Re: I learned something new when I re-read Chapter (X)

madnicmom 9/19/2011, 9:14 pm

My numbers are 2601 so I'm off to read chapter 1. LOL

Great Idea Boffer!!!!

Goosegirl 9/19/2011, 9:23 pm

My assigned chapter is #5 on Mel's Mix. Since I had no problem finding my ingredients I concentrated on the composting aspect of the chapter. I really liked the 4M reminders for the compost pile: Mix, Mash, Moisten, & Move! Then there is the section on Go Big Time, discussing all the different places you can look locally for extras to put in your compost bin. I became inspired to compost all over again - and I never stopped the first time!

GG

boffer 9/19/2011, 11:14 pm

madnicmom wrote:My numbers are 2601 so I'm off to read chapter 1. LOL

My book lives near my keyboard, where I can refer to it easily for an answer; or more likely, when I have a minute or two to kill, I open it randomly and read a page. There was something that I read in Chapter 1 that gave me the idea for this exercise. It was one of those moments when I hit myself in the head and said 'duh', when I wish had remembered something I read. I wonder if you'll re-learn the same message I did!

genes 9/20/2011, 9:11 pm

yippee! I'm 2605

Chapter 5:

QUOTE:
Mel's Mix is the most important, productive, essential, necessary, critical, major subject and is the backbone of the entire book and the Square Foot Gardening method!

That's the picture. Get it? It is the reason all the other improvements are possible.[/quote]

Um i kinda knew that already, I thought it was a good reminder Embarassed

WHat I learned agian by rereading is that an optimal size compost pile is between 3x3x3 to 4x4x4 feet. That makes the pile large enough to heat up yet smal enough to be turned easy.

Thanks boofer i haven't looked at my book in a while but it always makes me feel good when I do

AZDYJ2K 9/22/2011, 1:31 am

I'm 1865

From Chapter 5, page 105:

"fill the boxes, wetting down the mixed-in layers only as you fill it."

This is my 2nd year using SFG and the first time that I mixed my own MM. I would say the thing I learned is to wet the MM in layers as mentioned above. I just dumped in my MM and didn't wet it until I had filled the box. What I should have done is to lay down a 1" or 2" layer and wet it and then repeat.

I didn't do that and I spent about minutes gently watering and poking around in my 4X4 until it was thoroughly saturated. Even then I had to dig around with a trowel and a stick to ensure that the water had penetrated. If I had just taken the extra 5 minutes to do it in layers it would have saved me alot of trouble.

AprilakaCCIL 9/23/2011, 9:08 pm

I'm u6005

Chapter 5. After looking at the pictures w/assortment of composts shown (pg 91), noted Mel uses a plant & soil builder and a soil booster.

I'd wished I paid more attention to that! Well...I know what to do after harvest time and before sowing seeds again---add the new revived mixture in as I keep going along.

I would like to add this dealing w/vermiculite-->

One of my beds has alot of sta green vermiculite, which I purchased @ Lowes and were very small bags for a high price.
Yep, I got impatient. All my other beds have A-3 coarse vermiculite.

The beds with A-3 coarse vermiculite holds moisture very well, and the one bed with the other brand purchased at Lowes seems to dry out way quicker.

I would use the vermiculite that Mel suggested, simply b/c it makes a huge difference dealing with the type of coarse you end up using.

genes 9/23/2011, 9:26 pm

+1 A3 coarse

Chopper 9/23/2011, 11:04 pm

Chapter 2.

One thing I have picked up but had not noticed:

If you have to thin seedlings, use a small scissors rather than pull them out and thus avoid disturbing the remaining seedling.

**sfg4uKim** 9/25/2011, 1:31 pm

AprilakaCCIL wrote:
I would like to add this dealing w/vermiculite-->

One of my beds has alot of sta green vermiculite, which I purchased @ Lowes and were very small bags for a high price.
Yep, I got impatient. All my other beds have A-3 coarse vermiculite.

The beds with A-3 coarse vermiculite holds moisture very well, and the one bed with the other brand purchased at Lowes seems to dry out way quicker.

I would use the vermiculite that Mel suggested, simply b/c it makes a huge difference dealing with the type of coarse you end up using.

And when it's available I like #4 extra coarse even more.

I had the privilege of speaking to Jerry Austen the owner of JP Austen vermiculite manufacturer this past week. We bought a pallet (30 bags) of #3 from MD Plants & Supplies. They only had 8 bags & when it came, each bag was short 1 cf.

I told MD P&S that a fair resolution would be to have the manufacturer send us (2) FULL 4 cf bags as compensation. Jerry Austen called me up and we talked for about 45 minutes - really nice guy.

He invited us to come to Western PA to see his operation. Then he STUNNED me by saying, "For your inconvenience, I'd like to send you a PALLET of vermiculite." Shocked

What did he say? What a Face

A pallet?

Oooooo I'm SOOOOO excited! bounce

PLUS at the beginning of the conversation he said he had just met Victoria from the SFG Foundation. His company supplies vermiculite to Gro-Well for their Mel's Mix. It truly is a small world.

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