I'm diving into square foot gardening this spring and I've got 2-foot tall raised beds, while the book recommends using 1-foot high beds. Is it okay if I only fill the top half of my beds with Mel's mix? Also, how crucial is it to stick to Mel's mix for my garden?
1 Answer
For those bigger beds, some people use a technique called Hügelkultur to save on soil costs. You can fill the bottom half with logs, brush, or other organic materials that break down slowly. Not sure if Mel mentions it, but there's a ton of YouTube content exploring this. Personally, I prefer vermiculite over perlite for my mix, but it really comes down to what you can find and your budget. In my area, the local organic supplier uses sand and pine bark, but I've noticed the sand washes away and the pine bark composts down too much, leading to compaction. The last couple of years, I've really focused on amending the top third with a close copy of Mel's mix, and it's been holding up nicely over the season.
I do Hügelkultur in my three and four-foot raised beds, and it works great! Just be aware that you’ll need to add more material on top each year unless you pack it tightly at the start.