Search found 41 matches for 3

Hi everyone, from Cocoa, FL

T0beus, Welcome to the Forum from California.

Uline also carries coarse (#3) and super coarse (#4) vermiculite with a minimum order of 2 4-cu ft bags.

How do I source Mels Mix for 190 cu ft????

Hi Merry,  Welcome to the Forum from California!

Have you read the 2nd or 3rd Edition of All New Square Foot Gardening?  It's basically a must to under stand why only 6-7" of Mel's Mix is all that 97% of all veggies need.  Everything the plant needs is right there in the top 6".  Nutrients, water and something for the roots to grow into.

You wrote:

I have one 2x20
         Four 3x8
         two 2x2
and two L shaped approximately 2x7 ish.

Doing the math, I come up with: 2'x20' = 40 sq ft
3'x8' x 4 beds = 96 sq ft
2'x2' x 2 beds = 8 sq ft
and 2'x7' x 2 beds = 28

That is a total of 172 sq ft.  The total Mel's Mix is half or 86 cu ft.  Divided by 3 = 28.7 cu ft each of vermiculite, FLUFFED UP peat moss and blended composts.  That's a little over 1 cu yard of each.

-Peat moss comes in compressed bales.  Since it fluffs up to 150%, you only need 19 cu ft.

-Coarse Vermiculite comes in 4 cubic foot bags so you will need 7+ bags.  Uline Grade #3 is the cheapest for the volume you need.  Farm Tek and A.M.Leonard also carry coarse.  Check on prices and shipping to see which is the best deal for you.

-You will need at least 29 cu. ft bags of composts.  Actually more, because every time you plant, you will add more composts to bring it up to the height it started.

If you really want 12" beds, the SFG Foundation recommends washed sand or top soil for the bottom filler.  Since you already have sandy soil, you don't need anymore bottom filler.  Beds made from 2"x8" common lumber will be 7 1/2" high for the Mel's Mix plus a little room for summer and/or winter mulch.

I sketched out what I think is your proposed garden and it will just fit on a 20' x 20' plot with 3' isles between each bed.  If you do end up fencing it in, you will need a 3' exterior perimeter isle resulting in a 26' x 26' plot of fence land.

Since you are in the land of Coast of Maine Lobster Quoddy, I have to caution you about composts containing peat moss as fillers.  COM can have up to 40-50% peat moss which mean it is only 50-60% compost.  Learn to ready compost labels.  I swear that the more expensive a compost, the more fillers it has.    You don't want biosolids/humanure, peat moss, coir, perlite, sand, wood or bark fines.  Limit manure-based compost to 20-30% of the total composts.  Try to find other sources such as veggie-based, greenwaste-based, mushroom compost, cotton burr (probably not in Mass.)

Final note.  Forum member Docwas is a SFG Certified Instructor and a Master Gardener, and is active with the Foundation.  As his Master Gardener final project, he compared 2 identical 4' x 4' beds planted with the identical crops.  One bed had 6" of MM, the other 12".  The result was no difference in weight of produce, height, width or health of plants.

Garden layout video for 4' x 4' beds

It was enticing which is why I made this separate thread. But, it does not work for every region or zone, pest or disease control, or purpose of harvests. Even the planting examples in the 3rd Edition of ANSFG on pages 23, 53 and #3 on 54 will not work for everyone. At the SFG Foundation level, we are looking at the 3rd Edition for improvements and corrections in the next edition.

Square Foot Garden #2 and Compost

A 3-bin set up is the best. Ignore the signs. Fill #1 to the top and turn the hot compost back and forth between #1 and #2. When the compost is ready to use, it goes into #3.


I was stuck with a single bin, which meant I had to take everything out and put it back in to turn it.

Vermiculite (size/grade) question

I just looked at my bag of vermiculite. Therm-o-rock #2 coarse grade. The #3 is medium grade. So you can see the labeling is different for each company, this one being in Arizona.

Butterfly Junction

I finally found a number to get through to Suz.  

They have already evacuated twice and are waiting at the Animal Sanctuary to see if they have to go again.  There are no hotels within a 100 miles.  The Indian Casino opened their facility, filled up immediately and now there are folks sleeping on the floor.  The blind animals have already been moved to a safe area but there are still dogs and other barn animals.  The family is together and trying to figure out Option #3, with Options #1 and 2 having passed.

This is the fire map of the Carr Fire.  The Blue Dot is where they live.  Over 44,500 acres and only 3% contained.  Suz said that if anyone saw the fire tornado on the news, it is not the one that they had, but they had one of their own.

Carr Fire Press Conference at 4 PM - July 27, 2018

"The fire became very active throughout the evening. Firefighters continue to work aggressively to build containment lines around the Carr Fire. Their efforts have been hampered overnight due to extreme fire behavior and challenging wind conditions. Continued hot dry weather is forecasted for the remainder of the week with triple digit temperatures. The number of damaged and destroyed structures reflected may change throughout the duration of the fire."  1,748 personnel, 110 engines, plus helicopters, bulldozers, etc.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/at-least-2-dead-scores-of-homes-lost-as-fire-sweeps-through-redding/ar-BBL78Mf?li=BBnbcA1

Butterfly Junction

Turan wrote:I think I see some version of earthboxes in your future.  I bet the different balconies have different amounts of light and so could grow different types of salad bar type stuff.  "Honey, could you run over to balcony #3 to get me a handful of lettuce and come back via balcony #5 for a couple cherry tomatoes? O, and the dill on balcony #4 is perfect now, get some of that too. Thanks!" 

Congratulations on your new spread!

Mel encouraged beds close to the house!

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

sanderson wrote:I vote for #3.

I like that as well.  And it's also a lot less work than sifting.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

I vote for #3.

California - What are you doing this month?

Today I unloaded the 4th batch of compost from the Lifetime Tumbler and made #5.  This is what a finished batch looks like, still lumpy with pasteurized horse pucks!  (pile #3)  


This is what it looks like after a few months in the beds, under straw mulch, after the worms and microorganisms are done with it.    

I consider Berkeley hot compost to be safe and ready for the beds, not necessarily to feed the current plants, but as nutrients for the next season plants.  Right now I am pulling summer plants from the beds and adding new compost, roughly mixing it in.  What a pleasure working on the beds with the new wood chip isles

Here are my starts for October 1 planting.  I was 3 weeks late starting the seedlings so they are a little behind schedule.

California - What are you doing this month?

Teaser #3:

Compost Heaps

A third bin is also great. Turn #2 into #3. Turn #1 into #2. Repeat going backwards. Or a third bin for finished compost.

Have you started looking for bagged composts in case you need to supplement? Have you looked at this thread? https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t21089-recommended-store-bought-compost?highlight=compost

California - What are you doing this month?

Ever write a reply, complete with photos, and forget to send or save draft?  So here goes another try.

I emptied Tumbler batch #3 this evening after 21 days and I am very happy.  It smells good and the only lumps are actual horse pucks that didn't break up.  Only 101*F at 6:30*F.  Tumbler batch #4 will be built tomorrow after Ken mows the new bedding straw and I cut up five 5-gallon buckets of tonight's haul of culls from the Farmers' Market.  I've already done the Starbuck's puck dance.    Expected 104*F tomorrow.    


Compare to lumpy #2 after 35 days.

Tips for compost tumbler

trolleydriver wrote:And if that does not work this thing may find itself advertised on kijiji.

 I know how you feel.  My Tumbler #1 stuff that was a bust is stored in the holey 33-gallon can.  Just siting there. I hope #4 turns out as good as lumpy #2 and less-lumpy #3.

Tips for compost tumbler

Today is day #21 and I will be emptying my Lifetime tumbler.  The temps are 120-130*F but it smells good.  Starting a new one tomorrow with husband's help in picking up a new bail of straw, mowing some of the flakes, collecting Starbucks and horse manure.  Tonight I will work my magic on the farmer market vendors for their culls!    Ken will carry the buckets to the truck.  You are probably wondering how I can claim that it's my compost when Ken does all the heavy lifting.  Well, tomorrow I will cut up the culls and build #3 tumbler.  102*F  And turn and nurture it for days.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

sanderson wrote:What do the contents look like in #3?  My first batch was not impressive because I did not fill it to the top at the beginning and it had a hard time reaching any temp.  I put the contents in a perforated 33-gal can to slowly decompose.  The second batch, which was a full one, is now 25 days old and bouncing around 110-120*F.

I think you will do better when you build your next batch, topping off at the very beginning and not adding any thing else!

The contents of #3 appear to be too wet. The lid does not seal well and with all the rain we have had mositure got into the bin. The other thing I've noticed is that there are what appear to be round/oval balls of material. I need to empty the bin and get a real good look at what is inside. However, we have visitors arriving today who will be here for the rest of the week so there will be very little activity for me out in the garden until next week. I agree with your comment about starting out with a full batch rather than adding material over a few days.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

What do the contents look like in #3? My first batch was not impressive because I did not fill it to the top at the beginning and it had a hard time reaching any temp. I put the contents in a perforated 33-gal can to slowly decompose. The second batch, which was a full one, is now 25 days old and bouncing around 110-120*F.

I think you will do better when you build your next batch, topping off at the very beginning and not adding any thing else!

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Looks like #3 is still doing some composting, which is a good thing at that temp and your air temp. "Mesophilic organisms (actinomycetes) . . . reassert themselves. . . the decay of the most resistant plant component, lignin, is completed."

My Lifetime bin is down to 120*F, day 19.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #2 (SoilSaver) - Temps for 3 days - 134, 146, 147F - nice!

Bin #3 (EnviroCycle) - Remains steady with 3 day temps of 103, 107, 106F.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #2 (plastic SoilSaver) has been reloaded with the second batch for 2017. Temperature after loading was 70F on Friday July 14. Then yesterday it was up to 110F and today it's at 132F.

Bin #3 (EnviroCycle tumbler) continues to hover around 100F with temps of 102, 100 and 102 over the last three readings.

Outside temperature at the time of the readings was 77F.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #3 - Three day temperatures for July 11 to 13 -  108F, 108F, 98F

Contents are very wet probably due to the excessive rainfall and the fact that the tumbler is not watertight. Today was turning day after taking the temperature reading.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #3 - Three day temperatures for July 8 to 10 -  116F, 112F, 106F

I turned this tumbler bin 5 times today. That is 2 times more than stated in the instructions but I was trying to loosen up the material more than I got with 3 turns.

I'm thinking this bin is not going to produce good compost. Maybe I didn't get the right amounts/ratio of greens and browns.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #3 - Three day temperatures for July 5 to 7 -  118F, 118F, 110F

I tuned the this tumbler 3 times today per the instructions.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Three days since the last turning of Bin #3.  Today I added more kitchen scraps and turned the bin 3 or 4 times.

Bin #1 - 81F (current outdoor temp is 79F). This will be the last report for Bin #1 until I reload it and start a new batch.

Bin #3 - Before today's turning 117F.

TrolleyDriver's Compost Thermometer

Bin #1 - down to 85F (outside temp today is 75F)

Bin #3 - down to 100F. After taking the temp reading I added kitchen scraps, leaves, shredded paper, coffee filters and coffee grounds.