Square foot gardening.

[veggiechicken]

They look scrumptious TMTT.
Is it too late to post me some? I'm feeling a bit peckish!

[toomanytommytoes]

Here they are!

[veggiechicken]

Your photo is too big, TMTT. Reduce the size and try again.

[toomanytommytoes]

Just harvested some SFG parsnips. They were sown over 6 squares at 9 seeds per square. The harvest from one 'row' of 3 squares gave a total weight of 1.2 kg. Hopefully the 2 x 3 ft area should yield around 7 kg. Have a photo of them to show the size but the forum gives me a 'database error' when trying to upload.

[toomanytommytoes]

16 per square is the same planting density as carrots. Maybe that is for spring onions rather than bulb onions?

Things that have done well in SFG spacing for us - garlic (4), lettuce (4), carrots (16), parsnips (9), dwarf French beans (9). Spring onions I find easier to grow in clumps. Beetroot do OK but I'm going to try in Charles Dowding style clumps next year as it's easier to transplant multi-sown modules.

[Martin H]

I have been considering trying THE SFG method myself, I have been reading Bartholomew's book but I have doubts about the recommended spacings like 16 onions into one square and I note the m.b thinks 9 per square is too many so will have to rethink on what system I will use

9 onions per square works fine for me.

[rary]

I have been considering trying THE SFG method myself, I have been reading Bartholomew's book but I have doubts about the recommended spacings like 16 onions into one square and I note the m.b thinks 9 per square is too many so will have to rethink on what system I will use

[veggiechicken]

Its best to keep to SFG posts on this thread as it can be confusing otherwise - especially for newcomers to SFG who use it for advice.

[monkeyboy]

Which of these ^^^ are you growing in SFG and which are in containers/ground?

Edited. I have been using this thread as a personal log to track what's happening rather than use a separate blog thread.

[veggiechicken]

Which of these ^^^ are you growing in SFG and which are in containers/ground?

[monkeyboy]

Update. A difficult year as some family issues and work issues meant I wasn't able to look after the plants as much as last year. Less watering and less feeding.

SFG:

Garlic - I probably left to grow for too long and should have cut off the flowers that had developed. The bulbs were much smaller.

Onions - some reasonable sized onions, others were very small. No pattern but I suspect 9 per square is too many. I will reduce to 4 per square next year.

Sweetcorn - grew well but I didn't get a chance to harvest apart from one cob. Was small but reasonably formed and tasty.

Celery - small. Not sure why. I may give up trying to grow these next year.

Calabrese - grew well but time constraints meant I didn't harvest when I should have and flower buds were opening. Tasty. Will grow again.

Containers:

Potatoes - some better sizes than last year but again, probably overcrowded. One seed potato per container next year.

Padron peppers - no flowers. Poor growth.
Jalapenos - as above. Think they need a minigreenhouse or similar for warmth.

Tomatoes -better now they're in self-watering containers. I didn't feed as often as I should have. Again, needed warmth which we lacked this year.

Carrots - small. Overcrowded. Will try again in larger containers, different medium, less densely packed.

Strawberry plants - a few berries but not many. Will see what happens next year.

Blueberry plants - still small and hasn't grown much. No fruit for year 1.

[veggiechicken]

Monkeyboy - I've moved the SFG thread back and merged your post so you can post on it now.

[monkeyboy]

Fallen behind

I was going to post this in SFG thread but that looks like it's been archived.

I think similar towards the end of last year, I've been incredibly busy this year with work and home life and very little time for the garden.

Good points
Garlic - planted out in December; doing well. Flowers are starting to develop.
Onions - again, doing reasonably well
Sweetcorn - growing well, the bushy top flowery things have developed
Potatoes - growing in buckets really well despite my lack of watering
Calabrese - the calabrese that's outdoors have started to make the little bud that develops into calabrese

Bad points
Calabrese - I didn't get a chance to plant them all out. There are some still in small pots in the propagator and they're in need of transplanting and feeding.
Padron peppers - again, need a larger pot. These have the whitefly things on them that they had last year. Not doing well.
Celery - again, turning light green and pale due to lack of space, feed and water.
Tomatoes -still indoors, need larger pots and feeding; flowers developed and I spotted a tomato growing last night.
Carrots - seem to be growing okay in a container.

Will they catch up once transplanted into their final positions with feed and water?

Really bad
Strawberry plants - the flowers have developed and are turning into green strawberry bud things but they're getting damaged or eaten or something. I need netting over them. One plant has turned brown and I don't know why.
Blueberry plants - still small and hasn't grown much.

[Scarlet]

how long, how wide and what orientation are you square foot beds monkeyboy?

See post #784 ( I think!) there are photos of his set up.

[fivequidnote]

how long, how wide and what orientation are you square foot beds monkeyboy?