Hello from Missouri

potionlady 12/25/2012, 4:28 pm

Am an avid gardener but new to Mals. Have 10 raised beds 4 X 16 feet and use soil less mix. Looking for new information with regards to soil mix as what we are using does not hold water well. Use drip tubing and the water runs right through. Hope that we find some answers here.

**camprn** 12/25/2012, 4:36 pm

Welcome! $glad you\'re here$ How much compost you got in that soil less mix? I am curious what is in your mix?

potionlady 12/25/2012, 8:06 pm

I use the mix from Garden Revolution; #2 potting mix, cotton burr compost, rice hulls and a fertilizer. The plants grow great, but as I said the mix does not seem to hold the moisture. We always have a swamp below the garden. The water just make small tunnels down through the mix and does not spread. Needs something to help hold the moisture instead of letting in run straight through.

**camprn** 12/25/2012, 9:59 pm

I assume there is nothing growing in the garden just now. I would suggest during the winter collecting various sources of compost, mixing them together and adding it to your mix in the spring before planting. How deep are the beds?

potionlady 12/25/2012, 11:28 pm

cheyannarach 12/26/2012, 2:35 am

I second Camprn's advice and hello from South Dakota! Mel's mix is 1/3 compost, 1/3 vermiculite (which alsoo helps to retain water), and 1/3 peat moss! Do you know how much peat was in your mix?

**camprn** 12/26/2012, 8:30 am

With 16 inches of potting mix in the bed, I would guess you are having run off problems because you have dry areas within the bed, which remain perpetually dry. By adding compost you reduce the ratio of peat/sphagnum in the bed. A mix with mostly sphagnum/peat moss is notoriously difficult to re hydrate after it dries out. You may actually need to consider removing some of the potting mix to allow for enough compost to be able to retain moisture needed by your plants.

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Hello from Missouri

Hello from Missouri

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