How to Make Square Foot Gardening Soil Mix – in Real Time
In this video we show you in real time how we make our Square Foot Gardening Soil and use it to fill a 4×2 raised bed. We use Mel Bartholomew’s All New Square Foot Gardening book’s instructions for Mel’s Mix as our guide. Ideally you want: 1/3 Compost and/or manure (preferably a blend of various organic sources) 1/3 Peat Moss (Coconut Fibre is a good natural renewable resource alternative) 1/3 Vermiculite (use Perlite if Vermiculite is unavailable) Vermiculite works like a SPONGE in your garden. It retains water for slow release of nutrients. It also aerates the soil which helps roots dig deep easily with little resistance. Peat moss retains moisture and provides nutrients. Compost and manure are nutrient rich. It is best to get a good mix of sources to provide lots of various nutrients for your vegetables.
25 Responses to How to Make Square Foot Gardening Soil Mix – in Real Time
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@utubegardenact me too
BizenDk
January 2, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Very nice channel! I’m subscribing
utubegardenact
January 2, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Amanda, I have a shovel just like that.. ha! and Randy you’d the Boss
dianemummvideos
January 2, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I’m thinking “cement mixer” I have a small one and think that it would be great for this. But, I know I would not be getting get the work-out I need. LOL Great video!!
loislaney23
January 2, 2012 at 11:22 pm
@MobyDave1583 You can plant in top soil if you want, but you have to keep in mind that compost will really help your soil with nutrients. Top soil by itself may or may not work as you hope for… I would stick to the tried and true methods that you know work. This mix works VERY well! 😉 -Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 12:20 am
Greetings from Winterpeg:
I’ve been thuinking real hard latly about putting in some raised gardens It will be my first garden in over 20 years, I was just thinking of getting a few yards of top soil only. Would be that be ok by itself or do I need the compost and vermitulite as well?
Dave
MobyDave1583
January 3, 2012 at 12:43 am
@pigeonracerx Send some of that crap our way! LOL! -Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 1:03 am
@munkhzaya84 Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner… sometimes we don’t get messages saying there is a comment! You could use plain old regular soil as well. But compost is probably best. -Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 1:54 am
@JuankyHD Vermiculite is a natural product so I guess you could call this mix organic. No chemicals. -Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 2:15 am
Since it has vermiculite, ould you consider this mix organic?
JuankyHD
January 3, 2012 at 2:22 am
@GettingThereGreen All’s good this year. I’m making my own compost in my back yard. I’m fortunate to have homing pigeons, so I’ve got a pretty much endless supply of bird crap that keeps the pile warm.
pigeonracerx
January 3, 2012 at 2:39 am
@pigeonracerx aw that sucks! I did find tiny ground up pieces of what looked to be plastic bags but that’s the worst I came across in my city compost. ~Amanda
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 2:46 am
I got compost from my local gov’t last year and got a shitload of dead squirrels, chipmunks, soda bottles, and potato chip bags.
pigeonracerx
January 3, 2012 at 3:03 am
Please mail me some of your rain… good video !
Teddybearcop48
January 3, 2012 at 3:56 am
I wish I would have seen this before I created mine last year. owell… I still can add this to my beds.
Thanks for making.
Devin
BBO
badboyorganics
January 3, 2012 at 4:30 am
if i cant find compost what can i replace it with ?
munkhzaya84
January 3, 2012 at 4:58 am
Looks great you guys !
You make a good team.
I’m under water here in NE Ohio too.
GypsyGardener2
January 3, 2012 at 5:37 am
thanks its great how you guys get it done.
TheJustonemore
January 3, 2012 at 6:33 am
@notanothervideoclip lol, we did throw all the ingredients into the beds last year and mixed right in the beds… wasn’t as thorough for us. Perhaps if we’d have done one small part at a time it would have been easier. 🙂 – Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 7:17 am
@myveggigarden When doing such a large amount as we needed it would have taken too long to do small parts, mix in tarp, repeat. We did mix in a tarp last year, but didn’t have nearly the amount we had this year. She sheer weight of all that is more than any “normal” person can lift… so we opted to use a hoe and rake. Thanks for the comment! – Randy
GettingThereGreen
January 3, 2012 at 7:46 am
Me’s book says to put all the ingredients on a tarp and lift the edges until the product mixes. I found this task impossibly heavy and awkward to do. I ended up tossing into the final bed a shovel of peat, shovel of vermiculite, shovel of compost then repeat until I was done with all ingredients. just mixed in the bed any that was not already mixed up.
notanothervideoclip
January 3, 2012 at 7:46 am
I would have divided the compost, peat moss and Vermiculite into 3 batches. Than instead of mixing with rack and hoe, I lift the trap till the mixture just touches the other edge. than lift trap till the soil touches the opposite side. Than go thru all four side. Finally bring the soil in center. This faster and less time consuming. Also since, you are working with less soil, you can pour the soil in bed easily.
myveggigarden
January 3, 2012 at 8:32 am
Thank you for the advice on the mix!
99lunalupis
January 3, 2012 at 9:25 am
@GettingThereGreen I think it’s a breath of fresh air. With all the drama in the world it’s nice to see couples working together and enjoying each other instead of fighting with each other. Just lovely. 🙂
Tanyia48
January 3, 2012 at 10:10 am
If you have anything that is light and dusty that blows away easily in the wind, moisten it with water before mixing it.
I do that with wood ashes. Otherwise the ashes will blow away and do no good at all for the garden soil.
CelticSouthland
January 3, 2012 at 10:17 am