I read about Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening many years ago and thought the planting process was interesting so of course I had to give it a try. Quite a few of the planting principles were ones I had picked up on my own Mel’s process was just more involved and planned out. I particularly liked growing squash and tomatoes vertical, as this is what took up most of my space.

My first gardens were very successful although it took a bit of practice to plan the succession planting or using garden space several times during a growing season.  I also liked growing in raised bed gardens. The gardens were easier to mow around. I had fewer problems with rabbits and could cover any garden area easily with a shade cloth, net or plastic it the temperatures dropped. Water and weeding the garden was also easier.

Below is a you tube on Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. If you haven’t tried this form of gardening I recommend it.

I use Mel’s methods and a form of straw bale gardening. It’s just a process that works for me and cuts down on time spent working in the garden. It also saves on gardening space, a big plus for those with limited gardening room. And its perfect for apartments and urban gardening. I like to garden but I also enjoy sitting and enjoying the gardens beauty!

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Soil feeds your plants. Without a good soil base your plants will do poorly. They may be thin, have yellow leaves, be more insect prone or just stop growing.
photo credit: chidorian

Soil differs from location to location. In my zone five area I have clay and rock, plenty of rock! Although the soil is a little high in acid it is very rich in nutrients. But every year I fight the return of rocks and if I make a new garden I am again reminded of how I need to improve my soil.

If your new to gardening or are making a new garden plot I suggest you take soil samples and have them tested at your local Extension Office. Soil kits can be bought at most garden centers and at most Extension Offices. Instructions will come with the kit on how to take samples but basically you take three or four scoops of soil from you new garden plot and place in a bag and drop off the samples to be tested. They will tell you what your soil consists of and what to add to make you plants grow better.

Soil needs the three basic nutrients; Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.

Nitrogen is the building block of chlorophyll and several other important enzymes. If your soils lacks nitrogen your plants will have pale green or yellow leaves and in extreme case wither and fall over. You can easily add nitrogen to your soil by adding organic matter. More than 90 percent of all gardens are lacking the proper amounts of nitrogen.

So nitrogen fuels your plants.

Phosphorus distributes the energy that is stored up in the soil to the plants. Phosphorus can be added to your soil by mined phosphate rock, bone meal or phosphate fertilizers. Compost helps too.

I add bone meal to my garden each spring and my phosphorus level is fine!

Potassium (referred to as K on plant food) regulates the process of plant food creation so it is also very important to plant growth and health. you can add green sand or granite dust if your soil lacks potassium. Other sources are green manure crops like rye grass and buck wheat. Wood ash also helps. I add buckwheat and wood ash to my garden each year.

Once you know what your garden is lacking you can pick up a good fertilizer with these nutrients at any garden center.

Where to start

If your starting your garden layout now and know where you garden will be you can plant winter grass covers that you will work into the ground. Buckwheat or rye grass would be such grass covers. Plant the cover crops and when they are mature work them into the ground. They will decompose and add nutrients into the soil.

Another fast and easy way to help your garden out before you take the test is by adding compost materials such as leaves, grass clippings, straw, compost, or old matured saw dust or manure. I always add these materials in the fall and again in early spring.

It is very important to use old matured sawdust and fertilizer. Both if they are fresh are high in acid as they break down and will burn you seedlings. Also fresh manure may carry weed seeds ans you may add a problem to your garden if it has not aged!

How I set up a new garden

Rototillers can be hard on soil and there is mixed opinions on if you should rototill or hand dig. To tell you the truth, I use both methods. If the soil looks like its easily workable I prefer to dig the ground by hand with a process called double digging. If the soil looks like its heavy clay, rock or packed I get out the rototiller. My back can only take so much and it is faster.

I chose my spot by how close it is to a water source and how much sun the garden gets. An average garden should get at least six to eight hours of sun a day. My tomatoes and peppers I place in an area where they get more sun, 10 to 12 if possible.
photo credit: bucklava

I cut the sod of the top of the garden area and haul it to the compost pile. This way I know I have removed a lot of the weeds. The soil breaks down in the compost pile and I wither add it to the garden in the spring or use it in planters. Then I rototill or hand dig the area. Once the soil is broken up I add any compost items and work them in well. I have spare black plastic I keep on hand and cover the garden area to help heat the area and speed up the composting process. in the early spring I uncover the area and work the soil and add more compost matter, compost and any nutrients I need.

My garden is ready to go! Check out my first Square Foot Gardening post

Square Foot Gardening – Organic and Formal Gardening – Part One

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I used to have a garden that was over an acre in size, plus a few small gardens to the side. It took all day to water the gardens and the fun was disappearing. The garden was turning into a chore.
photo credit: SDCDeaCerte

Then I heard about Square Foot Gardening. It’s a form of gardening where you lay out your garden and plant in square or rectangular shapes.

Its purpose is to use less space and less water. It’s great for the city gardener and you can even have a garden in containers on a patio or beside a garage if space is limited.

What really attracted me to the Square Foot Gardening method was the use of combination planting and successive planting, the basis of organic gardening which I totally believe in. I think that plants, vegetable and fruits should be as chemical free as possible.

This method works for the beginning gardener, suburban gardener and the gardener with a large garden. By organizing the garden more efficiently you can cut down on watering and weeding, a very time consuming chore.

The garden also looks very pretty laid out in almost a formal pattern with walkways in between the small garden plots.

I gave this plan a try about 10 years ago. I was impressed. My watering time was cut to 10 or 15 minutes a day and weeding could be done in minutes. I also liked that I could target one area of the garden and  get that watered, weeded, and harvested and not feel the pressure to do the entire garden. The fun was back!

Where to start

It’s best to start your Square Foot Garden planning in the winter or spring. You need to decide how much space you want to use and how much food or flowers you want to grow.

Usually the garden areas are laid out in four by four plots or four by eight plots. I myself make my plots three foot wide. Its easier for me to reach the center plants. I use a six foot or eight foot length. I also must admit I tend to lay the plots out in a triangular form. It seems my gardens always get a little artsy!

Garden rows are not in single plantings like in older gardens. They are grouped in one foot squares and depending on the size of the plant will determine how many plants go in one square. For example one tomato (grown vertically) would go in one square because its a bigger plant. Four bean plants would go in one square because they are smaller

When planning for the garden you will also use combination planting for more crops in a smaller area, You will also learn more about soils and how to make sure its fertile and drains well. If you are planting crops closer and using the plot again during the season you will need to.

The next important decisions are how to lay your garden out, how much you will grow and to improve your soil. Using an intensive gardening method your soil must be rich in nutrients and that is actually easier than you might think.

Stay tuned for part two: Square foot Gardening: Improving the soil.

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