I wouldn't say it's much "better" but it is an alternative when you have less than ideal planting conditions than you'd like. There are pros as listed in a thread a few down from here as "what surprised you", but the start up cost is a negative. With time, this will balance out in effort and sanity points. The exact spacings for larger crops like broccoli and cabbage didn't work for me, so I went a bit deeper (10-12 inches) and spaced with a few more inches between and things did very well. It's all about trial and error. Start small. If you don't like it, you can easily convert to a standard row.

Thanks for pointing out the previous post ribbit. I try to be dilegent and search before asking. Some how I just skimmed over that one, but the answers there were exactly what I was looking for. :)

Mel's mix is just an alternative. Because you are starting with nothing in a raised bed, you have the oppurtunity to make an ideal soil mix. Mel had a bunch of trial and error mixes and feels this current mix is the best for a wide variety of plants. As everyone knows, since the begining of time plants and vegatables have been grown in the very dirt you stand on. Some are better than others. So I would say to strive for a mix of various materials to provide a good substrate for what ever plant/vegetable you want to grow.

Here is a link that might be useful: cajunkorner

I can attest that the Mel's Mix is WAAAAAY better than regular soil. I have different areas of crops, some planted in Mel's Mix, some in potting soil, and others in regular earth that soil tests showed to be fine.

The lettuce I have growing in Mel's mix was 4x the size of the lettuce I grew in regular potting mix. And the tomatoes in Mel's Mix are healthier, and have set fruit much faster than in regular dirt.

This year is my first doing square foot gardening, and I'm hooked. I'm thinking next year, I amend the soil in my other planting areas with Mel's Mix...

Here's some pics of my garden and the monster lettuce. A little out of control, I know, but I'm still learning about the proper use of a trellis.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=284103&id=780070178&l=78b18f55b0

i don't have the mix, but i do have the boxes, and i made my own "mix" it didn't fare as well as some would say theirs have. but the main thing i liked. NO weeding!! i did notice with using mels mix, alot of people have complained of a nutrient low in some area's. that's where the 5 different manuers come in. or as some like to do, use their compost. they swear by it. their gardens have done well! i absolutely LOVE gardening this way. wouldn't go back the other way! LOL we stuck to the rows in one but they were tighter and closer together, and they still turned out just fine. so the squares vs rows, didn't make a diff. i kinda like the rows. its easier for me. for the keeping it moisture, we used straw, mowed over it and put it in and that works great! of course i don't think it will hold as long as the vermiculite, but...... **grin** ~Medo

I have a sort of mels mix, screwed up with the amount of peat moss! didn't realise it was compacted!!! only used 2 sq foot of vermiculite in each 4ftx4ftx12inch and 1 square foot in the 6 inch boxes, I also added sand, because unlike alot of folks I live in a high rainful area which is a constant throughout the seasons it rains at least once a week, in one of those run for you life thunderstorms, and we also get the odd downpour apart from that, so I realised that drainage was my problem not conserving water for more than a few days, I have actually only had to water once this year as we had 5 days without rain, watered on the 5 day and on day 7 the mother of all storms broke at least 3-4 inches of rain, I measured 6 inches in most of my empty tubs so it could have been more and my amature water guage couldn't keep up?
Also vermicucite is expensive, which also guided me!!! but if I lived in a very dry area I really think that stuff would pay for its self very quickly as it would cut down on the water bills, as I only had a small amount of it but after 4 days of temps in the 80's still amazingly moist soil, and day five just thought I have to water! soil still moist to a depth of and 1 1/2 inches.
and everything growing like crazy, I am really happy with it, I think that Mel was looking at the 2 ends on the bell curve and what would work for both reasonabley well, but if you use a little nouse you may come up with what suits your growing conditions more?

you also asked are the veg better bigger, Mel advocates picking young, so no they are not, but they are Yummy Yummy! he is very European in his approach I find, think Gourmet! not SuperMarket!

Square foot gardening is definetely something I'm going to work towards! Thanks for the input thus far and on other posted questions too.

I came to roughly the some conclusions after planting my first garden as a complete novice. I did it with standard rows and plant spacing and felt that there easily had to be a better method, that some extra thought to the system was just lacking. I later read about "French Intensive" and that appeared to solve a lot of what I didn't like about it and Mel's Mix and Raised Beds just seals up all the loose ends.

For me tilling, amending and weeding between rows is just ludicrous! The only reason I can think of is because you now have bare dirt there from tilling and weeds are going to grow thanks to your amending. I have experimented this year with intensive planting and have only seen positive results i.e., shading out weeds.

Hopefully, this year I'll get some put together. There is no time in the spring. Heck, it's July 19th and I'm still waiting for summer to start!

First I am new to square foot garedning. I had a few problems with start up this spring. I live where the wind really blows in spring. we had 2 hot windy days and 1/4 of my Mels mix blew out my main bed. It had been watered,but had not settled yet.What blew out was peat moss and vermeculite. It seems stable now. wind dont seem to bother at all. I said all this to incurage you to start now so your beds are established for next spring. Mels mix? I have very good sandy loam. A little vermeculite and stand back. It out produced My Mels mix? of course I dont think My Mels MIX was mixed right. could not find compost..

So when are you building your beds? ;)

Hints: Start small and add a box or two each season.
Buy your compost in 1/2 cubic of full cubic yards from landscape supply stores and store the excess in totes until you need it.
Soak your peat in the bag BEFORE you add it to the mix.
You don't need 4x4 boxes, but I wouldn't recomend longer boxes at 4 ft wide, but go 3 ft wide unless you have a very long reach or put a trellis inbetween the third and 4th row so you can plant on either side of the trellis.
Learn some bugs are good. You don't have to kill everything...there's nothing good about SVB moths. Kill them all and kill them all fast. No mercy.
Don't plant vining plants on the ground where they'll wind up in walkways
Have fun.

Build the bed. Start now. It's peer pressure. You can't resist peer pressure. ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Corner Yard

I also agree if you want to make your boxes longer than 4 feet then make them only 3 feet wide. Also, have the length of the box running east-west. For example, 3 feet x 8 feet with an 8 foot trellis along the north side of the box running east-west.

The reason for the 3 feet is so you can reach into the middle squares of the box when you have a trellis blocking one side. When the box is only 4x4, it does not matter which side the trellis is on, you have 3 other sides you can reach in from. If the box is longer, it will matter ! I think it is good to have your trellis in approx 4-6 inches from the edge so you can plant your large vining plants (like cucumber tomato melons) in the middle of their square and the trellis is right there for them to climb. Also, your smaller vining plants that are planted more per square (like peas beans) you will be able to plant on each side of the trellis.

I have clay like you and had read that clay is rich in nutrients. I made my mix 25% each of my clay, vermiculite, peat moss, and compost because I discovered square foot after I was already in the process of making my garden (digging & tilling). Also, I had access to free compost from a horse barn so only used one source of compost instead of five. Still though, it has performed super well for me.

Build your beds now !! If you have moles, you may want to staple chicken wire to the bottom of the bed, then just lay down wet cardboard, lay your bed on top, and fill.

I built open bottom raised beds, filled them w/ homemade compost, very small% of vermiculite, and no peat. I did get some peat in there by using seed starting mix. Also added worms w/ castings. Way better, bigger, healthier than last years (first) garden.

I highly recommend Mel's mix. It provides a nice soil for easy planting, good drainage, and simple weeding. Weeding is a trivial task with Mel's mix. I do add my own well composted leaves, grass, etc. in the fall. When I pull up plants, I add some new Mel's mix plus a small amount of manure and Plantrust for fertilizer. As an example, I have measured the digits on my fingers. When I plant to 1 inch I poke an appropriate hole with my finger and sow. Two inches, middle finger, second joint and sow. Greatly simplifies planting. You can't do this with regular soil.

OK ribbit, I feel the pressure! I can't stand it, I'm going to give it a shot! Thanks for ecnouraging me to start this year so everything is settles by spring. The 13 months of winter should help it mellow before I plant.

I'm excited by what everyone says about not weeding as much. It seems the weeds are so aggresive here. And if I'm hearing right, the mix regulates the watering more effeciently. Good drainage (never too wet) and moisture retention (never to dry).

Being a single dad with four kids between 3-10 I'm crazy to even attempt having a garden. I sometimes don't weed for weeks at a time because, well, you know ...
That's another reason why I'm after something like this.

hey, isn't that what the kids are for ... free labor ? Well, not really free exactly - kids are very expensive !! But still ... get them out there doing the chores ! *grin*

If you build your bed now, you don't even have to wait til next year. You can be planting stuff in it now.
http://www.veggieharvest.com/vegetable-planning/zone-4.html

Gosh and I moan about twins! you really have your hands full, but Sq foot could be for you! how about 5 beds 4 3x3 and 1 whatever you what, and assign each child a bed? remember they will in no way tend it as you would, but then you just do what is needed for them, they need to pick their plants, not be told what to plant, but I think you will be amazed, 1 of my 4 yr olds loves "his garden" and inspects every morning with me the other is keen on watering, just have to check he doesn't blow the plants away as he thinks he is "fireman Sam"
Good luck your children are lucky to have a father who not only cares for them but also whats to show them good food. I would concer with ribbit, build now... more peer pressure and your eldest whether male or female is old enough to help you by holding stuff steady, it is a long summer vaccation and the skills they witness, will last them a lifetime.

Not a bad idea with "box" assignment. So far each kid seems to have thier own unique interest in the garden. My only girl (5yrs) is my right hand. She is always there to help, no questions asked, no sniveling. Boy age 7 is the scientist. Always wants to inspect the technical aspects and asks a million of q's. He's working on "mutant hybrids" for next year. Not to improve the fruit but to make something "weird". Boy age three, he picks stuff (have to watch him or...) And the 10 yro. Strong laborer but comes with a hard head.

loving your family already,the experimental boy may like my idea of a bean in a bottle? 5 year old she is totally in charge! also scientist boy need to grow a Howden pumpkin! I have been growing one, its like a B movie! pumpkin ate my house! needs alot of room but boy will he love it!
the hard headed one will apreciate being the responsible one and being allowed to be responsible for his space, use him as an alley as well as your daughter.
(don't know why you are a single dad, but believe me, I think he is trying to be an adult in a child's body and mind, I saw it in my cousin when his stepdad died)
little one just needs a hose and being with his brothers and sisters.
can't tell you how much in my young years I wanted 4 children, I have two and I still wish for more, but I am sure I couldn't cope on my own, you are a star.

Here is a link that might be useful: bean in a bottle expriement!

shhhh.... just build one box. just one. it'll be ok, it won't lead to more. Nah, it's safe... just do it, be one of us...

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

Thank you hearther38, that was very nice of you. Sometimes I feel like a star, a lot of the time I just feel burnt-out. It's not all it's cracked up to be and the garden is the only thing that gives me a quicker fruit for my labors.

Peas: 58-65 Days to maturity.
Children: 6,574 Days to maturity.

The bean in the bottle totally rocks! Lil' Mr. Science is already stoked and so am I. We both want to try hydroponics just for the sci-fi aspect, but that is way too much for now and I think this will be fun. Already have it in the works.

Thanks Everyone! We'll build some soon and hopefully be able report back with our questions in the near future!

Hey aztomn (I take it that is Arizona to Minnesota???) What a difference in growing conditions.

I live in Northeastern MN...right in the arrowhead region that people see on the national news as having the coldest weather in,say, January...lol

first year doing sfg. Mel's mix is the ONLY way to go. Planted broccoli in sfg and the leftovers in a 1/2 barrel. No contest. Frisbee size compared to golf ball size. Initial start up in dollars may seem prohibitive, but with substantially larger harvests (think equivalent price per pound at the grocery store) and less back breaking work (your time in dollars per hour) it pays for itself in my opinion.

I just picked another small basket of snow peas an hour ago. My 3 y/o twin grandsons love going down to the garden and picking packman broccoli or peas. Soon carrots and tomatoes.

I too made mine narrower. 3 x 12. Mine is concrete blocks, two courses high so I can sit on the edge and plant, weed, harvest. I have more weeds, but I think they are from some of the compost and then dandilion and maple spinner seeds blowing in. Very easy to pull out.

I am already planning for another sfg next year. Think I will ask my local landscape store to order the coarse Vermiculite for me. The only had medium this year, but it worked out fine.

You can see how we built our garden at the sfg web site and user upnorthgardener.

Good luck and keep us updated.

Lori