4”
3”
6”
What’s the best width for an access
path? That would be about 36 inches.
If you’re tempted to go narrower,
remember plants will often extend
somewhat beyond the borders of their
frames as they mature. If you don’t
want to wrestle with greenery all
summer, give yourself enough space.
Remember, you won’t be stepping into
the boxes. That’s a good thing because
you won’t be compacting the media,
but it also makes planning efficient
access more important.
The Formula
The “soil” is arguably the most
important component of a SFG, and
over time, Mel Bartholomew changed
his thinking about how to manage
this element of his growing plan.
In his first book, he recommended
excavating a six-inch depression
for the frame box and fortifying the
excavated soil with amendments
that would contain great nutrition,
good moisture retention, and
adequate drainage. When added
back into the box, the treated soil
would produce a 12-inch deep bed
ready for planting. He eventually
changed this approach to eliminate
the garden soil requirement
completely and reduce the bed’s
overall depth to six inches.
This change not only reduces labor,
but it makes it possible to install
an SFG almost anywhere there is
“
A SFG is pretty distinctive.
It’s made up of an
elevated box frame filled
with a nutrient-rich media
and o utfitted with a
gridded overlay.”
good drainage. It also allows the
gardener to create a consistently
reliable, lightweight, pH-neutral
mixture regardless of soil shortfalls
and challenges, as well as reduces
problems with weeds and soil borne
pests and diseases.
The mixture itself is designed to
be straightforward. It contains three
ingredients measured by volume:
• 1/3 peat moss
• 1/3 vermiculite (coarse grade)
• 1/3 blended compost
This is a general purpose, no-fuss blend
that provides good nutrition for most
plants. Let’s take a closer look at these
three ingredients.
grow cycle
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