Square foot gardening.

[eospete]

I often put 2 different crops in a single square and to make it look designed I will set them diagonally opposite. Got one square with 2 chard and 2 hestia. I hope it will look as well as taste beautiful. I have also started intercropping square putting the quick stuff in between the small long termers. Looks nice and seems to be working but it is my first year with SFG. P

[cazp]

Well I took the plunge today and having read it is feasible to plant one brussel sprout plant in one square, I have interplanted some brussell sprout seed between two rows of existing pea plants within one square. Looks like this...


1 square =


pea pea pea pea


brussel.s


pea pea pea pea


The peas will only get 40cm tall and Brussels apparently like shade, so hopefully the seedling will like it's position.. I read they also like nitrogen so should benefit from the pea roots.

[GardenFaery]

This is really interested - have previously grown things close together, mixing flowers and veg, but not this close - made me braver to stick all my carrots into a smaller space today in between lavender and rosemary - lets see how it goes!

[Gemmalaveen]

I often put 2 different crops in a single square and to make it look designed I will set them diagonally opposite. Got one square with 2 chard and 2 hestia. P

Great idea! I think I will try this is a few of my squares the next time they free up.

[Gemmalaveen]

I have interplanted some brussell sprout seed between two rows of existing pea plants within one square.

Sounds interesting - please post an update/photos of your experiment in due course!

[cazp]

thank you. I feel I have nothing to loose really. I had no more suitable squares left for the sprouts (last minute decision to grow them). I am hoping that the b.sprout seedling will have enough space and light in between the peas, until such time that the peas have finished and been cut back to allow more room. We will see... at worse I will just get the peas and nothing else as originally planned. will post updates.

[treepixie]

This is my first year gardening this way, i only have a very small garden so my raised bed is 2 meters x 2 meters.

I am growing radishes, beans 3 different types, pak choi, lettuce & carrots, seems to be doing ok.

Not a very good photo, have a rubbish phone

[Bigmallly]

Looking good and will look even better in a couple of months time.

[cazp]

Can anyone recommend how many French Bean Plants (Blue Lake) should be planted per square foot. I have read that pole beans are 4 per square foot but this doesnt seem many.

Last night I planted on basis of 4 per square foot, with two seeds in each station with idea of thinning out - but I am tempted to leave all the plants in.

[Bigmallly]

RHS recommend 6" spacings but not sure in SFG.

Grow your own French beans / RHS Gardening

[treepixie]

I have planted Dwarf french beans and have planted 4 per square, not sure if thats to many, but lets see what happens

[Gemmalaveen]

According to Mel B's book it is 4 per square - but I think it depends of the bean. I grew Blue Lake in containers last year and packed them quite tightly but the harvest wasn't brilliant - personally I would stick with 4 per square but you could get away with more if you water them enough.

I am growing dwarf borlotti beans in a square this year and I have only planted 3 because they need 25cm/10 inches spacing... must be a bushy bean!

[lukens]

The All New Square Foot Gardening book has "pole" beans at 8 per square and "bush" beans at 9 per square.

I've gone for 9 per square with my dwarf French (well, 8, as one seedling didn't make it). It's early days yet.

I've read that beans will be a lot leafier in the UK (due to less sun light, so a need for more leaves to absorb it) so fewer per square may yield more beans. If you have enough seeds, and space, why not try 8 in one square, and four in another, and see which gets the best yields (reporting back, of course).

With Broad Beans I've gone for 4 per square, which still seems closer than any spacings I've seen given elsewhere.


(Oh, and Hi, I'm new, both to this form, and SFG - have been lurking a couple of months now)

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine lukens, hope you have a good year. Put your location on your profile in case you have any regional queries.

[lukens]

Thought I'd put my location in when signing up, must have been a different forum.

Anyway, here are a couple of sneak peek pics before I have time to add more details:

3 beds made, lined up and weed proofed:




First plantings in first bed: