Do I need to fix my mix?

winonageek 4/29/2020, 4:38 pm

It's been a number of years since I last did a SFG and now that we're in a new house, I'm excited to get going again. This past weekend I built my raised bed (4x8x10") and made my MM. In my rush and excitement I overlooked the need to make the compost portion of the mix from 3-5 different sources and only used dairy cow manure. I've already mixed and filled the bed, but haven't planted anything yet. Do I need to and/or should I go and buy some mushroom compost (.75ft3/bag) and worm castings (4# bags) and roughly mix that into the bed before I plant?

My mix is:
Peat moss 2.2ft3 x 3
Vermiculite 1.5ft3 x 3 (went lite on this b/c it's the most expensive component)
Manure .75ft3 x 7

Here's the packaging for the manure.

Thanks.

**sanderson** 4/29/2020, 6:05 pm

The worms will come, so no need to buy expensive worm castings. Mushroom compost would be good to add when it's time to plant again. Manure should be limited to 20-25% of the compost blend. The worst that could happen this season is a lot of green leaves with fewer fruits (peppers, tomato, eggplant, etc.) than normal. Mistakes are the best way to learn. Ask me how I know. Embarassed

You can start looking for a variety of sources of composts in addition to the mushroom compost. Sources such as Green waste-based, veggie-based, forest-based, cotton burr compost. You won't need manure based for a couple of seasons. Very Happy


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

Do I need to fix my mix?

Do I need to fix my mix?

Re: Do I need to fix my mix?