I’ve gotten a few emails from people who want to get going with planting their gardens. So I thought for this week’s Gardening 101, that I’d answer some of the most common questions I get so those who are experiencing an early spring can get started.
What kind of dirt do you use to fill the raised beds?
It all starts with good soil. Amending your soil with organic matter ensures that your vegetables have a good foundation.
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I use a variation on Mel’s Mix (Square Foot Gardening). Mel’s Mix is :
- 1/3 Peat Moss
- 1/3 Vermiculite
- 1/3 Blended Compost
You can actually buy bags of Mel’s Mix now at his Ogden, Utah location. He says on his website that they are working on getting Home Depot and Lowe’s to carry it.
My Soil Mix:
I use a combination of my own compost (I’ll do a longer post on composting another day), a mixture of any other bagged compost I can buy like mushroom compost, chicken manure, worm casting, cow manure etc. (I buy as many different kinds as possible and I mix them together) and organic vegetable dirt like Miracle Grow Organic Choice – it already has peat moss as an ingredient so I don’t add anymore….and my secret weapon….mineralized Rock Dust. Here’s a short article at greenliving.com that explains the benefits of using Rock Dust.
Do you use seedlings or do you buy transplants?
Last year was my first for starting seeds. I’ve always purchased transplants before that. I still don’t have a proper seed starting set up. Because I live in such a warm climate I was able to start seeds last year by using a little plastic greenhouse I got at Big Lots. I basically kept my seeds outside in the greenhouse except when I knew it would be too cold. It comes with clip on solar lights. Seeds need 12-16 hours of light to grow. Seed starting is a whole post on it’s own!
There’s a bigger variety of vegetables available as seeds. But I’ve found that most Seed Catalogs now also offer transplants and I always shop my local independent nursery (Hastings for you ATL folks) who has an amazing array of interesting herbs and vegetables.
In my opinion a $2 tomato plant that you buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s and plant in your garden is going to give you a much tastier tomato than one you can buy at the grocery store no matter if it’s a rare Heirloom or just a plain old Big Boy.
Also, some seeds are just better sown directly into your raised bed. Like carrots, corn, beans, beets etc.
If you’re new to gardening you’ll find that there’s enough challenge in just taking care of the plants you have. You don’t have to add trying to start seeds to the mix at first.
What fertilizer do you use?
I use fish emulsion which you can get anywhere. I also use liquid seaweed as a foliar spray. Meaning I spray the leaves of my plants with it. Plants can take up nutrients faster in their leaves than their roots. But it’s like getting a quick boost. It doesn’t last as long as feeding the roots. Of course, I start out with really well amended soil. The seaweed I buy on Amazon.
Hope that answers some questions. I’ll meet you in the comments for any further questions.
Please check my other posts in my Gardening 101 Series
The Basics of Planing Your Vegetable Garden
Thank you for all the great information Manuela! Regarding the fish emulsion, do you think I’d have problems keeping my cats out of the garden if I started using this?
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
Well the fish emulsion is diluted with water when you fertilize your plants. There is an initial smell but it seems to me to be gone within a few hours.
But I don’t have cats. We do have neighborhood kitties that wander into the yard and I’ve not had a problem with them.
Maxie, our Golden used to love to lick the the bottle or try to drink it when I was mixing it, but he never bothered my vegetables.
Sometimes the only way to know is to try it and see what happens.
Thanks for the reply Manuela! I’m going to give it a try with my Spring garden this year.
Mary Ellen
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I worked outside this morning and got a lot done, but still more to do. Beautiful here today! Have a great day!
Great information here, Manuela. I’m always kicking myself every year for not doing more soil prep and improvement — we warm up some, I’ve got seeds handy and I just want to get in and plant! I found in past years that I had to decrease the amount of peat moss in Mel’s Mix here with our clay soils — the peat moss led to too much moisture retention in the spring (mucky mucky) and dried out to concrete consistency in the summer. It worked much better to substitute some other organic matter for about half of the peat moss (like composted humus).
Good Point Diana! I don’t add any peat moss since I use a bagged soil that already has some peat moss in it.
Also, if you do use peat moss, be sure to wet it before adding it to your soil. If you don’t it just stays dry no matter what. Which I’ve always thought was odd!
Manuela
I’m so glad to see this. I’m planning on planting my garden this week! It’s my first time planting a real (not potted) garden since getting married 8 years ago. I’m so excited and glad for any tips that I can find. Thanks for this post.
Great info here!
Great information you have shared. I have not heard of rock dust before. Just went over and read about it. How interesting. I need to get some as I prefer to keep everything natural in my garden.
I saw that very greenhouse at Big Lots recently and was curious to know if it would work well. I’ve never had much luck growing seeds in the past.
Happy Gardening!
Very good info. We have such a big garden – flowers, herbs and veggies, that we just put a mulch of compost on everything in the spring and fall. Then I use MG during the growing season.
It’s going to be almost 80 here in Indiana today! So we are out in the gardens cleaning things up. Have a great day!
Very interesting, I’m looking forward to gardening season here. I have until about the middle of May before I dare plant anything, though.
Hugs, cindy
I’m going to try the seaweed for a foliar spray. Your tomatoes look awesome. I had a bunch of the cherry tomatoes last year but very few larger ones.
I am loving these gardening posts! I worked for a couple hours outside yesterday since the weather was so warm. That’s good news about the possibility of Lowe’s and/or Home Depot carrying Mel’s mixture. From what I’ve read, people seem to have trouble locating the agricultural blend of the vermiculite. Starting from seeds is actually what has me most anxious, as I just don’t know how I would exactly accomplish that inside. I like your recommendation of starting with the transplants first. Had no idea that seed catalogs offer transplants. Are there any particular catalogs you would recommend that do offer those?
Practically all of them have gotten into the transplant business. Seed Savers Exchange has Heirloom tomato, pepper and ground cherry transplants. The Natural Gardening Company has lots of seedlings – I have an order I’m going to place with them. Even Burpee is selling plants.
I am glad we have a farmer’s market–I get the good stuff without the work……..but looks like you enjoy it!
you have such helpful information…thanks!!
I will have to look for the fish emulsion…
You can find it at Home Depot and Lowes. It’s easy to get.
Hello Manuella,
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I came back over and looked around your blog some more and I just love it! Love this gardening post. Very helpful information. I agree, the soil is the most important ingredient and I ammend mine each year. This year I may try a few vegetables and some herbs but most of my gardening is flowers. It was almost 70 degrees today in Michigan! I hope it holds on. It’s way too early to garden but I’m getting antsy.
I’m a new following along now.
~Sandy
now I see what my problem is…the soil. I haven’t been amending the soil with any of that good stuff…ok, now I’m going to give that a try! Thanks so much.
wow that is some GOOD dirt to read up on! ;-p thanks so much for all the recommendations and tips…I will have to come back and revisit…Hubs just started some tomato plants last night. Yay… still a little hesitant about what Iowa is gonna do weatherwise, but we might as well get started on some things… At least HERE, the soil in our yard is black and loamy …vs RED CLAY – in Charlotte!!!! 🙂 **as for the sunflower rug…It is an awesome wool rug I snatched up in a consignment shop in Charlotte. (The red, black, and yellow, and the checks went well with my kitchen!) The tag on the bottom says C & F Enterprises so you can scoot over to their online store and see if they might have it still….or maybe see something else! 🙂 Hugs Manuela!!! xoxo
Great tips Manuela! Can’t wait to eat tomatoes right off the vine:) Enjoy this gorgeous weather, HUGS!
Thank you, Manuela! This is just chock full of good information. I would also really love you to post about your composting. We had a bin in our old home, but we have never done one here. I would love to see how you do it.
Debbie,
I plan on doing a whole post on composting. Maybe next week or the week after. It’s so hot already that I’m already outside trying to get my vegetable garden ready for planting. All my cool weather veggies are bolting!
This is just what I needed. Now I need a sunny weekend so my husband can put the raised beds together. I think I might start buying the different soils this week so that I’m ready to get started as soon as the sun shines! My winter veggies are doing well on the little brick bed along the drive. This is the only time of the year anything will grow along that strip. Enjoy the sunshine. Patty