i would comment but i don't want make you look dumb.

Come on...comment.

Please do tell homend, we are on pins and needles, eagerly waiting your divine horticultural knowledge.

sandshifter, many people have modified the mix and claimed success. But, I don't see an advantage to using Miracle Gro soil with added nutrients, why not just use a fertilizer since you are straying from compost anyways?

I think there is a significant amount of compost in this type of garden soil plus nutrients. Also it would provide some bulk. Mel's mix has shrunk ..I find that when looking for 5 different kinds of compost that even though there may be 5 different brands, they all contain basicly the same stuff

If you make your own compost, you will probably have at least 5 different ingredients, solving your problems. If the compost bag has 5 different ingredients, you are okay.

Mel is saying don't use only chicken manure, or only composted leaves. A variety will more likely supply your plants with the needed minerals and other nutrients.

Here is a link that might be useful: What's Growing On?

It might be committing heresy but I would try it on at least a small portion of your garden just to see what happens. I don't think Mel will be knocking on your door at midnight.

The only way to learn is by doing. If it fails immediately or in a couple of years, you can try something else. Don't be scared to make a mistake. Just go for it and have fun with it.

Ken

Please add me to the list of those waiting with bated breath for homeend's learned and typically erudite response. Hmmm, what could it possibly be? Something about reading/purchasing THEE Book mayhaps? Only time will tell. I know we can always bet on the sarcasm.

Anyway, Sandshifter, what I plan to do, based on what I've learned from carefully reading most of this forum is after closing down the garden in the fall, I will lift off the grids, spread the Miracle Gro garden soil for "in ground use" which I have cleverly acquired at sale prices, evenly over the beds, maybe a couple or three inches to compensate for the **incredible shrinkage** we have experienced with Mel's Mix (put together carefully after reading THEE BOOK, and yes, I can read),in our garden, put the grids back down, dig in the MG stuff with a trowel into each grid, hopefully thereby practicing rotational planting (I guess homeende will tell us which of the 4 books we should follow in that regard, I am going with version 1) and when replanting in the spring, adding whatever varied compost as I can find it after mixing it together. Sorry for the run-on sentence.

I fully expect that lightning will strike me and I will be pronounced a heretic in all garden forums worldwide, but being a brave person, it is a risk I am prepared to take--based on my reads on this forum. Really, if gardening in soil with compost additions causes immediate failure in a SFG, well.........

I totally agree, Ken, have fun with it, some folks on this forum are getting a bit too serious about this which really is an effort on all our parts to grow some good, healthy food and enjoy the program while not spending $$ we can ill afford in this economy, rather than joining a cult, and I don't think in some cases that is stating it too strongly--tho I suspect the source of such dogmatic posts. I personally have enjoyed learning and am focused at the moment on improvement of this method, which to me is more than enjoyable--improvement that is. Clearly, some of the recommendations just plain don't work and are terribly expensive for folks who are trying to save $$, not spend more of it. Let's move on from that, PLEASE, rather than further try to justify it..

Best regards, this is for the most part, a wonderful group of people.

Guys, thanks for the feedback. Like I said; I pretty much follow the book . I know it almost word for word. It's just that I have a hard time finding compost that I trust. I also make my own, but I have to find a way to make more. I've also thought about topping off with another bag of Mel's mix (if I can find it) and tossing in some additional compost. Perhaps I should mention one of my favorite quotes by St. Thomas Aquinas ...
"Be aware of the man with one book"

Sandshifter, 5 or 6 years ago I built two 4x8 raised beds for strawberries and filled them with 1/3 soil from the garden nearby, 1/3 horse manure compost, and 1/3 compost. Recently the production has been down, so I thought I would "repurpose" the raised beds. I was absolutely amazed at how hard the soil inside the beds had become... The beds were still 2/3rds full, but the soil was hard like cement, all of the organic material had disappeared. That being said,it may be better to only use organic matter such as compost to "top off" the beds.

My raised garden is packed down too. I was gonna add perlite to it.

I'm no expert, but will gladly share what has worked for us in the boxes.

Haven't purchased garden soil & wouldn't because it's too heavy. Did you mean to say MG potting mix which is peat, etc. not garden soil? We used peat when we 1st mixed up the soil for boxes, but I'm leary of too much peat in boxes as once it dries out it's hard to wet.

If my boxes dry out I do see water seeping down the wood sides & out especially if I'm watering fast. It takes a bit for the peat to wet itself again.

Have purchased a local bagged compost called Cedar Grove (municipal garden waste) & gave to our daughter for her new garden soil for inground tomatoes next to sunny side of house.

I do continue to add to my SFG beds when I harvest & don't wait until spring. It's usually a trowel each of my homemade compost (hot piles) & worm compost. Then after fall crops harvested I will pile on layers of partially composted manures + bedding, shredded leaves, etc. to compost in place. In my climate lime is added yearly, so lime goes 1st.

Doesn't the vermiculite also break down over time becoming smaller & smaller pieces?

Compost compacts & decomposes, so pure compost is not good in my rainy climate as plant roots rot. In spring our soils are cold & wet, so I don't want too much compost at that time. Now that it's summer I mulch the beds with compost as well as dried grass clippings (no weed&feed). The organic matter is easily "used up" by the plants & seems to disappear.

Our daughter's SFG beds weren't draining well though previous owner said he made a SFG mix from the book. We were guessing that her soil needed more compost as well as something else to keep it light, so she added perlite. The perlite made a big difference for her & solved her problem of the puddling plus the shrinkage in the boxes.

The huge bag was about $20 I think & she also used it for increasing drainage in her potting soil for container tomatoes.

Sorry, I don't have anything productive to add...

Just wanted to say that from what I see homeend does a pretty good job of making himself look dumb all over these forums, not really sure why he ever comments at all. It is usually just a condescending "read the book" response...

Thought I would post another question into the discussion here at risk of being belittled by homeend as well.

I have one bed dedicated to strawberries. I know it needs compost or some amendment added in at the end of each season, but I plan on leaving them in for at least a couple years until production slows. Does anyone have recommendations for an additive in this bed each season?

Thanks,
bj_delo

I have used MG garden soil in other applications, but it is not compost. The stuff I got out of that green bag looked like it could stand a trip through the com poster.

Although I am all for experimentation, I would not substitute MG for compost. The nutrients in compost will feed your plants.

The apparent shrinkage of MM is not shrinkage, but compaction or settling due to watering and rain. If you do not have a weed control cloth on the bottom of your bed, it may be washing away from underneath. When you top off and mix in the compost, you will be "fluffing" the mix back up. if you need more than a scoop of compost, I'd top it off with fresh MM.

I also have a strawberry bed which needs some compost added at season end, as well as a few squares planted permanently with herbs (sage, oregano, chives)which could surely use some as well. Is there a good technique to add the compost and fluff the soil a bit without disturbing the roots of the plants? The plants are quite dense.

Thanks!

Organic material added to the soil shrinks a surprising amount each year as the earthworms and other soil life digest it and otherwise break it down. Anything organic (within reason) that you add is good and will help build your soil. I've used Miracle-Gro potting mix, which has worked well. It is pretty full of uncomposted sticks and bark, though, so it's a good idea to screen it if you don't want these in your garden. You can also plant a green manure and then till it in at the right time (beans, peas, buckwheat, annual ryegrass, lespedeza, winter rye, and many other legumes can all be used). The book "Joy of Gardening" by Dick Raymond has a great discussion of green manures -- it and Mel's "SFG" are two classic gardening books I consult all the time. Good luck with feeding your soil -- treat it right and it will feed you.