Square Foot Gardening

[buoy37]

Anyone FWEers do it? I am limited to available space this year and I am really interested in giving it a go.

My neighbor turned me on to it last weekend. Monday, I picked up the book "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. It looks simple and fool proof.

Once I get my box built and ready to go, I'll a thread and photos all through the process.

[kiteboat]

great book

[SUPER SPOOK]

It does'nt take much room to grow a few things. I had a 5x5 with tomatos,jalapenoes,bell peppers and potatoes.

[Jerkyourcroaker]

We did it about 15 years ago when we lived in Chicago and had a little apartment with a deck. Works great. I still use the book for laying out my raised bed.

[Rollo]

my small garden is a great place to pass some time thinking about things totally unrelated to the rat race,with a pretty good supply of vegtables too boot! Victory gardens were started to help provide extra food during times of war or depression.Many people didnt have any spare money to go to the market,so you grew your own & sometimes traded with your neighbors for eggs,milk, or whatever!I trade fish to my neighbors for fresh yard eggs, talk about good eating!

[Bonito]

I made a box last summer. It works, but I hope you bought the All New Squarefoot Gardening edition because it is twice as easy to do. No fertilizer needed.

Bonito

[buoy37]

I made a box last summer. It works, but I hope you bought the All New Squarefoot Gardening edition because it is twice as easy to do. No fertilizer needed.

Bonito

I did. I got the new one. Still reading through it.

What kind of compost did you go with? The author recommends a compost mix made of 5 ingredients.

[Bonito]

It is not easy to find 5, but I came close. I bought a compost box at Lowes last fall & it is about 1/2 full now so I should not need anymore from stores. I found Black Cow at Lowes, Earthgro Humus & Manure I believe at Lowes, Composted Cotton Burrs at Friendswood Hardware, Happy Gro at Lowes and the Vermiculite I believe was from Sunland Nursury on 646 East of I45 also the composted Peat Moss was from Sunland. I started mine in June which was really late but did well with Cherry tomatoes until late fall, radishes, Romanine lettace, & Green onions. I haven't planted yet this year but there are still no weeds. Plant your crop and stand back and don't let your chin get over the square! Good luck

[buoy37]

Bonito, what size box did you build?

After tracking down the different types of compost, did you end up with a lot left over?

[buoy37]

No Room

...I know that I am so old that some might accuse me of holding back some of the nails when the Ark was built.....but have to wonder what you guys are talking about when you have to go buy ingredients to make a good batch of compost...

We always had a plastic bowl that after dinner or any meal for that fact all the degradable stuff went in to.
There was a pile of leaves in the back yard that we took them out and threw them on to to save Mom the trouble.
We (Paul and I) would head next door and either load up a wheel barrel up with cow crap from our grandpa's barn or else pick up
the patties from the pasture and break it up and mix it in.

....kept turning it and if it wasn't steaming I would run some well water on it to get it cooking. That stuff always worked wonders back in the day!

Guess I am at a loss as to why you would have to pay for any ingredient to make compost for gardening is all!

I agree with your way of thinking and will someday follow the same procedure.

I am interested in SFG because I dont have room in my yard for a typical garden. With that said, I really have no room for a compost pile.

[castaway300]

good for small backyards...125.00 plus tax
ez composter jr...google it.

[Bonito]

I had a 4'x4' pc of plywood for the bottom so That's the size I built(drilled holes in the bottom for drainage). I did have a small amount left over and I put that in some pots for tomato plants Remember the compost is only part of the mix.

[small bites]

If you can get your hands on some good mushroom compost (not hot), you will find that stuff amazing. If you can get it and it's 'hot', leave it in the corner of the yard or someplace to let it 'rest'.

Best stuff EVER that I've used, combined with horse manure that has 'cooked', wow!

sb:>

[buoy37]

Alright fellas, it looks like my first SFG will be built and started for some relatives. I have an aunt with two little grandsons (2 and 3 years old) that I am building a small, elevated SFG for. We want to start the boys young. The 2 yr old is already "cooking". I have only been able to come up with 4 of the 5 neccessary composts. I have humus, cow manure, cotton burrs and mushroom composts. I need one more. Any suggestions on where I can find a 5th type?

[buoy37]

Found chicken manure compost at Maas Nursery in Seabrook. Now we have everything we need to get started.