i did it! i splurged today and bought . ..

2 four cf bags of coarse vermiculite. - they were $16.99/bag +local tax. I couldn't resist.

I plan on expanding my garden this year and I had worries that in a month when I was going to buy the rest of the ingredients that the vermiculite would be hard to find. lots of folks exploring sfg'ing now (which is AWESOME!!) but makes materials more difficult when there are limited suppliers that are reasonably priced.

I also bought a 20 cent package of red cherry tomatoes. and i stuck them in a windowsill seed starter greenhouse type thing and put that on the fridge. hoping they sprout. i figure if they don't, i was gonna buy tomatoes anyway - but i just might not be getting cherry tomatoes - my purchases for the store are a 6pack of tomatoes and a 6 pack of green peppers. everything else, i grow from seed.

and speaking of seed, i planted some mammoth sugar peas today! so very excited! the dirt was all nice and moist and steamy - but not soaking wet - the garden guy cautioned me against planting if the soil is wet and soggy. so, 4 squares are planted now.

i want to plant some spinach and/or lettuce but fear it might be too soon - even with my little mini greenhouses that i put on seeds out in the garden.

What a great find!

I have dreams of a data base on the forum of vermiculite sources, but that's down the road if at all. Ward has a list going of sources around the world, that he adds to as he finds them. But not everybody knows that. In the meantime, would you make a post in your regional forum titled "Vermiculite available in Newark, Ohio" ? Then list the source in the post.

That will make it easier for gardeners in your area to find vermiculite, and for Ward to find it for his list.

Thanks

boffer,

pretty sure i did that last year on the old forums but i'll do it again here for the new forums since those records might be lost.

WoW BettyAnn! we just paid about $40 for one bag of V !!

SCORE!!!!

Would you post your source in the 'Vermiculite in the PNW' thread that is located here:

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/pacific-northwest-f15/vermiculite-in-the-pnw-t26.htm

That might save another gardener hours of searching for vermiculite

Thanks

Oh, I paid $39 for a 6cf bag at McConkeys, in Sumner, recently

i posted in my regional forum - the midwest.

if i post that in the forum you suggest folks are gonna be wanting it but can't get it.

had not realized it was that great of a deal.

glad i brought those 2 bags home today then!

here's the link for where i posted the vermiculite info in the regional forums.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/northern-central-midwest-f12/

i grew cherry tomatoes last season in a traditional garden they grew very easily and tasted awesome better then store bought 1 word of caution for you keep an eye on them they are prolific growers by the time frost came and killed the plant they had almost taken control of the garden, they grew up and over the 8 ft stakes i had in the ground over the 4 ft fence i put up and started climbing my neighbors 6 ft stockade fence and man did they produce a ton of tomatoes so much so that the neighbors came buy regularly to help me harvest them all. we were averageing about 3 dozen a day from the 2 plants i had not to mention what neighbors came an harvested while i was at work. just a word of caution keep em pruned and dont let em over take you

oh, AWESOME!!! my kids can out eat their weight in produce - and i thought cherry tomatoes would be fun for them - so they really will need 3' square space? that's what seed packet said. . . ooh now i am really REALLY excited to grow some cherry tomatoes from seed!

hope they sprout! they're on the fridge now germinating. once they sprout i have a little greenhouse all ready for them . . .