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GrowScape Instructions (page 2 of 3)
be stunted and yellowish. The higher the C/N ratio, the more stunted the plants. Some of these wood-chip mixes have a C/N ratio of 200/1 or more. Sand does nothing but add weight to a mix - it is not necessary to "improve drainage".

Look for soil mixes with very well composted organic material (few visible wood, etc. chunks). Organic soil mixes that are well-composted, and mixes which started with raw materials higher in nitrogen, will help create healthier, more productive plants. If you can incorporate 50% of natural clay and/or silt to your organic soil mix, so much the better. The clay and silt provide important minerals. And many clays hold water at a microscopic level, acting as a moisture reservoir for plant roots.

INSTALLATION
Wear gloves capable of protecting your hands from sometimes sharp edges of the HDPE cylinders.

Pick a level site that gets plenty of direct sunlight and has access to fresh water. We recommend you remove any sod at the base of your bed, to avoid grasses or other perennial weeds growing up into the lower levels. Alternatively, a heavy layer of corrugated cardboard over sod is usually sufficient to keep weeds out of the bed. If you have trouble with voles, it might be a good idea to place hardware cloth or other barrier under the corrugated cardboard base.

Take all the levels of your GrowScape Vertical Garden out of the box and connect the ends of each with the enclosed stainless steel screws, so that each level becomes a sort of floppy cylinder. The largest cylinder will be your base.

Lay the base cylinder out in a reasonably circular shape. To "fine tune" the circular shape, trim a stick ("gauge stick") to the largest cylinder's diameter (42 inches or whatever). Hold the center of the stick and slowly rotate it inside the cylinder, adjusting the cylinder's shape as you go.

Once your base cylinder is in place and round, fill it with your soil mix until it is almost overflowing. Then thoroughly tamp and "water in" the soil thoroughly. Proper consolidation of soil at each level will minimize settling and tipping of your "birthday cake" over time. Between each level is a good place to apply organic fertilizers like greensand, bone meal and/ or blood meal, as these materials do not migrate much in the soil - surface applications take a long time to reach the root zone.

When your base cylinder is filled and well-tamped, place the next smaller cylinder on top. Trim 6 inches off your gauge stick, and use it to help center and shape your next cylinder. Repeat this process until you've used all your cylinders. You may plant immediately. Water all seeds and plants well immediately after planting.
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