Installed Mix in Two Beds

I had to call in sick yesterday with a fever.  Spring Fever.  We're experiencing a "warm snap" right now in Virginia, temperatures of about 80 degrees for the next few days.  I decided it was perfect to set the two new boxes (4x4) I made over winter and go ahead and fill with MM from the supplies I had gathered over winter as well.  
So, this is nothing new/special, just sharing the "fun" I had yesterday setting two boxes.  Felt good.  I was tired afterwards but felt good.  

Started off with four 5 gallon buckets of Peat.  I'm doing 4'x4' beds which means I need 8 c.f. of material total, 2.67 c.f. of each material, which works out to 3.98 - 5 gallon buckets, close enough to 4 buckets.  Interesting fact, I opened my Peat in the 2.2 c.f. bags I bought next to the tarp first and noticed that it didn't ... swell or puff out like some Peat bales I've bought before.  Peat generally has a "fluff" factor.  The peat inside was pretty packed, but it didn't look like it swelled much, I broke it up with a hoe to "fluff" it and then scooped it into 5 gallon buckets and put it on tarp.  By bucket measurements I could agree that it was 2.2 c.f.  I got almost 4 buckets out of it, had to break open another bag to top off the last one.  SO... sometimes peat fluffs and sometimes it doesn't depending on how compressed in the bag it is?


Then I added Vermiculite.  Funny thing on "measurements", turns out this is only 3- 5 gallon buckets of Vermiculite.  The bag said 4 c.f., so I need just over half the bag right?  Rather than just dumping the bag and guessing at "just over half", I dumped it onto 5 gallon bucket.  I had my fourth 5 gallon bucket in hand and I looked down in the bag and there was very little left.  "OH!, I must have lost count" I thought.  So, I set the bucket aside for the next box.  I was a little curious about it, so when I later did the next box I started measuring from the other 4 c.f. bag of Vermiculite I had.  Long story short, based on "bucket measuring" the 4 c.f. bags of Vermiculite had more like 3.5 c.f. at best in them.  DOH!


Then I added compost.  The really black stuff is a store bought compost I bought (cheap), The browner looking stuff is my homemade "brew"


Then I mixed pile with a hoe.  Air was really calm, so I skipped the "wet it down as you go" phase and just mixed it dry to make it easier to scoop into the bed once mixed.  Note the snow shovel in the picture.  I've used regular shovels in the past, but this time for "giggles" I pulled out my snow shovel, in part because I thought it being plastic may be easier on my tarp when I go to sccop it up.


Once mixed I scooped some material in the box to about a 2" depth.  Spread it out a little and THEN soaked it.


Repeat process, scoop some in and soak.


WOLA!  One done.  Moving operation to next box.


WOOHOO!! Two done, smells like spring


Just for fun.  Here's what most of my gardens are looking like getting ready for spring.  The new boxes are in the back of the photo.  I have a couple more boxes in another location, but this is the bulk of it for this year.

What a great fever, zmoore!  Your beds look great!  My peat didn't fluff much if at all, either.  Ready to plant!

I love photos of mixing MM!  Makes my heart flutter!

A snow shovel is a great tip - thanks for that.  Did you drag the tarp corner to corner to mix the ingredients, or use just the shovel?  I'm a dragger.

CC

@CC
I actually used a hoe to mix.  Just have to be careful not to snag the tarp on the bottom.  I did a kind of "push and pull" the hoe through the pile and work my way around the tarp doing it from different angles.  
I've done the tarp flipping before, but I like to have a helper when I'm doing that (one on each side), since I was "solo" I went with the hoe.

Looking at your pictures. Zmoore, give me a "high".   I must be a junky.

Snow here this monring, slushy stuff but the sun has come out and where it shone the grass is clear.  In the shade it is still lying on top of the lawn and garden.  In a while it will all melt and I will put on my wellies and go take a look to see what is happening.  Can't wait to get going again.

Kelejan wrote:Looking at your pictures. Zmoore, give me a "high".   I must be a junky.

You know, I have a few premium ounces of "V" left over over or perhaps some "Peeties" if that's your thing.  Whatcha paying?


Just playing.  I know what you mean though.  I'm such a "junky" that I got "cough-cough" sick and called in to work so I could get my fix.  

Maybe we should start a club:
Hello, My name is Zeke and I'm a Vermiculite junky. 

Zmoore wrote:

Kelejan wrote:Looking at your pictures. Zmoore, give me a "high".   I must be a junky.

You know, I have a few premium ounces of "V" left over over or perhaps some "Peeties" if that's your thing.  Whatcha paying?


Just playing.  I know what you mean though.  I'm such a "junky" that I got "cough-cough" sick and called in to work so I could get my fix.  

Maybe we should start a club:
Hello, My name is Zeke and I'm a Vermiculite junky. 

Hi Zeke....

hi, Zeke, Nice to know ya, and Cc, SR here and I have been off compost for....5 days....

Hi Jeke, It's been a day for me.

Great looking job, ZMoore! Wish I could do that...! (You'd think - working from home, I should get plenty of garden time... NOT!)

But I'm calling in sick on Wed since I've got tomatoes, pumpkins, onions, chard, radishes, & beets to get in the ground!

Oh, yeah... My name is Marie & I'm a gardening junkie....

Zmoore wrote:I had to call in sick yesterday with a fever.  Spring Fever.  

I know what you mean. I had scheduled a day off for an appointment today, but it got cancelled earlier in the week, but instead of cancelling my PTO, I decided I had an appointment in my SFG.

Zmoore wrote:


Once mixed I scooped some material in the box to about a 2" depth.  Spread it out a little and THEN soaked it.

Man that is a big nozzle!

The better to water you with, my dear..... (Insert creepy voice of wolf imitating grandma)

Zmoore wrote:@CC
I actually used a hoe to mix.  Just have to be careful not to snag the tarp on the bottom.  I did a kind of "push and pull" the hoe through the pile and work my way around the tarp doing it from different angles.  
I've done the tarp flipping before, but I like to have a helper when I'm doing that (one on each side), since I was "solo" I went with the hoe.

Use the back side of a rake, it does a much better job and no worry's about digging into the tarp

Some things are so obvious when pointed out, aren't they.