Begonias..........:)

I grow in Earthboxes and live in the same area. I would suggest okra, beans, or currant tomatoes. However, you could also suggest they run purchase a pepper or eggplant from the local garden store.

Another option is to plant herbs. My herbs are vibrant and overflowing in one of my earthboxes. Basil, Rosemary, Dill, parsley, oregano, and mint are thriving in one box.

Thanks wallisadi and locteach. Wallisadi, those are some gorgeous begonias.

Hi Writersblock

Walli and Locteach have a good ideas. I can only add that they have to grow what they like to eat and can use otherwise it goes to waste, they also have to make the decision about planting short term like veggies or longer season like herbs or flowers. There are a good variety of cut and come again greens that do well in the heat but if they are not familiar or like...I have oriental greens that are heat resistant, they are milder than mustard, also have arugula. Sweet potatoes, cowpeas, butterbeans are good choices for the warmer weather.

Silvia

There have been lots of lovely suggestions on this thread.

The only concern I have is with sweet potatoes. I can foresee the tubers growing into the Earthbox's aeration screen and blocking it, or even getting stuck in the holes. That would be a real hassle at harvest, and could damage the aeration screen. Mabye it wouldn't happen, but when I have dug sweet potatoes before, I have found sizable tubers deeper in the soil than the depth of the soil in an Earthbox.

Okay, I should research more before I post. Apparently it IS possible to grow sweet potatoes successfully in an Earthbox, but yield may be lower because of the limited soil volume.

If your friends aren't familiar with growing sweet potatoes, if they plant vining types they need to be prepared for the vines to run...and run...and run.

Also, sweet potatoes need a long season to produce. They might not be finished when it's time to plant fall tomatoes in September.

Thanks, Silvia and L_in_FL. As for this:

>they have to grow what they like to eat and can use otherwise it goes to waste

One of them is an Italian chef (so they're pretty adventurous) and so far the only thing I know that they don't like is Malabar spinach.

L, that's a good point about the sweet potatoes. I think several vegetable types, not just root veggies, but even tomatoes and eggplant, tend to give slightly less yield in earthboxes because the root system is constricted. But it would still be more than they would have if it just sits there empty. :) I agree that if I were wanting to container grow any kind of potato I'd be more likely to use some kind of bag that's deeper and easy to dump.