Mel's Mix at Lowes

Maya Papaya wrote:

Maya Papaya wrote:Woohoo! Found it at my local Lowes' @ $12.97/2 cu. ft. in Union City, CA. Was just about to go out and get my own mix. Haven't done the math for which way will be cheaper, but just off the bat it sure seems to be so much easier to get it pre-mixed! I need to fill two 4'x8' beds so it will cost me $207.52 for the 32 cu. ft. Time is money...my daddy always said.

Thanks to the original poster for this!

Maya

Ok, I just did the math and it is $30 cheaper for me to actually buy it pre-mixed! I just have to drive 15 miles to get it. I will make the trek...no big deal. SWEEEETTTT!

Maya Papaya

How much are you calculating for vermiculite? Most people calculate approximately $35/4'x4' box vs $52 using premix. The most expensive thing is vermiculite. I've seen people buy a 4cf bag for as cheap as $15-$20, for me, I'm using $30 (which is on the high side) for a 4cf bag delivered from Uline (have not had luck finding any coarse verm in the SF and Sacramento area). 2.2cf peat (expands to 4.4cf) runs about $10, on avg, compost runs about $3 to $4 per cf. So a 4cf bag of verm, 2.2cf peat, 4cf of mixed compost should cost around $56, giving you 12cf. You need only 8cf for each 4'x4' box, so a box would run about $37. But I did buy a 4 bags of pre-mix to get the season started. Still holding out to hopefully find cheaper coarse verm locally before going to uline.

The Vermiculite is $30/4 cu. ft. Vinnie, I don't know if you need some and where your at, but a place in Berkeley has it at that price if you need it. Telling you, I did the math, and it is about the same in cost for me anyway and I'm not trying to scour for cheaper prices because in the long run you just beat yourself up looking for the ingredients, gas, time, labor of mixing.

That's just me though.

Cheers,

Maya Papaya

Some folks have more time than money.
Some folks have more money than time.
It's what makes the world go round.

Vinny's numbers are in the ballpark. By mixing his own, he'll save nearly enough money to pay for another box.

One of the reasons Mel suggests starting small the first year, is to give new gardeners time to make their own compost for more boxes the second year. It's a money saver.

I bought several bags of it at the Oro Valley (Tucson), AZ Home Depot about a month ago. It's in the garden center at the back.

Ok, I must admit that finding out that Mel's Mix was going to be available at Lowe's has sort of felt like a swift kick to the head I live in a fairly small town in the middle of nowhere New Mexico and while we do have a Lowe's it is a smaller version of big cities Lowe's and they did not carry any of the components I needed to make Mel's Mix except for peat moss. So I had to make two round trips (totaling 1000 miles of travel) to Albuquerque to get everything I needed. Then I had to mix a total of 36 cubic feet of mix by hand and by myself in the scorching New Mexico heat (ok so it was a pleasant 72 degrees outside but I'm making a point here). It was days of back breaking work and ended up being very expensive, especially considering all the travel, only to find out that now even my little Lowe's that never has anything in stock will be carrying Mel's Mix in a convenient 2 cu. ft. bag for only $13.97.... ugh, oh well at least I can say I did it all the hard way and got some exercise LOL

Lowes in Waterford, CT has it -- $17.99 per bag.

Linda

I ended up buying stuff to mix my own. I saved about $20 for one 4'x8' and one 2'x10'. Anyone ever use Bumper Crop? Apparently it is very good.

Maya Papaya

Santa Clarita Lowe's has it . I was going to mix it myself because I have some pete laying around, but I try to talk with my money when I can. So I'm going to speak up for Mel's mix right now!

The Mission Valley store in San Diego, CA has it.

It looks like So Cal has it everywhere. My closest is in Temecula and I saw it for the first time this last weekend. I was really shocked. The closest vermiculite is 60 miles away so at $3 a gallon @20 mpg, it is a wash. BUT I do save on labor and that counts. I have 3 more boxes to put in and am very excited.

Hey - new person here on the forum. I was quite discouraged to find The Mix apparently so hard to find. But I did a search here at the Santa Fe, NM Lowe's anyway and ....

THEY HAVE IT!

Of course, like everything ELSE Santa Fe, it's going for SIXTEEN FORTY ONE! Lordy, that's $16.41 for a measly 2cuft!

And, this is a whole year later than everyone else's posts so maybe Lowe's HEARD ya'll and is now doing better at stocking at all their stores.

Now I just have to save my lunch money to buy some.

oxmyx1

So glad you joined us. Always nice to welcome a new member.

Because you were looking for Mel's Mix, you must have read the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING book. I have to say, I refer to my book all the time.

You may find that it is less expensive to create your own Mel's Mix, rather than purchase the ready made. Most of us do not have the option to purchase premade. I noticed in another post that you found a good deal on the 4 X 8 beds. Christmas and a new garden coming along. Sounds like fun.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Again, Welcome!

Well, I thought I found a way to get the premix in Charlotte NC, but after I was told my Lowes could order it from the West Coast store I got a call the next day and was told they couldn't get it from 1 store to the other; how weird!!!!!!!!!!!! I just need to wait for the premix or find another option b/c it's too much work to start mixing my own ingredients for a 1st time gardener who is green to all of this; at least 1 thing should be easy to make me keep going! I'm afraid if I start mixing and get the formula wrong, it might lead me to giving up if the crops don't do well.


Just my 2 cents and utter frustration

Reelbizzy, what is the premix? Let me know if you get it and if it works.

I am in Fort Mill, and if you need any help finding stuff for your mix, I was exactly where you are about 5 months ago, and I can tell you what worked for me.

Best of luck. And trust me, the pain in the beginning is TOTALLY worth it. I just had the most delish zucchini stir fry from my garden today, and I was in heaven. You simply cannot get that kind of flavor or satisfaction from a store!

Wahoo! Available in Atlanta, $17.99. I haven't started searching for all the ingredients to mix my own and do a price comparison, but happy to know it is an option. Way to go SFG!

Reelbizzy wrote:Well, I thought I found a way to get the premix in Charlotte NC, but after I was told my Lowes could order it from the West Coast store I got a call the next day and was told they couldn't get it from 1 store to the other; how weird!!!!!!!!!!!! I just need to wait for the premix or find another option b/c it's too much work to start mixing my own ingredients for a 1st time gardener who is green to all of this; at least 1 thing should be easy to make me keep going! I'm afraid if I start mixing and get the formula wrong, it might lead me to giving up if the crops don't do well.


Just my 2 cents and utter frustration

From a fellow NC gardener here is the mix I used and it worked great in my table tops and my son's pond beds. Black Kow, Black Hen, Black Kow company makes a mushroom compost, Moo-nure from Lowes or Home Depot (can't remember which), and Dr. Campbell's soil Amendment made from the finest NC pig poop. Mix that all together for your blended composts. Then measure out compost, fluffed up compressed peat moss, and vermiculite in equal parts. If you get good composts, the rest is EASY. This is to get you started. Then if you start your own compost pile, by next spring you should have some homemade compost to add between crops.

I was able to buy extra of the composts and mixed up a 5 blend supply that I am keeping in Rubbermaid bins in the garage for use between crops.

capatl wrote:Wahoo! Available in Atlanta, $17.99. I haven't started searching for all the ingredients to mix my own and do a price comparison, but happy to know it is an option. Way to go SFG!

Can you tell me which Lowe's in Atlanta? I can't find a place to refine my search -- it only gives me the 5 nearest stores to me (I'm in Woodstock and the website cookies already knew that). Unavailable at all those stores. I would drive to anywhere in the ATL area to buy it!

I'm hoping to get a community garden plot next summer but I think I would give up before doing all the driving to different places and mixing for 4 new boxes. But if I save up I just might pay for the bagged mix . . .

Hi Uprooted!

It is the Lowe's in the Edgewood Shopping center on Caroline St, which is off Moreland Ave, a few exits east of 85/75 on I20. I used the zip code 30316 to find it. I assume they are carrying it due to the wonderful rise in urban/community gardening in the city.

Good luck with your gardening!

jazzymaddy wrote:Reelbizzy, what is the premix? Let me know if you get it and if it works.

I am in Fort Mill, and if you need any help finding stuff for your mix, I was exactly where you are about 5 months ago, and I can tell you what worked for me.

Hey jazzymaddy,

The premix is the Mel's Mix formula already made and ready to use. I don't have to do the work which would be less worry for me since i'm totally new to any gardening. Never in my life did I think I'd be pharmaceutical girl from Jersey turned gardener in NC. I think I'll wait for my husband to come home from his trip and we'll go riding 4hrs to GA to pick some up (thanks the GA folks for writing in). Can't wait; now I'm all excited again.

reelbizzy,
You can probably get your Lowes to get it in for you, if the pre-mixed is what you want.
But, you are not very far from the manufacturer of vermiculite. Palmetto Vermiculite is in Woodruff, SC. They sell it for 12 dollars per 4 CF. 800-729-2796

capatl wrote:Hi Uprooted!

It is the Lowe's in the Edgewood Shopping center on Caroline St, which is off Moreland Ave, a few exits east of 85/75 on I20. I used the zip code 30316 to find it. I assume they are carrying it due to the wonderful rise in urban/community gardening in the city.

Good luck with your gardening!

Thanks, captl -- are you sure you were searching on the soil (listed as Garden Time SFG soil) and not the All New SFG book? When I searched that store for the soil, it came up as unavailable. However, when I searched it for the book, it shows it as avail. at $17.99.

I could not put in Garden time as a search term, though. I put in Square Foot Gardening Soil. The first result that comes up is the book. However, listed under "Customers Also Viewed" is the Garden Time SFG soil.

Omg! I am so sorry! You are right, I just went back and checked. I really hope no one drove all the way here because of my post! I'm just going to keep my novice mouth shut and keeping reading, lol.

Thanks for pointing out my error! Darn, and I was so excited too!

Uprooted wrote:

Thanks, captl -- are you sure you were searching on the soil (listed as Garden Time SFG soil) and not the All New SFG book? When I searched that store for the soil, it came up as unavailable. However, when I searched it for the book, it shows it as avail. at $17.99.

I could not put in Garden time as a search term, though. I put in Square Foot Gardening Soil. The first result that comes up is the book. However, listed under "Customers Also Viewed" is the Garden Time SFG soil.

Ahhh, that explains the $17.99 price! I was wondering why it would be so high there...here in AZ it's $12.97 per bag.

Have all of you Georgia folks called your local Lowe's and ask them to do a search on the Garden Time MM?

No worries, captl -- no harm, no foul! And I think most of us are newbies here, don't assume most people have special knowledge you don't, please keep contributing!

AZDYJ2K wrote:
Ahhh, that explains the $17.99 price! I was wondering why it would be so high there...here in AZ it's $12.97 per bag.

Have all of you Georgia folks called your local Lowe's and ask them to do a search on the Garden Time MM?

I wouldn't be surprised at a price hike in a product selling in small quantities so far from its source. I haven't called my local Lowe's because I'm not actually even sure I will be using it. I won't be needing much more Mel's mix here in my yard (I might do a small box or two but I have enough ingredients for that). However, if I get a community garden plot next year I would really love to just dump bags of premade mix into my boxes rather than go through the mixing process for 3 boxes -- I found that a pretty exhausting and backbreaking experience for just one box! I'd pay extra to be able to do that for sure.

This is fabulous news! I am new to SFG and trying to put together my first batch of Mel's Mix. I checked our local Lowes but no luck. My daughter-in-law works at Lowes, though, so I will see if she can find out anything.