For anybody who have not perused it or are familiar with the new method, I'll conclude to suit your needs: you build these four by four boxes--no tilling required--cover underneath with weed blocker material, then grow it using a particular mix that Mel says works wonderful. The boxes are easy, the process is brilliant, however the mix was a different story. 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 vermiculite, agricultural gauge, this means chunky items of vermiculite, not fine.
Everything was going smoothly until we tried to find vermiculite. We checked every one of the Home Depot type mega-stores, the little stores, gardening supply, everything he states to accomplish in the book, to no avail. When we did believe it is with a pool supply company, i was informed we'd must pay $125 shipping to get it here from Atlanta. Online didn't prove far better because we're growing an outdoor to save cash, not save money.
Finally, we'd to settle for that fine stuff from the pool supply company that was pretty fine grade, but made one of the most luxurious and easy to work with soil That I've ever seen. It was definitely worth the search, but here's the problem I'd:
Now Mel addresses the vermiculite availability on his website, saying that it is now for sale in Utah, without any shipping. Utah, huh? No problem! Except we live in Memphis. When we wrote the site explaining our trouble finding it at reasonable prices, we did get a fast reply (to all our questions, BTW) plus they sent us a pre-formatted response telling us to check on at the home supply mega-stores because he's never found one that didn't carry it. My question for you is whether it's everywhere then why have the pre-formatted response? And when he addresses finding a substitute, says that yes, you are able to substitute perlite (that is much simpler to discover) but he states avoid them because it makes him sneeze, it does not hold moisture along with vermiculite, and he doesn't like the method that it feels or how it helps make the garden look.
Well. Aren't we a just a bit Martha. Lemme just write that check for $185 to the pool supply with the agricultural grade.
To ensure that being said, why did I give All New Square Foot Gardening with five stars? Because besides finding the vermiculite--which we finally did in fine grade for $28 for four boxes--I've rarely seen an even more reader-friendly book! Referring filled with layout pages, very concise planting guides, even planting time tables to your area and the period of time you can store your seeds! If you have never gardened before or started an outdoor that eventually left you frustrated, then All New Square Foot Gardening will be the book for you! I just believe that you should check your neighborhood for agricultural grade vermiculite before you buy the book. But once that little snafu is finished, you will be amazed at how brilliant and straightforward this book makes successful gardening.
I recommend method from All New Square Foot Gardening for busy people and parents like myself. It's wonderfully easy to maintain, makes plenty of produce, and appears very attractive. Two green thumbs way, way up.