Inexpensive Raised Bed Soil Mix Fill Your Garden For Less

This year, I challenged myself to fill our raised garden beds for under $20.  Last year, we used Mels mix to fill our two raised beds and vowed to find a less expensive way for the future. For those who do not know, Mels mix is a great solution for square foot gardening. It consists of one part compost, one part peat, and one part vermiculite. The only issue with this mix is if you want to do this on a larger scale or with larger raised beds you will spend more money filling the beds than you will recoup over your first few years or gardening! The biggest issue we had was finding a good source of the vermiculite and had to order it online. We also sourced the rest of the fill from local big box stores and bought everything by the bag. All in all this turned out to be over $60-70 per bed that we filled and was way more than we were willing to spend. We knew that this year we needed a better solution and I hope we have found it! I spent a lot of time trying different mixes researching different options and this is what I came up with.

There are three main components of a good raised bed or gardening soil. The first is nutrients, you have to have a good base of nutrient rich soil. In our case we are using a composted manure for the majority and will also amend throughout the year with worm castings and our backyard compost. This provides all of the N-P-K macronutrients as well as the micro nutrients needed for most plants to thrive. Compost is available from local farms, big box stores by the bag, and free if you have your own compost pile!

The second component is something to allow the soil to retain water and also provide aeration to the soil. In our case we are using Spagnum peat moss to fulfill this need. Peat is one of the best things for retaining water and nutrients as well as providing aeration for the soil and roots. This helps to prevent the compost from clinging together and drying out and also provides needed air the roots of the plants. The peat moss was the most expensive part of the mix but since we arent using that much we were able to still get some benefits of the peat without breaking the bank.

The last main components is something to provide drainage. In my case I chose to use sand because it is locally available, cheap, and does a great job at keep the soil loose and allowing water to drain through. You can get sand from any landscape supply for the best price or by it in bags just about anywhere.

The ratio that I chose to use is 60-70% Compost, 15-20% peat, and 15-20% sand. This gave me a nutrient rich soil that is light and fluffy, does not compact, and holds moisture very well. Only this years growing season will tell the full story of how well this works out for us, but just working with this soil over the past week has me with high hopes.

The total estimated cost for the this soil mix was approximately $ .92 per cubic foot.  For our 3 x 6 beds it cost us around $14.00 to fill each bed.  This is just an estimate and your costs will vary depending on time of year and how you are able to source the sand and compost. This is a huge leap in the right direction for us as we are expanding our small homestead gardening operation this year by quite a bit. With plans to double our gardens again next year this soil mix has the potential to save us a lot of money and provide excellent soil for our gardens!

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Starting Seeds on a Budget Start Your Garden Without Buying Supplies

Are you looking to start or expand your garden this year? Lets go down the check list of things we might need - potting soil, seed plugs, seed trays, grow lights, compost, peat, vermiculite, fertilizer, manure, pest sprays, raised bed kits, trellis, tomato cages, and on and on....... I remember the first time we decided to have a small garden in one of your flower beds. We started at the store buying seeds and dirt and all of the things we thought we would need and spent about $100. That year we barely had anything grow and forgot to have someone water while we were on vacation. Not a great first experience but we were determined to start again.

In our new home a few years ago we decided we were going to go big and year after year we are adding more and more to our garden. But we arent huge fans of spending $10 in supplies to get $5 worth of vegetables, anyone else feel like that when you are starting out? Yes, over time you get things that you can use over and over each year thus making it more and more worth while. But what about now, do we really need all of this stuff to get a garden going?



In my opinion most people (including us) spend way more than they need on gardening supplies and then are disappointed at the results their first couple of years. It does take time to get the soil just right, it takes time to learn what works best and when to plant and harvest. Gardening is not something that you can just go out and throw some seeds in the ground and have an awesome garden your first year. It takes time and in some cases a small amount of money. I have found that you have a choice in many cases, time or money.

We are expanding our gardens over time as to lessen the impact on our wallets and allow us time to develop good soil as we expand. We have also learned that while we are not going to win any awards for the prettiest seed starting operation you can get started with little to no money invested at all.

We started saving any containers with clear plastic lids last year and have saved up quite a few of them by now (probably more than we need!) These make the perfect tiny greenhouse seed starting containers. Instead of buying a heating pad and seed starting trays just use the things you already have. We have found these to be the fastest way to get your seeds started! This year in fact most of our seeds were already popping through the soil in the first 48 hours.

The next thing you need to get your seeds started is soil, there are a lot of different ideas with what works best here but again I just use what I have to get going. Last year we made a mix for our square foot gardens of our compost, vermiculite, and peat. I grabbed a bin full of this soil and brought it in as soon as it was no longer frozen. I sifted through and got out any large pieces (leafs, sticks, etc.) and then filled my containers. The only down side to using this type of soil is that you might also germinate a few blades of grass or something from last years planting so just be carful and pay attention to what sprouts. If one of these things is not like the other, pull it out.

Seeds are pretty easy to come by and dont be fooled by expiration dates on those seed packages. With proper care there is no real expiration to most seeds. Germination rates might be lower after a few years but I wouldnt worry too much about that. Look for seeds during the off season in the fall or winter. Most stores have clearance sales at this time and you can get your seeds for as much as 75% off. You can also save seeds from your plants year after year. This is a skill I have not yet mastered but will be trying some of this year.

There are many ways to save money on gardening supplies and still have great results. We are all tempted to go out and buy all the best stuff, shovels, and rototillers, etc. But that is mostly not needed. Check a garage sale this spring and you will likely find all kinds of gardening tools for dirt cheap:)

I hope that this has inspired you to get started or add on to your garden this year. Follow along for more tips and tricks this coming spring and summer and lets all try to feed our families a little more from our garden each year.

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Create a Raised Bed Garden Using Pallet Wood 100 Free!

We are finally getting our square foot gardens setup.  I needed ways to save money and build some nice raised beds for the backyard. In this video, I go through the process that I used to tear down some pallets and create a couple of 3 x 6 raised-bed gardens. This is one of the first projects that I have done that was truly 100% free!


Please let me know if you have any questions.

Todd


For more on square foot gardening please visit  - http://www.melbartholomew.com/





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Pallet Garden Update and FAQ How Did They Hold Up

How did the reclaimed pallet wood garden beds hold up? It has been a year since we have put these free raised beds into action and they have done us well so far. Throughout the last year this project has become fairly popular and there have been some common questions that I thought I would try to answer here.

Will the pallet wood  hold up to moister over the long term? This is a very valid concern and one that I, quite honestly, shared as well. They have only been through one year so far but as far as I can tell they have held up perfectly. I do not see any signs of rotting where the soil has been in contact with the wood and the outside of the wood has aged nicely. Only time will tell the full story here but I would guess we can get about 5 years out of these before we start noticing any issues.





Arent pallets treated with chemicals that are unsafe for your garden? The wood that we are using from the pallets was all heat treated and this is something you should look for when using it for food production. We also lined the first set of beds with greenhouse plastic since the wood had some oil staining on it we didnt want in the soil.





What soil mix are we using? Last year we decided to try the square foot gardening method with these raised beds. With that came using the Mels mix soil mixture that consists of 1/3 compost 1/3 peat and 1/3 vermiculite. This is a very nice soil mix however it can get pretty expensive to fill beds of this size and vermiculite is hard to source locally. We ended up having to order ours online  and it was not cheap! In an effort to keep costs down after we had already ordered the vermiculite we ended up probably not putting in enough compost and good nutrients and added more peat as a filler. Needless to say in the end the growth we had was not stellar. We were happy with our little gardens but this year we want to focus on filling them for less and increasing production.

I will have another article soon with our new method of soil fill for the four new pallet beds that I have just built, stay tuned for more on that. We are focusing on locally sourced and bulk materials rather than as much big box store products.





Do you put landscape cloth in the bottom of the beds? This question comes up often and then answer to that is yes and no. With the two original beds I put together I did line the bottom with cardboard before I filled it up. However, I do feel that this is largely unnecessary and I dont think it really serves a purpose.





Would you use screws rather than nails to construct these next time? I was surprised at how well the nails held up with the original two that I constructed and so I continued to use nails with the rest that I have built. The fact is, I suppose screws would hold better in the long run but that brings up the cost significantly since you need quite a lot of screws for each one. I used drywall nails that I had laying around for the first few and some roofing nails for the rest and they seem to hold up just fine.

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Calcium Fertilizer for Your Garden Aquaponics or Hydroponics System

You can use eggs shells to make a cheap calcium supplement for your garden. One thing that we have a lot of in our home is eggs! I have been trying to come with alternate ways of using the shells that we discard to the compost for several reasons and have had very good luck with this fertilizer as an option. 


For the past year as our chickens matured and we started really getting full scale egg production I have been just throwing the egg shells in the compost. There is nothing wrong with doing this, however, with the amount of eggs we are now using now the compost is starting to show signs of too many shells. This technically isnt going to hurt anything but I have noticed that it takes quite some time for the shells to fully break down and they also are bringing the pH down quite a bit in the compost. So, with that being the case I needed to come up with a better way.


In our aquaponics system I am currently growing tomato plants which do require some calcium for proper growth especially during the flowering stages. I figured I would start by adding some calcium to the system using the egg shells that we already have. As you know, egg shells are made up of mainly calcium carbonate. The problems is getting rid of that carbonate which I do not need in my system and which is responsible for bring down the pH in the compost and garden soil. The easiest way to separate the carbonate from the calcium is to add an acid to the shells to break them down. The cheapest and safest type of acid that we use around our home is everyday white vinegar. Vinegar is normally only about 5% in a water solution but this does the trick just fine.


So the first step is to break down the shells by grinding them up into small pieces. But if you have ever tried to grind fresh egg shells you quickly realize it is no easy chore. So, to the oven for about 15 minutes first to bake them until brittle. This also cleans off any left over egg residue. Once baked throw them in a glass bowl and grind them using whatever method you choose.


Once you have the egg shells ground up dump the grit into a jar and then add your vinegar. Now sit back and watch the fizzy show! This is fun for the kids too because the acetic acid (vinegar) reacts with the Calcium Carbonate (egg shells) and makes lots of carbon dioxide (CO2) bubbles as it breaks them down. This can be a pretty wild bubbly reaction for about an hour and it is quite entertaining to watch:) The acetic acid and calcium carbonate are reacting to form calcium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide.


Once this reaction has had time to settle out for a couple of days you are left with a calcium rich solution that is not alkaline for your soil. You can then dilute just a bit f this with water and use it on your garden beds, in an aquaponics system, or hydroponics system. This is a much more available nutrient form then calcium carbonate and allows for the plants to instantly have access to the calcium instead of waiting years for the egg shells to break down in nature.


You can test the results of the calcium fertilizer with the API calcium test kit. Just add some of this solution to a bucket of water and test the before and after levels of CA2+ (calcium). You will be surprised at how much it raises the levels of calcium with just a small amount added. I also use this kit to monitor the levels of calcium in my aquaponics system. While this is a micro nutrient and not as important as the big three (NPK) it is still important for certain plants, especially tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

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Square Foot Garden Update Not Impressed Just Yet

Phew!  Its been a busy week with the holiday, normal chores, and getting our "new" camper trailer ready to take up north this week.  Now, everyone who lives in Michigan knows what we do, but for those of you who do not live in Michigan, we like to go up north every chance we can.  Whats up north, you ask?  Lakes, campgrounds, seasonal resort towns, trails, rivers, cabins, and a whole lot of nothing, too.  You cant ask for a more relaxed, laid-back vacation than in northern Michigan and its Upper Peninsula.  Torch Lake, UH-mazing.  If you havent been, you should visit Torch Lake at least once in your life.  And Copper Harbor, there are no words to describe that part of our state.  Its perfect and gorgeous and just so awesome up there.

So, I have been patiently watching the slow progress of our square foot gardens over the past few weeks.  I cannot tell a lie, we are not impressed by their growth.  I honestly think our aquaponics system may have ruined us for gardening in dirt.  Notice the 8-inch tall tomato plants in the square foot beds above.  Now, look at this baby.......

Almost 4-feet tall!  This tomato plant was started from a clipping of a tomato plant growing in our aquaponics system.  All of our cloned tomato plants are flourishing, and fruiting.  My husband calls it his Clone Army....he thinks hes so funny.  Heres another one of our pride and joys.

It has been cooler here in Michigan than whats normal for this time of year, so maybe thats why the garden is slow to grow.  But we are enjoying the benefits of not weeding and the moisture retention in our square foot garden beds, thats for sure.

Would love to hear from readers about your garden growth so far!  Anyone out there square foot farmin?


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Hydroponic Garden Supplies Aquaponics Fish Feed Grow Systems Manuals Read More!

Step-by-Step How to Build Your Own Aquaponics System See Our Products

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Aquaponics as a Hobby

Are you seeking a strategy to maintain your children busy and make them much more accountable or you happen to be a senior trying to locate a lucrative activity that may not demand as well much work? Are you always around the run and youll be able to in no way get for the market place to buy fresh veggies for your meals? Then why not start an aquaponic garden? Its appropriate for all the persons listed above and for a lot of far more. Actually, everybody will discover this activity enjoyable and rewarding.

For young children

That is the ideal approach to make your youngsters responsible. They will want to feed the fish each and every day and ensure that the air pump is functioning completely so that the fish get sufficient oxygen. Also, they will have to monitor the state from the vegetables and when they get yellowish they need to have to announce you. These are not straightforward tasks, but will give them a sense of duty and will know that an individual relies on them. Also, theyll have the ability to see how fish and plants grow, that will expand their information concerning the vegetal and animal world.

For operating adults

Vegetables are vital to get a good nutrition, but you are able to not constantly find fresh, organic veggies inside the market place. With an aquaponic garden within your home you will have fish and veggies for the family members without having according to the market. Also, you may save some cash without investing also much of ones valuable time.

For retired seniors

When retirement comes, many people seek activities which usually do not require as well much effort. Aquaponic gardening will preserve you occupied to get a although, yet without obtaining more than your entire day. As well as that itll spare them of going for the market place to get veggies, its going to support them save some income and at the very same time will not call for them as well much work. If they place the technique at their waist level they are going to not require to bend or stretch, that will make this activity much more pleasant.

Irrespective of what age group youre a part of, aquaponics can prove to be rewarding for you. Give it a try and also you will by no means desire to live with out this system!

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Reverse osmosis water method and plant grow lights are ideal for indoor plants

Hydroponics is undoubtedly, a fantastic invention within the field of agronomy. To become particular, hydroponics is actually a strategy of expanding plants without having utilizing soil. Nicely! It is surprising and the benefits obtained by utilizing this approach are also incredible.

Plants require crucial minerals to survive and these nutrients are absorbed from the soil. But in Hydroponics, there is no soil as well as the nutrients are supplied to the plants by way of mineral solutions. If asked how, the are equipment which give all needed assistance for the plant growth. They support in making exactly precisely the same organic environment required by the plant to grow and reside.


Reverse osmosis water program is one of the primary gear for hydroponics. Like the water purifier used in house, this RO method too purifies water in order that the nutrient level may be controlled manually. The system removes dangerous contaminants, specifically, chlorine which are really damaging in harvesting fungi, bacteria, nematodes as well as other organisms beneficial for plant growth. Apart from this, the reverse osmosis water program also helps to manage Grains Per Gallon (GPG) or Portion Per Million (PPM).

Plant grow lights are yet another a part of hydroponics. The grow light bulbs use electrical energy to emit electromagnetic spectrum that is necessary for photosynthesis. The develop lights mainly make a spectrum of light which is related to that of sun and are utilised in places exactly where there is no organic lighting accessible. They are obtainable in a wide array of lumen outputs and are utilised based on the plants that are cultivated, stage of cultivation along with the photo period essential by these plants.

Genuinely speaking, there are several sorts of plant develop lights obtainable inside the marketplace. Fluorescent lights, incandescents, LEDs and high-intensity discharge lights are several of the category of bulbs which are utilized for indoor horticulture. Presently, fluorescent and HIDs are the frequently utilized indoor grow lights. Specialist gardeners use high-pressure sodium or metal halide lights flower indoor flower and vegetable plantations.

Particularly, metal halides emit a bluish texture light which are mainly utilised or the very first phase of plant development. Higher stress sodium lights that emit a reddish light are utilised inside the reproductive phase in the plants. The invention of hydroponics equipment happen to be a blessing in the field of horticulture as the gardeners no more need to locate the higher nutrient laden soil for better plant growth. The only thing they need to have is usually to get the top hydroponics supplies for soil-less, indoor cultivation of plants.

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Square Foot Garden Planting Template

In this video I show how to make a easy and extremely useful template that can be used year after year to plant your gardens.

Last year we decided to start using some of the methods of square foot gardening in order to get the most out of our small raised bed gardens. The whole idea is that all of your vegetables are planted very close together using specific spacing for each variety. This is a much different process than traditional gardening and has many benefits.

Planting using a template allows you to have complete control over where each seed goes. This can save seed and does not require anywhere near as much thinning if any at all. All you do is drop one or two seeds (if they are small) into each hole and wait for them to sprout (dont just stand there staring it might take a few days). Once they have sprouted go back and reseed any of the spots that did not sprout. If you save your own seeds then you already know how important it is not to waste seeds.

The obvious benefit to using the template is the spacing. You are guaranteed to have perfect rows of vegetables and each will have its optimum room to grow. There is a great site that I use each year when I get ready to plant here - http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/. There is a list of common vegetables and how many you should plant per square. It also gives you some rules of thumb to use if your plant is not listed there. The most common plant spacing per square foot is 12, 9, 8, 4, 2, 1 and some plants actually take up more than one square foot in which case you dont really need a template.

I first designed the template on cardboard and gave it a try to see if it actually helped make planting easier. I was surprised at how much fun it was and the kids loved using it. So, I decided to make a more permanent design.

The first step is to get a 12" X 12" piece of wood. Any wood will do but not too thick as you dont want it to be heavy. Once you have your wood cut and sanded start marking grid lines every 3/4" horizontally and vertically. Every fourth line should be a different color (I choose orange). This will give you a 16 square grid to start with.

The next step is to mark the spots where holes need to be drilled. I would recommend checking out the video for the best placing. Once the holes are marked you can drill them out using any size drill bit you choose. I used a pea seed as a guide to select mine. I wanted it to be just big enough to fit through as this is one of the larger seeds I normally plant.

Next I used a couple of different sized washers to make circles around the holes and then painted them various colors. This  will allow you to identify the various seed spacing easily. I then added some handles using a small piece of 3/4" X 6" piece of wood.

The next thing that I needed to do was to cut out a section where the template will need to fit around the corner and center support posts in our raised beds. I marked out two 3.5" X 1.5" squares on the bottom two sides and then cut them out. I then used two small hinges to secure the cutout pieces back to the board. This will allow me to move them out of the way when needed and swing them back in to place.

Lastly I designed a small push stick using a 1/4" dowel and a square piece of wood as a handle. This was then color coded with markings every 1/4" so that you can easily make holes to whichever depth you need. It also pushes the seeds down tot he proper depth. 

The template has been working great so far and the best part is it gets our kids excited about planting in the garden!

 

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