A new SFG fan from Texas

New to SFG.  Reading Mel’s book (2nd addition) and these blogs/forums.  I’m trying to soak up as much info as I can - really want to grow our own food, successfully.  So.... hello from zone 8a, North Texas.

Welcome Masto!  Glad you are discovering SFGing!  It is the BOMB!  Can’t wait to hear what your plans are!

Masto, Welcome to the Forum from Central California! What are your hopes and dreams for SFG?

Hi Mastogarden! Welcome also from Atlanta, GA.

Yes, please. Fill us in on your juicy details!

  Texas.    from Redding, CA (zone 9)

Humus manure... good or bad? I’m out shopping for composts today (right now actually)

Thanks for being so welcoming. Currently, we have two beds built: (1) 4’x6’x11”. (2) 4’x4’x7.5”. We plan on tomatoes , peppers, carrots, strawberries, herbs, lettuce variety, cucumbers, snap peas.

Plantains... as weather season permits per vegetable and/or fruit.

We have the beds built. One is raised off the ground and one is on top of ground with sand under.

We just went out and purchased our compost mix, peat moss & vermiculite.

Today, we mix it all up!

Photos! We love photos.

PS Did you line the beds with weed fabric?

Welcome from Arkansas!

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Filling one bed and running short on time for bed #2. We will have to finish filling bed #2 .

Bed #1 is raised with an attached bottom. Bed #2 (the 4x4) is resting on top of our old horseshoe pit. We rested the bed on top of sand and a thin layer of cardboard strips.


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Here are the ingredients.

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Woo-hoo! And a couple of thoughts...

Be sure to fluff the peat moss before measuring!

The cotton burr - not sure how much nutrition it has. (Haven't seen it around my area... Anyone?) But it will add bulk, which is good.

Keep an eye out for sand & wood chips. I think that's the biggest problem I've seen in the Atlanta area. (That's a good reason for making your own.)

So, when do you mix & fill? :-)

We fluffed the peat moss in a wheel barrel first.... then, scooped every compost ingredient. We used a cement mixer (Lol). After the composts mixed and I smoothed out any clumps I could see, we added the same amount peat moss to the compost mix. Finally, we added same amount of vermiculite at the end. The cement mixer seemed to work well. (We didn’t have any cement residue in it). Although, I think mixing with a tarp might have been faster; however, we didn’t have a big enough tarp.

I messed up on the peat moss. I price checked at Home Depot and found it to be a compressed 3.9 block (expanding to 8cu ft). However, we ended up at Lowe’s when we purchased some other items and grabbed two blocks of uncompressed peat moss that was only 3.9 cu ft each. I’ll be going back to Home Depot for more vermiculite since the online price skyrocket within the week. I had purchased two vermiculite at really good prices on amazon. Went online yesterday and it had skyrocketed. I didn’t see any vermiculite at Lowe’s but I know Home Depot has it. Lowe’s, however, has a better selection of compost.

I intend to get more of everything since I need more vermiculite to start seeds and to fill some patio containers. After mixing this stuff yesterday and feeling the difference.... I. Want. More.

Yeah, that vermiculite... You can tell it's getting to be spring....

And you sound like me, lol! I've got several bags in the truck ready to be fluffed & put together for new beds.

Masto - Thank you for posting photos of the beds and your purchases. You did really, really good buying them.

From the photo, it looks like the peat moss is "compressed". ?? The bag is square. What you may have is newly packaged that has not gotten wet and and dried, then hardened. I just don't want you to end up with a 1:1:2 ration heavy of peat moss. Using a cement mixer is a nifty idea.

The cotton burr looks like it is composted. http://www.backtonaturecompost.com/cbc.html

Sanderson, thank you. We definitely had to do some research and shop around. We DID fluff out the moss. I’m still a little concerned that we may have been a little heavier with the moss.... that we are ok.

Now, I need to figure out which seeds, of my chosen garden, need to be planted indoors right now. I, also, need to do my homework and note, on my calendar, what seeds need to be started indoors/outdoors and sowed. I need to get that part organized so I have a chance at growing for my family. .

I sincerely appreciate each “welcome” and advice!!!

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Oh, and keep a journal. This first year will be the greatest learning curve. It's fun to read it in the winter.

If you think you were a little heavy on the peat moss, you can add more compost. Heck, I started out with Kellogg's "soil amendment" instead of blended compost. The folks on this Forum helped me get through that first year. I also immediately started making my own compost.

PS I sent you a Private Message (blinking red light at the top).

Ok. I will look for the message after I type this.

I have been creating a notebook/spreadsheet with, what I anticipate, what’s important. Meaning, then crops I intend to grow, dates for indoor or outdoor seeding OR purchased transplants - based on my zones projected last frost date (via farmers almanac). Plus, dates to the approximate harvest date. Also, things to watch for and companions.

I am half way through my list. I’ll have to finish tomorrow and get started with certain crops immediately it looks like.

Compost: we have a friend who is giving us pallets so we can create a 3 section area- we want to be organized/neat. I started keeping kitchen scraps this past week for a compost. I’ve been bugging the hubby about composting, we have a ton of leaves and twigs around here. So, he went out and got himself a toy, a gas chipper. . We also have 13 acres about an hour from here and can use it out there as well. we have already begun our pile - it’s just a pile at the moment, until we get the pallets.



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Ok. I’m using my iPad to use this site. I’m not seeing a red blinking light, nor am I seeing private message area?

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Jayme wrote:Compost:  we have a friend who is giving us pallets so we can create a 3 section area- we want to be organized/neat.  I started keeping kitchen scraps this past week for a compost.  I’ve been bugging the hubby about composting, we have a ton of leaves and twigs around here.  So, he went out and got himself a toy, a gas chipper.  . We also have 13 acres about an hour from here and can use it out there as well.   we have already begun our pile - it’s just a pile at the moment, until we get the pallets.  

Hi Masto! Those new beds are looking good!