Soil is still confusing me

saturnfire16 · 04-23-2012, 10:41 AM

I think I want to use compost, vermiculite and peat moss for my raised beds. Or I thought I did until I saw the prices.

Would it work the same to get some top soil (from public land maybe

or see if anyone is giving it away), and then put the compost/vermiculite/peat moss mix in each hole that I did for each plant rather than in the whole raised bed?

Does that make sense?

Macky · 04-23-2012, 05:29 PM

Your proposal would be problematic, yes. BBL... gotta get supper made.

Macky · 04-23-2012, 08:26 PM

I've encountered this question a few times while reading on GardenWeb. Most often, the question regards digging down into substandard soil and just removing it and replacing it with good soil. Replies on those threads were nearly unanimous, if I recall. Doing that makes, in effect, a large bathtub that inhibits proper drainage because the native soil is so much more dense than the lighter medium it's replaced with. Your idea would be somewhat similar, but on a much smaller scale (a mini tub for each plant). You could cut the vermiculite/compost/peat moss mix with native soil to decrease costs. That would work. If your bed isn't lined, you could just build the area up with entirely native soil (ammended only if necessary) and plant the plants and seeds in that. That's what all of us in-ground gardeners do.

Why do you think you need vermiculite? That's something we use for potted plants to help with drainage

Blue-EyedLady · 04-23-2012, 08:35 PM

That's the soil recipe recommended by square foot gardening.

Soil is expensive. I have 2 large raised beds that were quite expensive to fill. I found a mulch mix that was $5 for 2 cu ft. I mixed that with horse manure (free for the hauling) and homemade compost mix.

saturnfire16 · 04-29-2012, 12:14 PM

I ended up going with bags of top soil and bumper crop compost. I hope it works!

Blue-EyedLady · 04-29-2012, 02:36 PM

Sounds like a good mix. Certainly it will be fertile enough to grow a few plants.

canadiyank · 05-06-2012, 11:25 PM

I did native soil (terrible heavy clay) mixed half and half with free dairy compost from my neighbour (works at a dairy and brought me several trailer loads...I paid him for gas, great deal for me!) in my raised beds. Not ideal, but things grow.

I'm gradually amending with homemade compost and spent potting soil from hanging baskets, etc. It's actually terribly funny to look at b/c there are clumps of clay and clumps of compost, but it's working. <shrug> As I work the beds I crumble the clumps so hopefully in the next decade they'll all be incorporated together.

saturnfire16 · 05-07-2012, 10:42 AM

I planted on the 27th and nothing is sprouting yet. Did I mess it up? Or am I being too impatient?

canadiyank · 05-07-2012, 02:18 PM

Impatient.

It always takes longer than I think it should!

04-23-2012, 10:41 AM	#1
saturnfire16 Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Eastern CA Posts: 9,119	Soil is still confusing me I think I want to use compost, vermiculite and peat moss for my raised beds. Or I thought I did until I saw the prices. Would it work the same to get some top soil (from public land maybe or see if anyone is giving it away), and then put the compost/vermiculite/peat moss mix in each hole that I did for each plant rather than in the whole raised bed? Does that make sense? __________________ ~Emily INTJ, Type 4 Wife to D Mama to: E 12/05 L 7/08 Z 12/10 A 6/14 and J in heaven 2/10 Torah Keeping, Unschooling Family My blog on unschooling and family life: Peace On Dark Nights.

04-23-2012, 05:29 PM	#2
Macky Deactivated Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Rural Saskatchewan Posts: 4,449	Re: Soil is still confusing me Your proposal would be problematic, yes. BBL... gotta get supper made.

04-23-2012, 08:26 PM	#3
Macky Deactivated Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Rural Saskatchewan Posts: 4,449	Re: Soil is still confusing me I've encountered this question a few times while reading on GardenWeb. Most often, the question regards digging down into substandard soil and just removing it and replacing it with good soil. Replies on those threads were nearly unanimous, if I recall. Doing that makes, in effect, a large bathtub that inhibits proper drainage because the native soil is so much more dense than the lighter medium it's replaced with. Your idea would be somewhat similar, but on a much smaller scale (a mini tub for each plant). You could cut the vermiculite/compost/peat moss mix with native soil to decrease costs. That would work. If your bed isn't lined, you could just build the area up with entirely native soil (ammended only if necessary) and plant the plants and seeds in that. That's what all of us in-ground gardeners do. Why do you think you need vermiculite? That's something we use for potted plants to help with drainage

04-23-2012, 08:35 PM	#4
Blue-EyedLady Rose Garden The Lion Cub Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Northern Arizona Posts: 10,798	Re: Soil is still confusing me That's the soil recipe recommended by square foot gardening. Soil is expensive. I have 2 large raised beds that were quite expensive to fill. I found a mulch mix that was $5 for 2 cu ft. I mixed that with horse manure (free for the hauling) and homemade compost mix. __________________ Mama to The Engineer (7 yo) "When I grow up, I'm going to build Highway 100!" The Imaginative Adventurer (4.5 yo) "I'm going to rescue you!" and The Lion Cub (1 yo)- Smart, cute, strong, and unstoppable! Sister to BlessedBlue forever Co-Founder and Lead Writer at Food Allergies On Ice

04-29-2012, 12:14 PM	#5
saturnfire16 Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Eastern CA Posts: 9,119	Re: Soil is still confusing me I ended up going with bags of top soil and bumper crop compost. I hope it works! __________________ ~Emily INTJ, Type 4 Wife to D Mama to: E 12/05 L 7/08 Z 12/10 A 6/14 and J in heaven 2/10 Torah Keeping, Unschooling Family My blog on unschooling and family life: Peace On Dark Nights.

04-29-2012, 02:36 PM	#6
Blue-EyedLady Rose Garden The Lion Cub Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Northern Arizona Posts: 10,798	Re: Soil is still confusing me Sounds like a good mix. Certainly it will be fertile enough to grow a few plants. __________________ Mama to The Engineer (7 yo) "When I grow up, I'm going to build Highway 100!" The Imaginative Adventurer (4.5 yo) "I'm going to rescue you!" and The Lion Cub (1 yo)- Smart, cute, strong, and unstoppable! Sister to BlessedBlue forever Co-Founder and Lead Writer at Food Allergies On Ice

05-06-2012, 11:25 PM	#7
canadiyank Deactivated Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central WA Posts: 17,196	Re: Soil is still confusing me I did native soil (terrible heavy clay) mixed half and half with free dairy compost from my neighbour (works at a dairy and brought me several trailer loads...I paid him for gas, great deal for me!) in my raised beds. Not ideal, but things grow. I'm gradually amending with homemade compost and spent potting soil from hanging baskets, etc. It's actually terribly funny to look at b/c there are clumps of clay and clumps of compost, but it's working. <shrug> As I work the beds I crumble the clumps so hopefully in the next decade they'll all be incorporated together.

05-07-2012, 10:42 AM	#8
saturnfire16 Rose Garden Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Eastern CA Posts: 9,119	Re: Soil is still confusing me I planted on the 27th and nothing is sprouting yet. Did I mess it up? Or am I being too impatient? __________________ ~Emily INTJ, Type 4 Wife to D Mama to: E 12/05 L 7/08 Z 12/10 A 6/14 and J in heaven 2/10 Torah Keeping, Unschooling Family My blog on unschooling and family life: Peace On Dark Nights.

05-07-2012, 02:18 PM	#9
canadiyank Deactivated Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central WA Posts: 17,196	Re: Soil is still confusing me Impatient. It always takes longer than I think it should!

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