Mel's Mix versus 100% Compost
bsntech
15 years ago
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ribbit32004
15 years agoalan8
15 years agoRelated Discussions
What does everyone use for raised bed filler if not Mel's mix?
Comments (22)Let me chime in here, if I may(you know I love to talk). You don't have to build all of it in the first year. You can use your native soil and then build it from there as you have material available at little or no cost. Results can still be very good without spending a lot of money. When you start by spading you raise the level by about 2 to 3 inches, depending on the soil. Then throw in a little more soil from the path areas of your garden, where you may want to lay down some pavers or flat stones or mulch to walk on. Then add some ucg's, leaves, dried grass clippings, steer or other manure...well you get the idea as to how fast it can build up. Of course, every year it will settle and a certain amount of the organic material will actually disappear into thin air, but you will be adding more and more all the time cause by the end of the first year you will probably become a compost wacko, like a lot of us here are. Then you will get all excited about When you score anything, from anywhere, to add to your soil and compost. Then people start to look at you strangely as you carry around used coffee grounds and other peoples garbage and little childrens used jack'olanterns. Its not always a pretty sight..steve...See MoreMel's Mix vs. compost
Comments (8)Vermiculite doesn't last a long time. It basically turns to mush. Peat also breaks down quickly. Peat based potting mixes often don't make it through a single summer without compacting and becoming hyrdrophobic. you're looking for a mix that drains well, but still holds water, and has some nutrient content. Vermiculite is really expensive, and IME, isn't really a useful additive. "My homemade compost makes a mud if I try potting 100%" Potting and raised beds are completely different things. They work in polarly opposite ways. Containers have trouble draining, raised beds have basically perfect drainage. I agree with cowboy... wood chips and compost are your friends. From a thread on soils, by gardengal48: "The one point that needs to be made that seem to have been overlooked or omitted above is that vermiculite's water holding capacity is temporary. Once it is fully saturated, it rapidly begins to lose structural integrity and all those little water holding cells start to collapse. When they all fully collapse, it no longer has the ability to retain moisture with any significance, plus it loses any porosity it had and becomes an impediment to drainage. This may not be a huge concern in very short duration container growing situations, but it can most certainly lead to drainage issues in the long term. " http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0305252323117.html Vermiculite just falls apart. Its not a good thing....See Moremel's mix quantity
Comments (12)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....See MoreStraight compost instead of Mel's Mix...
Comments (5)renais, if you are growing in vermicompost, this isn't the same as 'regular' compost. Not even close. There are folks growing in 'regular' compost who report good results, but I also see a lot of people ask questions concerning poor plant performance and then indicate they are growing in pure compost. Not sure why, just what I have observed. It is one of those things you probably just need to try this year and see how it does. Since compost isn't fully decomposed you can expect to have to add 20-50% of the original volume as it reduces in volume over the growing season. As it decomposes you can expect the medium to become much less aerated and results may decline when this happens (or may not). About 5 years ago I made the mistake of digging 6" down and removing native soil, filling it up to 3" above grade with compost and framing it in. Today that bed is 3" below ground level and has to be redone....See Moreanniesgranny
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