Garden patch GROWBOX POTTING SOIL User Manual
Your Garden Patch™ Grow Box™ will grow almost any vegetable, flower, herb or berry. A good rule of thumb is to grow what’s available at your local nursery or garden center. If it’s sold locally, then the timing is right for it to grow locally. Plants grow quickly in the Grow Box™ so starting with smaller seedlings is actually better than larger plants. Three to six-inch tall plants, sold in two-inch square pots, transplant better and are usually less expensive. Most vegetable plants need 6 – 8 hours of sunlight per day.
What Type of Potting Mix to Use?
The lighter and spongier POTTING MIX works best. Don’t use Potting SOIL or Garden SOIL. They’re too dense and won’t wick water properly and will suffocate the roots. Some national brands of POTTING MIX are Scott’s, Sta-Green, Jungle Growth, Lamberts, Fafards, Pro-Mix, Peters and others. Use the lightest one! Brands with added fertilizer are OK. Get the big bag. You’ll need about 1.5 cubic feet or 40 dry quarts or 44 liters per planter.
How to Mix and Match Plants
Different types of plants can be grown in the same Garden Patch™ Planter as long as the plants grow to similar heights at about the same rate. Don’t let a large tomato vine choke out smaller peppers and onions. Plant a variety of peppers, squashes or salad greens. Start with seeds if you want; feel free to experiment. Almost anything you plant will grow happily and healthy in the Garden Patch!
When to Fertilize and Water
Good news, the Garden Patch™ automatically adds all the fertilizer for you; up to 120 days – which is about all most vegetable plants will effectively produce. For herbs, roses, ornamental shrubbery and perennials, we suggest you replace the Nutrient Patch™ every 3 months. While rain will help water your Grow Box™, it’s still a good idea to check the water level and never let the well go dry.
How to Store for the winter
More good news: Leave your Garden Patch™ Planters where they are. There’s no need to move them out of the weather. Simply remove the used Nutrient Patch,™ scoop out the spent fertilizer and let Mother Nature rinse and compost the old roots for next season. Happy Garden Patch™ Gardening!
Tomato Tips:
Plant ‘em deep – bury the stem to just below the first leaf. Determinate varieties set all their fruit at once – indeterminates fruit all season. 2 cups of dolomite or powdered lime can be added to your potting mix – this will adjust the pH of the problem potting mix which can lead to Blossom End Rot. If screened in, gently shake your plants to pollinate the blossoms. Share your harvest with friends!
How to Replant
Use the same potting mix 3-4 times before replacing. Cut off any remaining plants at the soil line. It’s not necessary to remove the roots to start again. Discard the Nutrient Patch™ and scoop out any remaining fertilizer. Thoroughly wet the top of the mix and add more potting mix to fill the planter back to the rim. Lay down a new Nutrient Patch™ and plant again. It’s that easy! **Non-genuine replacement fertilizers may burn your plants.
Starting With Seeds
Plant just like you would if starting with plants, but follow the seed pack instructions for depth of planting. Seeds will naturally find the light and grow through the slots.
Supporting Taller Plants
You can use round or rectangular tomato cages or wood stakes. These can be placed directly in your Grow Box™ or in the ground next to it. Or add 1/4″
“one-quarter inch” stakes to the 4 holes on the planter rim. Crisscross some twine between the stakes to offer support.
Here’s Why Your Grow Box™ Grows Plants Better
The Grow Box™ creates a perfect stress-free growing environment where your plants are constantly fed and watered. No matter what is grown, each plant will take exactly what it needs, when it needs it, to maximize growth and productivity. There’s no need to mix or add any more fertilizer. Just keep water in the well and to ensure success, always grow with Nutrient Patch™ in place.No more brown thumbs! The planter is filled with potting mix and the Nutrient Patch™ is centered on top of the mix with the fertilizer tubes facing down. The fertilizer tubes will dissolve with water and release an entire season’s worth of specially formulated fertilizer in a narrow stripe – right on top of the potting mix. The plants (or seeds) are then planted through pre-numbered slots down each side of the Nutrient Patch™ cover. The roots will automatically grow towards the fertilizer stripe and constantly “feed” at the prop-er rate. Water from the built-in well moves upward towards the roots. The cover keeps the soil moist and warm and keeps rainwater from washing the fertilizer stripe away.
Garden Patch™ Premium Blend
- Vegetable PLUS+ FERTILIZER
- 09 -14 -15
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Now you’re growing with the best! Our breakthrough blend contains critical minor elements (basically plant vitamins) not available in many other fertilizers. A powerful mix of fast-acting and time-released nutrients. Salts in fertilizers are responsible for those infamous burned and dried-up plants. They also cause the fruit to start dehydrating once harvested. A typical 13-13-13 fertilizer contains 11% salts while your Nutrient Patch™ contains only contains 0.45% salts -that’s over 2,300% less! No more burned plants and fruit that lasts and thrives off the vine too!
- Total Nitrogen (N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.00%
- 5.478% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
- 2.577% Water Soluble Org. Nitrogen
- .945% Water Insoluble Nitrogen
- Available Phosphate (P2O5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.00%
- Soluble Potash (K2O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15.00%
- Combined Sulfur (S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.40%
- Boron (B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.11%
- Chlorine (Cl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(maximum) 0.45%
- Copper (Cu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.11%
- Iron (Fe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.67%
- Manganese (Mn) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.27%
- Magnesium (Mg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.90%
- Zinc (Zn) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.26%
HOW TO SET UP YOUR GARDEN PATCH™ GROW BOX™ IN MINUTES
- Slide the flat “grate” pieces down into the “C” shaped walls in the planter bottom to complete the two boxes.
- The planter top has a small lip along the bottom that fits completely inside the planter bottom for a seamless fit. To assemble, keep both spout sides facing you and use the lip on the planter top to slightly push out the left and back side of the planter bottom. Firmly snap the 4 posts inside the planter on that side.
- Slightly pull out the planter bottom-side-wall at the right end to allow the planter top to nest inside (use a flat instrument if needed). The bottom should overlap the top all around for a seamless fit. Finish the assembly by FIRMLY re-snapping all 8 posts together for a secure fit.
- Pour some potting mix into the top of the planter and pack the two square holes with mix. This is where the water will “wick” upwards into the top of the planter.
- Fill halfway with potting mix and soak with water, being sure to make good contact with the wicking areas. Some potting mix may fall through the holes but that’s OK.
- COMPLETELY fill with potting mix: flush, level, all the way to the top rim. Soak the mix with water and add as much potting mix as the planter will hold.
- Leave the fertilizer tubes attached to the cover and KEEP IT COMPLETELY DRY. Even the smallest amount of water will begin to melt the tubes. Using the PLANTING GUIDE, cut out the appropriate numbered slots for your plants.
- Re-wet the top surface and center the Nutrient Patch™ on top with the tubes slightly pushed down into the mix. The 1” exposed potting mix border will aerate and collect rainwater.
- Carefully lift each side of the cover and lightly spray water on the sides of the fertil-izer tubes. This will insure that the tubes will fully melt – releasing and activating the fertilizer. Lay the cover back down.
- Press down on the cover to sink the fertilizer tubes level with the potting mix. The fertilizer will be deposited in a narrow stripe, which is exactly where your plants want it. The roots will automatically grow towards the stripe and take fertilizer as they need it.
- Gently lift the side flaps of the Nutrient Patch™ cover and plant your plants or seeds directly under the slots you cut out earlier. Add a little water around each plant to remove any air spaces from the roots. Replace the flaps around the stems. Seeds will naturally find the light and grow through the slots.
- The Nutrient Patch™ cover stays on top of the planter for the entire growing cycle. Push the four spikes through the cover in the corners to secure it to the potting mix.
- That’s it. You’re Done! All the fertilizer your plants will need is automatically delivered from the Nutrient Patch. Add water to the well from the side spout and watch your plants grow healthy and productive.
