"Comparable" square foot garden blend

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 7:23 pm

Has anyone tried a "comparable" square foot premixed garden blend? If yes, with what result? study

dizzygardener 4/8/2011, 7:40 pm

What do you mean by comparable? So far as I know there is only one Mel's Mix.

ETA: Oh and "Comparable" square foot garden blend 396615

!

Where have my manners gone?

sherryeo 4/8/2011, 7:59 pm

buttaflie,

It doesn't actually say "comparable to Mel's Mix" or "comparable to square foot garden mix" or something similar on the bag, does it? Is this just what the sales person told you? I'm afraid that's what it sounds like to me - like a sales person who didn't have a clue what Mel's Mix is & just wanted to sell you a bag of what is probably just your run-of-the-mill potting soil.

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:02 pm

The name on the bag is square foot garden blend and it has a picture exactly like the one on the book, alledgedly this company is also endorsing Mel's method. I am just wondering if anyone else has tried it...am I allowed to say the name of the company here?

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:03 pm

I purchased this because I couldn't get MM and I don't have time to mix my own...

**camprn** 4/8/2011, 8:04 pm

Please do, it may be a company that has an agreement with SFG Foundation.

myhouseofBOYS 4/8/2011, 8:06 pm

Is it this?
http://www.ladybugbrand.com/products/SqFt-Gardening-Blend.asp

Lindacol 4/8/2011, 8:07 pm

Would this be it?

http://www.ladybugbrand.com/products/SqFt-Gardening-Blend.asp

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:07 pm

Yes. What do you think? I haven't opened the bags yet...

myhouseofBOYS 4/8/2011, 8:13 pm

Well here is an explanation of the coir fiber (sub for peat moss)

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/growcoir-coconut-coir.html

I am no expert but it seems like it might be a good alternative. Sounds like there is some controversy over peat moss and this is a close substitution. What was the cost like?

**camprn** 4/8/2011, 8:13 pm

It has coir instead of the moss...I prefer the peatmoss.

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:16 pm

It was 19.99 per 2 cubic feet bag. What is the controversy over peat moss?

sherryeo 4/8/2011, 8:18 pm

Do any of you guys who are hosts know if this blend is actually approved by Mel? I mean, is this ok or is this company ripping Mel off?

**camprn** 4/8/2011, 8:23 pm

Well, I don't know...they are using the logo and Mel's name... Maybe Middlemamma would be kind enough to investigate... :?:

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:25 pm

[quote="myhouseofBOYS"] explanation of the coir fiber (sub for peat moss)quote]

Thank you. Seems like a suitable alternative. I liked the look and feel of the soil in the square foot garden at my garden center, but I honestly can't remember if it consisted of MM or the Ladybug blend. I am going to call in the am to find out. Anything you can find out will be a great help. I will take the stuff back immediately if they are ripping Mel. I will just have to bite the bullet and try to mix the ingredients on my own. "Comparable" square foot garden blend 43549

"Comparable" square foot garden blend 43549

middlemamma 4/8/2011, 8:41 pm

I will forward on to Alan...Hopefully he will weigh in, because I know nothing about this.

Jennie

**camprn** 4/8/2011, 8:46 pm

Thanks Jen!!! "Comparable" square foot garden blend 966236

buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 8:54 pm

YES, THANK YOU!!!!!

middlemamma 4/9/2011, 12:34 am

Yes, ladybug brand is endorsed by the foundation.
They are a small producer in the south.We don't have any feedback on the product yet. Don't know how it does or if it will be around long term or short term.

buttaflie143 4/9/2011, 12:48 am

I am so glad to hear it. I can proceed as planned. "Comparable" square foot garden blend 109486

shannon1 4/9/2011, 1:58 am

I'd use it if I could afford it. "Comparable" square foot garden blend 88662

**sfg4uKim** 4/9/2011, 9:36 am

The concern over the peat moss is the "fear" that it's not renewable. This is just NOT true in Canada, where we in American get our peat.

http://www.peatmoss.com/concern.php

As you can see from this site: Peat is renewable and in terms of its accumulation, peat in Canada is growing more than 70 times as fast as it is being harvested. [According to an issue paper entitled "Canadian Peat Harvesting and the Environment," published by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada)]

Kim

buttaflie143 4/9/2011, 11:24 am

Well for those of us who couldn't get MM or don't have time to mix ingredients ourselves, it is great to know there is an alternative. Now the questions become...will it work, will they continue to produce the LadyBug alternative, and if so, how long?

boffer 4/9/2011, 11:38 am

buttaflie143 wrote:Well for those of us who couldn't get MM or don't have time to mix ingredients ourselves, it is great to know there is an alternative. Now the questions become...will it work, will they continue to produce the LadyBug alternative, and if so, how long?

See if this post answers your questions:
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t6263p15-comparable-square-foot-garden-blend#54912

BackyardBirdGardner 4/9/2011, 11:40 am

If it's endorsed by the Foundation, it's good enough for me.

Coconut coir as a substitute for peat moss is an easy search on google. You could go blind with reading in 15 minutes.

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"Comparable" square foot garden blend