Square foot gardening.

kylieroseagard

I am trying to earn a green thumb; its not necessarily out of need that I feel the desire to start a garden, but because as a first year teacher, the thought of having the summer off with nothing I need to do is a bit daunting. I would like to start small though, instead of tearing up my yard to start a garden, and make sure I'm not a total dud of a gardener. Does anyone know much about square foot gardening, or alternative ways to garden? I have been reading what I can, but for the most part, they just want me to buy their kits and I don't want to buy a kit. I'd like to just do it myself.

 Anyone have any knowledge they'd like to share to a hopeful green thumb?

kastle

I do SFG as do several other ladies here.

The key to SFG gardening is actually reading the book and doing Mel's Mix...whether you mix your own or you buy his premixed thing.  For the intensive gardening that SFG you need a super fertile growing medium.  There really is a method to that madness.

That said, I've been very happy with the results.  My native soil is hard clay and would take forever to get all nice.  The soil mix for SFG can be expensive (really, it's the vermiculite that's pricey) but good plants start with good soil.

My gardening blog is in my sig if you're interested.

alliapistor

I second the SFG book.  And shop around for the products for the mix.  I found MUCH cheaper vermiculite and compost at a Southern States store farther out than compared with my local Home Depot, Lowes or garden center.

As for the raised beds, we bought the corners/connectors from Gardener's Supply and then just bought boards at our local Home Depot and made our own.  That way we weren't limited on size or particular type of product.

http://www.gardeners.com/Raised-Bed-Corners/11892,default,pd.html

You could probably just buy some type of corner product at your local hardware store too.  I installed eyeholes and used clothesline for my square dividers.

The Gardener Supply site also has an easy program to help plan your SFG, telling you when to plant particular products and how many per square foot.  It's all in the SFG book, but I found it easier to drag and drop and then just print everything out.  It has some sample pre-planned gardens as well.  http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen-Garden-Planner/kgp_home,default,pg.html

ShkagoBride

I read the books for the first time this January and am planning my garden right now!  I already bought Mel's Mix and my seeds arrived from Seed Saver's Exchange, which is an heirloom seed catalog.  I am starting some seeds in my basement early, and am planting some spinach and lettuce soon.  Keep us posted on how it goes for you.  I also made elaborate drawings and plans for two 4 x 4 plots, we'll be getting the supplies to build the plots/boxes soon. I'm not buying the kits, just trying it out on our own.  It seems easy, you just never know till you try.  Good luck, I'm glad to see someone else out there is trying it for the first time, too!

redcabbage

I do SFG. Vermucilit is much cheaper at the Co-op than Lowes.

Here is a picture from early May last year (potatoes and onions in the front 4 squares, lettuce and peas in the other 2). . My SFG are part of our landscaping.

 

jen5-03

I just popped in because I'm interested in SFG, but another idea if you just want to sample veggie gardening without a big commitment is to just mix veggie plants in with your other landscaping/flower beds. I have done this for several years as I work up the energy to get my square foot garden ready (this has more to do with my hectic life/pregnancies/and now 2 small kids than the difficulty of SFG!)

Anyway, I've been pretty successful growing tomatoes, basil and green beans mixed in with my flower beds and a few in containers on the patio. I just picked spots where I would usually put annuals and popped in the veggie plants instead. And one year I grew a pumpkin vine in a bed along the front curb (which was an oops with the compost, but it grew well and made 3 pumpkins!)