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Re: advice on vermiculite

Square Foot Gardening List - http://myweb.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

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Make sure you by the COURSE  vermiculite in the BIG bags in the GARDEN
department of your Home Improvement Store- I can never find anything but the
little bags of the fine stuff( too fine and very expensive) at  garden
centers in stores like Kmart or Walmart- I only find them at Home Base, Home
Depot -Lowe's- but then that's here in Northern CA. I just remmber being
really confused about vermiculite.Just remember-COURSE- looks like tiny
little pieces of diry styrofoam--not the same as perlite.

If you can afford it-By an extra bag or two- if sure comes in handy when you
are potting up things-and also to add the a hole when you are planting
something in the ground- nothing like being out of it and having to go get
some- I keep a garbage can full-- Love that stuff-It is probably the most
expensive thing I spend $$ on at $12 a big huge bag- what is that-4 cubic
feet? but I wouldn't plant without it now- my containers need a lot less
watering-but with that  fine stuff- it holds the water too well and even my
clay pots in the sun don't drain well- I get stuff rotting- not enough air
or something- probably some here would know.

The other thing that I recently discovered in the whole seed starting thing
for me this year that I had missed is that gravely stuff that you buy at the
feed store for the chickens-- lots of tiny little rocks- it makes a great
dressing to put on top of your seeds and in your pots - stops  moss and
fungus and helps to mark where you seeds are in the ground and is easy for
the seeds to come up thru.Cheap stuff-$4.50 for 50 lbs.You old- timers knew
about that all along I bet.  There is so much to learn- I feel like I will
never know enough.-But then- guess what- things are growing and blooming and
I am having a good time- so what the hey- that IS the point right?!!Kitty

----- Original Message -----
From: Susie K <fredsus1@hotmail.com>
To: Square Foot Gardening List <sqft@listbot.com>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 1:47 PM
Subject: advice on vermiculite


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> FINALLY!! This will be my first year ever to vegetable garden and needless
> to say I am excited, also excited about the square foot method, otherwise
I
> wouldn't even be attempting this.
>
> I got my 4 X 4's of 1 X 6" s made and got my garden loam from the Organic
> center which contains: garden loam, compost, manure, sand, etc.
>
> My question: This stuff looks really dark and rich but I am surprised it
> wasn't as "fluffy" as the soil I see in Mels videos...should I add some
> vermiculite to it? I will be adding some organic vegetable fertilizer
> granules to it also.
>
> I don't know what zone I am in but I live in Washington State, on the
> Western side, pretty moderate. I will be planting seeds but there are a
lot
> of starts available at the nurseries around me. One nursery guy said to
> plant my seeds and don't worry about starts so I guess that is what I'll
be
> doing even though I feel like I'll be getting a late start on my Spring
crop
> but everybody assures me it's o.k. We've had a somewhat chilly spring. I
am
> going to be protecting them at night with a cover anyway, to keep the cats
> out if anything!
>
> I'm going to be planting tomorrow so would love advice on my soil...it
seems
> like it's the perfect mixture but I am going to be adding vermiculate
> anyway, but would love comments!
>
> Oh....one bed I am going to be reserving for strawberries...there are two
> people in my household, just me and my husband and I am going to be
planting
> 3 beds of vegetables for us and the fourth one for strawberries. Do y'all
> think this is a good idea and is one four by four going to yield too many
> strawberries for us?
>
> P.S...another question. Is it too late to plant potatoes in my tires?
>
> Susie in Snohomish Washington
>
>
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