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Re: Melsoil // My experience

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

Patricia Santhuff wrote:
>  
> 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!

It just occurred to me a few weeks ago that watering an empty bed 
during dry spells might be rather important. I can't know for sure,
but Frank's microherd comes to mind. They'll need water even when
there are no plants growing, won't they? I haven't gardened long enough
to see if the principle about "feed the soil and the plants will
feed you" works out IRL, but I'm hoping it's true, somewhere down
the line. (Gotta start shovelin' more on this sand!)

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

Good question. Don't know the answer. My impression of peat moss
and its drying out and shedding water is that it makes one a slave
to watering extremely regularly, or else!

I used coconut "peat" in place of peat moss for my first attempt at SFG
this spring. (This stuff is packaged locally, and is also about 2/3 
the cost of the equivalent cubit feet of peat moss.) It's touted as
being as good as peat and also a renewable resource. It also has to
be soaked with copious water before using so as to be "reconstituted."
(I had to use a garbage can for this.) But it hasn't shown any signs 
of shedding water like peat moss does, except that I also have a lot of
vermiculite in the soil too, and sand sand sand, so maybe that explains
why my beds soak up water like sponges. (They're also not raised, but
an inch or two lower than the surrounding sand sand sand, which this
year has been dry dry dry.)

Anyway, after the first late spring flush of growth, everything went 
kla-phlooey and got stunted no matter what I did. The only plants
that are still with me are some pepper plants, both bells and hot,
and the hot ones have given me more peppers (from 2 habeneros, 1
jalapeno, 1 cayenne type) than I can use for several years, even 
with us loving hot salsa and barbecue and other hot dishes.
 
> 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>

I'm sold on beds that are never walked on and packed down.

But with a knee injury this summer that brought an end to my getting
down on my knees, or stooping, or even sitting on something low and 
having to stand up again, I've got to rethink my own four 4 x 8 beds.
And I was already rethinking them before that. Four feet across is
just too much for my shorter-than-Mel's arms.

My beds are currently bare except for those peppers and some 
scraggly weeds and this summer's skeletons of a few failed "crops."
But oh how we enjoyed those fresh veggies when they did produce!

Carolyne (Florida Panhandle ... or maybe SANDhandle)

-- 
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal
than others. ~ George Orwell, Animal Farm


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