Not sure you save much money, but you can't argue with the convenience of buying it premixed. I was able to make/mix it myself for about $3.50 a cu ft. If I shopped around a bit more, probably could have done it for $3/cu ft. But it was a LOT of work to mix it and shovel into the beds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Luke's SF Victory Garden

I totally agree that you can save money doing it yourself if you really shop around. Even still, it took 3 grown men a whole day to mix and fill 4 beds with 6.5 c yards of mel's mix. What's that worth? Hehe. Glad you found it local. I can't see paying to ship it.

Yeah I was surprised. As soon as I said Square Foot Gardening, the guy's eyes lit up and it turns out they had an entire section of the store devoted to SFG. It probably helps that I'm located about an hour away from Eden, where SFG HQ is located.

Certainly Mel sells it at his site too. That is why I think it is a misnomer and definitely inaccurate when people call 'their' concoction "Mel's Mix". When it really is not and can be any combination of ingredients. They should be saying 'My Mix'.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.squarefootgardening.com

That is why I think it is a misnomer and definitely inaccurate when people call 'their' concoction "Mel's Mix"

If they are following "Mel's recipe", I would think it could/should be called "Mel's Mix". I believe it was called that long before it was commercially available under that brand name.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Certainly you can call it whatever you choose. That is the wonderful thing about gardening ;-)

I find it misleading since it can contain an infinite combination and quality of ingredients to varying degrees. I am not sure why you would choose to mislead someone trying to help you when you are having troubles.

Perhaps there is some way to distinguish?

Just My Meaningless Opinion (JMMO)

1 large bag of vermiculte-$22(maybe more)
1 large bag of peat-$9
1 large bag of Gardner&Bloom compost:$20
4 bags of Mels mix to do 1 4X4 at 6"-$40

If you live in Utah, you get it for $40-enough to fill one 4X4 at 6" deep...

"I am not sure why you would choose to mislead someone trying to help you when you are having troubles. "

Excuse me? I don't believe I have tried to mislead anyone that was trying to help me, and I'm not having any troubles. I also don't use Mel's Mix, the commercial one or one I could make on my own, following his personal directions as given in his books.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

I'm not sure why it's confusing. If you follow the recipe for Mel's Mix, you make Mel's Mix. If I follow the recipe for Toll House Cookies, I made Toll House Cookies. If you don't follow the recipe, don't call it Mel's Mix. I think it's less confusing if people (who followed the recipe) just say they used Mel's Mix, because it is a known recipe. I did not use it (heck, I don't even have a "real" SFG).
I think being able to purchase pre-mixed Mel's Mix is a fairly new option.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

I filled my beds last April, and followed Mel's recipe to the "T". Oh yeah....it was alot of work, but I'm glad I did it myself, because I appreciate it more. Of course, it helps that the task of mixing - then transferring the ingredients is well within my physical abilities, too.

Gumby - If a person uses 1/3 peat, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 compost (any kind, any number of different sources) - then it is simply Mel's Mix. It's not "My Mix", because I'm not the one that came up with the recipe.

Granny - You, have gardening troubles? Ha! No way....you're one of the best ones I know. My feelings, are that you can show people alot better than tell them. :-)

EG

-Excuse me? I don't believe I have tried to mislead anyone that was trying to help me, and I'm not having any troubles. I also don't use Mel's Mix, the commercial one or one I could make on my own, following his personal directions as given in his books.
Easy on yourself now. The you is generic meaning the Reader. Unless of course YOU are not having trouble. Then it refers the them & those.

So what do YOU call it when YOU don't follow the recipe?
I'm just sayin There should be some way to distinguish. But how then?

"Certainly you can call it whatever you choose. That is the wonderful thing about gardening ;-)"

"-Excuse me? I don't believe I have tried to mislead anyone that was trying to help me, and I'm not having any troubles. I also don't use Mel's Mix, the commercial one or one I could make on my own, following his personal directions as given in his books.
Easy on yourself now. The you is generic meaning the Reader. Unless of course YOU are not having trouble. Then it refers the them & those. "

Well you certainly did appear to be replying to my post, since I was the only one who had responded to you at the time.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Gumby,
I'm really not seeing the issue. The OP is looking for Mel's Mix (commercial or follow the recipe). The others who replied made no metion of modifying the recipe. I don't know where "misleading" anyone came in, and there really weren't any "troubles" in the OP's post.

Seems to me when people have modified Mel's recipe, they say so. I really don't see the confusion.

Does anybody use the ORIGINAL MEL'S MIX? (Not the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 mix.)

I should have posted the original recipe:

6 cf PEAT MOSS (3.8 compressed Bale)
4 cf COARSE VERMICULITE
3 cf SAND
3 cf COMPOST
2/3 cf WOOD ASHES
1 can LIME
1 can FERTILIZER

According to my soilmix/calculations page, it makes 125 gallons but the calculations page you can stick in the amount you want to make at cell N45 and it will recalculate all the ingredients for you.

Does anyone still use this version of Mel's Mix?

Here is a link that might be useful: soilmix/calculations page