To further maximize space,
consider staggering planting times.
This way, some plants will always
be immature, so the frame will be
less crowded. A side benefit is that
you’ll be able to enjoy lettuce and
other fast-maturing produce and
flowers all season.
Irrigation
Although the soil blend used in
square foot gardening is moisture
retentive, the mixture is still porous
and lightweight, which can cause it
to dry out more quickly than amended
garden soil, especially during hot
weather. A drip irrigation system
works very well with an SFG set-up,
but almost any watering strategy
will do as long as it can adapt to
weather changes and the increasing
water needs of maturing plants. It’s
important to keep an SFG uniformly
moist at all times. Once it becomes
dry, the porous mixture requires
more water dwell time to rehydrate,
making daily short duration watering
less effective. During high summer,
daily or even twice daily watering
may be necessary in some locations.
To reduce watering requirements
and better accommodate plants with
large root systems, some gardeners
have modified the basic SFG model
by electing to build deeper box
frames. Popular options are 10 inches
and 12 inches.
“
Once it becomes dry, the porous mixture requires more water dwell time
to rehydrate, making daily short duration watering less effective.”
Fertilizing
One of the benefits of square foot
gardening is that fertilizing isn’t
necessary. Adequate nutrition for
the growth cycle of most plants is
incorporated into the initial set-up.
Further augmentation isn’t necessary for
the course of a growing season. Before
starting a new crop, or while preparing
for a new season in a perennial garden,
just add more compost.
Weeds
Because the special media blend in an
SFG is free of unwanted seeds, a new
set-up requires little or no weeding,
although second and subsequent
seasons may see more weed problems.
At the seedling stage, it’s easy to spot
uninvited plants and eliminate them.
Later, plants grow so closely together
they tend to discourage weed growth.
Pests
Pests can be a problem in any garden.
Because a SFG gets crowded, it can be
harder to detect pests early. Companion
planting is a popular option, but it’s
also important to take the time to
inspect plants regularly and deal with
outbreaks using organic or chemical
treatments sooner rather than later.
Because this type of garden takes up
such a small area, it can be easier to
add cover fabric or protective mesh
framing, deterrents that would be
unrealistic in a larger garden.
Even if you’ve never held a shovel or
picked a ripe tomato, you’ve probably
heard the term “square foot gardening.”
It’s part of our modern lexicon and an
example of how efficiency can improve
just about anything, including the
alchemy of growing a radish. If you don’t
think a melon can flourish in six-inch
deep soil or a squash plant can reign
supreme in cramped quarters, Mel
Bar tholomew spent decades before his
death in 2016 proving those very things
were possible. He showed gardeners
around the world what one square foot
of growing area can yield with the right
strategy, and that thinking small with
big intentions can be one of the most
resource-, time- and labor-saving ways
to garden. Have you tried square foot
gardening yet? If not, what are you
waiting for?
grow cycle
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