Can you till Mel's mix?

First time SFG'er here. Apologies if this is has been covered already on the forum, but I couldn't find anything using the search.

I've been reading up on Mel's mix and SFG for a while and this will be the year I give it a shot. I built 2 4'x8'x11" raised beds and plan to fill them with the following composts:
- Mushroom compost
- Composted cow manure (black kow)
- Composted horse manure
- Composted alpaca manure (does this need to be composted?)
- Worm castings

I need ~2 cubic yards of total material when factoring in the vermiculite and peat moss. I've read that most people mix this on a tarp, but that sounds like an awful lot of work for 2 cubic yards. Can I simply pour the ingredients into the boxes and use my gas powered tiller to mix it up? I would still add batches of each ingredient, till, repeat. 

Does no till garden mean can't till?

Hi Liam, Welcome to the Forum from California!

You can use what ever method you would like to "mix" up the Mel's Mix. Caution: wear a mask and keep wetting the material to prevent breathing the small fibers and particles. Some folks have used their tumbling composter, a cement mixer, tarps, smaller batches in black plastic cement mixing pans (that's me), 5-gallon buckets, etc.

Hi Liam. Welcome from Atlanta, GA. Raining here right now, so it's headed your way.... Sorry!!!

Looking forward to seeing your garden...

Hi Liam! Welcome from Pennsylvania!
I'd worry that the tiller would mix the dirt (plus weeds/grass/seeds) under your box up into your Mel's mix. I'd also worry about damaging the interior of your box -- but my dad's old tiller was a bit of a beast and I don't know if they're all like that.
I have 8" deep boxes, I put the ratios of ingredients in my boxes in three layers (in other words, the 1:1:1 each time) and mixed each layer well with my sleeved/gloved arms before adding the next. The extra ~2" meant I could mix my ~6" worth of MM without spilling it over the sides. You don't have to fill up the 11" all the way, only long root vegetables (carrots, parsnips an the like) need the extra depth beyond the recommended 6".

If you can find a more vegetation based compost (like something made from composted leaves or EcoScraps) to add in or swap, I'd recommend it. Since mushroom compost is made in part with manure, your mix is manure heavy. May I ask what part of NY you're in? (I'm originally from up by Lake Ontario.)

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:If you can find a more vegetation based compost (like something made from composted leaves or EcoScraps) to add in or swap, I'd recommend it. Since mushroom compost is made in part with manure, your mix is manure heavy. May I ask what part of NY you're in? (I'm originally from up by Lake Ontario.)

Ecoscaps is veggie-based so it would be good with all the manures. Whole Foods also has a veggie-based compost and was at a reasonable cost when I saw it.

Hey there liam1027! 

Glad you are giving SFG a run!  

Honestly, I am not the best person to ask about composting...I cheat on that...didn’’t make a big deal,, but maybe the 2nd year?

I get what I can get.  Worm, my own, and other stuff! 

Welcome!

Thank you all for the replies and suggestions.

I didn't realize that Whole Foods sells compost, I'll have to check that out. If I can't find the Ecoscraps there, there is a hydroponics shop locally that has a veggie compost though it's a little pricey. All the cities/towns locally have free compost they make from yard waste, but I'm hesitant to use that.

@BeetlesPerSqFt, I'm in the Capital Region. You make good points about the tiller. I constructed my boxes from cedar so they'll be badly damaged unless I'm extremely careful. Mixing by hand may be just as easy inside the box, I think my biggest concern was repeatedly mixing outside of the box on a tarp given the volume of material I need.

Liam, Give Whole Foods a call to see if they have it in stock yet. Some folks have good luck with municipal compost, others maybe not so. One member called it a crap shoot.

Welcome Liam!
I have been told repeatedly that alpaca/llamas, like rabbit, does NOT need to be composted first. Alpacas have super efficient digestive systems that even digest weed seeds. Hopefully Llama Momma will chime in.

Some one here once posted about mixing a huge amount of Mels mix with a tiller in the plywood lined back of their truck, or was it a trailer? Anyways it worked for them. I would imagine a Mantis tiller would be manageable to handle in a smaller area.

I've also seen others who use a cement mixer.

I would think that the tiller would break down the COARSE vermiculite which would defeat the purpose.

Given the size of the beds, i think using the tiller for initial mix will be fine. It acts alot like fork turning and mixing


I'm assuming you mean something like a light duty tiller similar to https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Light-Duty-Tiller/F220K1A-656911/index.html

And not something like a mantis cultivator/tiller which acts more as a ground shredder.

If the tiller has adjustable speed, set on low. Keep wetting the ingredients and wear a mask.