Square Foot Gardening
Does anyone else here use the Square foot gardening technique?
I have used it some - it does take some planning and it does work. You need to be sure to check everything a little more often and be sure one plant is not leaning on another, etc. and be sure there is adequate light and air-flow, but it works and I have been to seminars with other people talking about it - the better you are at seed starts, the more control you have but you can do it pretty well by just laying it out like they tell you and putting new stuff in as things finish up. Because vegies all have different reactions to heat and humidity, everyone's will be a little different, also depending on what you like to eat, in terms of vegies. If you like to tend a garden, then you will enjoy this method. If you prefer to "set it and forget it" it will not work nearly as well - you need to check on it and tie stuff up sometimes or cut it back to keep it all happy - it is a great puttering garden.
Growing Vegetables in Small Gardens – Space Saving Techniques
You don’t need a large area to have a vegetable garden. All you do need is good soil, plenty of sunshine, a water source and probably a fence. Limited gardening space doesn't necessary need to be an obstacle for growing vegetables. A well-planned and organized garden can make planting go quickly and efficiently for maximum yields in minimum space. If space is limited use the land twice, or try these intensive cropping techniques.
Space Saving Techniques in Small Vegetable Gardens
Companion crops - This can be accomplished by sowing the seeds of a fast and slow growing vegetable together in the same row. For example, radishes (fast maturing) and carrots (slow maturing) can be sown together. Mix radish and carrot seeds and plant together. Radishes are a short-season crop so will be harvested before the carrots need room to grow. This is also a good method of thinning the carrots. Another method is to alternate rows of fast and slow maturing vegetables. An example would be a row of leaf lettuce between two rows of tomatoes.
Succession planting - As soon as one crop is finished, plant another. After short-season crops such as lettuce, spinach, radishes and peas have stopped bearing, they can be removed. Plant carrots, beets, Swiss chard, turnips or green beans for a later crop.
Interplanting - Grow two or more vegetables in one area by planting slow (long season) and fast maturing (short season) crops. The fast maturing vegetables will be harvested before the crops begin to crowd each other. Harvesting the short season crop also provides additional space for the later maturing vegetables. Slow starting, late-planted crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, bush squash, and cucumbers, may be transplanted between rows of peas, spinach, and other short-season crops. The short-season vegetables will stop producing when hot weather begins and can then be removed.
Bush varieties - Plant “bush” varieties of cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, peppers and squash that produce fruit on much shorter vines. "Bush" refers to growing habit. These plants take up less space in the garden than standard varieties.
Use vertical space by staking and trellising - Some crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and pole beans may be supported by stakes, poles, trellises, or fences and grown upright rather than on the ground. Use a trellis or fence to support pole beans, cucumbers, and squash; cage or stake tomatoes, they will take much less room this way.
Square foot gardening - This is a form of intensive gardening in which the garden is marked off into squares of space for crops rather than planting in straight rows. The name comes from partitioning blocks of garden space that are 1 ft. x 1 ft. A common arrangement is to mark off squares that are 4 ft. x 4 ft. (16 sq. ft.). This area is then divided into four parts that are 2 ft. x 2 ft. One tomato plant or equally spaced seeds are then planted in these square areas, depending on the space needs of the plant.
 Frame It All SBX-FNP 4-by-4-Foot Raised Garden Bed List Price: Sale Price: $69.97 You save: $10.03 (13%)  Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionGrowing vegetables in this 4' x 4' X 6" high, easily accessible Raised Garden is a joy and relieves stress. A ‘Frame It All’ raised garden greatly improves your odds of harvesting a bountiful crop of healthy, robust vegetables and plants. The strong durable composite timbers are hollow and retain the heat of the sunshine to difuse the heat throughout the night to and keep the soil at a constant temperature. Manufactured from 60% recycled, post-consumer plastic and 40% wood flour, the Eco-friendly durable composite wood grain plastic timbers, which never rot, splinter or lose their color - which just weathers naturally like real wood, locate into brackets on the joint stakes, which are hammered into the ground. Raised gardens are easy to manage by people of all ages. No back-breaking effort is required to teach even the youngest children the joys of growing and gardening. Kit contains 4 Stacking Joints, 4 Composite Timbers, and all necessary hardware. Features
 |
 Square Foot Garden, Raised Bed Garden by Greenland Sale Price: $39.99 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionWhat is a Square Foot Garden?Square Foot Garden kits include four 40 in. composite lumber boards that snap together to create a raised bed garden. Raised gardens are great for small plants and vegetables. They minimize weeds, keep out some pests, and provide good drainage. Square Foot Gardens are stackable to provide taller heights. Features
|
 Square Foot Gardening Book See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe original edition of Square Foot Gardening was the most popular gardening book in America ever, with more than one million copies sold! In this timely sequel to his original book, Mel reveals ten major improvements to the SFG system that make it even easier to get an abundant harvest of fresh and delicious, home-grown veggies. Youll discover how planting your garden in one-square-foot blocks saves space, saves weeding, saves water and saves time. Saves on grocery bills, too! Best of all? The SFG system really works! Whether youre a first time gardener or a seasoned expert, youll be amazed by the quantity and quality of food you can produce in your own square foot garden. An ideal resource for planning raised bed gardens Grow more fresh produce in less space Save on weeding and watering |
 Fertile Earth SG-START-G Simple Garden Square Foot Starter Kit - Green List Price: Sale Price: $27.76 You save: $2.22 (7%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe Simple Garden gives you everything you need to start your own garden today. The Simple Garden utilizes the Square Foot Gardening method, but simplifies it even further. The 12-inch pots are designed to maximize plant growth by providing a reservoir of water in the base and catch tray. Included with the 12-inch green planter are the Simple Garden Planter's Guide, Planting Template, Planter Stick, Soil Cube, Planter Lid, Basil Seed Packet and Cherry Tomato Seed Pack. The Planter's Guide give you all you need to know about square planter gardening in an easy to understand illustrated guide. The Planting Template helps you maximize the amount of vegetables that can be grown in a square foot. The Planter Stick works perfectly with the Planting Template to help organize your seeds, and ensure proper depth for maximum square inch usage. A special blend of coconut husks and organic compost is utilized in the soil cube to stimulate vegetable and flower production. The Simple Gardens patent pending self draining system helps protect against over watering. Ideal for everyone from beginners to experienced gardeners. The Transparent Lid for Simple Garden planter creates a greenhouse and provides protection for seed germination. The Simple Garden makes gardening more fun and simple. Features
|
 Fertile Earth SG-START-Y Simple Garden Square Foot Starter Kit - Yellow List Price: Sale Price: $27.71 You save: $2.27 (8%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe Simple Garden gives you everything you need to start your own garden today. The Simple Garden utilizes the Square Foot Gardening method, but simplifies it even further. The 12-inch pots are designed to maximize plant growth by providing a reservoir of water in the base and catch tray. Included with the 12-inch yellow planter are the Simple Garden Planter's Guide, Planting Template, Planter Stick, Soil Cube, Planter Lid, Basil Seed Packet and Cherry Tomato Seed Pack. The Planter's Guide give you all you need to know about square planter gardening in an easy to understand illustrated guide. The Planting Template helps you maximize the amount of vegetables that can be grown in a square foot. The Planter Stick works perfectly with the Planting Template to help organize your seeds, and ensure proper depth for maximum square inch usage. A special blend of coconut husks and organic compost is utilized in the soil cube to stimulate vegetable and flower production. The Simple Gardens patent pending self draining system helps protect against over watering. Ideal for everyone from beginners to experienced gardeners. The Transparent Lid for Simple Garden planter creates a greenhouse and provides protection for seed germination. The Simple Garden makes gardening more fun and simple. Features
|
 Fertile Earth SG-START-B Simple Garden Square Foot Starter Kit - Blue Sale Price: $29.98 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe Simple Garden gives you everything you need to start your own garden today. The Simple Garden utilizes the Square Foot Gardening method, but simplifies it even further. The 12-inch pots are designed to maximize plant growth by providing a reservoir of water in the base and catch tray. Included with the 12-inch blue planter are the Simple Garden Planter's Guide, Planting Template, Planter Stick, Soil Cube, Planter Lid, Basil Seed Packet and Cherry Tomato Seed Pack. The Planter's Guide give you all you need to know about square planter gardening in an easy to understand illustrated guide. The Planting Template helps you maximize the amount of vegetables that can be grown in a square foot. The Planter Stick works perfectly with the Planting Template to help organize your seeds, and ensure proper depth for maximum square inch usage. A special blend of coconut husks and organic compost is utilized in the soil cube to stimulate vegetable and flower production. The Simple Gardens patent pending self draining system helps protect against over watering. Ideal for everyone from beginners to experienced gardeners. The Transparent Lid for Simple Garden planter creates a greenhouse and provides protection for seed germination. The Simple Garden makes gardening more fun and simple. Features
|
 Fertile Earth SG-START-W Simple Garden Square Foot Starter Kit - White Sale Price: $29.98 Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionThe Simple Garden gives you everything you need to start your own garden today. The Simple Garden utilizes the Square Foot Gardening method, but simplifies it even further. The 12-inch pots are designed to maximize plant growth by providing a reservoir of water in the base and catch tray. Included with the 12-inch white planter are the Simple Garden Planter's Guide, Planting Template, Planter Stick, Soil Cube, Planter Lid, Basil Seed Packet and Cherry Tomato Seed Pack. The Planter's Guide give you all you need to know about square planter gardening in an easy to understand illustrated guide. The Planting Template helps you maximize the amount of vegetables that can be grown in a square foot. The Planter Stick works perfectly with the Planting Template to help organize your seeds, and ensure proper depth for maximum square inch usage. A special blend of coconut husks and organic compost is utilized in the soil cube to stimulate vegetable and flower production. The Simple Gardens patent pending self draining system helps protect against over watering. Ideal for everyone from beginners to experienced gardeners. The Transparent Lid for Simple Garden planter creates a greenhouse and provides protection for seed germination. The Simple Garden makes gardening more fun and simple. Planters are available in a variety of colors to suit any environment. Features
|
 Nelson Turbo-Heart 19-Jet Oscillating Sprinkler with 3,500 Square-Foot Coverage 50920 List Price: Sale Price: $24.89 You save: $1.10 (4%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionGarden Hose, Sprinklers & Accessories Sprinkler Type: Above Ground Base Style: Sled Type: Oscillating Options: Travelling Sprinkler Thread Size: 3/4-8 NH Features
|
 EarthAid Slope Saver PRO Erosion Control Kit (140 Square Feet Jute Netting, 52 Steel Soil Staples) List Price: Sale Price: $38.95 You save: $6.00 (13%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product DescriptionSlope Saver PRO is a a complete professional-grade soil stabilization kit that serves the needs of homeowner and small contractors alike. The easy to transport package includes everything necessary to stabilize a small slope: 140 square feet of 100% natural jute netting (4-feet x 35-feet), 52 professional grade 6-inch x 1-inch 11-gauge steel soil staples, and bilingual installation instructions. Slope Saver PRO protects valuable topsoil and newly installed plant material by slowing water as it makes its way down the slope. Technical Specifications: Jute: 78 warp ends, 42 weft ends; Weight: 495 g/m2 (± 5%). Staples: 11-gauge stainless steel (6-inches long x 1-inch wide) Features
|
 Frame It All Raised Vegetable Garden 4 Foot x 8 Foot List Price: Sale Price: $112.99 You save: $7.01 (6%) Eligible for free shipping!Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product DescriptionGrowing vegetables in this 4' x 8' X 6" high, easily accessible Raised Garden is a joy and relieves stress. A ‘Frame It All’ raised garden greatly improves your odds of harvesting a bountiful crop of healthy, robust vegetables and plants. The strong durable composite timbers are hollow and retain the heat of the sunshine to difuse the heat throughout the night to and keep the soil at a constant temperature. Manufactured from 60% recycled, post-consumer plastic and 40% wood flour, the Eco-friendly durable composite wood grain plastic timbers, which never rot, splinter or lose their color - which just weathers naturally like real wood, locate into brackets on the joint stakes, which are hammered into the ground. Raised gardens are easy to manage by people of all ages. No back-breaking effort is required to teach even the youngest children the joys of growing and gardening. Kit contains 6 Stacking Joints, 6 Composite Timbers, and all necessary hardware. Features
|
- Click For PriceWalmart
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
A new edition of the classic gardening handbook details a simple yet highly effective gardening system, based on a grid...
- Click For PriceWalmart
All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook: Taking the Harvest to the Table
All New Square Foot Cookbook is a companion to the bestselling gardening book, All New Square Foot Gardening. This full-color...
- Click For PriceWalmart
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
This guide blends the author's Square Foot method of gardening with a highly illustrated "how-to" approach that every gardener will...
- Click For PriceWalmart
Vertical Gardening: Grow Up, Not Out, for More Vegetables and Flowers in Much Less Space
Notable author and gardener Fell recommends the best plants for space-saving vertical gardening. With a mix of DIY and commercially...
