4'x4'=16 sq ft.

At 8" depth it's 16ft x .66 (2/3rds of a foot deep)

So, you need 10.56 cubic feet of mix to fill it to the top.

10.56 cubic feet / 3 (the number of distinct ingredients) is 3.52 cubic feet of each.

So, vermiculite can be found in nurseries in 4 cu foot bags, you will need one and will have some left over.

Peat is sold in 2.2 cubic foot bags and you will need 2 and have some left over.

Compost is sold however it is sold ;-) so you will have to guesstimate there.

No, I don't think mushroom compost alone is suitable *if* your desire is to garden without fertilizers. High quality compost made from a variety of ingredients and not subjected to life in a plastic bag sitting in the heat is going to be required to provide sufficient fertility for many crops. However, adding fertilizer isn't the end of the world and I do understand that getting good compost isn't feasible for everyone.

Oh, one last thing. I don't know if you have the Square Foot Gardening book or not, but do not believe what Mel says when he indicates a 2.2 cubic foot bag of peat expands to 4 cubic feet. A 2.2 cubic foot bag of peat expands to 2.2 cubic feet ;-)

so what do most use as compost when starting out?
black cow
baabaadoo
chicken...

I don't think there is any clear winner in terms of what most start with. It varies a lot from what I have read of other people's set ups.

Many don't even use Mel's mix at all, but rather use soil + whatever. Many don't even Square Foot garden, but practice some hybrid intensive cropping method.

I, personally, use Mel's mix and love it. I used my own compost until it was used up and then used compost from the city's compost and mulch site. I am very fortunate in that I have literal mountains (OK, hills) of quality compost available free for the hauling 24 hours a day 365 days/year.

If your city doesn't make compost from resident's yard waste ask them why not and encourage them to get with the program. No reason not to do it.

What Mel recommends in the book for those without a source of homemade compost is to use at least 5 different sources of compost mixed together. Homemade, unbagged would still be preferable, but at least by using multiple store bought sources you end up with a more diverse end product. Most of the store bought composts are made from a single ingredient.

thank you so much for letting me copy your homework. I have a compost bin but there is no way I have enough for four boxes. I have the original book - have had it for years - and have only recently begun to garden. Spent $500 last year for organic co-op vegis, half of which we didn't eat. I think we can do better at home growing what we want. Built my boxes yesterday and am off to get the vermiculite etc. Thanks again.

Hello all,

just wanted to say hi, and thought I'd let you know I've just got my SFG started!!!! :-)

Causing me some issues at the mo though (with regard to the mix), as I'm UK based, and it would seem that no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find any peat (it's just not sold over here any more!), and vermiculite is only sold in little bags, and they're really expensive! And also all our bags are sold in litre quantities, not cubed feet!

Net result, I've spent about £30 ($60) and only half filled my 6x4' box!!!! Back to the garden centre at the weekend to purchase some more of the ingredients to fill it up, but this time a little less of the vermiculite :-)

Still, should be ready for mid March, when it all starts (Peas, onion transplants, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot :-)

I have read that in Europe peat is frowned upon as it is harvested in an environmentally unfriendly way. Those of us in North America find it everywhere because Canada has a large supply of peat bogs and the Canadian government regulates it's harvest to avoid the problems evidently experienced in Europe.

Perhaps you have coco coir (shredded coconut husks) available? Here they are much more expensive than peat, but I am told they are fairly inexpensive in some other places. It would make a fine substitute for the peat.

I also find that vermiculite is difficult to find in the large bags, but if you work with a nursery rather than a big box type store they will often order the larger sizes for you.

Good luck and have fun!

Hi oxonhammer,

I'm also UK based and starting my first SFG this year.

I've been going through a similar experience to yourself sourcing materials.

I did find peat in 100 litre bags at B&Q (£3.99 a shot), but to date have only managed to find the small bags of vermiculite. The 50 / 100 litre bags are available in the UK online for £15 and £20 delivery which may work out cheaper than the smaller ones. I'm going to try calling local hydroponics suppliers and exotic pet stores this weekend to see if I can pick some up locally, though, as vermiculite appears to be used more commonly in these fields.

I have a 6x4' box, and I found 10 litre bags at Homebase for £5 a piece. I bought 3, but this turned out to be grossly under what I need. I probably needed another 3, which is just about the same as what you've found off t'internet. Good luck with your enquiries! :-) Hope you find it somewhere cheap? :-)

Regarding Vermiculite in 4 cubic foot bags, try your Hydroponics Supply Houses. On another subject, has anyone tried using the large bags of chipped corn cobs in their SFG beds?

The hydroponics suppliers came up trumps for me.

I found a couple of local stores in the phone book that sold the 100 litre bags or vermiculite for £14.99.

Popping in this weekend to pick up the missing ingredient, then I can make my first ever batch of Mel's magic mix.

Hmmm, good spot. I just found a hydroponics supplier round the corner, so have asked them how large a bag I get for £14.50m and then may well be round there tonight :-)

Mushroom compost is the primary component of my beds. Depending on your local mushroom grower, their compost is often already a blend of several different ingredients, so IMO its a step better than using just one of the other composts that come from a particular animal's stall scrapings - there is some variety of source material there despite the massive quantities and uniformity of the "product".

New beds are filled with mushroom compost, and I'll top off existing beds with it when I have it. What I usually do is I periodically sprinkle what my compost bin produces on top of that so the plants get the most access to the bit of compost I have that is really from a menagerie of source ingredients.