prep for new season

brubakes 3/20/2012, 10:35 am

Last year I built a 4'x12' SFG, filled it with Mel's Mix, and had a great growing season. My question is now that year 2 is drawing near, what do I need to do with the mix to keep it effective for year 2 and beyond?

mageice3 3/20/2012, 11:42 am

brubakes wrote:Last year I built a 4'x12' SFG, filled it with Mel's Mix, and had a great growing season. My question is now that year 2 is drawing near, what do I need to do with the mix to keep it effective for year 2 and beyond?

ANSFG page 142 wrote:...As soon as you finish harvesting one square foot, it's time to prepare the soil and plant a new crop. Just take out any debris ... then add a trowel full of compost to the square, turn the soil over withe the trowel, smooth it over, and you're ready to replant.

If you did that last year during your harvesting and at the end of your season covered it up then you should only have to remove the cover and enjoy year two. At least that's what Mel seems to indicate, dunno if it helps.

brubakes 3/20/2012, 12:12 pm

I did remove most of garbage, but did not cover it over the winter.

Dunkinjean 3/20/2012, 2:50 pm

All you have to do then, make sure all the debris is gone. Then as the book states add a trowel full of compost to each square and mix. If you don't have the grids on then add the compost before the grids and mix. Then plan your garden and start planting your seeds!

Every fall/winter after harvesting, I clean the beds, add compost and cover the beds with weed cloth. I hold them down with bricks here and there. In the spring I remove the weed cloth. It keeps debris off the beds, critters out of the beds including dogs, cats, birds, etc., This method has worked for me for the past 2 yrs.

Best of luck! flower

brubakes 3/23/2012, 10:55 am

Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to cover it at the end of the season this year. I'll grab some quality compost this week and get this season going.

arla 3/23/2012, 11:12 am

brubakes wrote:Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to cover it at the end of the season this year. I'll grab some quality compost this week and get this season going.

Remember you need your 5 way mix.

philct 5/24/2012, 4:54 pm

So I was wondering the same thing. Just compost? I missed that part of the book. No need to add peat or vermiculite after the first mixing?

**llama momma** 5/24/2012, 5:01 pm

That's right philct. Just add compost. I suppose if someone really wanted to spend money all over again they could. But it's just not necessary. "They" could just make another new sf garden box and put it in there.

philct 5/24/2012, 6:00 pm

llama momma wrote:That's right philct. Just add compost. I suppose if someone really wanted to spend money all over again they could. But it's just not necessary. "They" could just make another new sf garden box and put it in there.

Good to know!! Thanks!!

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