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Square foot gardening

tessagardenbarmytessagardenbarmy Posts: 346
in Fruit & veg
Regrettably I have decided to give up my half allotment this coming year. I've already dug up the back lawn in my garden and installed 3 raised beds. Am thinking of trying the square foot method to maximise production. Any advice or expertise that you are willing to share will be greatly appreciated. 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 9,976
    I recall a thread on exactly that subject from a few years ago.
    The poster had great success and posted a lot of photos.
    I've had a quick search but not found the post.
    You could have a trawl through these posts whilst waiting for others to reply.

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/search?Search=Square+foot+gardening

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 28,827
    Have a look at the Beechgrove website and see if it's covered in their fact sheets.  George Anderson has a square foot section that is regularly covered.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • LynLyn Posts: 21,372
    I’ve seen it on Beechgrove but thought it a waste of space, one square to grow in and the next with a paving slab on it. 
    So he only uses half of his growing space,  it looks nice if it’s part of your garden but not a good way of using growing space. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 28,827
    I don't think proper square foot gardening does that @Lyn and George did that to make it easier to see what was planted and how it grew.   Must admit, if I only had 3 or 4 raised beds I'd just plant in rows, not squares, and do succession planting and sowing in a normal rotation.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • LynLyn Posts: 21,372
    George does it because the slabs heat up in the day and keep the rest of the squares warmer. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 28,827
    Yes, well, Beechgrove is up in the frozen north by Aberdeen.  Had forgotten that about the slabs.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • tessagardenbarmytessagardenbarmy Posts: 346
    Thanks everyone for comments and link back to previous discussions. Plenty to get me started x
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