Square Foot Gardening Anyone? (growing, bug, tomatoes, veggies)

[younglisa7]

I am starting my first garden this year and I want it to be semi easy. I read "Square Foot Gardening" and it looks very interesting. Does anyone else do this?

[mamh]

Hi
Did you get the book on square foot gardening, its a handy book to have..i personally don't have the room for square ft beds but I work in them at a public demo garden where I volunteer at..Its amazing the amount of veggies we get from ours..we have char, radishes , carrotts, lettuces , tomato , cabbage and even some herbs planted in them...Its definitely a neat way to go in a small space and the volume that is harvested from our 6 beds is good too..
Try them I think you''ll be pleased.

[68vette]

We have a good size garden, but because we live in a short growing climate, we decided to try to maximize our yeilds. We do square foot gardening on a larger scale and it's incredible the amout of produce we get. We aren't using raised beds as instructed in the book. We have just mounded up the beds. Make sure that you add compost to your beds every year.
It's very easy and you will also have to weed less often. A real bonus.

[younglisa7]

Thank you. I can't wait to get started. I drew up plans yesterday. I'm sure I will have many changes, lol.

[Inthesierras]

We do the square foot gardening in a few beds. It does well and we have had some success. But we grow large amounts of food and long rows with a little ditch in between rows for watering and it does very well.

[fatchance2005]

Originally Posted by younglisa7

I am starting my first garden this year and I want it to be semi easy. I read "Square Foot Gardening" and it looks very interesting. Does anyone else do this?

I have done it. It works...really well. Using natural bug deterrents like planting chives around your tomatoes is the slickest thing you'll ever see. Many of the ideas in the book carry over to other types of garden.

[movingtohouston]

Originally Posted by younglisa7

Thank you. I can't wait to get started. I drew up plans yesterday. I'm sure I will have many changes, lol.

I tried it last year and I think it will work out great. My problem is I am having trouble adapting to the climate here in Tx. In Ohio I could plunk seeds in the ground and they would just grow. Down here I am combating heat, humidity and humongous bugs, armadillos and tomato snatching birds. ARGH. Oh well, will try again this year.

[Debsi]

Can I just use regular potting soil, or soil mixed with compost for this method?

Hubby is building me a 2 x 4 box and I asked him to build me another one the same size. I was reading up on the square foot gardening and don't like the sound of running all over town to find this verimculite that is apparently really hard to get.

I just want to keep this simple. Is the weird soil mixture the whole thing that makes raised beds a good method?

[movingtohouston]

Debsi, I just got regular old dirt and we mixed it with miracle grow dirt and compost. The plants I did grow were huge. I had pepper plants that were as tall as I am.

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by movingtohouston

Debsi, I just got regular old dirt and we mixed it with miracle grow dirt and compost. The plants I did grow were huge. I had pepper plants that were as tall as I am.

Wow! Did you mostly start from seeds or transplants, mth?

That sounds great. Can I pick up a bag of compost at Home Depot next to the potting soil or do I have to go to a specialty store for that too? I know I could do my own.. but maybe next year.