I don’t live in AZ but like your channel and have subscribed. I live in zone 5 and find I can still use a lot of your gardening wisdom. Therefore, here is a question for you: after a while doesn’t the cococoir and vermiculite breakdown as well as the compost? So can use what the nurseries call garden soil (50% Compost & 50% topsoil) for my 1/3 potion of compost in the Mel’s Mix? I’m thinking I would be getting soil biology and minerals from the topsoil portion of the garden soil mixture portion and wouldn’t have to buy worm castings or rock dust? I look forward to reading your reply as I start to plan for my spring garden now. At the moment My ground is under 2.5 ft of snow.
@@CuriousinNY Thanks. Yes, the coco-coir and vermiculite break down after a couple of years (or so) and need to be added back in. So amend with compost each season and every couple of years fill the beds back up with the raised bed mix. You could try that combination and see how it goes, experiment with it. Thanks for watching.
This is so exciting! Az local here. Actually I'm 25 dealing with depression and anxiety but I really want to garden. So I've been watch your videos and taking notes to make my 1st raised bed. Nervous but excited. If it fails I'm prepared to take it as growth to be better! Lol thank you for soooo many tips!
Me too,gardening really relaxes me,even when I have failures,the successes are so satisfying,just remember,drainage holes,and watering,and just try new things,seeds are relatively cheap. I'm 62 lady and built my own raised beds,by trial and error from recycled things ,good luck
When I started building my backyard garden, I thought the sunlight was the most important thing. What I have come to realize in California is that shade means something different in different parts of the country, and that even the shadiest part of my garden gets plenty of sunshine. At the end of the day, the quality of the soil and the water retaining capability is what makes the difference in my garden. Thanks for a great recipe for raised bed soil mix. Worm castings are magical!
I took your advice about buy compost from them and my garden loves it! Will definitely be buying this mix for my bed this year. Thank you so much for all the helpful tips you have given to help my garden grow. God bless you and your family.
AZ Worm Farm is a great place to purchase soil, compost, worm castings and now I’m going to have to try the raised bed mix. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
Thanks guys From hot Queensland Australia. Purchased *soil* for my raised beds. Paid for best got what looks like potting mix. I'll start adding. Maybe I need to set up a commercial business 😂
@@bobthepome I add compost to the top (you don't need to mix it in) to fill it back up each season. After a few years it's usually time to add more raised bed mix.
Awesome video👍We just bought 1 yard of garden soil. Hope it good for our garden this year. This is awesome tip for next time. Wish I saw it earlier 👍Thanks. Will watch more of your video. We are new gardener lot to learn. 🙏❤️
I live in mesa and am in the process of buying a house. I've been binge watching your videos in preparation for my garden! Edit: meant to say thank you for all the super useful information
Have you ever considered adding a worm tunnel or worms to a wicking raised garden? For me the goal would be to save water with the wicking system and make a comfortable place for the worms to live. I'm getting ready to make a wicking bed and I think I'm going to try adding my worms since the bed is actually two chambers it seems like it might be a no brainer. Please send me your thoughts.
היי אנג'לה. קוראים לי אושר ואני מישראל. אני עוקב אחרי הסרטונים שלך על הגינה וגם אני מגדל תולעים אדומות. הסרטונים שלך מעולים עוזרים לי המון. ויש איתי עוד כמה חברים שרואים את הערוץ הניפלא שלך. רצינו לבקש ממך אם תוכלי לשים תרגום בעברית כי יש חברים שלא מבינים טוב אנגלית. כרגע אין אצלך תרגום בעברית ורק את יכולה לעשות שיהיה תרגום. תודה רבה לך על הסרטונים למדנו ממך הרבה
Do you recommend Manure of any type? My soil is acidic I would like to plant potatoes & read the soil should be acidic. What do you recommend? Thank you
Angela, I just picked up the bags from Arizona Worm Farm today. Is it ok/recommended to layer the mix on top of my existing bed (I dont have plants in yet) or should I be sure to mix the bags into my 4x8 bed. I tested my soil and I am deficient in Nitrogen and Phosporus.
@@GrowingInTheGarden Cool. Thanks for that super fast response! I really appreciate all the tips and goodies I've aquired from you including the vegetable stickers and calendars! This will be my second Fall planting so I'm excited. Last year was a fabulous harvest. Spring not so much, so there is still much to learn! Thank you again for making gardening fun!
I am thinking of building elevated raised beds. My thought was the water that drips out will help water the plants below. Thoughts? I live in Oracle AZ. about 4500 foot elevation. We do get over 100 degrees
Hello from Oracle! We are finally warming up and things are happening. I purchased 4 yards of the raised bed mix from the Arizona worm farm and got started. LOL Our nights are above 50 and the days are in the low 80's but my seedlings are struggling! All my raised beds have been filled and kept moist but they seem to be stagnant! My seedlings have been hardened off and in the beds since Easter. My question is ,Do they need fertilizer or is there enough nutrients in the mix to sustain there growth? Thanks in advance for any guidance you might have.
Hi. Yes, you can add a bit of blood meal or other organic fertilizer to get it started. Your soil will continue to get better each season. Be careful with overwatering - it needs less water than you think. Hope that helps.
New to your channel and I love it! Bought the planting chart and "How to Grow Your own Food" book. Does a 22" high raised bed count as a container? Do I fill the entire depth of the bed with the expensive soil?
I started with 50 percent peat moss 25 percent perlite and 25 percent garden soil. The peat moss made for too much salinity so I have been amending with cow manure and red clay. Don't but commercial grade peat moss from the Big Box stores!
Nice Video Angela but you did not mention the price for bag, I made a call and here are the prices: $125 per yard of compost,min is 3 yards + $250 delivery fee. $$$$$625.00 dllrs Im really feeling I moved to CA! its sooo expensive here ufff snifff I use to pay $35 x yard of mushroom compost, $40 for garden mix..... ahhhh those where the days
I know. I wish the cost was lower. Believe it or not that is a little less than what you would pay to buy the ingredients and mix it on your own (Minus the delivery) They are able to get bulk pricing which helps. Soil is often the most expensive part.
It depends on the size of your bed. To determine the amount it holds: Width x Length x Height A 4 x 8 bed that is 1 foot tall would need 32 cubic feet. 1 cubic yard of soil is 27 cubic feet, so you would need just over one yard for that bed. Each bag has 1.5 cubic feet. So you would need about 21 bags of soil. Hope that helps.
Do you amend your soil with anything year after year? You said it gets better and better. Just wondering. I made one box last year based on mels book! But now I have heard that peat is not good environmentally. It’s making a big impact. Wondering if coco noir is a replacement?
The microbial activity in the soil increases and the soil is full of life. I do test my soil each year to see if it is lacking in anything. I use these kits: www.mysoiltesting.com/shop?aff=13 As far as peat moss vs. coco-coir. It is believed that coco-coir is a more sustainable option. Coco-coir is what the Arizona Worm Farm uses in their blend.
I live in Tucson and might just make a drive up there to get some this spring but for now I’ll mix my own. What brand of bagged soil have you had luck with? There are so many choices and I want to get one that probably won’t hurt my plants. Thanks!
For a 15 inch deep, 8x4 raised bed like you use, it looks like just the Vermiculite alone would cost $100. Then you'd still need the peat moss / Coconut Coir and compost. That really adds up fast. Do you have a good source for relatively inexpensive vermiculite?
The soil is often the most expensive part. It can add up for sure. I've seen different sources for the vermiculite online, but they change over time. I don't have one I can recommend.
I do 🙋🏼♀️ Vermiculite is also sold and used for insulation in cement blocks so if you go to the building department of Menards, Lowe’s or Home Depot you can get huge bags for about $16. It’s the same thing, in fact look at who manufactures it.....a horticulture company !!!! And most local landfills now have compost, mine is free if you load your own or they will scoop with their loader for $2.00 a scoop !!! Best of luck !
I use horse manure like main component 50% and ash and pit moss and home compost ! Near any horse stable have pile with OLD !!! manure - already composted !!!
I lovvvve how to the point you are along with a great voice makes 4 an EXCELLENT VIDEO ;) ..... if I don't have the desire or ability to make homemade compost Do you have any brands in mind I can purchase online that you can suggest?!? Thaaaaanks :) or a compost tea...
Wow, thank you! I love the compost from Arizona Worm Farm here in Phoenix. I'm not sure about brands to order online, but I do like the Omni brand that is available at most big box stores.
I mix my soil closely to your first Formula except I add 5 to 10% home grown worm castings. BUT... where can u get that scoop? I would love having one. Thanks. New subscriber.:))
@@GrowingInTheGarden Thank you so much for responding! I found one on Amazon - it's a feed scoop. The one I got holds 4 quarts, which will make mixing soil a whole lot easier and faster. Thanks again for the info and inspiration!
You only need 6 in deep for square foot using Mel's mix... or try hugelkulture way to fill. Another way is to use inexpensive soil for bottom half then good mix top half
@@elicrz7775 Thank you! Yes I had already decided $1000 for soil would be prohibitive. I’m going to hopefully obtain palm frond mulch from our local green waste center and fill the beds and my pots halfway. They are also willing to let me have free compost as I told them I need a yard or two. I’ll have to see whether they have some waste that’s between fresh raw mulch and finished compost for the second layer. I can probably go to two yards of Arizona Worm Farm mix. I’m just really needing something like this with the rich diversity of nutrients plus worms and castings etc. Never thought I’d be gardening on sand! My last garden was SE Idaho. If I can make this work maybe I can inspire my neighbors who seem pretty defeated about gardening successfully here. I’m familiar with the documentary “Greening the Desert” and if you can raise crops by the Dead Sea, you can do it anywhere.
Hello Good Morning I am new to your channel I like your videos. I have started some raised bed gardening but the plants not growing even not seedlings , Landscaper use sandy loam soil and I have planted on that soil but no result. How to fix that? Do I need to add some other garden soil on top of that ?please help. Thank you.
Last year, in my garden, my cucumbers were really bitter. I sow into amended, Arizona soil. This season I ordered. 10 cubit yards, almost an entire dump truck load, to re-ammend my soil. The soil is either, rocky sandy or clay. Im trying to create a 50/50 garden soil with the compost. Will this fix the bitter taste in cucumbers? I wish I knew about Arizona worm farm!
Cucumbers are often bitter because of the heat, or lack of water. Sometimes certain types are more bitter too. I would plant a few different varieties and get them planted soon so they can produce before the heat of the summer. There is another planting window in late summer for fall cucumbers too. growinginthegarden.com/growing-cucumbers-in-arizona/
I live in the northeast as well. Is Mel’s mix suitable for all areas? Because I would be scared to add vermiculite here ! Maybe good for a dry desert climate
@@theresalucas776 Good question. Yes. What I like about Mel's mix is it also has good drainage. The vermiculite holds moisture well but it will only hold so much and then the excess drains away. That way the roots don't get soggy.
Seriously?? It is the 2020s, peat moss is horrible for the environment. Please consider mentioning this when you mention peat moss in your videos. Coco coir and leaf mold are such better alternatives. Zach's mix sounds so much better than Mel's. Mel's mix is outdated, expensive, and bad for the environment 🌱
Yep, the one they offer at the worm farm is coco coir. And the square foot garden book talks about the environment issues with peat moss and recommends coco coir as an alternative. They seem coco coir bricks fairly inexpensively at the worm farm if you wanted to make your own mix.
Coco- coir is what is in the mix at the Worm Farm - They use a local source for it, which is great. It is also double washed which helps with the salinity issues that can come with coco-coir.
@@lms3847 It is a pretty finite resource harvested from peat bogs, takes thousands of years to develope just a few inches...there are several schools of thought on how damaging harvesting it really is. But the general consensus is we probably should not be using it in our garden mixes when there are other products that can be substituted. Such as leaf mold, coconut coir, etc., Hope that helps? Thank you and have a good night! Mike 👍😁🇨🇦
Thanks for watching! Please hit the subscribe button if you enjoyed the video.
I don’t live in AZ but like your channel and have subscribed. I live in zone 5 and find I can still use a lot of your gardening wisdom. Therefore, here is a question for you: after a while doesn’t the cococoir and vermiculite breakdown as well as the compost? So can use what the nurseries call garden soil (50% Compost & 50% topsoil) for my 1/3 potion of compost in the Mel’s Mix? I’m thinking I would be getting soil biology and minerals from the topsoil portion of the garden soil mixture portion and wouldn’t have to buy worm castings or rock dust?
I look forward to reading your reply as I start to plan for my spring garden now. At the moment My ground is under 2.5 ft of snow.
@@CuriousinNY Thanks. Yes, the coco-coir and vermiculite break down after a couple of years (or so) and need to be added back in. So amend with compost each season and every couple of years fill the beds back up with the raised bed mix. You could try that combination and see how it goes, experiment with it. Thanks for watching.
@@GrowingInTheGarden Hi want to start a garden don't know when where and how in zone six
This is so exciting! Az local here. Actually I'm 25 dealing with depression and anxiety but I really want to garden. So I've been watch your videos and taking notes to make my 1st raised bed. Nervous but excited. If it fails I'm prepared to take it as growth to be better! Lol thank you for soooo many tips!
Best of luck to you. Gardening can be beneficial for your mental health. I hope it is helpful for you.
Me too,gardening really relaxes me,even when I have failures,the successes are so satisfying,just remember,drainage holes,and watering,and just try new things,seeds are relatively cheap. I'm 62 lady and built my own raised beds,by trial and error from recycled things ,good luck
Thank you for the shout out! We love Mel's Mix and I'm sure your mix is terrific!
You are so welcome!
When I started building my backyard garden, I thought the sunlight was the most important thing. What I have come to realize in California is that shade means something different in different parts of the country, and that even the shadiest part of my garden gets plenty of sunshine. At the end of the day, the quality of the soil and the water retaining capability is what makes the difference in my garden. Thanks for a great recipe for raised bed soil mix. Worm castings are magical!
I wish we had a company like Arizona worm farm here. I will have to source these ingredients and create my soil mix. Wish me luck. ❤
You've got this!
Ain't that the truth! Feed your soil the right ingredients and it will take care of you for life! This was a wonderful video...thanks for sharing.
Thanks. Thanks for watching.
Arizona! So close, yet so far! (From CA). That mix looks incredible.
I took your advice about buy compost from them and my garden loves it! Will definitely be buying this mix for my bed this year. Thank you so much for all the helpful tips you have given to help my garden grow. God bless you and your family.
Thank you so much. To yours as well.
Totally agree. Mels mix has been the best for me now for 5 years.
It really is. Thanks for watching.
AZ Worm Farm is a great place to purchase soil, compost, worm castings and now I’m going to have to try the raised bed mix. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Totally agree! Soil is everything.
Makes all the difference, for sure.
Thanks guys
From hot Queensland Australia. Purchased *soil* for my raised beds. Paid for best got what looks like potting mix. I'll start adding. Maybe I need to set up a commercial business 😂
Thank you so much for sharing!!! Ordering soil for my garden.
Wonderful. Best of luck with your garden.
Great video! I felt like I was on a field trip to the Arizona Worm Farm🪱
Such a fun place to visit for sure.
I do like a field trip every now and than. Very nice for the folks that live local to discover places like Arizona Worm Farm. Thanks!
You'll love it. Such great people and a lot of good things happening there.
3 cu yds of your mix delivered yesterday morning. Spent the rest of the day filling up my new raised beds! Looking forward to a productive harvest.
Nice. The mix gets better each season that you grow. Best of luck to you.
@@GrowingInTheGarden How do you replenish it each year? Just add more compost to the top?
@@bobthepome I add compost to the top (you don't need to mix it in) to fill it back up each season. After a few years it's usually time to add more raised bed mix.
Thanks for sharing, got my 2 cubic yards delivered on Friday from AZ Worm Farm.
Nice!! Hope you like it!
Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Awesome video👍We just bought 1 yard of garden soil. Hope it good for our garden this year. This is awesome tip for next time. Wish I saw it earlier 👍Thanks. Will watch more of your video. We are new gardener lot to learn. 🙏❤️
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for sharing! I first heard about vermiculite into the soil mix in your video!
Yes, I first heard about it from Mel's mix as well.
I like your video 👍 It’s helpful. I’m a small gardener 👍🌹❤️thanks for shearing
So nice of you, thanks.
I had no idea they sold raised bed mix! I recently bought a yard of just compost.
Their compost is the best.
Good work. Keep it up.
Thanks so much. Thanks for watching.
I live in mesa and am in the process of buying a house. I've been binge watching your videos in preparation for my garden! Edit: meant to say thank you for all the super useful information
Best of luck to you.
We have very sandy, would it be better if I turned in soil and compost or remove a bunch of sand and compost?
Just gonna say I don't really want to live in AZ but I sure wish I was closer to that soil!!!! Sure wish I could get it here in SC!!!!
Right? Arizona Worm Farm is a great local resource for sure. Look for a local supplier for the compost and then mix your own.
just bought 5 yds of this soil for my garden beds.
Congrats! It's great stuff.
I want that garden mix .... Too bad I'm in mexico , gonna have to make it myself
Take my money. Worm farms in AZ? Nice.
They are the best.
ANGELA❤
Have you ever considered adding a worm tunnel or worms to a wicking raised garden? For me the goal would be to save water with the wicking system and make a comfortable place for the worms to live. I'm getting ready to make a wicking bed and I think I'm going to try adding my worms since the bed is actually two chambers it seems like it might be a no brainer. Please send me your thoughts.
It is a great idea and will work really well. Do it!
Neat ! Where are they at ? Can I go and get some ? Thank you ! 😀
19th Ave between Baseline and Dobbins. They can be found on any major mapping app.
@@cmaden thank you ! 😀
The address is 8430 S 19th Ave, Phoenix, AZ
You can call and have it delivered or go and pick it up.
@@GrowingInTheGarden thank you ! I will be checking that out soon ,
How do you remove the castings
What do you use for the compost ?
I make my own or get it from Arizona Worm Farm
Would that Raised Bed Mix at AZ Worm Farm work well as potting mix too? I'm heading there tomorrow.
Yes - that’s what I use in all of my containers
היי אנג'לה.
קוראים לי אושר ואני מישראל.
אני עוקב אחרי הסרטונים שלך על הגינה וגם אני מגדל תולעים אדומות. הסרטונים שלך מעולים עוזרים לי המון.
ויש איתי עוד כמה חברים שרואים את הערוץ הניפלא שלך.
רצינו לבקש ממך אם תוכלי לשים תרגום בעברית כי יש חברים שלא מבינים טוב אנגלית. כרגע אין אצלך תרגום בעברית ורק את יכולה לעשות שיהיה תרגום.
תודה רבה לך על הסרטונים למדנו ממך הרבה
היי! תודה ששאלת. הוספתי עברית לסרטון הזה, אוסיף אותה לסרטונים הבאים, ואעבוד על הוספתה לסרטונים קודמים. תודה על הצפייה!
@@GrowingInTheGarden תודה רבה לך על התרגום ועל שאת מלמדת אותנו המון. שוב תודה מכל הלב.
שיהיה לך המשך יום נעים וניפלא
That's great that you are not using peat. Over here in the UK we are really fighting hard to get people using peat free composts.
The Worm Farm has found a great source for the coco-coir which is good.
Peat moss is good in moderation but if I could do it all again I would have used coconut coir
Do you recommend Manure of any type? My soil is acidic I would like to plant potatoes & read the soil should be acidic. What do you recommend? Thank you
Adding manure is fine, but you need to let it compost down. Adding compost is always a good idea and it will help to regulate the soil pH.
Angela, I just picked up the bags from Arizona Worm Farm today. Is it ok/recommended to layer the mix on top of my existing bed (I dont have plants in yet) or should I be sure to mix the bags into my 4x8 bed. I tested my soil and I am deficient in Nitrogen and Phosporus.
I would layer on top. Prior to doing that you may want to mix in some blood meal and bone meal or rock phosphate to your existing soil.
@@GrowingInTheGarden Cool. Thanks for that super fast response! I really appreciate all the tips and goodies I've aquired from you including the vegetable stickers and calendars! This will be my second Fall planting so I'm excited. Last year was a fabulous harvest. Spring not so much, so there is still much to learn! Thank you again for making gardening fun!
Can this soil be helpful to use in North Carolina elevated garden bed?
Absolutely.
I am thinking of building elevated raised beds. My thought was the water that drips out will help water the plants below. Thoughts? I live in Oracle AZ. about 4500 foot elevation. We do get over 100 degrees
The beds above may block the sunlight of the beds below.
Hello from Oracle! We are finally warming up and things are happening. I purchased 4 yards of the raised bed mix from the Arizona worm farm and got started. LOL Our nights are above 50 and the days are in the low 80's but my seedlings are struggling! All my raised beds have been filled and kept moist but they seem to be stagnant! My seedlings have been hardened off and in the beds since Easter. My question is ,Do they need fertilizer or is there enough nutrients in the mix to sustain there growth? Thanks in advance for any guidance you might have.
Hi. Yes, you can add a bit of blood meal or other organic fertilizer to get it started. Your soil will continue to get better each season. Be careful with overwatering - it needs less water than you think. Hope that helps.
@@GrowingInTheGarden Thanks so much. I will try a bit of blood meal and keep a eye on the water situation.
New to your channel and I love it! Bought the planting chart and "How to Grow Your own Food" book. Does a 22" high raised bed count as a container? Do I fill the entire depth of the bed with the expensive soil?
I would fill the bottom of the bed with tree limbs, branches, wood chips,etc. and the top half with the soil.
can tulip and amerila bulbs be planted outside after they bloom? If not, how can I save them?
Not sure. I don't have a lot of experience with bulbs, sorry.
OK, after having this mix in your garden beds for say a year or a growing season, what do you then do to keep it in premium condition?
I add compost each season. I also add a balanced organic fertilizer occasionally.
Where can I buy Mel's mix??
Arizona Worm Farm sells it if you're in the Phoenix Valley. I'm not sure about other areas.
Where is this soil sold ? I’m here in Phoenix
At Arizona Worm Farm arizonawormfarm.com/
Thank you for the video! For the raised bed mix, how much (percentage wise) do you add the Basalt dust?
Less than 1% - A shovel full for every two yards of the mix.
Can I use black humus compost? With vermiculite and coco coir?
It was the only compost available in town and I have so many bags already.
Thank you.
Its best to use 2 to 3 different types of compost. Yes. You can use coir in place of peat.
Thanks!
I started with 50 percent peat moss 25 percent perlite and 25 percent garden soil. The peat moss made for too much salinity so I have been amending with cow manure and red clay. Don't but commercial grade peat moss from the Big Box stores!
Do you replace your soil every year or do you rotate your crops to lengthen its life?
I rotate where I plant crops and add fresh compost each season.
Do you recommend building your own raised beds, or buying them prefab? I literally want to put an arched trellis in 2 raised beds for a walkway.
I have done both. I like the deep root cedar beds from Gardener's Supply.
Don’t you use card board in your compost?
I use shredded cardboard in my vermicomposting bins.
Nice Video Angela but you did not mention the price for bag, I made a call and here are the prices: $125 per yard of compost,min is 3 yards + $250 delivery fee. $$$$$625.00 dllrs Im really feeling I moved to CA! its sooo expensive here ufff snifff I use to pay $35 x yard of mushroom compost, $40 for garden mix..... ahhhh those where the days
I know. I wish the cost was lower. Believe it or not that is a little less than what you would pay to buy the ingredients and mix it on your own (Minus the delivery) They are able to get bulk pricing which helps. Soil is often the most expensive part.
About how many bags would you recommend to buy for raised bed?
It depends on the size of your bed. To determine the amount it holds: Width x Length x Height
A 4 x 8 bed that is 1 foot tall would need 32 cubic feet. 1 cubic yard of soil is 27 cubic feet, so you would need just over one yard for that bed. Each bag has 1.5 cubic feet. So you would need about 21 bags of soil. Hope that helps.
Where can we get this mixture from? Thanks! 🙏🏼
You can purchase it by the bag or by the yard from Arizona Worm Farm
Where can I get this mix in a bag?
They sell bags of it at Arizona Worm Farm.
Do they deliver?
Yes, check with them for details.
Do you amend your soil with anything year after year? You said it gets better and better. Just wondering. I made one box last year based on mels book! But now I have heard that peat is not good environmentally. It’s making a big impact. Wondering if coco noir is a replacement?
The microbial activity in the soil increases and the soil is full of life. I do test my soil each year to see if it is lacking in anything. I use these kits:
www.mysoiltesting.com/shop?aff=13 As far as peat moss vs. coco-coir. It is believed that coco-coir is a more sustainable option. Coco-coir is what the Arizona Worm Farm uses in their blend.
I live in Tucson and might just make a drive up there to get some this spring but for now I’ll mix my own. What brand of bagged soil have you had luck with? There are so many choices and I want to get one that probably won’t hurt my plants. Thanks!
I've heard good things about Tank's Compost there in Tucson.
For a 15 inch deep, 8x4 raised bed like you use, it looks like just the Vermiculite alone would cost $100. Then you'd still need the peat moss / Coconut Coir and compost. That really adds up fast. Do you have a good source for relatively inexpensive vermiculite?
The soil is often the most expensive part. It can add up for sure. I've seen different sources for the vermiculite online, but they change over time. I don't have one I can recommend.
I do 🙋🏼♀️
Vermiculite is also sold and used for insulation in cement blocks so if you go to the building department of Menards, Lowe’s or Home Depot you can get huge bags for about $16. It’s the same thing, in fact look at who manufactures it.....a horticulture company !!!!
And most local landfills now have compost, mine is free if you load your own or they will scoop with their loader for $2.00 a scoop !!!
Best of luck !
I use horse manure like main component 50% and ash and pit moss and home compost ! Near any horse stable have pile with OLD !!! manure - already composted !!!
Nice. Lucky you to have a local source.
Florida ))) no winter !
I lovvvve how to the point you are along with a great voice makes 4 an EXCELLENT VIDEO ;) ..... if I don't have the desire or ability to make homemade compost Do you have any brands in mind I can purchase online that you can suggest?!? Thaaaaanks :) or a compost tea...
Wow, thank you! I love the compost from Arizona Worm Farm here in Phoenix. I'm not sure about brands to order online, but I do like the Omni brand that is available at most big box stores.
@@GrowingInTheGarden I want to say their website said sold out 4 now bt I could be sooooo wrong🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
@@mindyloper4454 I think you are right. They should have more this fall.
I mix my soil closely to your first Formula except I add 5 to 10% home grown worm castings. BUT... where can u get that scoop? I would love having one. Thanks. New subscriber.:))
Nice! Worm castings are the best. I got the scoop at an antique store years ago, but I've heard you can find them at feed stores.
@@GrowingInTheGarden Thank you so much for responding! I found one on Amazon - it's a feed scoop. The one I got holds 4 quarts, which will make mixing soil a whole lot easier and faster. Thanks again for the info and inspiration!
What would it cost to fill a 10x4 foot raised bed 15 inches deep? I’m scared to ask. I’ll have 4 beds
Each bed that size would need just under 2 yards. The current price per yard is $125
@@GrowingInTheGarden Yikes! Plan B coming up!🤔
You only need 6 in deep for square foot using Mel's mix... or try hugelkulture way to fill. Another way is to use inexpensive soil for bottom half then good mix top half
@@elicrz7775 Thank you! Yes I had already decided $1000 for soil would be prohibitive. I’m going to hopefully obtain palm frond mulch from our local green waste center and fill the beds and my pots halfway. They are also willing to let me have free compost as I told them I need a yard or two. I’ll have to see whether they have some waste that’s between fresh raw mulch and finished compost for the second layer. I can probably go to two yards of Arizona Worm Farm mix. I’m just really needing something like this with the rich diversity of nutrients plus worms and castings etc. Never thought I’d be gardening on sand! My last garden was SE Idaho. If I can make this work maybe I can inspire my neighbors who seem pretty defeated about gardening successfully here. I’m familiar with the documentary “Greening the Desert” and if you can raise crops by the Dead Sea, you can do it anywhere.
Hello
Good Morning
I am new to your channel I like your videos.
I have started some raised bed gardening but the plants not growing even not seedlings , Landscaper use sandy loam soil and I have planted on that soil but no result. How to fix that? Do I need to add some other garden soil on top of that ?please help.
Thank you.
I would add compost to the top for sure. Possibly mix up some of what I talk about in this video if you have enough room to add some.
@@GrowingInTheGarden
Thanks for replying. Which compost is best can you tell me please?
Can you buy soil on Amazon?
This soil is available at Arizona Worm Farm, unfortunately not on Amazon.
Last year, in my garden, my cucumbers were really bitter. I sow into amended, Arizona soil. This season I ordered. 10 cubit yards, almost an entire dump truck load, to re-ammend my soil. The soil is either, rocky sandy or clay. Im trying to create a 50/50 garden soil with the compost. Will this fix the bitter taste in cucumbers? I wish I knew about Arizona worm farm!
Cucumbers are often bitter because of the heat, or lack of water. Sometimes certain types are more bitter too. I would plant a few different varieties and get them planted soon so they can produce before the heat of the summer. There is another planting window in late summer for fall cucumbers too. growinginthegarden.com/growing-cucumbers-in-arizona/
Hi ~ do you think my chickens will eat all of the good stuff out of the soil? Worms ?
Thank You, Bonnie🤗
You're welcome
I know the birds love eating my worms.... I don't have chickens, so I'm not sure.
Doesn’t help me a bit here in the Northeast
I mixed my own for years. There may be places near you that offer something similar.
I live in the northeast as well. Is Mel’s mix suitable for all areas? Because I would be scared to add vermiculite here ! Maybe good for a dry desert climate
@@theresalucas776 Good question. Yes. What I like about Mel's mix is it also has good drainage. The vermiculite holds moisture well but it will only hold so much and then the excess drains away. That way the roots don't get soggy.
Seriously?? It is the 2020s, peat moss is horrible for the environment. Please consider mentioning this when you mention peat moss in your videos. Coco coir and leaf mold are such better alternatives. Zach's mix sounds so much better than Mel's. Mel's mix is outdated, expensive, and bad for the environment 🌱
Yep, the one they offer at the worm farm is coco coir. And the square foot garden book talks about the environment issues with peat moss and recommends coco coir as an alternative. They seem coco coir bricks fairly inexpensively at the worm farm if you wanted to make your own mix.
Coco- coir is what is in the mix at the Worm Farm - They use a local source for it, which is great. It is also double washed which helps with the salinity issues that can come with coco-coir.
Whats wrong with peat moss ?
@@lms3847 It is a pretty finite resource harvested from peat bogs, takes thousands of years to develope just a few inches...there are several schools of thought on how damaging harvesting it really is. But the general consensus is we probably should not be using it in our garden mixes when there are other products that can be substituted. Such as leaf mold, coconut coir, etc.,
Hope that helps? Thank you and have a good night!
Mike 👍😁🇨🇦
@@lms3847 Nothing.
Is it suitable for planting fruit trees in drums/pots??
Yes