Update from Newbie Ayrshire Scotland

Hi Everyone,
Thought I would update my progress with Sq Foot Veg system.
Please read my Oct 2017 topic which details off  plot etc I have.

So I have converted three of my 6 foot raised beds to Sq Foot system.
Bobs Mix ( Mels Mix as near as I can ) for each raised bed has following :-

1/3 Coir ( really soaked when mixing )
1/3 Vermiculite
1/3 - consisting of - Horse manure / garden compost ( not good quality ) / mushroom compost / chicken manure pelleted / seaweed / worm cast and lastly mixer of Bone-Blood - Fish. Quantity’s add varied good amount of horse & mushroom & garden but only small amounts of the others small shovel sizes mainly.

The raised beds had half of there old soil removed, then layered weed suppression mat on top of the soil left, added layer of cardboard on top of that, then 6" / 8" of my Bob's Mix.
Numbered the beds No1 No2 & No3 and as is normal with my I started with No2 ( as this had loops for cloche ) So started with this one first

No 2 Raised Bed
Planted seeds :-
Peas - 3 Seeds germinated and coming on )
Broad Beds - Seeds germinated and coming on )
Carrots - Looking good with good number of plants
Spring Onion -Looking good with good number of plants
Garlic - OK but maybe planted at wrong time
Lettuce ( Roxy ) Ok planted three and two came up
Turnip - Looking good with good number of plants
Beetroot - Looking good with good number of plants
Leeks -Looking good with good number of plants
Lettuce ( Little Gem ) Disaster non, probably two early
Cabbage - Planted one and looking OK
Onions - Looking good with good number of plants

Pea & Bean Support is wood frame attached to raised bed

No 1 Raised Bed.
Planted seeds :-
Peas - 4 Seeds germinated and coming on )
Man tout Peas - 4 Seeds germinated and coming on )
Carrots - 2 sections -  Looking good with good number of plants
Spring Onion -Looking good with good number of plants
Lettuce ( Roxy ) Looking OK
Turnip - Looking good with good number of plants
Lettuce ( Little Gem ) Looking Good
Cabbage - Planted one and looking OK
Broccoli - Planted one and looking OK
Onions - Looking good with good number of plants
Parsnip - Coming up but very slowly, as expected

No 3 Raised Bed.
Planted yesterday so no action at present, watering with water spray in evening

Weather has been very dry & hot for our location this year so watering every other day at the moment. Weather has been very dry & hot for our location this year so watering every other day at the moment


Photo's including weeds   

Thank you for the update. Your garden is looking good and the Bob's Mix sounds good, too. No tomatoes this year, or are planting those elsewhere?

Tomatoes are in the greenhouse, using small raised bed filled with Bob's Mix and auto watering system.
There are ten small plants all grown from seed. Due to our normally poor ( windy ) weather as we are near a west facing sea, I normally grow Toms in the greenhouse. Thinking of also planting seeds - not sure which veg, adjacent to each Tomatoe in a couple of weeks once they are say 1 / 2 feet high.

Your Bob's Mix sounds wonderful.  Mel also said use the best you can get as sometimes an ingredient can be hard to get and it seems that is what you have done.

I enjoyed your update.

Very nice setup - I like your Bob's Mix. Did you "harvest" your own seaweed, or purchase? I'm wondering because I have a pond that I keep thinking I should harvest for some good compost, but I really can't think of a good way to do it.

Very nice set-up!

Looking good, Bob!  And all of our photos include weeds!  We just love pics!  

Sounds like you are well on your way to some good eatin’

I am seriously Scottish, by the way.

Hi Blackjackwidow,
Although we are only about 1/4mile from sea shore, the shoreline seaweed has a lot of plastic etc mixed with it.
A few years ago I did go down and filled a bag - but it took ages & ages to first remove the contamination then wash out the salt, so decided not to try again.

Since going over to SFG this season I have started to add Seaweed Meal ( not calcified ) which I buy in small 5 KG ( 11 Lbs ? )  bags from Isle of Lewis - North Scotland. This is what I now use in small quanities.

Regards
Bob

Thanks for the explanation, Bob. Since my ponds are freshwater, I wouldn't have to worry about the salt. I still don't relish the idea of trying to wade through the cattails and muck to get to anything truly helpful, though. The seaweed meal sounds like a good way to get some similar nutrients, tho. 

I use kelp meal.

Kelp meal - great idea. Thanks Sanders!

Very nice!