Square Foot Gardening

[MorelCabin]

This is such a great site for showing you how to pack so much more into so little space...and no weeds! Just thought I'd share...after all spring will be here again someday and until then we can dream and plan:>)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

 

[the simple life]

I did that method this year and I loved it.
I have heard others complain it wasn't their thing, but it worked very well for me and I intend to do the garden the same way again this year.

 

[patandchickens]

I think it is an excellent, excellent way for beginners to get started with vegetables, at least provided they have a taste for detail and direction-following (Not meaning it's only for beginners, of course).

Its greatest virtue IMO is that it largely gets around one of the biggest stumbling blocks for newcomers to gardening -- the explosion of work in midsummer that rapidly gets out of hand and results in a giant patch of dry-baked soil and thriving weeds, with no harvest

I don't actually do much that the book suggests, these days, but do consult it periodically for intensive-planting spacing #s for things I don't grow every year.


Pat

 

[enjoy the ride]

I started out that way too-I must have one of the first books he ever published. It works extrememly well for small gardens. A lot of produce in little area.

 

[FarmerChick]

square foot gardening is valuable for the amt. of produce to be harvested from a small area. very intensive and it works.

I don't do this type....I have alot of land and just spread out my garden...and yes I combat weeds, LOL, I do the best I can til that "explosion" takes over like Pat said, then I move on to another part of land to handle.

Since we field farm it is not doable for me. My little personal garden is handled in a more controlled manner vs. the big farm produce.

Anyone ever seen a show called The Victory Garden? I think on public television....long time ago, but they showed tons of ways to produce huge amts. on small spots. I learned so much from that show.


Great info is out there, we just have to find it and pick thru and use what fits our lifestyle best. Something for everyone, like container gardening when that is all you can do.

 

[inchworm]

I've done it for the past 2 years and love it. My box is a raised bed, 3' x 10', on legs. The chickens hang out underneath when it rains. Rather than try to fix the soil, I just started with fresh. I don't have to lean over or kneel to tend it. And I have had only the occasional weed. Gotta love it. When hubby catches up with his own to-do list, I want to ask him for another box for annual cutting flowers.

 

[Beekissed]

Did it this year after reading the book. I got a little carried away with it in areas but, overall, it was very successful for utilizing wasted space. I don't know if I ever really looked at the seed spacing in this manner before, but I was able to maximize my planting by doing so.

 

[keljonma]

We used square foot gardening in the late 70's or early 80's. It is a terrific learning tool if you only have a teeny city lot you are "homesteading".

 

[chickenchalupa]

I just built a square foot garden and i can't wait to use it this spring.

 

[Beekissed]

Chickchalupa!

I'm really going to employ this in my lettuce/greens bed this year. I'm also thinking about building a small hoop structure over half the bed and cover it with nylon screening, to provide a little shade and to keep out bugs.

I used SFG in my cold frame this past year for my lettuces and it worked out great. Also used it for my onion beds and it was just as wonderful there...I got more sets in less space and they grew wonderfully big, especially when mulched well.