Mixing a large quantity of soil

[Nope_49595933949]

Also I have an old beat up blower that I’m gonna probably have at it with too, there are a couple of us, so we’ll churn it up somehow

Fuck yea!

 

[meangreengrowinmachine]

No I know it definitely saves work, but for instance I have 180 lbs of bone meal to mix in for instance (and many more, but that’s one of the big ones) now divide that into 5 cf batches, that’s 65-70 batches depending on how heavy you are with the peat and the composts etc. so you divide all 20 components by number of batches and measure, and spend a decent amount as well. If the cost was less yes. Or, like what I meant earlier, if it was more affordable to get a larger mixer, if it was $400 to get a half yard capacity mixer I’d be in.

oh wow ok yeah I would for sure just till over that stuff with a nice rear tine tiller a few times crosshatch and you will be all good... I am not so sure on the snow blower idea but hey post that video even if it is a fail I bet it will be awesome!

 

[farmingfisherman]

You can use a kid size pool. I use one of the little blue plastic ones when I have to mix. They probably come in larger sizes.

I use a kiddie pool and turn the soil with a shovel and rack. For bigger pools a small 2 stroke tiller could be useful.

 

[beebud]

12 cu yds of soil is a bunch of work. Our cat track loader's bucket is only around 2cu yds and it's big.
When mixing our garden mineral tubs I get the skid steer and line the tubs up, go mix the pile, bring a bucket over and dump the width of the bucket into tubs. Lol
Don't know what skid steers cost to rent around there, but with my back it would be worth looking into if we didn't have one. Especially if it's paired with other projects around the place

 

[JeffWix]

I use a cement mixer...wet it slightly as you go and dump it into a big 200 gallon watering trough, cover tightly with a tarp and wood...ready to use in 30 days...been doing this for years...I already have next year's soil ready...I only use 5-7 gallon bags to grow in though.

 

[FlowerPower88]

12 cu yds of soil is a bunch of work. Our cat track loader's bucket is only around 2cu yds and it's big.
When mixing our garden mineral tubs I get the skid steer and line the tubs up, go mix the pile, bring a bucket over and dump the width of the bucket into tubs. Lol
Don't know what skid steers cost to rent around there, but with my back it would be worth looking into if we didn't have one. Especially if it's paired with other projects around the place

I have been leaning toward dialing it back to 6-8 yards this season, then next year go all in. I will have carried it a long way to go from a yard experiment to 8 yards of properly and purposefully thought out living soil in less than 12 months.

 

[FlowerPower88]

I use a cement mixer...wet it slightly as you go and dump it into a big 200 gallon watering trough, cover tightly with a tarp and wood...ready to use in 30 days...been doing this for years...I already have next year's soil ready...I only use 5-7 gallon bags to grow in though.

What size/model mixer do you use, and how long does it take you?

 

[hprincton]

Less at a time. You can use a hand truck and cut a hole in the bag, or seed spreader, wheel size. Smaller fork or 20-50% of the maximum, or 1/2 full, instead of briming over the top, overloaded. Each time I can mix more at once, although getting older, more rest in between, it seems. Like mowing a larger area before taking a break. People mixing soil for eight hours I would say probably not. There might be someone who does it ten hours a day not me I stay in here most of the time.

 

[GenericEnigma]

No I know it definitely saves work, but for instance I have 180 lbs of bone meal to mix in for instance (and many more, but that’s one of the big ones) now divide that into 5 cf batches, that’s 65-70 batches depending on how heavy you are with the peat and the composts etc. so you divide all 20 components by number of batches and measure, and spend a decent amount as well. If the cost was less yes. Or, like what I meant earlier, if it was more affordable to get a larger mixer, if it was $400 to get a half yard capacity mixer I’d be in.

Holy shit, that's a lot of material.

If a rear-tine tiller isn't palatable, there are concrete trucks that hold 12 yd^3. Might be cheaper and easier overall to have an empty one driven out to you for an afternoon. Only concern would be how to get it hopped into the drum. Bucket brigade?

Or rent a skid steer.

 

[bam0813]

You could rent every cement mixer around for a day and do it in one shot for pennies compared to all that. The mixing/adding wouldn’t be bad. All you gotta do is figure out the amounts for a wheel barrow load cause thats about what they hold. Ten shovels of this a couple of this a can of that etc. make pile or load pots. Snowblower sounds good but imo inefficient af

 

[Nope_49595933949]

Snowblower sounds good but imo inefficient af

Why are you being like this?

 

[Boatguy]

Holy shit, that's a lot of material.

If a rear-tine tiller isn't palatable, there are concrete trucks that hold 12 yd^3. Might be cheaper and easier overall to have an empty one driven out to you for an afternoon. Only concern would be how to get it hopped into the drum. Bucket brigade?

Or rent a skid steer.

1yd is 10'x10'x3" so yes. It is one giant living soil bed.
Then you add amendments.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

1yd is 10'x10'x3" so yes. It is one giant living soil bed.
Then you add amendments.

What?

 

[Boatguy]

What?

How much is a yard of soil?

A general rule of thumb is that one cubic yard of topsoil will cover an area of 10 feet by 10 feet to a depth of 3 inches. 2) How much is a yard of topsoil? The average topsoil cost is between $10 and $50 per cubic yard, or $150 and $500 per truckload, including delivery.Jan 24, 2023

A copy and paste

So 12 yds is in the neighborhood of 10'x10'x30" before adding aeration and whatever else.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

How much is a yard of soil?

A general rule of thumb is that one cubic yard of topsoil will cover an area of 10 feet by 10 feet to a depth of 3 inches. 2) How much is a yard of topsoil? The average topsoil cost is between $10 and $50 per cubic yard, or $150 and $500 per truckload, including delivery.Jan 24, 2023

A copy and paste

So 12 yds is in the neighborhood of 10'x10'x30" before adding aeration and whatever else.

That works. Close enough. It's actually a little over 3" tall though,

 

[Boatguy]

That works. Close enough. It's actually a little over 3" tall though,

It's a shit load of dirt.. That i am sure about

 

[hprincton]

*joking here*

Ditch witch no need to check for what's there just go straight across. Then, uh chainsaw mill you can add a winch to the blade from a jeep or just park your jeep right there. Once cut correctly it should resemble a square or triangle candy only larger. Then you can add your worm casts, biochar and beneficials.

 

[FlowerPower88]

Holy shit, that's a lot of material.

If a rear-tine tiller isn't palatable, there are concrete trucks that hold 12 yd^3. Might be cheaper and easier overall to have an empty one driven out to you for an afternoon. Only concern would be how to get it hopped into the drum. Bucket brigade?

Or rent a skid steer.

It’s out of my budget this year, but that was a thought

 

[weedstoner420]

Hey OP, what is all this soil getting put in? Raised beds? 500 5-gallon pots? Just spread out in a field?

Not that I have any good suggestions for how to mix it, but knowing your end goal might help guide you towards the best method of getting there...

 

[weedstoner420]

Also how are the ingredients coming to you? Are you getting peat in those huge 1 or 2 yard sacks that require a crane to lift? Or like, 100 3-cft bags of promix?