Search
Latest topics
» N&C Midwest: May 2023by nrstooge Today at 4:39 pm
» Paul's First SFGs
by pkadare Today at 11:06 am
» Poppy seeds - Hungarian Blue Breadseed
by AtlantaMarie Today at 6:12 am
» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie Yesterday at 6:27 pm
» Teaming with Microbes Kindle Sale (Mem. Day weekend 2023)
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 4:27 pm
» Sluggo Plus
by sanderson Yesterday at 3:23 pm
» Mid-Atlantic New Host Intro & Info
by KarenSB Yesterday at 5:08 am
» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener 5/25/2023, 6:25 pm
» Centpedes
by OhioGardener 5/25/2023, 6:19 pm
» beneficial nematodes
by OhioGardener 5/24/2023, 9:18 pm
» Senseless Banter...
by markqz 5/24/2023, 5:39 pm
» Pre-Filling a 30" Raised Bed
by toledobend 5/24/2023, 1:10 pm
» Happy Birthday!!
by AtlantaMarie 5/24/2023, 7:03 am
» Aphids & Their Predators
by MrBooker 5/24/2023, 6:01 am
» Hello from Bobcaygeon, Ontario
by Scorpio Rising 5/20/2023, 1:52 pm
» What are you eating from your garden today?
by OhioGardener 5/18/2023, 6:29 pm
» Spring Flowers
by OhioGardener 5/18/2023, 6:23 pm
» My Solar Dehydrator at Work
by sanderson 5/18/2023, 3:10 pm
» French Tarragon
by sanderson 5/18/2023, 12:41 pm
» Famous Gardening Quotes
by sanderson 5/15/2023, 8:50 pm
» Birds of the Garden
by sanderson 5/15/2023, 8:49 pm
» New Compost PIle, 2nd attempt
by Chuck d'Argy 5/13/2023, 11:43 am
» Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse
by OhioGardener 5/11/2023, 6:44 pm
» Asparagus
by sanderson 5/11/2023, 4:11 pm
» Plan needed for 4’x4’ irrigation grid
by OhioGardener 5/11/2023, 12:47 pm
» TD's 2023 Garden
by trolleydriver 5/10/2023, 3:16 pm
» Spring Gardening - Parsnips and Garlic
by OhioGardener 5/10/2023, 2:59 pm
» Seedlings Sticker Shock
by sanderson 5/7/2023, 9:44 pm
» From a Year 2 Novice to All the New SFGers or "How to Get Past the Fear Factor! :)"
by sanderson 5/7/2023, 3:13 pm
» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 5/5/2023, 3:39 pm
Google
What can I do to fix my Mel's Mix?
5 posters
Page 1 of 1
What can I do to fix my Mel's Mix?
I constructed a 20 inch high (to keep the dogs from running through the bed) raised bed that is 2 feet by 8 feet. I have a very small city yard hence the odd shape. I raised my tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli from seeds. After several days of mixing my Mel's Mix I planted my seedlings. They all looked very happy that night. The next day they began to wilt and die. I have lost half of the tomatoes, a third of the broccoli, and a quarter of my cucumbers. I am very discouraged. Here's what I THINK happened.
I went to the well-known local garden center to buy the ingredients for my Mel's Mix. For my compost I chose leaf, cow manure, mushroom, a pre-blend called "Bumper Crop" and a poultry product. The poultry product is called "Coop Poop" https://coop-poop.com and it is not at all like the other compost products. It is granular--similar to the vermiculite only heavier. I mixed it equally with the other compost types. In a video on YouTube that showed how to mix Mel's Mix (featuring a certified instructor) https://youtu.be/sMNhRaI0Ppc the host mentioned making a mistake by buying all turkey manure compost her first year and it burned her plants. I think this is what has happened to my plants. Was the Coop Poop too strong? The website says it won't burn but they also suggest 25 pounds per 1,000 square feet. I used 50 pounds in my raised bed.
If this isn't what happened then I am truly mystified. I carefully followed the instructions for mixing the Mel's Mix.
What can I do to rectify the situation? I don't want to go out and buy more plants because I am afraid the same thing will happen to them. How do I neutralize the Coop Poop? I need to continue using my raised bed because it was quite expensive to construct and to fill with quality ingredients. Now what???
Thanks for reading my post and for any suggestions anyone out there might have.
Teresa
I went to the well-known local garden center to buy the ingredients for my Mel's Mix. For my compost I chose leaf, cow manure, mushroom, a pre-blend called "Bumper Crop" and a poultry product. The poultry product is called "Coop Poop" https://coop-poop.com and it is not at all like the other compost products. It is granular--similar to the vermiculite only heavier. I mixed it equally with the other compost types. In a video on YouTube that showed how to mix Mel's Mix (featuring a certified instructor) https://youtu.be/sMNhRaI0Ppc the host mentioned making a mistake by buying all turkey manure compost her first year and it burned her plants. I think this is what has happened to my plants. Was the Coop Poop too strong? The website says it won't burn but they also suggest 25 pounds per 1,000 square feet. I used 50 pounds in my raised bed.
If this isn't what happened then I am truly mystified. I carefully followed the instructions for mixing the Mel's Mix.
What can I do to rectify the situation? I don't want to go out and buy more plants because I am afraid the same thing will happen to them. How do I neutralize the Coop Poop? I need to continue using my raised bed because it was quite expensive to construct and to fill with quality ingredients. Now what???
Thanks for reading my post and for any suggestions anyone out there might have.
Teresa
tmgukcatfan- Posts : 3
Join date : 2021-05-10
Location : Philadelphia, PA
Re: What can I do to fix my Mel's Mix?
Welcome to the forums from Ohio, Tmgukcatfan! It wouldn't seem that the chicken composted manure would have burned your plants. They advertise the NPK of the product at 2-4-3, which is not high enough in nitrogen to burn the plants. You mention only that the plants wilted, not that they showed signs of nitrogen burn - leaves turning yellow, brown, then withered.
Wilting normally indicates lack of moisture for the plants. Did you thoroughly water each layer of MM as you added to the bed so that it was completely moistened throughout the bed? Did you water each plant after it was transplanted into the bed?
Wilting normally indicates lack of moisture for the plants. Did you thoroughly water each layer of MM as you added to the bed so that it was completely moistened throughout the bed? Did you water each plant after it was transplanted into the bed?
"In short, the soil food web feeds everything you eat and helps keep your favorite planet from getting too hot. Be nice to it." ~ Diane Miessler, "Grow Your Soil"
momvetkat and tmgukcatfan like this post
chicken manure
I found pelleted chicken manure to be extremely strong. I use it by the sprinkle not the cup in my raised beds. While so many things can go wrong with young seedlings, I think you may be right in assuming it was the chicken manure. Good luck!
citygirlinthegarden- Posts : 2
Join date : 2019-05-12
Location : NEW YORK CITY
tmgukcatfan likes this post
chicken manure
Forgot to add that I would just try planting the bed again. I'm guessing that as the pellets break down it won't be as strong.
citygirlinthegarden- Posts : 2
Join date : 2019-05-12
Location : NEW YORK CITY
tmgukcatfan likes this post
Tried to do everything "by the book"
Hi,
I did water each layer of the Mix as I spread it over the bed. Each layer brought the level in the bed up by an inch or so. I sprayed the bed thoroughly until water was pooling. I also watered the plants by pouring water directly around the bottoms of the plants. There was some browning of the leaves as well as curling. If I could figure out how to insert photos I would include a couple. It was such a disappointment to have worked so hard only to have my hand raised plants wither and die! I grew up on a farm so I know it goes with the territory so I will persevere. The only other variable was the weather turned hot right after I got the plants in the bed, but they had already begun to look unhealthy by the next morning. I'm sure the heat contributed to the overall problem.
Thanks for the welcome. I will enjoy learning more about gardening from everyone here.
Teresa
I did water each layer of the Mix as I spread it over the bed. Each layer brought the level in the bed up by an inch or so. I sprayed the bed thoroughly until water was pooling. I also watered the plants by pouring water directly around the bottoms of the plants. There was some browning of the leaves as well as curling. If I could figure out how to insert photos I would include a couple. It was such a disappointment to have worked so hard only to have my hand raised plants wither and die! I grew up on a farm so I know it goes with the territory so I will persevere. The only other variable was the weather turned hot right after I got the plants in the bed, but they had already begun to look unhealthy by the next morning. I'm sure the heat contributed to the overall problem.
Thanks for the welcome. I will enjoy learning more about gardening from everyone here.
Teresa
tmgukcatfan- Posts : 3
Join date : 2021-05-10
Location : Philadelphia, PA
Re: What can I do to fix my Mel's Mix?
Although the NPK of your Coop Poop is low, it sells itself more as a fertilizer than a compost. By my calculation (which could be suspect), you put it on at a rate 156 times greater than their suggested amount. Is the MM noticeably warmer than the surrounding soil? I'm wondering if you could mix in some carbon-based amendments (straw, maybe?) to help buffer the effect.
markqz
Forum Moderator- Posts : 786
Join date : 2019-09-02
Location : Lower left hand corner
Re: What can I do to fix my Mel's Mix?
Hi teresa, I live just outside Philly, north on 309.tmgukcatfan wrote:Hi,
I did water each layer of the Mix as I spread it over the bed. Each layer brought the level in the bed up by an inch or so. I sprayed the bed thoroughly until water was pooling. I also watered the plants by pouring water directly around the bottoms of the plants. There was some browning of the leaves as well as curling. If I could figure out how to insert photos I would include a couple. It was such a disappointment to have worked so hard only to have my hand raised plants wither and die! I grew up on a farm so I know it goes with the territory so I will persevere. The only other variable was the weather turned hot right after I got the plants in the bed, but they had already begun to look unhealthy by the next morning. I'm sure the heat contributed to the overall problem.
Thanks for the welcome. I will enjoy learning more about gardening from everyone here.
Teresa
I read about your problems and have a good idea for you.
Get these books, and study them. They will give you a wealth of information that you never dreamed possible.



jimmy cee
Certified SFG Instructor-
Posts : 2215
Join date : 2013-02-16
Age : 87
Location : Hatfield PA. zone 6b
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|