All New Square Foot Gardening

“Grow More in Less Space”

Betsey & Ron Smith

Taken from: Mel Bartholomew (2005),

Square Foot Gardening
Created by Andrea Carlson
 Square Foot Gardening

Intensive culture maximizing

available space for optimal
production
+Attractive!
 Save Space

Melons, cucumbers, pole beans, etc.

And Have Room For a Productive
Apple Tree – State Fair
 Add Diversity & Beauty

Vertical frames can be arranged

many different ways
Spring Indoor Seed-Starting Schedule
 Create A Well – Structured Soil

1/3 Peat Moss

1/3 Vermiculite
1/3 Blended
Compost
Note: No fertilizer
Needed with this
Mix! Also this mix
Warms faster than
native soil
New Depth – Only 6 Inches Deep
Easier
Cheaper
Less Work
Can go 12”, but not needed, except
for deeper crops like carrots or
potatoes
If you feel better by making the
boxes 12”
go ahead – it is your $$ and time!
 Trenches

Plant vertical crops

in trench—1 ft. wide,
1 ft. deep, 4 ft. long
Fill with peat,
compost, and
vermiculite
Vertical frame is at
least 6 ft. tall – width
depends on crop
grown
 Spacing Examples For SFG
1 Plant/SF – Broccoli,
Cabbage, Cauliflower,
Corn, Okra, Eggplant,
Peppers, Tomatoes
4 Plants/SF(6” apart)-
Lettuce, Swiss Chard,
Marigolds
9 Plants/SF (4” apart)
– Bush Beans, Beets,
Spinach
16 Plants/SF –Carrots This raised bed is ideal for
, Radishes, Onions gardeners with bad backs, or
otherwise handicapped for
traditional gardening
 Training Plants

Twist main stem around twine once a

week
Pinch out suckers that form in leaf axis
If left unpruned, suckers will grow into
new vines
 Training Plants

Nylon netting is strong enough to

support large winter squash, pumpkins,
watermelons
Secure netting tightly to frame to
prevent sagging
 Protecting Plants

Concrete reinforcing wire protects

plants against bunnies
Now, An All-Out Battle Against
Bunnies!
Even NJ Gardeners Battle Critters!
Ohio SFG With 8’ Deer Fence!
 Protecting Plants

Covers protect against late spring

frosts
 Protecting Plants

Frost-proof, geo-
textile tunnels
protect from
temperature
extremes during
spring/summer
season.
Good to 28°F
 So Easy!

Even a child can do it!

Daughter Amanda helps in planting
Bunnies are not a Problem? Lots of
Produce Can Be Freely Grown!
 Succession Crops

Head lettuce
grown early
spring—
harvested in
early June
Followed by
MN midget
melons
 Irrigation

Point-source drip irrigation is very

effective & efficient in delivering
water to crops
 Mulch

SF gardening trials at DREC, testing

efficacy of different mulches
 Common Crops

Carrots
Tomatoes
Beans
Squash
Okra
Peppers
Lettuce
Melons
Flowers
Sweet Corn
Herbs
 Winter Salad Garden

If properly insulated,
the sun box can
house a salad garden
all winter!
This would require
south facing, heating
cables, well-drained
mix, straw bales for
insulation, and
window shashing
Common Crops
Tomatoes, Melons, Chili Peppers
 Common Crops

Hybrid Bell Peppers

Hybrid Melons

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Winter Squash & Pumpkins
 Garlic
SF gardening can also be practiced
in raised beds, as done here with
garlic— 4 ft by 4 ft square
Common Crops
Hibiscus, Chives, Young Apple Tree
Her Best and Most Favorite Crop;
Hard-Neck Garlic
 Common Crops

Perennials
Daylilies
Sweet Corn
 Interesting Crops

Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass; Echinacea, Raspberries, Mint

 Sweet Corn & Hyssop

Select 64 to 90 day varieties; Early Agastache (hyssop), Echinacea, Monarda,

Choice, Honey & Cream, Early Xtra Sweetpeas, and many others are great
Sweet attractants for Butterflies and hummingbirds
 SF Flowers

The striking colors of Phlox (Shortwood, and David

– white – 2002 Perennial Plant of the Year
Lasting beauty of Annabelle hydrangea
 Favorite Plantings!–
Pansy, Daylily, Cleome, & Ornamental Kale
 SF Flowers

Sunflowers
Blue Horizon ageratum
Betsey Has Something She Wants
Everyone To Understand About Her
Garden: Visit and Enjoy, But…….
This Message Was Intended To Scare Bunnies Away!
So Far, It Has Not Worked
We Have Faced Many Challenges In
Our Gardening Efforts, and Thought
We Had This One Beat…..
Fruit Into Wine?
 The “Man” Himself With A Unique
Variation of Square Foot Gardening
 As A Master Gardener, Share Your
Knowledge!

Betsey volunteering her

SFG knowledge at the
Fargo Farmer’s Market
Questions?