Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Toplef10Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 1zd3ho10

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.

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix I22gcj10Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Toplef10Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 1zd3ho10

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.

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix I22gcj10Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]
Square Foot Gardening Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Search
 
 

Display results as :
 

 


Rechercher Advanced Search

Latest topics
» Joann's fabric bankruptcy
by has55 Today at 9:13 pm

» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener Today at 12:11 pm

» Fire Ring / Round Raised Bed Planter
by donnainzone5 Today at 11:47 am

» Galvanized Fire Ring for Rhubarb Raised Beds?
by OhioGardener Today at 10:34 am

» Happy St. Patrick's Day
by Scorpio Rising Yesterday at 5:54 pm

» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie Yesterday at 4:58 pm

» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/16/2024, 12:16 pm

» Prefab compost question
by sanderson 3/14/2024, 11:40 pm

» New gardener from Santa Fe NM
by Turan 3/14/2024, 2:06 pm

» Compost bins: Open vs. closed
by OhioGardener 3/13/2024, 5:48 pm

» Heat Mat Temperature Test
by sanderson 3/13/2024, 1:31 am

» Bokashi
by OhioGardener 3/12/2024, 5:37 pm

» Happy Birthday!!
by Scorpio Rising 3/11/2024, 10:28 am

» What are you eating from your garden today?
by Scorpio Rising 3/10/2024, 8:38 pm

» Why I love Oregano in the garden.
by OhioGardener 3/10/2024, 8:16 am

» Comfrey
by OhioGardener 3/9/2024, 6:07 pm

» Sealing Barrels Flowers Struggling-Need Ideas
by Turan 3/9/2024, 3:09 pm

» Hello again from a slightly different part of Central PA!
by sanderson 3/9/2024, 1:46 pm

» Chicken manure compost
by Oopsiedaisy 3/8/2024, 7:56 pm

» Chinese Broccoli
by sanderson 3/7/2024, 10:28 pm

» Heat Mat Lifespan
by Scorpio Rising 3/7/2024, 9:33 am

» Now is The Time To Take Seed Inventory
by OhioGardener 3/6/2024, 4:36 pm

» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 3/5/2024, 10:55 pm

» Greetings from a haggard mom
by sanderson 3/5/2024, 2:32 am

» Drip Irrigation question
by HDNoviceGardener_CA 3/4/2024, 9:50 pm

» Recommended store bought compost - Photos of composts
by sanderson 3/2/2024, 8:20 pm

» raised bed quanders
by OhioGardener 3/1/2024, 7:32 pm

» N&C Midwest January & February 2024
by OhioGardener 3/1/2024, 7:15 am

» Seeds 'n Such Leap Year Sale
by sanderson 2/29/2024, 1:42 pm

» Horsey poop
by MrBooker 2/29/2024, 10:56 am

Google

Search SFG Forum

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

5 posters

Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  The Cat's Other Mother 2/22/2011, 6:44 pm

I am getting ready to dig up the poor, neglected flower beds in front of my house and fix them so they won't turn into a mass of weeds and briars along with the flowers this year. Right now there are gladiolas and some other kind of bulb flower that blooms in the summer in there, and I want to dig them out, divide them and replant them after I put down weed barrier and a new bed.

The beds are about 5'x10' and I would like to use mainly the compost from my county that I can get for free. It seems to be made from yard waste, mostly. What's the cheapest way to improve it? I don't really want to use the full Mel's Mix, if possible. I'd rather spend money on growing veggies. Also, I wanted to mulch to prevent weeds. Will the flowers still come up?
avatar
The Cat's Other Mother

Female Posts : 146
Join date : 2010-05-17
Location : Decatur, GA, Zone 7B

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  Megan 2/26/2011, 5:32 pm

Hi Cat's Mother,

I'm not sure I have a great answer to this, but I'll try. I am a little dubious about our county compost because it probably has a ton of weed seeds in it. But for cost, it's a deal. You could try using it and them mulching to help keep the weeds down.

Remember, too, that some flowers don't like rich soil. Read up on the needs of what you'd like to plant or re-plant, that may help. I tried growing nasturtiums last year and while I got a sprout, it was almost all greens and very few flowers. I realized later that nasturtiums prefer poorer soil and my Mix was apparently too rich for it.

Regardless, try it! Flowers, especially bulbs, are pretty resilient. You will learn as you go. Let us know how it works out!
Megan
Megan

Female Posts : 3350
Join date : 2010-04-27
Age : 57
Location : Manassas, VA - Zone 7a

http://novasquarefootgardener.blogspot.com/

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  The Cat's Other Mother 2/26/2011, 11:20 pm

I settled on a mix of about half free county compost about a quarter vermiculite, and a quarter mixed compost and topsoil from a local landscape company. The real work is digging out the heavy, dense clay that is in there now. It is a mystery to me how the American South every developed an agrarian economy, with this dense red clay to grow in.

avatar
The Cat's Other Mother

Female Posts : 146
Join date : 2010-05-17
Location : Decatur, GA, Zone 7B

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  acara 2/27/2011, 8:07 am

Kinda funny to see this .....

I just completed my first "wierd SFG-science experiment of 2011" ..... Bulbs in recycled MM;

Lillys;

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 102_2815

Glads (1 week in recycled MM and already sprouting);

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix 102_2801

I'm convinced MM makes ANYTHING grow better (more on that later, in another post Very Happy )
acara
acara

Male Posts : 1012
Join date : 2010-08-27
Age : 54
Location : Wesley Chapel, Florida (Zone 9)

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  FarmerValerie 2/27/2011, 8:52 am

Part of the reason for the poor soil quality in the south, is over use, no rotation, and no replenishing or rest. While the clay has always been there some plants do fine and even very well in it, but decades/centuries of cotton, tobacco, and other cash crops depleted any nutritional value it had. So, cowpeas and sweet potatoes to the rescue, they can replenish, however I personally believe the clay would better serve me made into tile to lay on my floor in my house so I can go longer between sweeping because I cannot see the dirt.
FarmerValerie
FarmerValerie

Female Posts : 1611
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 57
Location : NE Texas, 75501, Zone 8a

http://www.rocksinmygarden.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  elliephant 2/27/2011, 12:40 pm

I wouldn't worry about the county compost having weed seeds. They do it on such a large scale basis that it gets good and hot. I use our city compost, which is also largely made up of yard/park debris, so I looked into that. But I pay a little more for their "premium" blend that has all the produce waste from the two major grocery chains added to the the yard trimmings. This gives a better balance of nutrients. Anyway, no weed seed problems!
avatar
elliephant

Female Posts : 842
Join date : 2010-04-09
Age : 48
Location : southern tip of Texas zone 9

Back to top Go down

Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix Empty Re: Flower Beds, bulbs and Mel's Mix

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum