ideas on compost ?

I'm in the Florida panhandle and brand new here. Just put together my first sfg and have nothing to put in it yet. Does anyone have suggestions on where to get and how much to get? Thanks !

Most important is get your book and if you can, get your compost going. For compost some suggestions to build your pile are shredded leaves, grass clippings (untreated with lawn treatments), kitchen scraps, manure from chickens, rabbits, horses, cows, etc., coffee grounds (get from your own or go to Starbucks), and egg shells. This is not a complete list and you will have to mix browns and greens. To learn more about this, go to the search box on the left and type in compost. Another good discussion thread is "Are you a hottie?".

Your first year you may need to buy your compost ingredients. Look in your sfg book on what to buy and read up on the posts of others that are on this site. Also in your book you will learn to mix the completed compost, peat moss and vermiculite, one-third of each. It's so important to work hard to do this right the first time so you don't have frustrations later. Once this is done, you won't have to do it again. In ten years you may need to add more vermiculite. When you harvest a crop, you will need to add a trowel of compost to add back nutrients to your bed. I have simplified things, so it would be good for you to do some reading from the book and this site.

Also, go to your extension center and find out for your area what to grow and when. Every area is different on when to plant cool weather and warm weather crops. It sounds like you are starting off on a small scale, which is a good idea that I haven't exactly followed.

Good luck and welcome to this forum! Do lots of reading!

Betty Ann c wrote:I'm in the Florida panhandle and brand new here. Just put together my first sfg and have nothing to put in it yet. Does anyone have suggestions on where to get and how much to get? Thanks !

First off, I would suggest you get yourself a copy of the All New Square Foot Gardening Book, 2nd edition. And Welcome to the SFG Forum.

Thanks. I have the book and I read it every night. I wouldn't come here expecting answers without at least trying to figure it myself. The suggestions about the extension office and coffee grounds are good. i don't drink coffee and wouldn't have thought of it. Manure, though, I dunno. I'll work on it.

Betty Ann c wrote:Thanks. I have the book and I read it every night. I wouldn't come here expecting answers without at least trying to figure it myself. The suggestions about the extension office and coffee grounds are good. i don't drink coffee and wouldn't have thought of it. Manure, though, I dunno. I'll work on it.

It's the standard answer here, try not to take it personally I research to the death too.
I got a flyer from my local garden center, with all the main veggies and recommended varieties, planting times, depth to plant and days to maturity, it's pretty helpful!

Thanks. I do realize it's not known that I have the book and I didn't get it until the first person suggested it but now I think about adding into all my posts that I have the book! Went to the extension office yesterday and got the same stuff. Now I'm fretting over squirrels.

I am fretting over squirrels too. I am contemplating an electric fence (but cost!!). Netting at the very least though. Hope I can defeat the vermin.

Betty Ann c wrote:Thanks. I do realize it's not known that I have the book and I didn't get it until the first person suggested it but now I think about adding into all my posts that I have the book! Went to the extension office yesterday and got the same stuff. Now I'm fretting over squirrels.

As far as I know our squirrels haven't been a problem for us. We had bunnies in the yard and so I covered all the sprouts with tulle last year, and that mostly worked. They did chew holes in a couple of spots and got some, but not too much. I have outdoor kitties now, so hopefully that will keep the bunnies away, we'll see if I have to do something to keep the kitties from digging or using the beds as a litter box.

On a different thread, I was turned on to this scarecrow waterer. Worth considering.

Not sure how to link to it.

Scarecrow sprinkler on Amazon

This is a compost thread, please try to stay on topic.

Really, I thought it was my thread to get help and learn from. So sorry. If I had not started the thread, I would not have hijacked it.

Tks, camprn, hijacking threads is a real problem!

Let's watch the tone please. The original OP was about obtaining compost. There are plenty of other threads discussing squirrels and other pests. I'll lock this one up if need be.

Betty Ann c wrote:Really, I thought it was my thread to get help and learn from. So sorry. If I had not started the thread, I would not have hijacked it.

Ooops I hijack my own threads all the time as well. It would be odd to start a new thread from the same conversation.