Square foot gardening.

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Square foot gardening.

Post by jansman »

I have been dabbling with Square Foot Gardening ( sfg)for a year or two now, with rathergood results. Having lost my acre of ground in the village I retreated to the back garden. To be fair, mine is a large garden. However... I do not want to be working thegarden all the time, nor do weneed that much produce. Even though we are in a rural area it is hard to give excess veg away as it is 'mucky'!
Anyhow, this system means I grow a bit of everything with little waste. So what is Square Foot Gardening?

The inventor of the system , a retired engineer called Mel Bartholemew, wanted a garden that was productive, easy to look after, and reduce gluts. So he set up 4footx 4foot raised beds and divided each into 1foot x1foot sections. I use tacks around the edge 1 foot apart and use string to make a grid across the bed (16 sections). Each of these sections is essentially a mini garden. For instance, I have just sown 3 sections or 1 foot squares with beetroot. 16 seeds in each square. Or 48 beetroots if you like, and as many as we will use at Chez Jansman. 24 shallots in 2 squares etc. You can grow climbers, beans etc. but make a frame and grow them at the back.
For anyone with little space, this is a cracking system that will give you a steady stream of veg and salads at the very least. The garden is not overwhelming as it takes seconds to weed and water. For myself 64 of these squares, combined with my greenhouses gives us as much as we need here. For anyone who needs any more information go to YouTube or search the web for Square Foot Gardening or Mel Bartholemew.
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CynicalSurvival
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Location: Scotland

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by CynicalSurvival »

I agree that it is a good system. It is good for the beginner.

Originally Bartholomew talked about sifting and digging through the soil, but now he advises just putting raised beds on top of the existing soil. A big part of the 'method' is to use a god mix of soil for high yield. His recommendation is 1/3 each of compost/vemiculite/peat moss.

64 squares is good. I'd like to have that many but I don't.
The last taboo is the myth of civilisation. It is built upon the stories we have constructed about our genius, our indestructibility, our manifest destiny as a chosen species. - The Dark Mountain Project Manifesto http://dark-mountain.net/about/manifesto/
jansman
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Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by jansman »

CynicalSurvival wrote:I agree that it is a good system. It is good for the beginner.

Originally Bartholomew talked about sifting and digging through the soil, but now he advises just putting raised beds on top of the existing soil. A big part of the 'method' is to use a god mix of soil for high yield. His recommendation is 1/3 each of compost/vemiculite/peat moss.

64 squares is good. I'd like to have that many but I don't.
I assume that you use this system? I have gone over to it because I am getting lazy/older/ and trying to make my garden look somewhat 'tidier' in the modern sense.
As for the soil mix, well you could go with Bartholemew, but I use my own compost which does me proud. I agree it is great for beginners, but I also think it works for experienced gardeners too and it could be worth any 'row' gardener having a play with this system.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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CynicalSurvival
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Location: Scotland

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by CynicalSurvival »

Yes, I use it - but then, I have never really had the space for rows of crops, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. Certainly for a small garden it seems to work well. The suggestion is 4x4 squares but I just fit them in wherever.
The last taboo is the myth of civilisation. It is built upon the stories we have constructed about our genius, our indestructibility, our manifest destiny as a chosen species. - The Dark Mountain Project Manifesto http://dark-mountain.net/about/manifesto/
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Smudge
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Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by Smudge »

I've heard about good results if you incorporate Forest Gardening (layers) with Square Foot Gardening, I don't do either I grow for fun more than need but it's handy to have a handle on the concepts should the need ever arise.
If at first you don't succeed, excessive force is usually the answer.
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diamond lil
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Location: Scotland.

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by diamond lil »

It makes sense to me Jansman, far easier to work than long rows. I still haven't planted any veg yet, need to get the seed tatties soon - but it was minus 4 this morning so I can't plant anything above ground yet. I think i would get far more veg out of squares than in long rows and it would look better too.
jansman
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Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by jansman »

Living in the Arctic circle does present it's own problems Lil! :lol: seriously though, it is a far less overwhelming system. I have just harvested radishes and lettuce leaves out of three squares (covered with a cloche.) shallots are through, onion plants ready to go in, pea shoots are coming through etc. The weeding is simple, and the watering. Think of each square as a mini garden.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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diamond lil
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Location: Scotland.

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by diamond lil »

I def want to try this Jansman. Temp this morning was 3c and sleety rain, so I think I'll just sit in the recliner and drink tea and sort the garden out later lol
*chicken*
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by jansman »

I am keeping a record of what comes out of various parts of the garden. To be fair, it is mainly the Duchess and me here most of the time. We just don't need that much produce. I have just fetched a 12 inch pot from the greenhouse for instance, that I have forced new spuds in. Tipped it out and there is a pound and a half of 'em for dinner tonight. I have twenty more like that in various stages of growth, and that will be enough and then we look forward to 'old' spuds.You can do a lot in a small space and still make a big difference.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
aldhelm
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:04 pm

Re: Square foot gardening.

Post by aldhelm »

I don't know if this is of use to anyone but I spotted it while looking for freebies

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Square-Foot-Gar ... ndle+books