Square Foot Gardening Project: Step 2, Making Dirt

Reader Contribution by Allan Douglas
Published on April 12, 2011
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In this, the second installment of this series, we will make the “dirt” or Mel’s Mix needed to fill the boxes we built last time.  Mel’s Mix, as stipulated by Mel Bartholomew, author of All New Square Foot Gardening is made up of equal parts peat moss, compost and coarse ground vermiculite.  The peat keeps the mix “loose” making it easy for plants to grow and develop roots, the compost enriches the mix; providing lots of nutrients for the plants, and the vermiculite holds water; making it available to the plant roots for a longer period than regular soil would.

The first order of business in this dirt making project is to visit the local garden supply store.  No, that’s not true; the FIRST order of business is to locate a garden supply store that carries the commodities we will need, and preferably in the quantities specified in the book.  And this is where the problems started for me.

Problems

First off, call the local garden centers and ask if they carry the compressed peat, course ground vermiculite, and multiple brands of compost.  Compressed peat (according to Mel) should expand to twice its volume when removed from its bag.  Course ground vermiculite does a better job of storing water than medium or fine, and because this stuff is expensive, buying it in the big (4 cubic foot) bags will save money.  Compost is made by breaking down vegetable matter with aerobic bacteria.  If you have a large compost pile of your own, you may use that instead of buying compost.  But you want to be sure your compost is “done” before you use it.

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