Square foot gardening.

[cazp]

Hi

I'm just doing a mixture of topsoil (3 bags for price of 2 at homebase & good reviews) and some multipurpose compost.

Took a late decision this week to replace top 6 inches of soil in my two 1.2m square beds which were badly affected by cat poo last year - no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get my mind around eating salad grown in it! I've got some bird netting coming to protect the beds this time which I'll throw over the hoops.

Topsoil/compost is the mixture I've always used to top up and I put manure down in the winter.

[Lumpy]

The last time I got topsoil it was curtesy of Freecycle.

[colin1957]

Cazp, many thanks for that will check homebase out i think

[1Bee]

'Scuse my butting in, but my top tip for protecting plants from cats is upturned wire hanging baskets - like these: http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...---30cm-428809 pegged down with tent pegs. Obviously suits some type of plant better than others, and you can either leave the plant to grow through or remove it when it's a bit more robust.

I started using them over cat nip and the neighbouring aquilegias that were getting a bit battered, but I can't see why it wouldn't be useful for some veg, too.

Other than that I mostly use twiggy sticks or empty plastic bottles. I own cats and love them, so I'm used to gardening around them.

*butting out again*

[cazp]

Hi 1Bee
Thanks for the tip! My cat will make the maximum use of the tiniest of spaces between plants to do her business. She even got between the canes in a pot I was growing runner beans in last year - maybe this is where the wire hanging basket might come in handy to protect the soil! Twiggy sticks are a good idea too.

[cazp]

Cazp, many thanks for that will check homebase out i think

I just checked again and it's actually 4 bags of topsoil for the price of three. Good luck with fillling your raised beds.

[elleme]

'Scuse my butting in, but my top tip for protecting plants from cats is upturned wire hanging baskets - like these: Value Wire Hanging Basket - 30cm pegged down with tent pegs. Obviously suits some type of plant better than others, and you can either leave the plant to grow through or remove it when it's a bit more robust.*

I do the same with seedlings/vulnerable plants as I'm a cat owner and also have foxes in the neighbourhood who love digging multiple holes (as well as poo). I also re-used some old plastic trellis netting which was hanging around the garden, either laid flat on soil or in an arched tunnel pegged down, and that helped too.

[Pacey]

Tried to look at the PDF and I just get

"Not Found

The requested URL /blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/sqft_step_by_step.pdf was not found on this server."

[bearded bloke]

^^^^ Sadly organicgarden.org.uk who hosted this website where this .pdf was located no longer exist, hence the 404 message

[bearded bloke]

OK, I've done some digging around (see what I did there) & this should give a good insight ... http://www.suwanee.com/pdfs/Square%2...P%20031610.pdf ...

[bearded bloke]

There are some free to download & print guide sheets here ... Printable square foot gardening cheat sheets

[Bex2012]

Big thank you to everyone who has posted! Laid up with a cold, so Ive read all 84 pages. Think this might be way to go for me whilst i get my allotment established...

[Bigmallly]

Speedy recovery Bex.

[lolie]

I'm thinking about creating a bed which combines a keyhole garden with SFG.

Thoughts?

[Bigmallly]

Sounds a good idea lolie, there's no reason why it shouldn't work. Besides, they don't have to be squares, they can be any shape you desire.