I am not computer savvy enough to add the pictures. If you want to see what the gardens look like or want to get started right away go to the website listed at the bottom of the article.
SQUARE FOOT GARDENING No Weeding, No Digging, No Tilling, No Kidding! By Mel Bartholomew
"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property . . . Grow vegetables and eat them [fresh] from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden . . . neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities." - Spencer W. Kimball, Essentials of Home Production .
What is Square Foot Gardening?
A simple, unique and versatile system that adapts to all levels of experience, physical ability, and geographical location. Grow all you want and need in only 20% of the space of a conventional row garden. Save time, water, work and money.
This week we're going to first talk about locating your garden, and next, we will review the 10 basic steps of Square Foot Gardening.
LOCATING YOUR GARDEN
The location of your vegetable/flower garden is very easy because it involves just 5 things. First, remember that a Square Foot Garden produces 100% of the harvest of a single row garden, but in only 20% of the space. That means 80% of the space in a single row garden is totally wasted and unnecessary. Yet, we used to fertilize, rototill, and weed, all of that unused, unnecessary space. Since the SFG takes up so little room, you have a much wider choice of where it can be located. Since you pay more attention to something close by, the best location is right next to your back door, as close to the kitchen as possible. That way, you'll see it, and appreciate it more often, as well as take better care of it. You'll harvest continually, and your SFG will prove more of a convenience and joy rather than the drudgery of work way out back, that always needs attention and weeding.
THE 5 ITEMS OF LOCATION
Pick an area that gets 6-9 hours of sunshine daily.
Stay clear of trees/shrubs where roots/shade may interfere.
Have it close to the house for convenience and protection.
Existing soil is not really important. You won't be using it.
Area must not puddle after a heavy rain.
THE TEN BASICS OF SQUARE FOOT GARDENING
LAYOUT – Arrange your garden in planting squares, not rows. Lay out 4 ft. by 4 ft. planting areas separated by 3 foot wide walking aisles.
BOXES – Build 4 ft by 4 ft by 6 in deep bottomless boxes to hold a special soil mix above ground.
SOIL –You don't dig up your existing ground, just remove any weeds or grass inside the box, lay down a weed cloth, then just fill boxes with a special soil mix: 1/3 compost (made from many different ingredients), 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 coarse vermiculite
GRID – Make a square foot grid for the top of each box to organize the garden for planting.
CARE – Never walk on the growing soil. Tend your garden from the aisles. Soil then stays loose and friable.
VERTICAL FRAME . – Build a sturdy vertical frame to train all vine crops to grow up to conserve ground space.
ELECT – Plant a different flower, vegetable, or herb crop in each square foot, using spacing of 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants per square foot. Crop rotation happens automatically thereafter.
PLANT – Conserve seeds. Plant only a pinch (2 or 3 seeds) per hole. or place transplants in a slight saucer-shaped depression. Plant only what you will use during each season. No waste. from overplanting
WATER – Nurture plants by watering by hand from a bucket of sun-warmed water (hose or drip system okay).
HARVEST – When you finish harvesting a square foot, add a handful of compost to replenish nutrients and replant with a new and different crop.
THE ADVANTAGES OF SQUARE FOOT GARDENING in percentages
In conclusion, a Square Foot Garden takes only
20% of the space 10% of the water 5% of the seeds 2% of the work
and there are no weeds in Square Foot Gardening.
Give it a try. You won't be disappointed. It is truly the simplest, easiest, most productive method known.
You can go to the web-site or read up in the ALL NEW Square Foot Gardening Book, the largest selling gardening book in America, Ever.
Official SFG Website: www.squarefootgardening.com
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3 comments:
Mom and I were so excited when we saw this last winter that we ran down to the local hardware store and bought all the makings-to include having the lumber cut to proper size. Enough to make 2 x
4' x 4' gardens.
But alas, inertia has injected itself in our lives and the garden makings are still lying there in the garage taking up space between the two cars.
Good intentions gone awry.
I have several friends with square foot gardens and it really is a super efficient, great way to have a garden in a small space. I can't wait to see your pictures when yours are done.
We need to do something similar. We only have a small deck to work with (and there are strict HOA rules), but we need to look into the sneaking something out there.
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