New Member

Hello, my name is Bill and I am a new member of this forum. I already have some questions:

I will very soon install the SFG kit I ordered from the SFG Foundation, and have measured it at 5 and ½ inches tall. Mel recommends that the mix be 6 to 8 inches deep. Does this mean I need to dig into the native soil another ½ to 2 and ½ inches to get the correct depth?

I assume that the mix consists of 1/3 DRY peat moss, 1/3 DRY coarse vermiculite, and 1/3 DRY to moist blended compost. Is that correct?

After I have put the mix into the box and watered it down properly, will the mix continue to settle some more? I would rather wait until everything has settled completely before I begin planting the vegetables, even if it means waiting until spring.

Our traditional garden is bothered by a large cat, which loves to roll around in the plants and soil. Would installing bird netting around the entire box prevent this cat from using it as a litter box? I am thinking it would be afraid to get its paws entangled in the netting.

Just wanted to say Hi and Welcome. As far as your questions about the planter and the mix go, I am not much help since I made my own "MIX" and planters.

However, the cat problem is one I have in common with you. There have been times when I was so frustrated with neighbourhood cats that I felt like I would have to resort to a Reuger 22 with a silencer. Cats thought the flower bed at the front of my house where I plant my tomatoes was their own private litter box so when I replaced the dirt before planting my tomatoes I put down plastic over the soil. I used bricks to hold down the edges and cut holes where I transplanted the seedlings. It did seem to work and also helped to keep the soil warm and the moisture from evaporating. I have used spruce boughs among the flower beds and that works too. The idea of the netting sound like a good one to me.

What I think I will do is get a Siberian tiger and let HIM roam the yard at night. If he gets out and small pets or people go missing........what can you do? A cat is a nocturnal free roaming animal that likes to hunt. And let me tell you, if he uses the neighbour's yard as a litter box, they will sure notice in a hurry!!!

Best of luck.

GK

( I know......I know. I am warped and sick. Check out my profile and you will see that about my sense of humour!)

Hi Bill, and welcome to the forum and to SFG!

I am new to SFG myself this year, but I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

You do not need to dig down into the native soil for that extra 1/2". (That being said, I DID dig in, as my rather unconventional homemade boxes are even shorter.) Some people have bottoms on their boxes, others do not. Reasons for using a box bottom vary -- vole problems/etc., poor natural soil, very invasive plants like Bermuda grass, or maybe it is a TT (table top) garden.

Yes, the peat moss and vermiculite should be dry when you are measuring them. The compost dry to moist-ish (that is, not sopping wet!) The day I mixed mine was kind of windy and I had some trouble with the vermiculite blowing around, so I did spray it lightly with water from the hose to keep it on the ground!

Yes, the mix will settle. I don't think it hurts to plant right away, someone with more experience may have some insight on that.

About the cat: Some people have made protective covers for their SFGs with chicken wire. Mel shows how build one on page 65 of his most recent book. Our cats are indoor-only, but there are a few feral cats in the neighborhood. I put catnip out in a few pots by the garden and while I saw a little digging early on that might have been cats or squirrels, mostly we'd just find the pots knocked over in the morning!

Welcome again, and happy gardening!

[quote="] What I think I will do is get a Siberian tiger and let HIM roam the yard at night. If he gets out and small pets or people go missing........what can you do? A cat is a nocturnal free roaming animal that likes to hunt. And let me tell you, if he uses the neighbour's yard as a litter box, they will sure notice in a hurry!!!
( I know......I know. I am warped and sick. Check out my profile and you will see that about my sense of humour!)[/quote]
Oh not crazy at all !!! lololololol or warped or sick, this is how I would have felt with those cats and Im a cat lover.. from one of my favorite cartoons.

http://comics.com/Pearls_Before_Swine/2009-3-20/ dont like things pushing me over the edge This says it all.
Ha-v-v