Square Foot Gardening (YT Vid)

Posts

• Dovefromabove Posts: 88,147

  January 2020

  I think it’s a practice that appeals to some folk who like systems and rules. 

  
  

  Most gardeners who come across the book/videos etc may take bits of information from them but then move on to more flexible gardening styles. 

  
  Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  0
• [email protected] Posts: 279

  January 2020

  I love it. We have a large garden and the less room I use for veg the more room I have for the flowers! And shopping for more flowers....
    
  
  And I am a lazy gardener preferring not to follow too many rules so I don’t see it as restrictive. You just jam the stuff in each square (so 1 tomato or chilli or potato etc per sq) and run with it. Seems to work and less weeding! I did 3 beds with this method one time and got loads of crops. Been using it for 4 years.
  
  Particularly worked well for tomatoes and cucs as you can add canes for the height.
  
  

  I’m doing it again this year although probably reworking what to plant outside v in as I have a greenhouse now, woo hoo! 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  1
• ForkinAllotment Posts: 37

  January 2020

  I dont actually see it as restrictive, you can adapt it to please your style and your space, I have a large allotment and I'm going to try several different styles this year, (Traditional, No-Dig and Square Foot Gardening)
  
  I also believe that SFG can help with planning the space in the greenhouse/polytunnel
  
  If there are any other videos you would like to see on the channel, please let me know

  0
• ForkinAllotment Posts: 37

  January 2020

  pansyface said:

  I still don’t understand the logic in packing square blocks together.
  
  Firstly the mixed plants, as the different species grow will, being fixed in position, shade each other as some get taller and as the sun moves around.
  
  Secondly, extracting, say, a carrot from an inner square is cumbersome when you have to reach over several other squares to approach the root.
  
  

  That's the reasoning behind planting the taller plants on the north side of the bed, and the shorter plants to the south so nothing is shaded, so carrots or radishes would be in an outer southern square so they are easier to harvest and they don't get shaded by taller plants
  
  I can see the attraction of being able to move the pots you mention too, but this technique can help if you have a small garden where a fixed bed or beds would suit it better
  
  I think many people are putting roadblocks in the way, where they don't need to be
  
  If it's not for you i get that but if you haven't tried it, don't knock it
  
  It is a legitimate gardening technique, that people have had success with 

  0
• ForkinAllotment Posts: 37

  January 2020

  8000wildflowers said:

  I love it. We have a large garden and the less room I use for veg the more room I have for the flowers! And shopping for more flowers....
    
  
  And I am a lazy gardener preferring not to follow too many rules so I don’t see it as restrictive. You just jam the stuff in each square (so 1 tomato or chilli or potato etc per sq) and run with it. Seems to work and less weeding! I did 3 beds with this method one time and got loads of crops. Been using it for 4 years.
  
  Particularly worked well for tomatoes and cucs as you can add canes for the height.
  
  

  I’m doing it again this year although probably reworking what to plant outside v in as I have a greenhouse now, woo hoo! 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  I am going to be trying it outside and in the greenhouse and polytunnel, along with traditional & no-dig

  1
• ForkinAllotment Posts: 37

  January 2020

  pansyface said:

  I don't doubt for a moment that it’s a legitimate gardening technique. Double digging is a legitimate gardening technique. There are ways of doing things that are accepted but are not necessarily the most efficient.
  
  I shall stick to efficiency. Thanks. 🙂

  Ok fair enough, you do what is best for you, I'm just trying to educate people on the different types of gardening out there, I will be doing other videos too

  0
• Nollie Posts: 7,529

  January 2020

  I have looked at this system before, but concluded the restrictions outweighed the benefits, which, tbh, I struggled to find. Some plants, like sweetcorn, need to be planted in a block to ensure wind pollination, others like peas are easier to pick if in rows, some are too large for a square foot, like courgettes or broccoli. Some veg inhibit the growth of others so need to be kept well apart, digging up a potato plant in one square without disturbing the roots of the next plant would be tricky. Plant roots don’t respect grid boundaries. Planting in a diamond pattern is proved to be the most efficient rather than squares. Managing rotation and companion planting with this system, no idea! whatever works for you, though 

  Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.

  0