City pickers and Earthbox are great sub-irrigated planters common among home gardeners. However, they both have pros and cons and many gardeners would tilt to grow boxes that are easy to use, affordable and reliable.
The common difference between them is that the Earthbox planters have more significant fixtures and offer organic fertilizers for their soil mix unlike the city picker. On the other hand, the city picker has compact and UV protected grow boxes for gardeners with limited yard space.
Choosing the right sub- irrigated planter that meets your expectations is tricky. Nonetheless, this article discusses the advantageous details of both SIPs and which one you can get if you are a beginner home planter.
City Pickers Vs. Earthbox
There are some obvious disparities between the City Picker planter and EarthBox planters. Read about them below to help you choose the perfect planter for your garden.
Comparative Table
| Features | City pickers | Earthbox |
| Cost | Cheap | Expensive |
| Size (square Inches) | 480 | 398 |
| Planter Kit/ Accessories | Separate purchase | Included to cost of planter |
| Tutorial |
Cost
Price is always a factor as your budget determines which planter to get. The city picker planter is cheaper than the Earthbox sub-irrigation planter.
Size
The city picker and Earthbox are almost the exact sizes, but we know dimensions would differ based on the model. For example, an Earthbox model has a surface area of 398 Square inches and a volume of 11inches. Compared to a similar model in the city pickers brand, it was 480 Square inches in surface area and 9.5 inches.
The Earthbox volume depth is excellent for deep-rooted plants.
Planter Kit
The city pickers allow you to buy what you think you need, but the earthbox has a pre-arranged kit that includes all planting requirements. The earthbox adds this gardening haul at extra cost, but it is ideal for a new home gardener who has no idea what to get.
Fixtures
The Earthbox is a complete package because it comprises all necessary planting accessories. For example, they include a 7 feet trellis structure, an automated watering technique, and a soil cover. The soil cover comes in two variants, the white for summer and the black for spring.
The colors reflect or reverse the sun and heat as needed. The city pickers offer their owners a planter box stand for gardeners who do not like to squat for extended periods.
Tutorials
The Earthbox has a ton of tutorial materials on its blogs, websites, and forums. You can share your concerns on any of their platforms and be sure to get feedback. You can use some of the knowledge for other planter brands or the different Earthbox models.
The city picker and Earthbox are thrilling for enthusiastic gardeners because they are pretty self-explanatory and they water your plant for you. For a more affordable SIP, please select a city picker model because they are cheaper. But if you want a planter with the trellis and other great features, then the Earthbox is right for you.
Earthbox
Let’s review some models of the Earthbox SIF.
The Earthbox 80155 Organic Kit
It has an automated watering system, which gives you one less thing to worry about, particularly if you travel a lot. The kit comprises an Earthbox container and four other items; a watering tube, four-piece caster, aeration screen, and two mulch covers. It also has one pound each of dolomite lime mix and organic fertilizer.
The EarthBox 80155 model size
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 29 x 14 x 11)inches
Soil volume: 2 cu. Ft.
Water reservoir volume: 3-gallon capacity
The Earthbox 80601.01 Gardening Model
It is smaller than the original design of the Earthbox planter system. It is self-waters the plants, and you can grow your own home grow flowers in it. Since it is more compact, it is great for apartment buildings with tiny balcony spaces. DIY enthusiasts can also produce organic herbs on their kitchen window sill.
The junior 8060.01 gardening model kit has the same kind of fixtures as the original planter version. The kit comprises a mini planting container, two colors of mulch covers, a junior model of aeration screen, an overflow saucer, and a watering tube.
The kit also has half a pound each of dolomite lime and fertilizer.
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 23x 9.5 x 7.25)inches
Soil volume: 1 cu. Ft.
Water reservoir volume: 1.15-gallon capacity
Earthbox 81100 Gardening Model
The Earthbox 81100 is a replanter gardening model that comprises all the components of an automated watering kit. The system has two colors of mulch covers and one pound each of dolomite lime and fertilizers for the soil PH.
Earthbox 81015 Staking Gardening Kit
The EarthBox 81015 kit helps you grow plants that have vines or grow large. It comprises a trellis net, double each of; T connectors, casters, rim clams, and outriggers.
The staking system at its full height is about 60 inches to carry the tomato vines and other vines unaided.
Pros Of The Earthbox
- It is a self-watering SIF
- Compact enough to rearrange in your balcony
- You don’t need to fertilize your soil again after the first time.
Cons Of The Earthbox
- It is not easy to set up an earthbox
- The mulch gets damaged when you expose it to weather conditions continuously.
The earthbox are expensive compared to the other brands because they include fertilizers and other accessories you would need during planting,
City Pickers
Let’s review some models of the city pickers’ SIF.
Emsco 2370 Hydropickers kit
Emsco 2370 Hydropickers is a beginner-friendly hydroponic kit. It means the system you can use your planter without any form of electricity or power source.
The kit comes as a four-piece mesh container with lids capable of fitting all plant sizes. The cover keeps the nutrient mix safe from algae growth. The 2370 model comprises support tubes, the mesh pots and lids mentioned above, caster, and water tubes. It also has a nutrient mix, growing media, and PH test strips.
The Emsco 2370 Hydropickers kit Size
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 20 x 24 x 9.75)inches
Water reservoir volume: 20-gallon capacity
Emsco Group 2350 Bountiful Growth Kit
The City Pickers Bountiful growth kit is a great raise bed planter. It has a watering system, and it is compact, so you do not have to worry about space. You can easily carry it around to favor your plant in different weather conditions. The four inbuilt casters give you access to the garden in any place. Its manufacturers forge the model with safe UV-resistant plastic mold, so it BPA free and the weather doesn’t affect it.
Emsco Group 2350 dimension
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 20 x 24 x 9)inches
Water reservoir volume: 2-gallon capacity
Extra-Large City Picker Grow Box
The big city pocket grows kit is impressive for plants that tend to take a lot of space. You can use the extra space for bulky plants and vegetables or multiple small ones like carrots. You can move it around like the other models.
Big city picker planter dimension
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 20 x 48 x 9.75)inches
Water reservoir volume: 2-gallon capacity
Emsco Large City Picker Raise Box
It is larger than the other models, and its legs are raised to cut off the extended bending sessions during gardening. You can plant up to individual tomato plants or multiple rations of herbs and roots or veggies since it is massive.
The grow box has six legs that lift the planter to an elevation of 30 inches(the waist height of an average human).
Big elevated city picker planter dimension
Length x Breadth x Height: ( 30 x 48 x 20)inches
Water reservoir volume: 4-gallon capacity
Pros Of The City Picker
- They are cheaper than the Earthbox.
- They are compact and mobile.
- Its mulch cover prevents growth of weeds
Cons Of The City Picker
- Apart from the cost of your city picker planter, you have to buy any added accessory.
The city picker is a practical purchase because it is affordable and compact.
Final thoughts
The Earth box is sturdier, expensive and comes with a detailed planter kit. They come with a quantity of fertilizer and dolomite lime to maintain your soil PH at no extra cost. In comparison, the city picker kit comes as a stand-alone planter, if you need additional fixtures; you have to buy them separately.
The city picker has cheaper automated watering grow box than the Earthbox version but does not add practical accessories like mulch covers when you buy them. The city picker and Earthbox are incredible grow box that imitates a mini garden. If you have to choose between the city picker and Earthbox, decide according to the features they offer.
My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.