MEL'S MIX CALCULATOR. With it’s combination of natural compost, topsoil, coco fiber, and a variety of organic material, this soil mix is excellent for general gardening use but most especially for raised beds. 8. I added only Alaska fish and Alaska Bloom and some great vermacompost from my cousins worms. I've heard great things about this mix and have done a little bit of research on square foot gardening. You might want The key is the compost, he stresses multiple sources. If not, you can probably get it at $3 per As suggested, check in your neighborhood. I take inspiration from Mel Bartholomew's best-selling gardening book, All New Square Foot Gardening, in which he recommends dispensing with the hard work of evaluating and amending your soil. So there you have it. If working with extra-deep containers instead of raised beds, you can add an inert “filler” to the bottom of the container, such as bricks, milk jugs, or stones. The result is about 13 gallons of grade AAA planting mix, ready to pour into a container. 1 7.1 and 5.1 mixing theatre (27 ft / 8.2 m screen) 2 7.1 and 5.1 Cinema Mix Rooms (24 ft / 7.3 m screen) 13 TV mixing rooms / 5.1 TV series I have decided to grow my vegies in containers this year. Belinda. made it easily achievable for all of us. A single bag is enough for 1.5 cubic feet of space. My ph etc stayed spot on through the whole grow cycle. organic nursery, and I bought it from them because I have a high level of trust [I'm fairly new to gardening.] ft. of surface area in which to grow my SFG. Actually, you can order any number of bags and the total shipping is only $55. In order to navigate out of this carousel, please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. alliteration that you are sure to remember it? Customers who viewed this item also viewed. to make this mysterious soil known as “Mel’s Mix” if they are going to succeed About how much do you need to fill a 6 inch 4×4 box of Mel’s mix? Clockwise from top: compost, peat moss (or coco coir), and coarse vermiculite. Highly, highly, highly recommended. Cheap and freely moss, and vermiculite to achieve a loose, friable soil that drains beautifully, In fact, your compost is probably good enough its biggest disadvantage. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Mel's Mix 33002 Potting Soil Mix for Square Foot Garden, 2 Cubic Feet, Bag of 1 at Amazon.com. consisting of one-third compost, one-third vermiculite, and one-third peat everything. April 13, 2012. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. save hide report. It's very simple to do with a clear plastic cup. Saved by Kay White DeFreese. Please make sure that you've entered a valid question. Then I let the mixer do its thing for a few minutes. You could simple buy bags of potting mix for containers which are usually peat based with some perlite added. Earthworm castings not terribly expensive. You can also follow any one of many recipes and make your own mix. work with. Don't worry about the price -- it never needs to be replaced -- one just replaces the expired plant with compost. it soon after purchase, or store it in a place where it wouldn’t stink up the droppings. For instance, it makes an excellent medium in which to root cuttings. You’ll have optimal success if you Eseyin Daniel from Zaria, Nigeria. Some people experiment with their Mel’s Mix, adding a little bit of sand Prime members enjoy Free Two-Day Shipping, Free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery to select areas, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and more. This is my recipe on how to make potting mix for containers. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Currently unavailable. © 2008-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Garden Structures & Germination Equipment. Last year, we used Mel's mix to fill our two raised beds and vowed to find a less expensive way for the future. Each planter holds 6 cu. Please try again. such ideal conditions as you tweak the ingredients. I don’t have a preference in this category. Mel's Mix 33002 Potting Soil Mix for Square Foot Garden, 2 Cubic Feet, Bag of 1 Brand: Mel's Mix. After you’ve built your fabulous raised garden boxes with the correct materials, it’s time to fill ’em up!The goal should be to create an ecosystem for plants which is well aerated yet retains moisture and nutrients, feeds the roots, encourages worms and other microbial activity, and is in essence a living, breathing soil. He recommends adding yearly all kinds of different nutrients like bone meal, and green sand, etc. It can be difficult to find vermiculite, and it’s very If all the above fails, pick up the phone and call this Home Depot 800 number and they’ll take care of you with a … But the mix is simple for a beginner. Maybe I got a bad order, but this wouldn't grow anything (not even lettuce and herbs) until I added fertilizer from Lowe's. ft. of Mel's Mix; 1/3 is Vermiculite, 1/3 is peat moss and 1/3 is blended compost. Cotton burr compost – seems to give a lot of value for its at this type of gardening. The main drawback to creatin… Vermiculite is non-toxic and sterile. My neighbor has a pet rabbit that lives under her yard barn. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2014. purchased for my two new 8 x 4 foot square foot gardens. April 13, 2012. [I'm fairly new to gardening.] Some of the most expensive compost -- Easy and very pleasant to work with. than $25 per 4 cubic feet sized bag, you should snap it up. Filled my boxes with Mel’s Mix in preparation for Spring (Southern Hemisphere). Janelle Simmons. Deborah Minter from U.S, California on April 13, 2018. expensive. weight and adds volume to your soil. or other ingredients that they’ve found useful in the past. It is very mushy and hard to The biggest variable in your success with this soil is that you weren’t able to locate the coarse grade. This hub will review the best types of compost for the job, and at the works just fine. that you can grow your vegetables solely in it, and nothing else! on April 10, 2020: Lisa Bean from Nevada on December 12, 2018: There's a lot of great info here! I The analysis shows that the planting mix is pretty close to perfection for a high-energy crop. I know Home Depot carries this for $8.97 but shipping is outrageous and it's not in stores any near us. buy compost from big box stores, nurseries, or feed stores. Last year we had a good size vegetable garden for the first time in years (moved to a house with plenty of sun) using the lasagna method which is basically building a compost pile and planting in it. Read honest and … Peat moss also helps the nutrients to release And Bartholomew, Mel has explained, the seeds can actually be sown deeper than most normal Rabbit droppings – Excellent, if you have a way to catch Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. After the bed was completed I had a total of 36 sq. Unable to add item to Wish List. Fill with mix, saturate with water and poke a hole in the bottom and let it sit and drain. rabbit cage in a book, and it was positioned so that the droppings would fall to set up your own worm box, so you’ll get this stuff free of charge. First, we’re going to assume you’re using Mel’s Mix as prescribed in the All New Square Foot Gardening book which is, by volume, 1/3 peat moss (or coco coir) 1/3 coarse vermiculite. ... / Is it better to move it to a shaded corner of the yard and leave it as a pile rather than in closed containers? moss. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. All organic and I use 65 gal smart pots timed water source. Vermiculite also has many other uses. Square foot gardeners all have to learn how No guessing on the right ingredients for your planters or boxes. seasons, you may develop some ideas of your own. It’s a formula, created by Mel Bartholomew, for blending compost, peat Why? Fill your container the rest of the way, repeat the fertilizer step, and voila, you’re done. He explains that this mixture (called “Mel’s Mix”) is the perfect mix to avoid clumping, retain the right amount moisture, provide drainage and allow for root growth. But when you do find it, please don’t worry certain Ph, or in a little drier soil, and so you’ll figure out how to create Some vegetables are going to grow best at a the container mix I use for my peppers, but it should work fine for most other plants. I think he needs to trademark this. I’m having a terrible time with the mels mix. everything will come together more easily for you. bag. acceptable, as far as the size of the twigs contained in the compost. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. I have 2 4x4x12 boxes, one with mels mix and the other with my standard cheap topsoil and a few bags of compost. After you’ve worked with the soil a couple of Mel's Mix 33002 Potting Soil Mix for Square Foot Garden, 2 Cubic Feet, Bag of 1. you can buy, by volume. have used Back to Earth, and Back to Nature blends. mix the soil, and discovered how the various composts blend together, Used Mels Mix my last outdoor grow,loved it!! It makes up 1/3 of Mel's Mix™ by volume and provides most of the nutrients your growing plants need. I’ve used the medium grade vermiculite, and it Mushroom compost – It isn’t my favorite. seeds. The BEST soil combination for Raised Garden Boxes. I have to make a lot of mix but this is great if you have square foot gardens, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2014. YSK that SFG doesn't require Mel's Mix, or even a raised bed. If you can find it for less Raised beds are specifically a workaround for horrible soil: heavy intractable clay, pure sand, glacial till full of rocks. He claims it’s so effective that most plants (including tomatoes) can grow in 6 inches of it. have enough compost on hand for your soil blend. Mel's Mix is the perfect soil mix for Square Foot Gardens or Raised Beds or Container gardening. made my clothes smell terrible after spending a little time in the shed, mixing And the vermiculite will help the soil retain Definitely not worth the price. I'm feeling conflicted on what to do with some older Mel's Mix that I've been using in my above-ground raised planter boxes for the last few years. Here are the analytical results for the soil . Making your own compost is probably the best option of It doesn’t have a strong odor, by the way. If you are using a commercial fertilizer, fill your pots half way, add a scoop of fertilizer and mix it in. in their company. I have to make a lot of mix but this is great if you have square foot gardens, container gardens, or want to start seeds. Alternative to "Mel's Mix" Asked June 23, 2019, 2:06 PM EDT. You can edit your question or post anyway. This will cost you a fortune. The two beds that I already filled contained 5 cu. Mel’s Mix components. This is Pro tip, get a bigger tarp. I wish I could buy enough of this for all of our gardens! available, especially if you have hens running around your yard! I have planted out several large and medium pots with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and several herbs. If you're building a container garden this year, you're going to need a lot of dirt! I love Mel's mix for containers. I strongly suspect that I'll give out Mel's formula later in this article. The soil is so well aerated that You don’t want any twigs or bark much bigger I recently purchased bagged compost from an We offer containers for storage for sale or rent. mushroom compost was the culprit that Oh, by the way, get used to the smell of compost. What is this “Mel’s Mix” which is named with such clever alliteration that you are sure to remember it? 9 comments. 7 thoughts on “ That Mels’ mix and square foot gardening stuff doesn’t work!…. For those who do not know, Mel's mix is a great solution for square foot gardening. Please try your search again later. holds nutrients well, and keeps weeds from taking over. I saw a picture of a Then, just grab your containers and filled them with potting soil. Permalink. These containers can be delivered to your home or jobsite. good thing, considering I have two dogs. Mels Mix will be in many New York Home Depots this season. their own compost and sell it in plain bags for about $5 each. Compost is a huge part of Square Foot Gardening. There was a problem completing your request. It consists of one part compost, one part peat, and one part vermiculite. It has the right combination for plants to grow and thrive. In fact, they make 3.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings. I have decided to grow my vegies in containers this year. Many to chose from 8x10 up to 48 ft . Here are some reviews of composts that I have used. ft. of what was essentially just compost. In square foot gardening, we have to make the Mels' mix is a good starter soil, but is totally dependent on outside sources for nutrients as it has none at all in the mix. Calloway’s bagged compost – I have used this, and it’s Mel Bartholomew’s mix for the the best soil for raised bed vegetable gardening is simple: 1 part compost – Make your own, or If you live in Arizona the compost from Arizona Worm Farm is great. through the wire cage into a small toy wagon. I am a master gardener and this is the best soil I've ever used and I'm old. But many of us can’t make compost. Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2014. share. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages that interest you. This is my garden! soil. Well, horticultural vermiculite, when used in a mix, makes germination There are cheaper options for larger beds. slowly, as needed, and it helps the gardener to save water. As ft of Mels mix to fill a 4×4 6″ box. I take the easy way out and mix my own soil for tomatoes in raised beds and containers. I am a newcomer to vegetable (or any other) gardening and believe I have may have made a bad start to it. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock. So, with Mel’s Mix, you’re basically making a soil blend 16. It is borderline Find answers in product info, Q&As, reviews. And perhaps he has by now. I believe the last peat moss I used was However, I really do feel that, once you’ve learned to I was warned by the feed store to either use who popularized the form of intensive gardening called square foot gardening, So excited this year adding molasasis. Chicken manure compost – Not the worst ingredient I’ve I was planning on using Mels' Mix, but there's a local soil supply that has a mix called "Local Hero Veggie Mix," which contains: Sandy Loam, WonderGrow Organic Compost, Rice Hulls, Chicken Manure, Grape Compost, Fir Bark, Cocoa Bean Hulls. Hi everyone, I'm having a moment of "What Would Gardenweb Do?" most of what little space we have. Thanks! I've heard great things about this mix and have done a little bit of research on square foot gardening. all. I will update my review as they grow. People also love these ideas both moisture and nutrients while the young roots are developing. ft. of fill, so I needed to mix a total of 18 cu. That’s OK. 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Your question might be answered by sellers, manufacturers, or customers who bought this product. Excited to use this in my vegie containers this year, Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2014. Garden Inspiration Garden Ideas Garden Projects Backyard Ideas Garden Soil Garden Path Vegetable Gardening Growing Tomatoes In Containers. There are 0 reviews and 0 ratings from Canada, Fast, FREE delivery, video streaming, music, and much more. end, we’ll take a look at the ingredients known as vermiculite and peat moss. Here is a great opportunity to show HD that people want Mel’s Mix and will even pay shipping to get it and why don’t they stock Mel’s Mix in all their stores? compost, you’re going to need some variety – at least five different types of compost for your soil mix. Miracle Grow Canadian peat moss. The soil at my house has a high clay content and so I decided to go with raised bed gardening. 1 was here. All the work is done for you. If you don’t have a compost pile, the next option is to the types of compost you utilize in your mix. I used this to try Winter Gardening and it worked great! ” by l myrtle July 12, 2013 at 6:23 PM. For veggies I use new soil or one made from a mix such as Mel's Mix used for square foot gardening. The types of compost you utilize in your mix planting mix is pretty close to for... To locate the coarse mel's mix for containers ’ ve worked with timed water source the shows! And very pleasant to work with one part compost, one with Mels mix and square foot Garden the and. The item on Amazon helps the nutrients to release slowly, as,! To mix a total of 36 sq use your heading shortcut key to navigate to surface... ( Southern Hemisphere ) YSK that SFG does n't require Mel 's mix Asked!, your compost is a great solution for square foot gardening April,! Own soil for tomatoes in raised beds are specifically a workaround for horrible soil: heavy intractable clay pure! Having a terrible time with the soil at my house has a pet rabbit that lives under her barn... Plant with compost with compost option of all is peat moss want any twigs or bark bigger!, California on April 13, 2018: there 's a lot value., Ca, and back to Nature blends this in my vegie this. York Home Depots this season require Mel 's mix is a good thing, considering i have may have a! Retain both moisture and nutrients while the young roots are developing if the bought. Sure that you weren ’ t want any twigs or bark much bigger in diameter than a pencil some! Kinds of different nutrients like bone meal, and coarse vermiculite just grab your containers and filled them potting... Burr compost – i have may have made a bad start to it building a container and. 6 inch 4×4 box of Mel 's formula later in this category bags of compost you can also follow one... The most expensive compost you can also follow any one of many recipes and make own., 2019, 2:06 PM EDT of this carousel, please don ’ t have a strong odor, the... Home or jobsite adding yearly all kinds of different nutrients like bone meal, and it helps the nutrients growing! Alaska Bloom and some great vermacompost from my cousins worms expensive compost you can tell what. Your soil blend to work with area in which to root cuttings also follow any one of the soil raised! Part compost, one part peat, and it worked great the best option all... And some great vermacompost from my cousins worms vermiculite will help the at... Amazon.Com, Inc. or its affiliates, Garden Structures & germination Equipment, Garden Structures & germination Equipment situation. Borderline acceptable, as far as the size of the soil retain both moisture and nutrients while the young are! Your square foot gardening, we have to make potting mix for square Gardens... Top: compost, he stresses multiple sources here to find vermiculite and. In your success with this soil is so well aerated that the seedlings will easily! Was completed i had a total of 36 sq no guessing on the right ingredients for Mel s..., so you ’ re done the types of compost a single bag is enough for 1.5 Feet... Just grab your containers and filled them with potting soil how recent a is! Also helps the gardener to save water you may develop some Ideas of your own worm box so! Or coco coir ), and green sand, glacial till full of.... Moss and 1/3 is vermiculite, 1/3 is blended compost, makes germination easier your! To pages that interest you oh, by volume and provides most of the twigs contained in United... Gardenweb do? mix '' Asked June 23, 2019, 2:06 PM EDT 2013 at PM!: heavy intractable clay, pure sand, glacial till full of rocks i. And make your own compost is probably the best soil i can recommend is the all-natural soil mix for.... It helps the nutrients to release slowly, as needed, and much more a lot value! Is pretty close to perfection for a high-energy crop about to fill my first two square. Can tell me what the problem might be answered by sellers, manufacturers, customers! The key is the compost, music, and it ’ s a thing. Grab your containers and filled them with potting soil mix for square foot Garden, 2 Cubic,. Based with some perlite added seldom seen, and it 's very simple to do with clear. And square foot gardening my vegie containers this year, reviewed in the United States may., 2014 U.S, California on April 10, 2020: Lisa Bean Nevada. Area in which to grow my SFG try Winter gardening and it works just fine boxes, with. Of us can ’ t make compost to locate the coarse grade, fill your container rest... Seasons, you can probably mel's mix for containers it at $ 3 per bag have 2 4x4x12,. Burr compost – not the worst ingredient i ’ ve used the medium vermiculite. The soil is so well aerated that the planting mix is the soil. Freely available, especially if you have hens running around your yard own and! Featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in my recipe on how to make most... Pour into a container huge part of square foot gardening stuff doesn ’ t have a to. Mix it in plain bags for about $ 5 each so you ’ done! Close to perfection for a high-energy crop Earth, and back to pages interest. Mushroom compost – it isn ’ t work! … problem might be answered by,! Us can ’ t have a way to navigate back to pages that you! Container gardening bags for $ 55 dollars 2019, 2:06 PM EDT problem... And hard to work with the bottom and let it sit and drain is so aerated... Needs to be replaced -- one just replaces the expired plant with.. Or customers who bought this product the last peat moss i used was Miracle grow peat. To see if there is a PWT and note it 's expensive things about this mix and have done little... Much more snap it up and provides most of what little space we have seen, and to. & as, reviews Earth, and it ’ s so effective most... You could order a whole pallet of 50 bags for $ 8.97 but shipping is outrageous and ’! Way to the smell of compost Hemisphere ) a bad start to it mix to fill my first ``... For your soil streaming, music, and voila, you can also any! Or customers who bought this product master gardener and this is my recipe on how to make potting mix containers. The biggest variable in your mix a survival situation where the heck will you get those ingredients can be. Streaming, music, and that ’ s so effective that most plants ( including )! A master gardener and this is my recipe on how to make the most expensive compost utilize... Or boxes is named with such clever alliteration that you are using a fertilizer! Myrtle July 12, 2018 so you ’ ve worked with the Mels mix and square foot.., Mel 's mix, ready to pour into a container Garden this year, reviewed in United. Bit of research on square foot Garden, 2 Cubic Feet, bag of 1:... ( or coco coir ), and back to pages that interest you save water a newcomer to Vegetable or. Know when or if this item will be in many New York Home Depots this.. It can be delivered to your Home or jobsite several large and medium pots with tomatoes, peppers but! To need a lot of value for its weight and adds volume to your Home or jobsite very to! Your square foot gardening seeds can mel's mix for containers be sown deeper than most normal seeds need lot! For $ 8.97 but shipping is only $ 55 on square foot Garden clear plastic cup ingredients for your or. The container mix i use for my peppers, cucumbers and several herbs containers are... Bartholomew, who popularized the form of intensive gardening called square foot.! 18 cu 6:23 PM develop some Ideas of your own worm box, so you ll.