Square Foot Gardening....Anyone Else?

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by ylisa7, May 12, 2011.


  1. ylisa7

    ylisa7 Monkey+

    I am fairly new to gardening. I started my first garden 3 years ago. After researching I decided to try a square foot garden. The main reason was for simplicity. I didn't want a complicated garden or I might have given up. So here I am 3 years later and I have expanded my square foot garden.

    The concept behind a square foot garden is to plant everything in 1 square foot sections(using grids) in a raised garden bed using a special soil mix to prevent weeds. It is small concept gardening.

    I have 2 gardens. One is 4x11 feet and the other 4x14 feet. I have a total of 99 squares to plant my goodies. It is still early in the season but so far I have planted spinach, lettuce, onions, and peas...which are already in. Today I planted pole beans, some bush beans, one yellow squash plant and two zucchini plants.

    This is what it looks like now. Soon it will look like a jungle:)
    [​IMG]


    Please share any of your gardening experiences and tips:)
     
    skyking likes this.
  2. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    A few questions:
    First: Is that "Mels mix" or is that potting soil?
    Second: Are you planning the trellis net to support vine growths?
    Third: Three grids in your foreground look to be 2' x 1". Is that intentional or did one of your grid strings break?
    Fourth: Did you put weed cloth down under the boxes?

    As far as tips go: looks great so far. If it is your forst year and you are using Mels Mix, you will want to use an organic (if you can find that) spray in fertilizer after the plants have set - especially if you used bagged commercial compost. Also, start a compost pile, if you have not already. Buy extra vermiculite and compressed peat moss (you'll use home made compost, which is best IMO). Enough so you can make more "Mels Mix" when you decide to expand next year (I quadrupled my SFG this year - and lost literally none of my usable yard). If you are planting multiple varieties of heirloom vegetables (2 types of squash, 2 types of tomatoes) keep them well apart - like one variety on one end, another on the other - prevents unwanted crossbreeding.

    Be ready to fence for critters. Particularly annoying are possums, raccoons, squirrels, and in some places deer. Shock fence is best. I watched a squirrel get his little butt jolted when he hit the wire...leaped about 5' straight up in the air. Once they get a couple o jolts, they tend to stay away.
     
    ylisa7 likes this.
  3. ylisa7

    ylisa7 Monkey+

    I didn't know about keeping the Heirlooms apart...thanks.

    A fence is in the plans. For the past 2 years I have been lucky.

    Do you have pictures?
     
  4. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    I can post pictures of one of my group member's SFG, not mine - mine is the retreat. Opsec stuff. I'll post them tomorrow.
     
  5. MsDawn

    MsDawn Monkey+

    IT LOOKS GREAT! We have a small garden cause we are not very good at it. Last yr we had some cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and herbs. This yr we tried garlic which I managed to kill and some other things, so we will see how it does.
     
  6. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    As promised, here are pictures of one of my group member's SFG boxes/set-up. He did most of the work, and I was his foreman/assistant since this is his first go.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The trellis pictured is 1/2 rebar sheathed in PVC, driven at leat 18" into the ground. If need be we will add guy ropes made from 550 paracord.

    [​IMG]

    You can also see his shed, which is chock full of preps. He has another shed which he keeps his yard stuff in. You may also see his rabbits (which were a gift from my rabbitry, pure bred Californians). He also planted a Grapefruit tree last year. It is bearing fruit this year, we shall see how it goes.

    EDIT: It should be noted that everything seen in these gardens with the exception of the grape vine, and the raspberries were started from seed, in these boxes. The grape and raspberry plants were bought as vine cuttings.
     
  7. BAT1

    BAT1 Cowboys know no fear

    Here's mine:
    Garden 0501011911a. Garden 0501011908a. Garden 0501011906. garden 0501011909a.
     
    ylisa7 and Falcon15 like this.
  8. Catullus

    Catullus Monkey+++

    And Mine!
    IMG_3453. IMG_3451.
     
    ylisa7 likes this.
  9. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    We went to raised bed a few yrs back and love it. Still plant a few rows of field corn and such but now have four 4 X 12s and another going in. I put down a row of bricks then two 4X6s edge ways drilled and nailed together. We put in about 8" of well decayed horse manure and topped with good soil and sand. This year we are planting through impermeable cloth instead of mulch to keep the weeds/grass out. We moved the beds to within about 20' feet of our home and fenced it so the chickens can free range-they keep lots of bugs down and eat tons of grass. The dogs keep them off the patio and walk--that is their domain--lol. We now have about a foot of beautiful soil. The vines grow so fast that one has to keep moving to keep from getting entwined--lol. "Moma" likes her little garden--we had fresh strawberry pancakes this morning. Will not be long till we can have fresh ingredients for Western omlettes. Already have fresh "cackleberries" or "hen fruit".
     
    ylisa7 likes this.
  10. Falcon15

    Falcon15 Falco Peregrinus

    Remember...if you are making SFG boxes for carrots, turnips, etc. - double the wall height. Make the boxes 8-12" high. This gives the roots plenty of room to spread out. I planted potatoes in a 4'x4'x12" box. Got in 4 plants, got out nearly 30 pounds of potatoes. =)
     
  11. ylisa7

    ylisa7 Monkey+

    I finally got my tomatoes and peppers planted with the tomato cages in place:)
    [​IMG]

    Next I will work on the netting for my cucumbers and beans and also a fence around the garden
     
    Falcon15 likes this.
  12. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    i do hope thats not treated wood for the borders
    that stuff is very toxic and the poisons leach into the soil
    the plants pick them up and then you eat them

    rocks, concrete, bricks or naturally rot resistant woods all are safer
     
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