CREATING MEL’S MIXTM & COMPOST MEL’S MIXTM MATERIALS The magic of Square Foot Gardening is not only the space planning, but in the soil mix. These are the ingredients and quantities for Mel’s MixTM, which will ensure that your Square Foot Garden thrives and produces far better than gardens grown in standard garden soil.

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One moderately successful substitute is perlite, another feet, sometimes in quarts. And sometimes the products are nonorganic mineral—specifically a volcanic glass. Perlite is compressed, which further complicates the process. You For simplicity, here’s a table that shows the total volume cheaper than vermiculite, and it improves the friability of don’t need to worry too much about this, though, because of some common square foot box sizes: 1/3 COARSE a growing medium in much the same way that vermiculite when you create Mel’s Mix, all that matters1/3 is the COMPOST volume— 1/3 PEAT MOSS does, which is why many commercial potting soils use it nothing else. BOX DIMENSIONS BOX VOLUME VERMICULITE instead of vermiculite. But perlite does not have the same Calculating the volume of Mel’s Mix you’ll need for moisture-holding capacity as vermiculite. a Square Foot Garden box isn’t as complicated as it first 4 × 4 feet × 6 inches (½ foot) 8 cubic feet seems. 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It’s a mat- 10 Initially, you might find measuring the quantities of the tion will be ⁄12 of a foot, or .83 feet. So, a 4 × 4 × 10-inch ter of preference and availability, but I know which ter of preference and availability, but I know which 4 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 32 cubic feet 4 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 32 cubic feet three ingredients for Mel’s Mix a little confusing, because box will be calculated as 4 × 4 × .83, which gives 13.28 one I’m using. oneCalculating I’m using. the volume of a Square Foot Garden box, Calculating the volume 4of × 12a feetSquare × 12 Footinches Garden (1 foot) box, 48 cubic feet 4 × 12 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 48 cubic feet the products are sold according to different standards of cubic feet. One 5-gallon bucket = .668 cubic feet. One 4 × 4' × 6" garden One 5-gallon bucket = .668 cubic feet. One 4 × 4' × 6" garden then, is a matter of multiplying the dimensions of the box, then, is a matter of multiplying the dimensions of the box, box = 12 buckets of Mel’s Mix. box = 12 buckets of Mel’s Mix. measurement—sometimesusing a common unit of measurement.in pounds, sometimes This could in becubic done using a common unit of measurement.4 × 16 feet × 12This inches could (1 foot)be done 64 cubic feet 4 × 16 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 64 cubic feet in any number of way, but the most convenient unit in our in any number of way, but the2 × most4 feet convenient × 12 inches unit(1 foot) in our 8 cubic feet 2 × 4 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 8 cubic feet case a isLL feet.neW In SQU a standard,aRe Foot classic GaRD 4 enin× 4 boxG, 3RD that e isD 6ition inches case is feet. In a standard, classic 4 ×Follow 4 box that the is 6 inchesSquare Foot Gardening Foundation on Facebook www.facebook.com/squarefootgardeningorgMeL’S MiX: the MaGicaL GRoWinG MeDiUM 136  2 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 16 cubic feet 2 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 16 cubic feet  137 (½ foot) deep, the math would look like this: (½ foot) deep, the math would look like this: & Instagram @squarefootgardening. For more information visit www.squarefootgardening.org. CALCULATING CALCULATING 2 × 12 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 24 cubic feet 2 × 12 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 24 cubic feet 4 × 4 × ½ = 8 cubic feet 4 × 4 × ½ = 8 cubic feet ©2020 Square Foot Gardening Foundation SFGCI_MOD4_MELSMIX VOLUME VOLUME 2 × 16 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 32 cubic feet 2 × 16 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 32 cubic feet Pretty easy, isn’t it? With this basic formula, you’ll Pretty easy, isn’t it? With1 × 4this feet basic× 12 inches formula, (1 foot) you’ll 4 cubic feet 1 × 4 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 4 cubic feet find it quite simple to calculate the volume of just about find it quite simple to calculate the volume of just about AND BUYING AND BUYING 1 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 8 cubic feet 1 × 8 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 8 cubic feet any Square Foot Garden box you might want to build. The any Square Foot Garden box you might want to build. The INGREDIENTS FOR INGREDIENTSmost complicated part will be converting FOR the height mea- most complicated part will 1be × 12converting feet × 12 inches the height (1 foot) mea- 12 cubic feet 1 × 12 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 12 cubic feet surement to feet in instances where you alter the depth surement to feet in instances1 × 16 where feet × you12 inches alter (1the foot) depth 16 cubic feet 1 × 16 feet × 12 inches (1 foot) 16 cubic feet MEL’S MIX MEL’Sof the box. For MIXexample, if you make the box 10 inches of the box. For example, if you make the box 10 inches deep using 2 × 10 lumber, the height factor of the calcula- deep using 2 × 10 lumber, the height factor of the calcula- 10 10 Initially, you might find measuring the quantities of the Initially,tion will you be might ⁄12 of find a foot, measuring or .83 feet. the So, quantities a 4 × 4 × of 10-inch the tion will be ⁄12 of a foot, or .83 feet. So, a 4 × 4 × 10-inch three ingredients for Mel’s Mix a little confusing, because threebox ingredientswill be calculated for Mel’s as Mix 4 ×a 4little × .83, confusing, which gives because 13.28 box will be calculated as 4 × 4 × .83, which gives 13.28 the products are sold according to different standards of thecubic products feet. are sold according to different standards of cubic feet. measurement—sometimes in pounds, sometimes in cubic measurement—sometimes in pounds, sometimes in cubic

136  aLL neW SQUaRe Foot GaRDeninG, 3RD e Dition 136  aLL neW SQUaRe Foot GaRDeninG, 3RD e Dition MeL’S MiX: the MaGicaL GRoWinG MeDiUM  137 MeL’S MiX: the MaGicaL GRoWinG MeDiUM  137 HANDY COMPOST INSTRUCTIONS For those of you who are just getting started with composting, or for gardeners who’d love a refresher, here are some of Mel’s best tips for successful composting.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPOSTING Do Don’t

Ingredients Add plant material such as top growth, Do not add any animal parts such as prunings, roots, and kitchen scraps bones or synthetic materials

Bin Size About 3 x 3 feet Smaller than 3 x 3 feet or larger than 4 x 4 feet Moisture Moist Too dry or too wet

Mixing As often as you can Never

PRACTICAL COMPOSTING TIPS Mow Those Leaves Save some of your leaves from fall to add to the compost pile next year rather than all at once. After you rake them up, run the lawnmower over them to chop them up and then stuff them into plastic bags (make sure they are dry) or, if you are a “neatnik,” store them in gray garbage bins stored along the wall of your compost operation.

Dry That Grass If piled up, fresh green grass will quickly turn into a black-hat, anaerobic operation that’s a stinking, slimy, gooey mess. Grass clippings have to be dried before adding them to the pile or stored for later addition. It does seem like an oxymoron to dry the grass clippings only to moisten them in the compost pile, but now I’m sure you can see why we do it that way. I compare it to my mother’s meatloaf. She would dry bread and then crumble it to make bread crumbs. She would then add milk to moisten everything. If she had just added moist, fresh bread, it would have gotten clumpy and gooey. The compost is similar. If material is put in wet, it packs down in clumps preventing air from entering the pile, and then it rots and smells. So, spread your grass clippings out on a tarp or the driveway, turn them a few times with a rake or flip your tarp before storing them or adding them to your compost pile. How long? Until the grass is brownish and dry to the touch. It depends on the sun, humidity, and rain, as well as the climate of your location.

Mix and Turn This is a good time to remind you that the center of the pile is where most of the action is. It will be the hottest (up to 150°F or 65°C), the moistest, and with the most white-hats running around decomposing the ingredients. Knowing all that when you turn the contents of one compost bin into another, you will be putting the top of A into the bottom of B—assuming you have two bins or piles side-by-side—then you make sure you put the outside material of A into the inside of B. Get it? It’s just like the theory that opposites attract. Mix in (at the same time) opposite colors, wetness, size—everything opposite for the fastest operation. In other words, brown with green, wet with dry, coarse with fine. That’s all easy to remember—just think of opposites attracting, and you’ll have a great operation. Excerpted from Square Foot Gardening, 2nd edition

Follow the Square Foot Gardening Foundation on Facebook & Instagram #squarefootgardening For more information visit www.squarefootgardening.org

©2020 Square Foot Gardening Foundation SFGCI_MOD4_MELSMIX DO’S & DON’TS If you’re confused about what to add to your compost pile, and in what quantities, this chart will help you out. Mel compiled a detailed list of what ingredients should and should not be used in your garden — and when you have healthy, living compost, you’re 1/3 of the way to creating your own Mel’s MixTM!

DETAILED LIST OF INGREDIENTS Yes Caution - Limited Amounts No

Each item should be under 20 Each item should be under 10 percent of These items should not be added to percent of total by volume total by volume a compost bin Eggshells (crushed) Coffee grounds Bakery products Grass Clippings (dried) Corn cobs Cat or dog manure Hay (including salt hay) Hedge trimmings Cheese Leaves Peanut shells Dairy products Newspaper (shredded) Pine needles Diseased or pest-laden materials Old sod Sawdust Grease Reject or spoiled garden produce Shredded bark Kitchen scraps Stable or poultry manure Shredded twigs Meat or bones Straw Wood shavings Seeds and fruit pits Tea bags Whole eggs Vegetable and fruit peels

Excerpted from Square Foot Gardening, 2nd edition RESOURCES If you’re having trouble locating vermiculite, you can order it online from https://uline.com — now it’s never been easier to create your own Mel’s MixTM with all the recommended ingredients!

Follow the Square Foot Gardening Foundation on Facebook & Instagram #squarefootgardening For more information visit www.squarefootgardening.org

©2020 Square Foot Gardening Foundation SFGCI_MOD4_MELSMIX