Hello from Aylett, VA

I've been doing SFG for years, but mostly in a general way, because we have moved so much that I never had a chance to see my garden grow for more than a year or two.  Finally settled into my forever home (hopefully), and trying to really do this right.  I have an E shaped 18" high cinderblock raised bed which we filled with well rotted wood on the bottom hugelkulture style, then peat moss, compost, and fertilizer.  (I forgot about Mel's Mix).  And now I'm amending with Mel's Mix as I go along.  I've been very pleased with my harvests so far, but am feeling a bit overwhelmed by succession planting.

Hello Awnali, and welcome to the forum!

Are you saying that you're mixing Mel's mix into existing soil? This would be a very expensive approach to modifying soil. With SFG, we want to grow plants directly in a MM mix. Adding dirt to MM (or MM to dirt) is putting old wine in new bottles, or vice-versa.

The problem with the Hugekulture subsoil is that it's going to cook down, so your topsoil with MM will become uneven and inconsistent. The thing about MM is that it can be used on top of almost anything. I think (not sure) I've heard of people using it on top of cement patios. But certainly people with raised tables are using it right on top of wood or (again not sure) cement board. So it's not all the important to have a lush subsoil. Currently I'm playing with the idea of using Hugekulture to break down wood which will then be used in compost.

You probably already have the book, but let me just put in a plug for the

All New Square Foot Gardening (3rd ed.)

For succession planting, I usually have something going ready to go in the ground whenever a square becomes available. There may be others with more charmed lives who have a more organized approach. My organizing principles tends to relate to energy levels, a la Getting Things Done:

1. High energy - make compost
   
2. Medium energy: Maintain gardens
   
3. Low Energy: Start plants
   
4. Low, low Energy: Post in forum
   

For some reason, I seem to be at #4 a lot

Happy gardening!

markqz wrote:. . .

1. High energy - make compost
   
2. Medium energy: Maintain gardens
   
3. Low Energy: Start plants
   
4. Low, low Energy: Post in forum
   

For some reason, I seem to be at #4 a lot

Happy gardening!

Hi Awnali,  Welcome to the Forum from California.  Markqz has already mentioned a couple of problems with your approach to convert to SFG.  Putting organic material in the bottom of a taller bed means the whole bed will drop as the material breaks down.  The Foundation recommends clean sand or topsoil as a bottom fill.  It will be stable and you can top with 6-7" of Mel's Mix.  Mixing in some Mel's Mix into your current bed top fill will be a hybrid.

I hate to say to remove all of the material and do it by the book.  You may get a couple of great growing years out of what you currently have.  At some point when the bed material has significantly dropped, you may want to convert one or 2 wings to SFG by removing the remaining material and putting it into the other sections, then fill the empty wings with sand topped with 6-7" of Mel's Mix.  (And topped with a grid, of course).  

I would love to see photos of your "E" shaped bed.  Hint.  

As Markqz wrote, reading the 3rd Edition, or even the 2nd Edition, of All New Square Foot Gardening is a good way to prepare for the SFG bed(s).  Source out local composts, real composts without any fillers such as wood, peat moss, coir, sand, perlite, etc.  Coarse or super coarse vermiculite will probably need to be ordered online as big box stores and local nurseries rarely carry it any more.  Compressed bales of peat moss are the easiest to source.

If you have any questions, please ask.