? about using top soil

tananarose 6/1/2013, 7:31 pm

I have access to some free top soil, if I use that and mix in the peat, vermiculite and composts would that work for my new boxes that I am putting in?

ETNRedClay 6/1/2013, 7:51 pm

I did just this on my first raised bed. I'll say it's better than straight topsoil. But it's not Mel's Mix. I'll tell you what I told myself in December. Try it and see. I tried it. I won't do it again. Weeds, lord the weeds. And it compacted, even with all the ammendments. Now my topsoil was red clay, so compaction is part of the deal. But if I were in your shoes... and I was.... I'd build a bed with MM in it and COMPARE. Even before I could PLANT the beds, the topsoil bed was a layer of WEEDS and the MM bed had ONE weed in it. That's BEFORE planting.

If I get another load of topsoil in, I'll do something with it, but I won't be raising veggies in it if I can scrounge together the money for MM.

tananarose 6/1/2013, 7:58 pm

We are having a hard time finding all the ingredients for the MM, and they won't ship the ready to use MM to us in Alaska. I checked with Home Depot and Lowes and they said they could special order for us but it would take several months to get it here.

**camprn** 6/1/2013, 8:11 pm

Stay away from it if you can. Topsoil is not a component of Mel's mix recipe. Keep looking for different types of compost.

ETNRedClay 6/1/2013, 8:18 pm

Oh, hey, I just noticed where you're from. NO WONDER you're having trouble.

You know in 3rd-world countries where they don't have access to V and peat, Mel recommends straight compost. Since you're from, you know, THERE, what about reindeer compost?

OK, but seriously. Got ANY animal manures up there? Here I can go into a neighbor's field and get horse poop. Another has cows. A third has goats. I am composting a BIG pile of each right now for next year. I heard rumors there's a llama farmer 2 ridges over, but haven't found them yet.

You don't want meat-eaters if you can help it, since parasites can transmit between dogs, say, and humans. You may have to compost now for next year, but anyone have livestock of ANY sort up there? Not just the red-nosed kind?

tananarose 6/1/2013, 8:23 pm

Yes there are, they want an arm and a leg for it. My best friend had horses but not any more so can't get any from her. I have feelers out to get some for next year. So am looking at the top soil for this year.

boffer 6/1/2013, 8:24 pm

ETNRedClay wrote:...Since you're from, you know, THERE, what about reindeer compost?...

I drove through THERE years ago. All I remember seeing was the post office that received all of Santa's mail every year, a couple motels, and bars. Just curious where you found your vermiculite?

tananarose 6/1/2013, 9:02 pm

Any of the nurserys, and Home Depot and Lowes carry it, but it is expensive, a small bag (8 dry quarts) runs about 13 dollars.

Boffer, you must of drove thru before the new highway was put in. There are only two bars in the city limits now, and the tour buses stop at the post office as part of their tours, (so that the tourists can take pictures of the post office) and the only hotel we have now, was built within the last 7 years.

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