Square foot gardening.

[The Goatreich]

Actually, here's take two of that.
If there's room I'd likely plant some companion flowers (marigolds?) in amongst things. Two squares of onions as I you can go through them quite quickly.
I've also gone for purple sprouting broccoli as I imagine you can cut it as you use it, rather than wait a long growing season for one head.
The pumpkin, squash and courgette would hopefully be trained up a trellis on the fence behind. They may not get enough sun, but I'm happy to experiment a bit with the space.

[The Goatreich]

What does anybody think of this? After you've marvelled at my MS Paint skills that is.

Will these work, any better suggestions and suggestions to fill the empty slots?

[The Goatreich]

Hi all,
I've just measured up my north-east facing raised bed and it's bigger than I actually thought. It's 7ft x 2.5ft, meaning I could get 14 decent sized squares in. The problem being the way it faces, meaning that on a good day it probably gets about 3 or 4 hours of sunlight (I haven't actually measured this).

Can anyone advise me of some fruit or veg that I could potentially grow in this bed? I've successfully grown broccoli, kale and spinach in this bed last year, and am more than happy to grow these again, albeit with a net this time to stop the bloomin cabbage whites.

I'd like to grow purple sprouting broccoli, more kale, spinach, sprouts, cauliflower if they are suitable, but I'm also happy to hear any advice from others. I guess anything that requires fruit or flowers to grow will need to wait until I have my south-west facing bed. There's another list in the post above of other types of things I'd like to grow. I wonder if things that grow underground like carrots, onions, parsnips would also be suitable? The soil may not be brilliant for this though, there are no large stones, but there do seem to be some smaller ones around the place.

[The Goatreich]

This looks perfect for my garden. I currently have a raised bed, approximately 2ft * 4ft, which unfortunately faces north-east. I did successfully grow some broccoli and kale in there last year however. I was hoping to plant a butternut squash and pumpkin in there this year. I think those two will take up all of this bed, and I'm not sure how successful they will be given the shadiness.

However I plan to put in another bed on the opposite wall of the garden, so facing south west. Hopefully this will be around 3ft * 4ft, and will then have room for 12 squares of lots of different veg types that I've never managed before.

Hopefully:
Corn
Leeks
Courgette (If I can get them to climb)
Squash (if I can get them to climb)
Peas
Beans
Herbs
Carrots
Parsnips
Spinach

The bed might not be ready for another month or two, so will likely miss the sowing season for lots of these plants, but I'm sure I'll get something in there.

[Maddiesaur]

Thanks folks!

Jake - I got your PM and I am about to reply -

I can easily fit 2ft x 13ft across the plots (if Googles meters to feet calculator is right haha). If we take on what Tadpole said (which is what I had in mind actually) then I could fit two of these beds in the bottom half, with room to spare! In the top one I can, as suggested, have taller or larger plants.


So.. What I need to do I think is work out what I want to grow, what space I have and then not panic, as my last frost is May. I'll put pen to paper and get my brain working and maybe post in a little while with a bit more detail for opinion

[Tadpole123]

Wouldn't worry about early sowers, many have heated greenhouses.
I've sown some toms for example but some are still in the packet, very 50/50 if there is any advantage to those of us without a greenhouse to sow early. You're not to late for anything and being 'up north' your early for some.

A little bit of research into plant hights at the start saves problems later, so look up the heights of what you intend to sow in the squares to help decide what goes where.
For example I sow my lettuce behind my leeks. Leeks are tiny to start with and by time it gets to June/july my lettuce are grateful for some shade from the mid day summer sun. So hot here last year I ended up growing them in pots in my north facing front garden.

I'd stick all your taller things like runner beans, cucumbers and squashes as they like space etc at the top of your plot and the sqft at the lower end I think. Difficult to say with out seeing it.

A good planner to have a play around with Vegetable Planner

And a guide to your frost dates for your area http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/main/weather1.asp
Once you've set it, on the left hand side are fruit and veg links. Click on cucumbers for example and it will tell you when roughly you should be sowing and planting out. Once you've been doing it for a while you'll know your local weather and climate and when's best. Unless we have snow in April again like last year when you through the rule book out the window!

[Jakejakeyjakejake]

How much area are you sq fting in ft ?


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[Maddiesaur]

Thanks Jake, yes I see what you mean. There is a path between top and bottom though, quite substantial, about 4foot wide (or deep, whatever lol), so if I used the bottom, the only thing the taller plants "at the back" would shade is the path behind it, if that makes sense?

Top= 5m x 5m
4 foot path
Bottom= 5m x 5m

I'll maybe have to get a bit clever and see if I can't put together a diagram? Hehe!

[Jakejakeyjakejake]

I guess it would depend on if you want to grow tall crops it's better to have it staggering if you plot faces south then all the tall stuff needs to go at the back so it doesn't shade . I think !


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[Maddiesaur]

I have really enjoyed this thread, thanks all!

I've just got hold of a plot up the lotty and been a bit stuck as to where to start with it. Lots of people on here have given lots of fab advice and one thing mentioned was sqft gardening. I think this is just what I need. A space and time saving project that'll easy me in gently. I am hoping to use the sqft gardening for things such as salads, herbs, some flowers, onions, leeks - that sort of thing. Using the rest of the lotty for spuds, rhubarb, some squash etc.

Being up north where it is bladdy freezing, I'll be well behind the southerners and that has panicked me a bit, seeing everyone all getting on with sowing seeds, some even acclimatising plants to outside temps and all that.. Must stay calm!

I'll be down the lotty for the first real time this weekend and will mark out my sqrft.. squares! I do have a question though..

I have a gentle sloped lot, drainage doesn't seem terrible in the one I have, even at the "bottom" though I imagine it is a little more damp than up the top. I won't be creating raised beds for this, just creating a defined bed and grid over the soil. Shall I mark out my grids and borders at the top of the plot, or the bottom? The whole plot gets the sun from sunrise to sunset, so light isn't an issue.

[Tadpole123]

The other good thing about poached egg plants is they're hardy, so no faffing required. Mine started growing several weeks ago, but not where I want them, so I'll dig them up and move them soon as a few squares are ready.

[Bigmallly]

Good idea IE.........the main thing is that you enjoy it & it doesn't become a chore.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks Bigmally, and sorry for the slow reply, it's been a hard week toddler-wise

I understand how it works now, I think I was being a bit ambitious and wanting to plant everything at once! I'll start small (like Mel advises in the book) and see how I get on. I'll include some more flowers too, might have to pop back to Lidl for some poached egg plants

[Bigmallly]

Leave the £ shops till last............at least you know what the price will be..........

[NicolaD]

Luckily the're all so close together, so I can try them all. Its hard to know what will be cheaper where with all these shops now. finding a 'bargain' in a pound shop only top see the same thing for 70p in B&M is really annoying :s