Yes, Mels mix is more expensive than other options. But I'm glad I did it. My soil is exceptional and will be for a decade or longer as long as I add a bit of compost each time I replant.

That said, I had the money and still choked a bit on the cost. Whatever works for you is great. But nursery bought composts can contain hibernating pests and diseases. I believe mine contained leaf miner eggs.

If you compost, try adding a bit more when you replant your Mels bed. Good luck and share your process!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

Thanks Sinfonian. The compost in the mix I bought is mushroom compost which I understand is fairly clean. I am now using my own compost which I is mostly leaves, grass clippings and food trimmings.
I think I am going to try and grow the same plants side by side in each mix and compare the results. I wanted to find if someone else had already tried this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Skip's Edible Garden

I've seen the start of side by side tests, but can't recall seeing the resullts. Not much help I know.

That said, my brother uses straight compost and I Mels Mix. He's a mile away from me, so not the best comparison. My lettuce was consideably more prolific but his did well enough. I got nearly the same production out of half the cucumber plants, but I trellised mine and his sprawled. The tomatoes aren't comparable because he grew cherries and I full sized in Self Watering Containers.

So in the end, he was very impressed when he started skeptical. Hope that helps a bit.

Hi Skip and welcome. Looking at your journal/blog, if that is an irrigation system I see in the second photo then I do not see any reason to use the mix. I think the peat and coarse vermiculite is needed only for water retention. If you start out with an irrigation system then why fill the box with 2/3 material that has no nutrients for plant growth? When making your own compost, try adding some horse manure, you should be able to get it free for the taking. Put 100% homemade compost/HM in one box and compare it to the mix. I am willing to bet which one performs best and I am not a betting man. I have not done any comparisons but here is a photo of my first years RBG.

John
{{gwi:141006}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

Skip - I used Mel's mix to the "T", and absolutley love it.

I have been to your blog, and loved it! However, I wasn't able to leave you a comment - because I don't have a blogger ID, or open ID.

Thanks for posting, and welcome!

EG

I grew cabbage plants along my walkway as well as in my boxes. They were planted at the same time and watered at the same time. It's not the same as a side by side, but I can tell you that the ones in mel's mix were nearly twice as large in a place that got about half as much sun. I skimped on the vermiculite because I couldn't make myself buy that much.

EG-Thanks for visiting my blog. Sorry you could not comment. I had the setting wrong for comments, I changed the setting so anyone can comment now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Skip

Here is a link that might be useful: Skip's Edible Garden

This will be my first experience with Mel's mix. I've used straight potting soil in my boxes before now. My results were not what I would have liked. I'm hoping this year will be better.

carolynp- I am going to try a comparison as soon as the weather is better. I still have a 4x4 bed with Mel's Mix to use as a comparison.

ribbit32004- The only experience I have had with potting soil is growing stuff in pots. I don't know what it would be like in a raised bed.

Skip

Here is a link that might be useful: Skip's Edible Garden

I think it's a good idea Skip. If I hadn't tried my mini-experiment, I probably wouldn't have a feel for it at all. And it's pretty pricey to do unless you feel you're getting a better end product. John (where are you John?) uses compost only and swears by it. I'll be doing a box with compost only this year, also.

I'm gonna fill my wife's flowerbed completely with compost in the spring, and see how it works for that. That's why I've currently got so much cooking. :)

EG

Way to go Carolyn, try to get a little horse poop in the compost also. Hey, I am always here, I am like the preverbal snake in the grass. ;o)

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

i haven't used the mix yet, BUT i have a bed with 1/8 or so of compost/grass clippings, i know but its mixed LOL then 1/8 grass clippings on top of that, 1/2 horse manuer, 1/8 stay green soil. lots of worms before they probably got froze. now, my flowers did great!! i am going to do the vege bed this spring, and am not exactly sure how i am going to fill it, but i am going to blog about it!! **grinn**
i love your writing!! i am anxious to hear about your black berries!! if you ever get any rooted clippings, i'd gladly trade you some, i have some thorless raspberry's. :')
welcome!! its ALWAYS nice to see a new face, and especially if they're friendly (hmmm...you are, aren't you?? **questionly look** ) ~Medo

I've never used the mix either. $40 is about half of all that I spend on my gardens in a given year - including seeds and plants. I could not imagine using it to fill a bed that is a fraction of the size of the beds I am already using for veggies. And that not including the cost of the beds themselves!

I built my soil the old fashion way - years of amendments and fast decomposing mulches, mostly in the form of chicken and rabbit chit, grass clippings and saw dust. But I am fortunate in that I started with a good base of loamy soil and I live in an area where I can have chickens to do my composting for me.

I would like to see a side by side where the other side was a well amended, loamy soil. Kay.

Medo - Thanks for your comments. I am also anxious to find out how my blackberries produce. I have never heard of thornless raspberries, the ones I have seen had more thorns than any blackberries I had seen. I am friendly to other gardeners right away; other people I have to get to know first.

Kay - The cost of Mel's mix was also what kept me from using more. The mix I am using is giving me results that seem to be as good and the 4x4 bed I do have with Mel's Mix

Skip

I am new to SFG and also to Mels Mix. My son... type "A" insisted that I use it by the letter. I am ....kind of.

Not too much to report yet. but I do have a question about a sort of mels mix I had in a plastic bin that I keep to pot my plants. The top was on but not to tightly. today when I went to get some soil there was a white web like mold. Is this normal and still ok to use ?

Mold can show up on compost so I am sure you are fine. Just mix it in.