Square foot gardening.

[Noosner]

I can almost feel your excitement Noosner.................

I am beaming it up to your tree nest, BM!

S'funny... I am supposedly v busy this week. But I've noticed how there is ALWAYS time to start a new gardening project. Must be a universal law

[Bigmallly]

I can almost feel your excitement Noosner.................

[Noosner]

Well, I went and had another look at that raised bed... and decided that if I moved a few things here and there and roped off a few others, I could do the square foot method THIS year. What a fab evening I had! I am about halfway through and it already looks marvellous, a mix of existing seedlings and new sowings and a few bigger things that I've worked round. I'm adding compost in batches. As seedlings I've got lettuce, parsnips (I dared to move one, eek), carrots, spring onions and spinach. Going in later will be my leek seedlings. Seedwise, I've sown dwarf marigolds and mizuna. Will sow cosmos later. I'm already delighted about how much more variety is coming in to the bed. And who would have thought there'd be room?

[Noosner]

Oh, wow. Just discovered this great thread - thanks BM for that interesting link at the beginning. As well as the lottie, we have a back 'garden' (more of a yard really) with two 6' x 4' raised beds. One of them is sunny and would make a perfect place to try this out.

Looks as though you only need to mark the square feet out with string? I might put some stepping stones across and divide it in two, so's I can get to all areas. Can't wait till next year now! (it's all planted up for this year)

I have always planted things close together. That's because at seedling transplanting time, even after years of gardening, I still can't believe anything is going to grow big. Looks like this SFG lark will play right into my hands (cackles wildly)!

[Alison]

That's why I only have 1 SFG bed Alison as I also like to plan but it's nice to have a bed where if I have an odd couple of plants I can say "Oh what the heck, I'll bung 'em in 'ere"......................... & it really is a nice effect.

Good idea, might give that a go next year


Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

[Bigmallly]

I have used no pest control on my SFG bed apart from the interplanting.

[Jay22]

Well, I sat on Saturday and planned mine out! Other half thought I was mad! Will definitely try to slot in some Marigolds which I have just bought, hopefully keeps the snails out. Fingers crossed my planning reaps rewards!

[Bigmallly]

That's why I only have 1 SFG bed Alison as I also like to plan but it's nice to have a bed where if I have an odd couple of plants I can say "Oh what the heck, I'll bung 'em in 'ere"......................... & it really is a nice effect.

[Alison]

That's the beauty of SFG, you don't have to plan.............just plant.

I have to plan otherwise I don't get around to doing anything


Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

[Bigmallly]

That's the beauty of SFG, you don't have to plan.............just plant.

[Greenleaves]

How hard can it really be? Dividing an 8 x 4 bed to try square foot gardening seemed a good idea yesterday!

So I thought 24 square feet, cant grow much in that and will fill it in no time. Today I set about the task of planting:

Back 8 squares would be for tall growing plants, two sweet corn, 3 cane wigwam for beans, tomato etc
Next eight for spring onion, cabbage, cauliflower, parnips, carrots etc
Next eight salad crops and herbs

Then I ran out of ideas!

[Bigmallly]

Jay, I've just been to the bottom of the garden to show you a small bed I have made up. It has a mixture of Allium, Brassicas, Roots & Flowers. All untouched by slugs/snails (touching wood). You may notice that the Callendulae squares also have onions in the same square.

[Bigmallly]

Firstly it's pleasing to the eye plus they attract beneficial insects & the whole array of mixed veg & flowers confused the nasty ones. I usually put a Callendulae or Marigold in a square.

[Jay22]

Thank you Sorry for being a nuisance but what flowers and why? Is this a sacrificial flower?

[Bigmallly]

Nope, sounds good. Beware the carrots if you have manure on the bed. The only thing I would maybe add are some flowers.