A few months back, I wrote about Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. In order to be successful in his method of gardening, a key element is vermiculite. Unfortunately, vermiculite is hard to fine.
Vermiculite Found at Atlantic-FEC in Miami
Lawrence, a Watch My Food Grow reader, mentioned Atlantic-FEC as a potential vermiculite supplier in a comment. I emailed them yesterday and got a quick response back from Frances Corona. Here is what she has to say:
Good morning ….. We do have vermiculite our price is $8.30 [for a four cubic foot bag] we gladly sell to the general public. Rather it be walk-in or delivery.. you can buy as many as you need …… for more information that you need please feel free to email me back anytime…… we also have a product book so again feel free at anytime….. have a wonderful day.
While I haven’t done any business with Atlantic-FEC (yet), I’m impressed at how quickly they responded to my email. Based on their web site, it looks like you can get just about anything fertilizer-related you need from them. Miami is a bit of a drive from Palm Beach Gardens where my garden is located but it might be worth stopping by the next time I’m down there for other reasons.
How to Find Vermiculite and Atlantic-FEC
Atlantic-FEC Fertilizer & Chemical305-247-8800 Phone
18375 SW 260th Street
Homestead, FL 33031
Tell Me About Your Florida Vegetable Garden
It is prime planting season. The freeze is past and we’re ready to grow. Let me know about your garden. Also, if you do purchase from Atlantic-FEC, please let me know. I’d hate to recommend them and not have my readers have positive results.
— Farmer Matt
I have not done business with them yet but will be soon. Thank you for a great blog.
Hi,
Sorry to trouble you. I came across your blog and love reading it. I hope you do not mind, I added your link to my page. Here is a link to my page so you can see. http://thevegetablehatt.blogspot.com If you do not want your link on my page, please let me know and I will remove it. Thank you for your time.
Thanks
Laura
I enjoy reading your blog. I live in Jupiter and I also have a vegetable garden. I like to read about others that are trying to grow in this climate.
Most blogs just don’t cover the way we have to garden.
How have the bugs been for you this season?
I am having a small problem with Aphids on my cabbages right now and a few whiteflies on the pepper plants.
I am just spraying them off with the hose and it seems to be working so far.
My garden details are: all raised beds
1- 4′x8′
1-4′x10′
1-4′x12′
and a bunch of 2 ft wide beds all around the interior and exterior of the garden.
I have 8ft tall trellis’ the length of every bed
down the middle.
I presently have in the ground:
tomato
kentucky wonder beans
broccoli
cabbage
carrots
onions
celery
radish
brussle sprouts
bibb lettuce
romaine lettuce
black seeded simpson lettuce
mesculun lettuce
green peeper
habanero pepper
jalapeno pepper
anehiem pepper
poblano peeper
cucumber
crooked neck squash
cilantro
basil
rosemary
thyme
sage
marigolds and various flowers
Charlie, it sounds as though you have an amazing garden. What variety!
No bug problems yet this year. The only pest problem I have is birds. They keep pecking my sun sugar tomatoes. They also ate my strawberries last year.
My biggest problem this year is that I didn’t bake my soil in the off-season. So, I’ve got a bunch of annoying weeds that I have to keep plucking. Next year, I’ll herbicide and bake so that my dirt is fresh for the growing season.
— Farmer Matt