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Re: Help -- Soil Prep

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

Thanks Shawn-- very helpful about the grubs. After I posted that I consulted
yet another book that at least told me grubs are the immature stage of
beetles, and not all beetles are bad beetles. Your post helped round out the
info. Soooo, if they'll help my compost (which I've come to regard as
another *crop* needing equally careful tending), terrific. But I'll keep
them out of the garden. Again, thanks.

Now -- I'm sure hoping someone can help me out FAST with the rough ratios of
peat moss + vermiculite + compost I should use to add to my new (and first)
sq. ft. bed. I keep checking my mail today, hoping for a little insight
because I need to get out there and start doing it!

In the meantime I'll go plant the herb plants I bought yesterday. :-)

Thanks in advance.

Patricia
Zone 7, West Georgia



>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
>     Hi Patricia,
>     
>     If your message meant that you have big white curled up grubs about 
>     the size of your thumb, with a brown mouth, they are probably the same 
>     larvae that are in my compost pile here in Calif. I think they are the 
>     larvae of the June beetle, and I leave them alone so they can chomp up 
>     and digest my compost. Don't allow any into the garden (i.e. don't 
>     place unsorted compost on your veggies), and you should be all right. 
>     I am sure these June beetles are damaging my lawn, but I haven't been 
>     able to see any overt damage, so I leave them alone. The dogs love to 
>     chase the flying beetles in June (or maybe July this year, it's been 
>     so cold). Hope I've helped.
>     
>     Shawn
>     Claremont, CA  USDA 9b Sunset 19
>     swestaway@coh.org
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
>Subject: Help -- Soil Prep 
>Author:  "Patricia J. Santhuff" <psanthuff@mindspring.com> at internet
>Date:    6/2/99 5:00 AM
>
>
>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>     
>Hi, Square Footers.
>     
>Boy, I'm enjoying this list, and getting a lot out of it. Thanks to everyone 
>for all your input, and to those with questions, too, because I'm learning 
>some things I may need to know about some day and getting many other great 
>information and ideas. 
>     
>Thanks also to Kim Kiernan for the great post on my earlier questions about 
>potting soil, planting soil and other commercially available bagged stuff. 
>And the thread on paths was fabulous. Thanks to all.
>     
>We just moved into our house in mid-January, and with all the unpacking (and 
>unpacking and unpacking), and other hubbub and commotion, we are way behind 
>in gardening this year. Actually, it's my first year to garden ever, but boy 
>am I LOVING it. I've heard it releases endorphins; I believe it.
>     
>At first I was feeling so overwhelmed by the whole idea of gardening at all, 
>but Mel's book was a real life-saver. I read it and thought, "Yes, this is 
>doable; this is manageable." I'm still overwhelmed at times at how much 
>there is to learn and know, but I love the doing and realize how much I'm 
>learning in the process. Of course, the list helps fill in a lot of other 
>blanks (some of which I didn't even know I had).
>     
>Anyway, just to get starting with SOMETHING we haphazardly tilled a small 
>area and popped some tomato and pepper plants in. A yellow squash or two. 
>Just to do something before spring was totally gone.
>     
>I have a gazillion questions, but since now I'm starting on preparing my sq 
>ft beds, I thought I'd better ask about this question straightaway. 
>     
>SOIL PREP
>In his book, Mel suggests soil amendments totally 1/4 the volume of the soil 
>displaced when you first dig a bed out. So far, no problem. He says add leaf 
>mulch (or I suppose regular compost would do) -- ??, vermiclulite, peat 
>moss, and maybe sand. But he doesn't say in what proportions to make up your 
>1/4 volume. Any help here, anyone?
>     
>COMPOST
>Speaking of compost -- there's good news and bad news. The good news is I 
>have some! And I made it myself -- wheeeee! The bad news is as I've dug some 
>out for the beds, I've all curled up ), and I don't find any good info in 
>either of my two bug books.  What to do? Will they get in my garden and 
>wreak havoc if I don't ferret them out? If there are these big guys, that 
>I've seen, are there any little ones I didn't see?  Any suggestions would be 
>appreciated.
>     
>Patricia
>Zone 7, West Georgia
>     
>     
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