As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
One of the things I love about gardening in EarthBoxes is being able to grow quite a bit of food in a small space right outside my door. Over time, I’ve tried different vegetables and learned that some are almost effortless while others require a little more patience — or, in the case of my tomatoes, a battle with the squirrels. 😂
Living in Florida also means figuring out what can handle our heat and strong sunshine. I keep my EarthBoxes on my covered porch, with some getting morning sun and others getting afternoon sun. I’ve found that little bit of protection from the strongest Florida sun can actually work really well for certain plants.
I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and green onions, and I’ve learned something different from each one. I’m not a gardening expert — this is simply what has worked, and sometimes not worked, in my own EarthBoxes.
Green Onions: The Easiest 99-Cent Experiment
Green onions have probably been the easiest thing I’ve grown, and they started as a little experiment.
I had heard that you could regrow green onions from the part you normally throw away, so after buying a bunch at the grocery store for about 99 cents, I decided to try it. I used the green tops for cooking and planted the white bottoms with the roots still attached in my EarthBox.
They started sending up new green shoots, and I was able to keep cutting what I needed and letting them grow again. For about 99 cents, I’d say I definitely got my money’s worth. 😂
They’re also nice because they don’t need the space that some of my larger vegetables do, so they’re an easy way to tuck something useful into the garden.
Hot Peppers: The Plants That Just Keep Giving
Hot peppers have been another one of my easiest things to grow in the EarthBoxes. Once they get going, they seem perfectly happy to keep producing.
In fact, mine have produced so many peppers that I still have a freezer full of them. 😂 That’s one of the things I love about growing something that produces more than I can use right away. I can freeze the extras and have homegrown peppers long after I’ve picked them from the plant.
I’ve grown jalapeños, banana peppers and habaneros, and they’ve all done well for me. The plants can really produce once they get going — sometimes faster than I can figure out what to do with all the peppers. That’s how I ended up with a freezer full. 😂
Peppers also seem to handle the Florida weather pretty well for me. Having the EarthBoxes on the porch gives them plenty of light while still offering some protection from the strongest direct sun.
Cucumbers: Happier With a Little Florida Shade
Cucumbers have been pretty easy for me too. They grow well in my EarthBoxes, and I think having them on the covered porch actually helps.
Florida sunshine can be intense, especially during the hottest part of the year. My cucumbers still get plenty of light, but the porch gives them some protection from being out in that strong direct sun all day.
That’s one thing I’ve learned from gardening here — more Florida sunshine isn’t always better. Sometimes giving a plant a little protection from the strongest heat can make all the difference.
Tomatoes: Me vs. the Squirrels
Tomatoes have probably given me the most trouble in my EarthBoxes, but surprisingly, it isn’t always the plants themselves. A lot of the problem has four legs and a bushy tail. 😂
The squirrels around here apparently keep a close eye on my tomatoes too. Sometimes I’ll find one still on the plant with a bite taken out of it. Other times I’ll look at a beautiful tomato that’s almost ripe and think, “That one will be ready in another day or two.”
Then I go back to check on it — and it’s gone.
Apparently the squirrels and I have very different ideas about who I’m growing these tomatoes for. 😂
I’ve also learned that choosing the right tomato variety matters when you’re growing in an EarthBox. Some tomato plants can get really big, and I’ve had varieties that simply became too large for the space. Next time, I’ll pay more attention to how large the mature plant is supposed to get instead of assuming every tomato plant will work equally well in a container.
Tomatoes may take a little more planning — and apparently some negotiation with the local wildlife — but I still enjoy growing them.
If you want to see more about how I grow my tomatoes, I shared my EarthBox tomato setup and what I’ve learned along the way here.
What I’ve Learned About Gardening in EarthBoxes in Florida
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that gardening in Florida isn’t always about giving plants as much sunshine as possible. Our sun can be pretty intense, and having my EarthBoxes on the covered porch has worked really well for me.
I have some boxes where the plants get morning sun and others where they get more afternoon sun. Being able to move things around and see what works best has helped me learn what different plants seem to prefer.
I’ve also learned that bigger isn’t always better when choosing plants for a container. That’s especially true with tomatoes. Checking how large a plant will eventually get can save a lot of trouble later.
What I probably love most, though, is having everything right outside my door. I don’t have to walk out to a big garden or make gardening into a major project. I can step onto the porch, check what’s growing, pick something I need for dinner and go right back inside.
And because the EarthBox is self-watering, I don’t necessarily have to water every single day. Larger plants can obviously use more water than something like green onions or herbs, but having that reservoir makes keeping up with watering much easier for me.
The EarthBox I Use
If you’re curious about the EarthBoxes I use on my porch, this is the type I’ve been gardening with. I like the self-watering reservoir and how easy it makes growing vegetables right outside my door.
Sometimes Simple Gardening Works Best
I think what keeps me adding more EarthBoxes is realizing just how easy gardening can be. As I’ve gotten older, I appreciate anything that lets me keep doing the things I enjoy without making them harder than they need to be.
Once you have some success, though, that’s when the trouble starts. 😂 You grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and green onions and suddenly you start wondering, “What else could I grow?”
That’s pretty much how my EarthBox collection has grown. I started with one, saw how well it worked for me, and then another one didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Before long, I had four or five of them on the porch.
But I love it. I can step right outside my door, see what’s growing, pick something I’ve grown myself and enjoy gardening without needing a huge traditional garden.
I’m still experimenting and figuring out what grows best for me here in Florida — and honestly, wondering what I can try growing next is part of the fun.