Wanted to bring this up again as it fascinates me (sadly lol) is anyone currently growing by this method? and do you find any positive benefits
Would like to ask is there anything which roots or veg grows too deep that I couldnt grow? Im planning on 4ft x 4ft x 18inch depth
Any advice greatly appreciated
Thanks
Dave
Not sad at all!!! I read an article about it as well!! Trouble is, with 4 kiddies, don't think I could grow enough in 4ft for hungry tummies! I would avoid things like.........Rhubarb, that'll be your 4 ft gone. :o :o :o Have fun and let us know how it goes Lottie ;D
Sq foot gardening would be a good idea if you have a small growing space. It really isn't that practical on a large scale.
That method would be ideal for me. I also read an article about allowing 1 square foot for each item - the problem i see is that a few of the things i may like to grow say to allow 1-2 feet spacing (my 2 courgette plants for e.g.) so that would take up a chunk.
I am planning on raised beds - some low for more shallow rooted food that grows above above ground and some double or triple height to allow for deep roots (carrots etc)
Hoping to lay it out in a sort of step formation.
I also have a dodgy bit of wall that sticks out about a foot so will be running some planks that will give me space of about 1 foot deep from the wall and 8 feet wide (the hight to be determined by how high i make the planks). Looking for something to grow in a strip - it has a wall behind so can climb. Was thinking of some kind of berry.
I'm sort of using it. I accidentally ended up with four raised beds, each with sides of 4ft.
My roots and alliums are all sown in one-foot squares. I use block planting for everything else. And I mix up plants, not just have one crop per bed. (where they get along). For example, my spuds have broad beans growing with them and were unplanted with radishes and rocket (which were harvested before the spuds got too big). Mostly I use it as a way to get as much as posible out of the little room I have.
I'm having a bash at it as well this year. The cabbages seem happy enough but they are starting to get rather large and are peeping out from under the mesh.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y21/meatpaste/DSCF0189.jpg)
I think the author does it with everything... I maybe wrong bit its too increase
croppage not just to do with space.
www.squarefootgardening.co.uk
have a look can cause no harm .
Pete did you go as far as making up his mixture ? ???
hi,
i came across the recommended planting distances after i had built my raised beds and was surprised he could cram so much in...of course i had been reading the 'traditional' planting distances before.
have tried this now for several years, and can vouch it works-some things better than others.
the brassicas definitely need their full allotted room, but i got tremendous crops of broad beans, runners and peas by cramming in more than recommended. strawberries, asparagus and onions did well, as did beetroot and saladings.
Quote from: jaggythistle on June 23, 2005, 13:27:32
 Pete did you go as far as making up his mixture ? ???
Err.........what mixture might that be then? No is the answer I guess but it is just an experiment on my part.
I Think it was compost, peat and vermiculite - its on his site , For those who are using this method did you lay any cardboard or separating material between the ground and the soil to stop weeds coming through? His method makes good sense in theory!
Hello there,
I use the square foot gardening technique. I didn't use the recommended soil mix as i didn't line my beds, i just topped up the beds with manure, soil, compost and the like so my beds are certainly deep enough for root crops. the system has its disadvantages, crops grown around the edge of the bed don't do so well, and some crops, onions and garlic in my experience, don't like being crammed in (on the other hand, i plant courgettes closer together than the recomended 3sq ft). the other main disadvantage is a lot of my plot is actually path rather than growing area. if i could do it all again, i would use the sq ft technique, but in beds that are 3ftx20ft or something along those lines as i think it makes better use of the available space. i grown rhubarb in a bed of its own, but sow salad crops around the edges which appreciate the shade from the leaves in the warmer months. some of my fellow allotmenteers think i'm crazy to only grow say, 2 courgette plants or 4ft row of peas, but the allotment provides more than enough produce for my family, with surplus for storing. i think people who grow 50 cabbages are crazy, how big are their freezers anyway?? ;D
Hello everyone,
I'm new to the site and this is my first posting. I'm doing a form of square foot gardening in 4 small beds. This is the first year of growing veg properly (I did have a glut of courgettes last year). So far everything in the middle areas is growing well, but salad and carrots round the edges are a bit thin on the ground.
I have turned what was a grassy area into my patch, doing the hard work earlier in the year digging over the surface and then adding about 6 inches manure / compost on top. Not too many weeds have come up so far, and I'm hoping this will be the worst year for it.
Phil