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Square Foot Gardening

cliffbutlercliffbutler Posts: 15
in Fruit & veg

I've recently posted a few comments in the Fruit and Veg forum concerning Square Foot Gardening and the excellent results I'm getting, so I thought it might be a good idea to open a new thread just on this topic. Gardening is a fascinating pastime and it would be nice to share ideas.

Posts

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    I have had a look at this, looks very interesting, haven't found much about crop rotation with it so far.
  • cliffbutlercliffbutler Posts: 15

    I bought a book by Mel Bartholomew a couple of years ago about SFG and it does go into crop rotation, although I must admit that some of the Americanisms are a bit nauseous! The 'growveg.com' garden planning software that I've recently started to use is a great help with rotation and remembering where things are planted. It's also an extremely good programme in its own right.

  • Eddie JEddie J Posts: 108

    Last year just as experiment I mixed up all of my old veg seed, then sprinkled it across several large beds. I realise that this isn't quite the same, but the results were very impressive. I had less insect/slug attacks, all crops flourished, and what I didn't have time to pick and use, I just left to run to flower. This in turn looked fantastic and also served to help the local bee population out. 

    Even now, I am still using the leaks, onions and parsnips.

    The system may or may not work if I tried it again, but it's still a good way of using old seed and worth a try.

  • burhinusburhinus Posts: 58

    I have 3 smallish raised beds and have been considering SFG. It might be something I start next season as I missed the boat this year.

  • cliffbutlercliffbutler Posts: 15

    At the moment I have 4 squares of 9 parsnips, 4 squares of 16 radishes, 6 squares of 8 petits pois, 2 squares of 16 carrots, 1 square of lots of spring onions, 2 squares of 16 onions and 1 square containing an asparagus that I planted early last year. All are doing beautifully, touch wood! Apart from the onions, all are under 2 cloches each 4' x 2' that I bought from my local Wilkinson for £11 each.

  • Moonlit HareMoonlit Hare Posts: 153
    Thank you for this, I'll be bobbing back to this one. I've just got a new garden .... Sorry house! image and there's limited space but I'm quite keen to grow some veggies.
  • boris70borisboris70boris Posts: 2

    I'm doing this with my 4 year old son - he loves it!!!!  So far we have raddish x 2, spring onions x 2, beetroot, salad leaves, peas, dwarf beans - every week we plant a new couple of sqaures to keep him interested - it's great!

  • cliffbutlercliffbutler Posts: 15

    Brilliant. Not only does it keep him interested but you can eat the end products!

  • MarineliliumMarinelilium Posts: 213
    Since my family fledged I have been a SFG fan. You still fill the freezer but with more varieties and in quicker succession. Fewer gluts and more of a turnover. If you mix herbs, flowers and vegetables you get less bug grief than in monoculture beds. Mine is a chequerboard of 30cm square Paving stones and planting squares,these act as stepping stones and make it look more attractive too. GW magazine did a series on patio pot vegetables April 2010 page 88, May page 107, June page 103, July page 100 showing rotation possibilities. Well, if you try veg pots then SFG is just the same .......but without the pots. Go on have a go you know you want to.
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