Square foot gardening.

[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


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[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)!

[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?

[Bigmallly]

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

[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

[rhonsal]

I'm loving this thread and finding it really useful - i have raised beds for my veg plot as soil really clay and waterlogged in my garden.

I used a variation of Sq Ft gardening last year (my beds aren't exactly to size and were built before i discovered the concept) but would love to try using up some the free seed from the magazine, but as i only have limited space could the same seed be used to grow mini veg - for example rather than having one huge cabbage/cauliflower, would planting 4 in a sq ft work?

May just have do some experimenting!!

Cheers.

[BertieFox]

For some seed, like turnips for example, the closer spacing automatically produces 'mini veg', but for the F1 hybrid caulis and similar greens, they are designed to come to a head at a certain size and may not work well if forced into a smaller spacing. I find the square foot is more than enough for a large cauliflower, if it is really well watered and fed. I think with mini veg of this kind, a greater proportion of each small plant is just leaf and stem and even less the 'curds', so I would always go for a larger head. You can after all break it up and freeze some of it, or just keep it in the fridge for a day or two. I find many kales do really well on a very tight spacing, as well as beetroot of course which does well in a clump to make mini veg.

[rhonsal]

Thanks bertiefox - my beds are nearly full hence the reason for trying to squash more in where I can!
Might start some off in big pots n plant when I lift other stuff!

[Bigmallly]

You may be able to risk 4 Sprouting Broccoli or 4 Sprouts but not Cabbage or Cauli. As BF says, you would end up with all leaf before they heart up...........but hey, give it a go & let us know how it goes.

[Noosner]

Yes, it's fun to experiment! I am wondering whether it would be okay to put 3 climbing beans in at the back of a square (and on a trellis) as opposed to the recommended 1?

Have 22 squares now - 16 in an existing raised bed and 6 new ones in my cold frame. The cold frame is more or less 'Mel's Mix' but with a bit less vermiculite since it's so pricey. I'm really interested in whether the stuff grows better there than in the raised bed which is just normal soil and compost.

[Bigmallly]

Like you say Noosner, experiment and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

[rhonsal]

Thanks BM - i suppose from the cabbage front i was thinking more spring greens, and it's really the leaf you want! I'll bung in some seeds and see what happens - nothing to loose as the seeds were a freeby!

I'm also trying a moderated 3 sisters approach, minus the corn! - i have used those spiral frames to grow my squashes up and am trying a climbing bean up the supporting cane!

Will be interesting to see how it goes!

[Noosner]

I am all agog to know how you get on Rhonsal. I will post a piccy of my square foot beds when they look better. My spinach (in 3 squares) is a bit of a disaster as it is wilting in the heat and even the stuff that isn't wilting is bolting. I think I'm going to have to take all that out and start again.

[Noosner]

What's the feeling about putting perennials in one of the squares? I am thinking of putting a lupin in, but knowing me will get impatient somewhere down the line because it will be one square that never changes.

[Bigmallly]

I can't imagine any problem with perennials in SFG apart from it tying up that square. Plus remembering that it is there.