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 trench1 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 , Radishes, Onions

This raised bed is ideal for 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, geotextile tunnels protect from temperature extremes during spring/summer season. Good to 28F

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 Choice, Honey & Cream, Early Xtra Sweet

Agastache (hyssop), Echinacea, Monarda, Sweetpeas, and many others are great 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

Pansy, Daylily, Cleome, & Ornamental Kale

Favorite Plantings!

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 Farmers Market

Questions?