This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Melsoil // My experience

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

Thanks, Frank. You're right about the watering issue. Of course, you realize
there was no reason to water an empy bed, right? (And no, it shouldn't have
been empty in the first place, but then I'm learning here -- and perennially
a little short of time.) Who knew it'd be such a beast to water later? Well,
I do now!

And how does one go about checking / testing the quality of the peat moss?

I'm sold on square foot (tho not necessarily 4x4), and I'm sold on raised
beds. Especially once I learn to manage them! <g>

Thanks for your comments.

Patricia S.


>
>In me humble experience, the success of peat moss depends on the quality of
>the moss you use, plus getting it mixed in well and moistened properly, with
>whatever soil mix you use.
>
>Not using Melsoil per se, I used peat moss, compost and clay garden soil,
>about 1/3 each, in building the raised bed that I grew my sweet potatoes in
>this year, topping it off this spring with an inch or so of 1/4 inch sifted
>vermicompost. The whole business was then covered with IRT plastic for mulch
>and heat retention.
>
>Last year the same soil grew a bumper crop of carrots and other things.
>
>It is important to water it well, and keep it moist, as it does have a
>tendency to be hard to re-wet once it is dry. The virtue of the sq ft raised
>bed is that it concentrates growing power in one small area, easier to water
>and weed and care for, but not easier to neglect altogether...watering is
>crucial for raised beds especially in hot climates, and during dry spells.
>
>So if you can't give extra water to it, you are better off not having a
>raised bed, but perhaps growing in deep mulch, instead of melsoil...or on
>top of it! (And maybe in a pit...like the Southwest indians used....:-)
>
>My tuppence,
>
>Frank Teuton---in peat mossland, aka Canada...
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Patricia Santhuff <psanthuff@mindspring.com>
>To: Square Foot Gardening List <sqft@listbot.com>
>Date: Friday, October 01, 1999 9:13 PM
>Subject: Re: Melsoil // My experience
>
>
>>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>>
>>Paula's question reminds me I've been planning to ask the list about
>>Melsoil. I made 2 squares with it -- absent the wood ash, as I recall.,
>>since I didn't have any.
>>
>>I'm not sure I'm all that happy with it. My first use has been to plant a
>>small fall garden. Beans, peas, that kind of thing. But the raised beds I'd
>>prepared had dried out so badly during our terrible drought that not
>>understanding the nature of peat moss, I didn't drench it thoroughly before
>>planting. So I've had a very difficult time getting water past the top very
>>thin layer. And of course, once things have sprouted, you can't get too
>>aggressive about poking around making holes for the water to go in. I have
>>since mulched around things, so that should help retain what moisture I can
>>get in there, but it's been very frustrating, to say the least. I'm not
>sure
>>I'd use much -- if ANY -- peat moss again. In fact, I can't wait to tear
>>into these and do soemthing else with the soil. Not sure what, but
>something.
>>
>>Any comments -- or other experience -- from Melsoil advocates?
>>
>>Patricia S.
>>Zone 7b,. West Georgia
>>
>>
>>______________________________________________________________________
>>To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
>>MSN Messenger Service lets you stay in touch instantly with
>>your family & friends - Visit http://messenger.msn.com
>>
>
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
>MSN Messenger Service lets you stay in touch instantly with
>your family & friends - Visit http://messenger.msn.com
>


______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
MSN Messenger Service lets you stay in touch instantly with
your family & friends - Visit http://messenger.msn.com
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index