Soil Mix question

jcrous · February 23, 2014

I have recently changed over to raised beds:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ter_76879.html

The second bed is now complete and filled with 8 inches of mushroom compost, but not digged. The first on was digged to 12 inches, giving a soil mix of 25% soil (sand) and 75% compost). This mix is 12 inches deep, above soil.

I can hear mus stuff grow. Visitors started the same sowing time as me asked me what I do to get the stuff grow so fast. My first cucumber was harvested before their's even flowered. My Swiss Chard is growing very large. The squash and pumpkins grow like never before. I however experienced signs on the pepper leaves that there is a calcium shortage, but there is no blossom end rot so far. The soil mix keep very damp. there is no signs of wilting. Even above 40 degrees of C / 106 degrees of F. I know mushroom compost is not the richest of compost but it is very good still.

What difference can I expect if I do not dig the second bed? I know the soft part then will only be 8 inches deep. I am planning to dig but I am curious.

gardenfrog · February 23, 2014

I've taken the training through Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. He suggests that your compost be from a variety of composts. Try mixing in rotting leaves and calcium-rich grocery vegetable scraps into you soil. Peat moss is also a beneficial ingredient.

Ken4230 · February 24, 2014

You might take a broadfork or something similar and loosen the soil below the compost. Let the earthworms do the rest.
In a couple of my new beds last year, i used a post hole digger to make 12" wide x 12" deep holes. I filled the holes with compost and tomato plants.

The raised beds were single 2"x10's" high. As the plants grew, i filled in around them and in the beds with new compost.
Doing it this way let me have 10 tomatoes that were planted 20" deep. They all produced really well until frost.

The root system was so strong that i couldn't pull them by hand last year. I will know by the end of this week what changes have taken place in the old soil. I'm hoping a lot.

Ken

ScottinAtlanta · February 24, 2014

I am hooked on coffee grounds -- free and nitrogen rich. My local coffee shops put their grounds in my buckets, and I will rake around 1000 pounds of coffee grounds into my raised beds, along with one inch of horse manure top dressing, and I am ready to roll, baby. I bury the coffee filters and the worms eat them in about 8 weeks.

TightenUp · February 24, 2014

mels mix has treated me very well

simple

1/3 peat
1/3 coarse vermiculite
1/3 compost(from 5 sources)

compost example
1 horse manure
2 rabbit manure
3 cow manure
4 leaves
5 straw

mushroom compost makes a good ingredient as well as anything free!!!

nnjjohn · February 24, 2014

I used my pickup to load buckets of local stable horse manure late fall last season.. i spread lawn mower bags of clippings and fall leaves using my honda mulch mower on top of that.. I pitchforked that over early winter before the heavy snow pack that exists today.. i also spread shoveled in panfish carcasses i had from a few ice fishing trips a few weeks ago between snow thaws.. I think I am ready.. just hope I do my seeds right ( I am into it) got new led low watt grow lamps and seedling kits with the heatpads and trays with 6 inch domes .. going to try the seed herbs first to see how these growing lamps work.

Worth1 · February 24, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnjjohn

I used my pickup to load buckets of local stable horse manure late fall last season.. i spread lawn mower bags of clippings and fall leaves using my honda mulch mower on top of that.. I pitchforked that over early winter before the heavy snow pack that exists today.. i also spread shoveled in panfish carcasses i had from a few ice fishing trips a few weeks ago between snow thaws.. I think I am ready.. just hope I do my seeds right ( I am into it) got new led low watt grow lamps and seedling kits with the heatpads and trays with 6 inch domes .. going to try the seed herbs first to see how these growing lamps work.

Pleas keep us updated pictorially or descriptively on how the LED lights work if you can.

Worth

nnjjohn · February 24, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Pleas keep us updated pictorially or descriptively on how the LED lights work if you can.

Worth

i most certainly will.. these are from china so you bet i will

Ken4230 · February 25, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I am hooked on coffee grounds -- free and nitrogen rich. My local coffee shops put their grounds in my buckets, and I will rake around 1000 pounds of coffee grounds into my raised beds, along with one inch of horse manure top dressing, and I am ready to roll, baby. I bury the coffee filters and the worms eat them in about 8 weeks.

I feed my Thanksgiving cactus coffee grounds exclusively. My small one has been blooming continuously since early December. It's just now starting to fade.
I don't have access to a large amount of grounds, but what i do get goes directly in my beds.

Ken

ScottinAtlanta · February 25, 2014

Oh, I should have mentioned the kudzu compost!

drew51 · February 25, 2014

Mushroom compost leans towards the basic, my guess is that you need to lower the PH for the peppers. They like it slightly acidic. Other vegetables don't care. You can use Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate), coffee grounds (doesn't really lower much if any, but is a good compost all the same), cottonseed meal, Holly-tone fertilizer,Miracle Grow Mir-acid, to try and lower PH. Water with acidic water. It helps to have a PH meter. Vinegar will temporarily lower PH till other items mentioned begin to work (have to use a very small amount, need a meter!). Sulfuric acid permanently lowers PH, but is dangerous to work with, and you have to have a meter, as only a couple drops is needed per gallon, if not only one drop. Citric acid in water works too. Add some lemon juice to the water, again only temporary as citric acid will break down with time. So will the mushroom compost! The sugar in lemon will also help feed the bacteria that breakdown organic sources of nutrients. Lime or orange will work too.
Again my guess is compost is too basic and pepper is having a hard time absorbing nutirents in the basic environment. You probably have plenty of the nutrients, it's the PH stopping uptake.

February 23, 2014	#1
jcrous Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Cape Town, South Africa Posts: 23	Soil Mix question I have recently changed over to raised beds: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ter_76879.html The second bed is now complete and filled with 8 inches of mushroom compost, but not digged. The first on was digged to 12 inches, giving a soil mix of 25% soil (sand) and 75% compost). This mix is 12 inches deep, above soil. I can hear mus stuff grow. Visitors started the same sowing time as me asked me what I do to get the stuff grow so fast. My first cucumber was harvested before their's even flowered. My Swiss Chard is growing very large. The squash and pumpkins grow like never before. I however experienced signs on the pepper leaves that there is a calcium shortage, but there is no blossom end rot so far. The soil mix keep very damp. there is no signs of wilting. Even above 40 degrees of C / 106 degrees of F. I know mushroom compost is not the richest of compost but it is very good still. What difference can I expect if I do not dig the second bed? I know the soft part then will only be 8 inches deep. I am planning to dig but I am curious. __________________ Regards Johan Crous

February 24, 2014	#3
Ken4230 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Western Ky Posts: 282	If i were pressed for time, i would plant in it. You might take a broadfork or something similar and loosen the soil below the compost. Let the earthworms do the rest. In a couple of my new beds last year, i used a post hole digger to make 12" wide x 12" deep holes. I filled the holes with compost and tomato plants. The raised beds were single 2"x10's" high. As the plants grew, i filled in around them and in the beds with new compost. Doing it this way let me have 10 tomatoes that were planted 20" deep. They all produced really well until frost. The root system was so strong that i couldn't pull them by hand last year. I will know by the end of this week what changes have taken place in the old soil. I'm hoping a lot. Ken

February 24, 2014	#5
TightenUp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Jersey Posts: 1,183	mels mix has treated me very well simple 1/3 peat 1/3 coarse vermiculite 1/3 compost(from 5 sources) compost example 1 horse manure 2 rabbit manure 3 cow manure 4 leaves 5 straw mushroom compost makes a good ingredient as well as anything free!!! __________________

February 24, 2014	#6
nnjjohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: northern new jersey Posts: 683	the grow season ahead I used my pickup to load buckets of local stable horse manure late fall last season.. i spread lawn mower bags of clippings and fall leaves using my honda mulch mower on top of that.. I pitchforked that over early winter before the heavy snow pack that exists today.. i also spread shoveled in panfish carcasses i had from a few ice fishing trips a few weeks ago between snow thaws.. I think I am ready.. just hope I do my seeds right ( I am into it) got new led low watt grow lamps and seedling kits with the heatpads and trays with 6 inch domes .. going to try the seed herbs first to see how these growing lamps work. __________________ john

February 25, 2014	#11
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Mushroom compost leans towards the basic, my guess is that you need to lower the PH for the peppers. They like it slightly acidic. Other vegetables don't care. You can use Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate), coffee grounds (doesn't really lower much if any, but is a good compost all the same), cottonseed meal, Holly-tone fertilizer,Miracle Grow Mir-acid, to try and lower PH. Water with acidic water. It helps to have a PH meter. Vinegar will temporarily lower PH till other items mentioned begin to work (have to use a very small amount, need a meter!). Sulfuric acid permanently lowers PH, but is dangerous to work with, and you have to have a meter, as only a couple drops is needed per gallon, if not only one drop. Citric acid in water works too. Add some lemon juice to the water, again only temporary as citric acid will break down with time. So will the mushroom compost! The sugar in lemon will also help feed the bacteria that breakdown organic sources of nutrients. Lime or orange will work too. Again my guess is compost is too basic and pepper is having a hard time absorbing nutirents in the basic environment. You probably have plenty of the nutrients, it's the PH stopping uptake. Last edited by drew51; February 25, 2014 at 12:56 PM.

February 23, 2014	#2
gardenfrog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Shelbyville, IN Posts: 343	I've taken the training through Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. He suggests that your compost be from a variety of composts. Try mixing in rotting leaves and calcium-rich grocery vegetable scraps into you soil. Peat moss is also a beneficial ingredient.

February 24, 2014	#4
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I am hooked on coffee grounds -- free and nitrogen rich. My local coffee shops put their grounds in my buckets, and I will rake around 1000 pounds of coffee grounds into my raised beds, along with one inch of horse manure top dressing, and I am ready to roll, baby. I bury the coffee filters and the worms eat them in about 8 weeks.