22 pea pods from the plants in the Earth Box and 7 pods from plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini.
Now to the good stuff; week 12. The Big Bed Bag Mini is producing peas like no ones business. During the week, I was able to pick 120 pods off of the plants in the BBB Mini compared to the 65 pods picked from plants in the Earth Box. I have to admit that I am very happy to be able to pick 65 pea pods, but to see the BBB Mini almost double that amount is simply amazing. Adding in the totals from week 12 bring the total amount of peas picked to 87 for the Earth Box and 127 snapped off for the BBB Mini. Breaking it down so far I have been able to pick 3.95 peas per plant planted in the Earth Box and 5.29 peas per plant in the BBB Mini.
I am extremely anxious and curious to see how the plants in each of the containers will continue to produce as the season progresses. Stay tuned.......
Week 10... Getting So Close
An explosion in pea pods have taken week 10 by storm. During this last week, we saw an increase in "showing" pea pods go from 21 all the way up to 154 on the combination of 46 plants. On top of the large amount of pea pods is the amount of flowers we still have that will produce even more peas, 110 to be exact. My non-scientific visual observation this week is that the plants in the Big Bed Bag is producing more in quantity but the center plants are not producing as much as the outside one. I will attribute that to the lack of sun in the middle since the plants in this container are much more bushy than those in the Earth Box.
With all of the excitement of the vegetables showing out, you might be wondering why I didn't pick any of them yet. Well, I almost did and it took everything under the sun to hold me back from doing it. From picking a bright green pod straight off the plant to crack open to taste the delicious tender peas. It's like they are just hanging out begging to plucked. Okay, maybe I did do that one time, but that was it.... I promise. Several of the pods are ready or "almost" ready to be picked based on my liking. I say "liking" because the fatness of the peas when you pick them is true what you prefer and I like me some fat peas.
Week 10 results are below and I hope you enjoy.
With all of the excitement of the vegetables showing out, you might be wondering why I didn't pick any of them yet. Well, I almost did and it took everything under the sun to hold me back from doing it. From picking a bright green pod straight off the plant to crack open to taste the delicious tender peas. It's like they are just hanging out begging to plucked. Okay, maybe I did do that one time, but that was it.... I promise. Several of the pods are ready or "almost" ready to be picked based on my liking. I say "liking" because the fatness of the peas when you pick them is true what you prefer and I like me some fat peas.
Week 10 results are below and I hope you enjoy.
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Avg) |
Rain (Inches) |
EB Flower |
BBB Flower |
EB Pods |
BBB Pods |
April 30, 2017 |
84 |
66 |
79% |
0.84 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
16 |
April 29, 2017 |
89 |
69 |
74% |
NA |
1 |
12 |
9 |
4 |
April 28, 2017 |
88 |
61 |
78% |
NA |
9 |
17 |
4 |
14 |
April 27, 2017 |
80 |
62 |
76% |
NA |
7 |
6 |
10 |
11 |
April 26, 2017 |
83 |
56 |
74% |
NA |
3 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
April 25, 2017 |
80 |
52 |
73% |
NA |
12 |
7 |
7 |
10 |
April 24, 2017 |
73 |
51 |
75% |
NA |
6 |
13 |
3 |
8 |
Week 9... I'm So Hap-PEA
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Week 9 showed out in a big way for the challenge. Our 46 plants in the two containers combines when from last Sunday having 16 total flowers to now wrapping up week 9 with 134 flowers and 21 pea pods. Oh yeah, you read that right!!! These plants were not messing around this week in producing.
So now that I have spilled the peas on the exciting news for this past week, let's talk a little bit about the plants themselves. I had someone ask me the other day why I am no longer reporting out the size of the plants. Well, I have three reasons why I am not measuring the plants out each week. First, is that I have a short attention span (I would compare it to maybe a 4 year old...tops) so I have moved on to the flowering and pods now. Two, which is the real reason is the plants have all reached their expected height of roughly two feet each. Finally number three reason, do you really want to read the same measurements every single week? Me think not. Visually, the plants have grown differently in the Earth Box versus the Smart Pot Big Bed Bag. The Earth Box's plants are very thin and upright (basically, if you are OCD, this is what you are looking for.) The plants in the Big Bed Bag are a lot more full in the base of the plant. We shall see how they truly produce in pea pod production. Below are the details from week 9. |
A pea pod on a plant in the Earth Box
Flowers bursting out on the plants in the Big Bed Bag
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Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Avg) |
Rain (Inches) |
EB Flower |
BBB Flower |
EB Pods |
BBB Pods |
April 23, 2017 |
66 |
55 |
93% |
0.68 |
6 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
April 22, 2017 |
83 |
61 |
72% |
0.32 |
11 |
9 |
5 |
NA |
April 21, 2017 |
88 |
61 |
65% |
NA |
4 |
19 |
7 |
1 |
April 20, 2017 |
87 |
62 |
72% |
NA |
18 |
6 |
2 |
NA |
April 19, 2017 |
86 |
62 |
65% |
NA |
4 |
11 |
NA |
NA |
April 18, 2017 |
87 |
64 |
67% |
NA |
10 |
15 |
3 |
NA |
April 17, 2017 |
83 |
61 |
76% |
0.04 |
2 |
8 |
NA |
NA |
Week 8... We are Getting Closer
Week 8 is now officially in the books. This past week we had no rain, warmer weather and flowers start to show. Yes, you read that right, flowers have started to emerge on the plants meaning that we are only about 3 weeks away from having pea pods.
The Earth Box containers was the first to have plant show us the white flower and have also produced the most thus far. It all started on Friday with the first glimmer of beauty with the plants in the Earth Box showing off two flowers with that number quickly growing as the weekend progressed. Seven more flowers emerged on Saturday and added five more on Sunday. The plants in the Earth Box are now showing out with a total of 14 flowers. The Big Bed Bag was not far behind in having it's plants produce flowers. Easter Sunday gave us the first two flowers in it, making both planters having a total of 16 flowers.
The excitement is growing just as the stature of pea plants. I am happy to say that now the plants in the Earth Box have also lost their yellowing color and are now displaying their beauty in bright green. Below are the updated statistics from last week.
The Earth Box containers was the first to have plant show us the white flower and have also produced the most thus far. It all started on Friday with the first glimmer of beauty with the plants in the Earth Box showing off two flowers with that number quickly growing as the weekend progressed. Seven more flowers emerged on Saturday and added five more on Sunday. The plants in the Earth Box are now showing out with a total of 14 flowers. The Big Bed Bag was not far behind in having it's plants produce flowers. Easter Sunday gave us the first two flowers in it, making both planters having a total of 16 flowers.
The excitement is growing just as the stature of pea plants. I am happy to say that now the plants in the Earth Box have also lost their yellowing color and are now displaying their beauty in bright green. Below are the updated statistics from last week.
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Average) |
Rain Fall (Inches) |
April 16, 2017 |
82 |
58 |
68% |
NA |
April 15, 2017 |
83 |
59 |
70% |
NA |
April 14, 2017 |
85 |
60 |
67% |
NA |
April 13, 2017 |
87 |
57 |
65% |
NA |
April 12, 2017 |
83 |
60 |
66% |
NA |
April 11, 2017 |
80 |
57 |
66% |
NA |
April 10, 2017 |
80 |
50 |
65% |
NA |
Week 7... You Asked For It
It was a good week in the grow challenge as we "saw" lots of growth in both planters. The Big Bed Bag now has plants that average 9.13 in height; an increase from the previous week of 3.05 inches. You don't have to rub your eyes you read that right....3.05 inch growth in one week. The Earth Box's plants are now averaging 7.69 inches per plant; an increase of 2.28 inches last week.
Today, we are going to do everything a little different. I am going to answer some of the questions that have been sent in around the grow challenge to ease some of the inquisitive minds out there. Last week I opened it up for questions and low and behold, people started asking. I will answer 3 of them this week and continue answering in following weeks plus any new questions you may have for me.
What is the purpose of you doing this challenge?
I ask myself this question all the time, but not just about this challenge. Most of the time I don't have many logical answers to my madness, however for this experiment I do! I have been a fan of Earth Box for a while now but new items are always hitting the market or being brought to my attention. When the Smart Pots products were brought to my attention I was curious to see if they are as good as the company says they are. My next thought behind this is that I wanted to show people how easy it is to grow their own vegetables in a limited space. Finally, I wanted to use this opportunity to show everyone that growing vegetables has constant movement to keep the attention of kids and adults with limited attention spans (like me).
Why is the color of the plants different if they are the same type of plant in each?
I noticed this very early on as well. A few of reasons have come to mind with the varying colors between the Earth Box and Big Bed Bag. The lighter color of the plants in the Earth Box container that is slightly yellow can be attributed to the Dolomite (lime) that you get with your kit, but if this is the case, it should start to correct itself soon. The Dolomite is used to stabilize the pH content of your soil so I am really not worried about it. Remember, I did everything setting them up just as the instructions said. The other reason that the leaves might be turning slightly yellow is because of too much water. With continuous combination of me making sure the water reservoir is always full and the blessings of rain this could be the case. For the Big Bed Bag, the plants all are a bright green and I will attribute this to the aeration that the roots get with air blowing through the mesh bag.
Which container has been easier to maintain?
Not sure how to really answer this one because they have both been extremely easy thus far. If I need to split hairs I will. Early on when the seeds were going through the germination process all I needed to do was to keep them watered for the Earth Box was simply sticking the hose in the tube until water started to come out of the bottom. The Big Bed Bag gave me a little concern since I was watering directly on the seeds. I was worried at first that the seeds were all being pushed around in soil movement when the watering was happening. My concerns were quickly washed away.
I will continue to answer questions in the coming weeks so if you are curious about something be sure to ask. Below are the key stats from week 7:
Today, we are going to do everything a little different. I am going to answer some of the questions that have been sent in around the grow challenge to ease some of the inquisitive minds out there. Last week I opened it up for questions and low and behold, people started asking. I will answer 3 of them this week and continue answering in following weeks plus any new questions you may have for me.
What is the purpose of you doing this challenge?
I ask myself this question all the time, but not just about this challenge. Most of the time I don't have many logical answers to my madness, however for this experiment I do! I have been a fan of Earth Box for a while now but new items are always hitting the market or being brought to my attention. When the Smart Pots products were brought to my attention I was curious to see if they are as good as the company says they are. My next thought behind this is that I wanted to show people how easy it is to grow their own vegetables in a limited space. Finally, I wanted to use this opportunity to show everyone that growing vegetables has constant movement to keep the attention of kids and adults with limited attention spans (like me).
Why is the color of the plants different if they are the same type of plant in each?
I noticed this very early on as well. A few of reasons have come to mind with the varying colors between the Earth Box and Big Bed Bag. The lighter color of the plants in the Earth Box container that is slightly yellow can be attributed to the Dolomite (lime) that you get with your kit, but if this is the case, it should start to correct itself soon. The Dolomite is used to stabilize the pH content of your soil so I am really not worried about it. Remember, I did everything setting them up just as the instructions said. The other reason that the leaves might be turning slightly yellow is because of too much water. With continuous combination of me making sure the water reservoir is always full and the blessings of rain this could be the case. For the Big Bed Bag, the plants all are a bright green and I will attribute this to the aeration that the roots get with air blowing through the mesh bag.
Which container has been easier to maintain?
Not sure how to really answer this one because they have both been extremely easy thus far. If I need to split hairs I will. Early on when the seeds were going through the germination process all I needed to do was to keep them watered for the Earth Box was simply sticking the hose in the tube until water started to come out of the bottom. The Big Bed Bag gave me a little concern since I was watering directly on the seeds. I was worried at first that the seeds were all being pushed around in soil movement when the watering was happening. My concerns were quickly washed away.
I will continue to answer questions in the coming weeks so if you are curious about something be sure to ask. Below are the key stats from week 7:
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Average) |
Rain Total (inches) |
April 9, 2017 |
80 |
44 |
57% |
NA |
April 8, 2017 |
74 |
39 |
54% |
NA |
April 7, 2017 |
67 |
43 |
49% |
NA |
April 6, 2017 |
64 |
50 |
50% |
NA |
April 5, 2017 |
84 |
56 |
66% |
1.62 |
April 4, 2017 |
83 |
55 |
67% |
NA |
April 3, 2017 |
75 |
59 |
77% |
1.93 |
Week 6... Stakes in Place
This week we started to prepare both of the containers with stakes to allow the plants something easy to latch onto. In the Earth Box, I used a total of nine stakes. The layout consisted of three stakes on each and three going down the middle. With the Big Bed Bag, I got all fancy with a square pattern in the inner circle and a hexagon for the outer circle, both shapes consisting of ten stakes.
So are you wondering why I am staking out both of the containers? By placing stakes in the containers, it does a couple of different things for us. In the case of growing the Burpee Progress 9 peas, the shoots use little vines to grab hold of anything it can find to help support itself. The stakes and twine are great to let the vines take hold of to continue growing in a way you choose. The second reason is that the pea plant's stem (shoot) are very weak and have a very tough time supporting the weight of itself. Without staking, the plants would just fall over each other as they grow and as it becomes time to start producing the pea pods we would see a lot less production. And we all know that the ultimate goal is to get as many pea pods as possible.
This week we started to see great spring time temperatures, but very little rain. All meaning I have to make sure I had the hose out get our little buddies some drink. My visual (non-scientific) observation this week comparing the plants in both of the containers is that the plants in the Earth Box are growing straight up with little offshoots, and the plants in the Big Bed Bag are growing tall but also is producing this bottoms of offshoots. The average height this week for the plants in the Earth Box is 5.41 inches per plant and the plants of the Big Bed Bag is averaging 6.08 inches. Below is the statistics from the past week.
So are you wondering why I am staking out both of the containers? By placing stakes in the containers, it does a couple of different things for us. In the case of growing the Burpee Progress 9 peas, the shoots use little vines to grab hold of anything it can find to help support itself. The stakes and twine are great to let the vines take hold of to continue growing in a way you choose. The second reason is that the pea plant's stem (shoot) are very weak and have a very tough time supporting the weight of itself. Without staking, the plants would just fall over each other as they grow and as it becomes time to start producing the pea pods we would see a lot less production. And we all know that the ultimate goal is to get as many pea pods as possible.
This week we started to see great spring time temperatures, but very little rain. All meaning I have to make sure I had the hose out get our little buddies some drink. My visual (non-scientific) observation this week comparing the plants in both of the containers is that the plants in the Earth Box are growing straight up with little offshoots, and the plants in the Big Bed Bag are growing tall but also is producing this bottoms of offshoots. The average height this week for the plants in the Earth Box is 5.41 inches per plant and the plants of the Big Bed Bag is averaging 6.08 inches. Below is the statistics from the past week.
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Average) |
Rain Total (Inches) |
April 2, 2017 |
84 |
55 |
54% |
NA |
April 1, 2017 |
81 |
50 |
62% |
NA |
March 31, 2017 |
74 |
54 |
69% |
NA |
March 30, 2017 |
79 |
62 |
77% |
,09 |
March 29, 2017 |
84 |
61 |
72% |
NA |
March 28, 2017 |
79 |
65 |
79% |
.01 |
March 28, 2017 |
83 |
64 |
73% |
.18 |
Week 5... And the Separation Begins
Week 5 Earth Box
A noticeable difference is starting to take shape with the plants in each of the containers during week 5. There are two big difference that can be seen (and we have to remember, my knowledge level is very low) with the plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini compared to the Earth Box. First, is the color of the plants. The Big Bed Bag Mini's plants have a lot richer green color to them. Second, is that those plants are thicker than the competitors in the Earth Box.
In measuring out the size of each plant in both of the containers, we have a new clubhouse leader in the Big Bed Bag Mini. The plants in it have shot up during this week and now average 3.69 inches per plant. That is a week over week growth increase of 1.59 inch average per plant. The plant week over week growth average for the Earth Box is .88 of an inch per plant, with a total per plant average at 3.53 inches per plant.
The only maintenance I did this week to both of the containers was giving them some drink. I did light watering to the Big Bed Bag Mini and filled up the water reservoir of the Earth Box on Monday through Friday. Saturday, God did the work for me and on Sunday the soil was still good and moist.
During this coming week I plan to add stakes to both of the container to allow all of our plants the ability to latch on to continue growing. I am excited to see how all of the plants continue to grow and produce peas. As excited as I get and as much as I want to say one preforms better than the other, I have to remember that this study will be for the entire process. So I need everyone's help in holdin' me accountable in not getting too excited. Below is the statistical breakdown of week 5.
In measuring out the size of each plant in both of the containers, we have a new clubhouse leader in the Big Bed Bag Mini. The plants in it have shot up during this week and now average 3.69 inches per plant. That is a week over week growth increase of 1.59 inch average per plant. The plant week over week growth average for the Earth Box is .88 of an inch per plant, with a total per plant average at 3.53 inches per plant.
The only maintenance I did this week to both of the containers was giving them some drink. I did light watering to the Big Bed Bag Mini and filled up the water reservoir of the Earth Box on Monday through Friday. Saturday, God did the work for me and on Sunday the soil was still good and moist.
During this coming week I plan to add stakes to both of the container to allow all of our plants the ability to latch on to continue growing. I am excited to see how all of the plants continue to grow and produce peas. As excited as I get and as much as I want to say one preforms better than the other, I have to remember that this study will be for the entire process. So I need everyone's help in holdin' me accountable in not getting too excited. Below is the statistical breakdown of week 5.
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Humidity (Average) |
Rain Total (Inches) |
March 26, 2017 |
77 |
59 |
86% |
NA |
March 25, 2017 |
79 |
59 |
74% |
1.46 |
March 24, 2017 |
77 |
62 |
60% |
NA |
March 23, 2017 |
79 |
50 |
57% |
NA |
March 22, 2017 |
76 |
56 |
63% |
NA |
March 21, 2017 |
87 |
58 |
60% |
NA |
March 20, 2017 |
82 |
47 |
57% |
NA |
Week 4... They Survived
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Old Man Winter tried to take one last swing with his cane at us this week, but our little buddies "manned" up to the challenge. Going into this week the forecast indicated that we were going to have to keep a close eye on the temperatures dropping at night. Tuesday night, temps did indeed hit the freezing mark of 32, On Wednesday and Thursday we dipped even lower at 29 and 28 respectively. As the weekend rolled in, so did the warmer temps.
On the nights that I knew it was going to drop below freezing I debated on whether or not I should cover all of the plants. Well, I was lazy and opted not to. A few thoughts behind my decision was that the below freezing temps would only be hanging around for a short amount of time, most beginning gardeners wouldn't normally cover them (wanting to be completely true to the process of being like someone that has never grown anything), I wanted to see how the plants responded to the freezing temps and finally; well, I was just being lazy. Everyday, I have been checking on the plants to make sure that the soil has proper amount of moisture and that they are all are looking healthy. As in previous weeks, watering has not been a major task as we received rain on Monday and traces on Tuesday and Saturday leaving me to water on Friday and Sunday based on the moisture levels in the soil. Through week 4 the Earth Box continues to have the tallest plants with the average being height being 2.65 inches. The Big Bed Bag Mini is producing plants that average 2.10 inches in height. The Earth Box currently has 9 plants that are 3 inches tall or more versus the Big Bed Bag Mini only having 2 plants over 3 inches. With that being said, we still have a long way to go, and the true test will begin when the peas start to come out. Below is a recap of week 4. |
Week 4 Big Bed Bag Mini
|
Date |
Temperature (High) |
Temperature (Low) |
Rain Total (inches) |
March 19, 2017 |
71 |
44 |
NA |
March 18, 2017 |
75 |
56 |
.08 |
March 17, 2017 |
70 |
45 |
NA |
March 16, 2017 |
52 |
28 |
NA |
March 15, 2017 |
46 |
29 |
NA |
March 14, 2017 |
45 |
32 |
.03 |
March 13, 2017 |
45 |
43 |
.36 |
Week 3... God Watered for Me
When week 3 began, someone said to me, "You know it is supposed to get cold towards the end of the week. Are you going to cover up your vegetables that are a part of the Veggie Challenge?" I said, "Nope, I am not that experienced." I say all of that to simply say that I want to run this challenge of growing vegetables in two different types of containers just like someone would with no experience at all. So yes, it got cold at night, but nothing ever too extreme.
I did not water either the Earth Box or the Big Bed Bag Mini this week. Why? God took care of it for me on Tuesday, Friday morning, Saturday and early Sunday morning. In total, at my house I recorded 2.96 inches of rain this week making my life a lot easier. Thanks God for the free water. I did however go each day to check in on all of them. You know, just a quick walk by and a wave. No deep conversations were had with any of the plants this week.
Great news this week, one of the remaining two seeds still not showing in the Big Bed Bag Mini came out from below the ground to enjoy the sunlight. Other than that I completed the measurements of each plant again so that we can continue tracking the growth rate. The plants in the Earth Box have an average height 2 and a half inches and the plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini averaged out to 1 and seven-eighths of an inch. Below is the breakdown of week 3.
I did not water either the Earth Box or the Big Bed Bag Mini this week. Why? God took care of it for me on Tuesday, Friday morning, Saturday and early Sunday morning. In total, at my house I recorded 2.96 inches of rain this week making my life a lot easier. Thanks God for the free water. I did however go each day to check in on all of them. You know, just a quick walk by and a wave. No deep conversations were had with any of the plants this week.
Great news this week, one of the remaining two seeds still not showing in the Big Bed Bag Mini came out from below the ground to enjoy the sunlight. Other than that I completed the measurements of each plant again so that we can continue tracking the growth rate. The plants in the Earth Box have an average height 2 and a half inches and the plants in the Big Bed Bag Mini averaged out to 1 and seven-eighths of an inch. Below is the breakdown of week 3.
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Week 3 Results
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Week 2... I See Plants
The plants are coming; the plants are coming!! Week 2 has shown a ton of progress on what can now be seen. On Day 9 of the challenge, both the Earth Box and Big Bed Bag Mini had produced plants that had broken the top layer of soil to see the light of day. During this second week all we did was a little waterin'. This week we only did a little light watering on Thursday and Saturday. You are probably thinking well that's not enough, but we also got a little rain on Monday and Wednesday. As the seeds are becoming plants we want to make sure they are able to drink but not have so much water that they get sick from too much H2O.
This week we were able to see all 22 seeds that were planted in the Earth Box rise above the soil and 23 of the 25 seeds planted in the Big Bed Bag Mini came out to play in the sun. The average height on the plants in the Earth Box is reading at 1 1/8 inch and the average height for the Big Bed Bag is at 5/8 of an inch. Out of the gate, the Earth Box has taller plants but we will have to watch the rest of the challenge to see how they truly produce. Below is a recap of the nuts and bolts for the week.
This week we were able to see all 22 seeds that were planted in the Earth Box rise above the soil and 23 of the 25 seeds planted in the Big Bed Bag Mini came out to play in the sun. The average height on the plants in the Earth Box is reading at 1 1/8 inch and the average height for the Big Bed Bag is at 5/8 of an inch. Out of the gate, the Earth Box has taller plants but we will have to watch the rest of the challenge to see how they truly produce. Below is a recap of the nuts and bolts for the week.
Earth Box at the end of Week 2
Big Bed Bag Mini at the end of Week 2
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Week 1... In the Books
Week 1 is now in the books and let's just say that the first week is always the most uneventful. That only means that beneath the soil all of those tiny little seeds are working around the clock to germinate in order to start new life. Roots are starting to pop out and I have a good feeling that next week we will be able to see tiny plants emerge to see the light of day. So, here is a little bit of what we did during the first week to help our little buddies start to take shape. Both the Earth Box and Big Bed Bag containers were lightly watered on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. With the temperatures not getting too high, light watering every other day was the way to go to make sure our new little seeds were not getting drowned. Below is a recap of temperatures and rainfall for the first week.
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A Helena Gardeners's Journey - THE STARTING LINE
NOTE: Each container was prepared simply only using the instructions for the product given by the manufacturer.
SOIL PREPERATION
EARTH BOX - Started out by watering in the 2.0 cubic feet of Miracle Grow garden soil. After watering the soil in a separate bucket, it was transferred into the box. Once the box had enough soil in it to reach about 2 inches below the top we added in a layer totaling 16 ounces of lime. The remainder of dirt then was placed on top into a mound. A 2 inch trench was created in the center of the box covering the entire length. In this trench 16 ounces of 8-8-8 fertilizer was placed and covered up. The Earth Box liner was then put over the top readying for the seeds.
BIG BAG BED MINI - After opening up the bag container, 2.1 cubic feet of Miracle Grown garden soil was added in and spread out evenly.
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PLACING THE SEEDS
EARTH BOX - Two cuts were made in the liner, one on each side that covered the length of the container. From one end to the other on both sides seeds were planted. A total of 22 Burpee Progress 9 Peas were planted 1 and a half inches deep spaced 2 inches apart. BIG BAG BED MINI - In a circle pattern around the end of the contain a row of seeds were planted. A second circle was then planted inside the larger one. A total of 25 Burpee Progress 9 Peas were planted 1 and a half inches deep spaced 2 inches apart. WATER EARTH BOX - Using the built in water tube, the water reservoir was filled up completely. BIG BAG BED MINI - The entire bed was watered in with the seeds that were just planted to start the growing process. |
Water is an essential element in all things growing.
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Now, we wait for the germination process to begin. Can't wait to see what this growing season holds.
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About the Author
A twelve-year resident of Helena, Brian is actively involved in civic and faith based initiatives and is currently serving as Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Helena Beautification Board, Secretary of the Helena Elementary PTO, and a second term on the Riverchase Business Association Board of Directors, where his eye for design has help lead the Riverchase. Brian has an MBA and works at Regions Bank. Mr. Puckett is married with two daughters. With a knack for design, Brian makes ideas come to life. His eye for detail bodes well from small planter flower selections to grandiose projects. A skilled woodcrafter, he recently showcased his skills in the various holiday displays throughout Old Town.