Square Foot Gardening 101
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Linna Ferguson introduces the Square Foot Gardening method. She explains that the method was invented by Mel Bartholomew and allows people of all types to grow food in small spaces. Some key aspects of the Square Foot Gardening method include using boxes divided into 1 square foot sections, only needing 6 inches of soil, and being able to harvest high yields from a small space. Linna provides examples of how to customize Square Foot Gardening boxes and tips for planting and care.
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Square Foot Gardening 101
- 1. Square Foot Gardening >>> Linna āThe Locavoreā Ferguson vafoodscaper@gmail.com @LinnaFerguson
- 2. Why is food gardening important to you? My name is Linna āthe Locavoreā Ferguson. I am a mother of two, a wife, a friend, I work full time, and I raise my own food. I preserve my harvest for the winter. I have appeared on the Emeril Green show. I write for Examiner.com. I am a certified Square Foot Garden Teacher.
- 3. So we are here to learn about the immensely popular Square Foot Gardening Method invented by Mel Bartholomew. Letās use the five Ws to teach you its basics.
- 4. WHAT is SFG, and WHY does it work? Mel Bartholomew is the founder of this method and has many books and tools to help you learn about this method. www.squarefootgardening.com
- 5. A backyard transformed- before To get you inspired, here are some images of some SFG.
- 6. A backyard transformed- after How awesome is this?
- 7. Versatility- patio boxes You donāt even need a yard, this box is on legs! Making it easy for all types of people.
- 8. Create your own style Make it your own! Add flare, add your style.
- 9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton As big or as little as you want it to be Did you know that the average home garden is 20 x 35 feet long which equals 700 square feet? To grow the same amount with the SFG method, you only need 20% of that area, 140 square feet.
- 10. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton They come in all shapes and sizes A great patio garden.
- 11. Garden even on the rooftop! No yard, no deck, no problem! Rooftops work!
- 12. Garden in some of the most unlikely places- Iraq So with all these garden types and styles, we just answered out WHO can SFG, ANYONE!
- 13. http://www.etftrends.com Now I have your attention... SFG Top Ten
- 14. Location is a deal breaker. If you donāt have 6-8 hours of sunlight and access to water, you canāt have any type of garden.
- 15. Be creative, add your personal touch, make it your space, and you will spend more time in it.
- 16. Boxes are neat and tidy, organizes your planting, and holdās Melās special soil mix.
- 17. The basic SFG The box can be 4 ā by anythingā¦ this size allows you to access all part of the garden without stepping on your soil. Only need six inches of soil- so the box is not very deep.
- 18. Six inches ā¦ really! Itās true. Only 6 inches to grow most all veggies, except things like potatoes, long carrots, etc.
- 19. Protect against critters Box allows you to attach protective items to it to keep critters out.
- 20. Garden all year round Or add a hoop so you can garden in the fall and winter.
- 21. Important so you can enjoy moving around your garden.
- 22. Grass aisles Wide aisles here allow you to mow them.
- 23. Be creative Use what you have on hand.
- 24. This topic could be a class by itself. Soil is your most important garden asset. With SFG, you make ānear perfect soilā.
- 25. Building soil 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost (use as many kinds as you can, 5 recommended)
- 26. Tools: Pencil Trowel scissors Essential tools Only tools you MUST have are a trowel, pencil, and a pair of scissors.
- 27. If you donāt have grids, you donāt have a SFG.
- 28. Harvest from one 4x4 box ā¢ 1 head of cabbage ā¢ 1 head of broccoli ā¢ 1 head of cauliflower ā¢ 4 heads of romaine ā¢ 4 heads of red lettuce ā¢ 4 heads of salad lettuce ā¢ 5 pounds sugar snap peas ā¢ 8 bunches of Swiss chard ā¢ 9 bunches of spinach ā¢ 16 small ball carrots ā¢ 16 beets ā¢ 4 bunches beet greens ā¢ 16 long carrots ā¢ 32 radishes
- 29. Care is minimal as long as you are checking on your garden, looking for pests, watering etc.
- 30. In my (2) Square Foot Boxes: ā¢Cucumbers ā¢Tomatoes ā¢Onions ā¢Cantaloupe ā¢Parsley ā¢Dill ā¢Broccoli ā¢Marigolds ā¢Bush Beans ā¢Lettuce ā¢Spinach ā¢Pole Beans ā¢Scallions
- 31. Why? Why not! Saves space, grows healthy crops, and is very cool!
- 32. Grow up not out Only certain types of crops can be grown upā¦.tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, melons, etc.
- 33. Another essential concept, plant either 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square, based on the space they need (see book for guidelines)
- 35. May seem tedious this way, but gets water where it needs to be.
- 36. This is what you worked for, enjoy!
- 37. As we concludeā¦. Isnāt this beautiful?!
- 38. Simplify! Create positive first impression Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front Resources - planning Loudoun Locavores http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudoun_locavores/ Kitchen Garden Planner http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/ Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Link-Page?id=kgp_home Planner Tool http://www.motherearthnews.com/ garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/food-gardening-in-washington-dc/linna-ferguson
- 39. Simplify! Create positive first impression Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front Resources - seeds www.superseeds.com www.southernexposure.com www.fedcoseeds.com/ www.cooksgarden.com
- 40. Where I am speaking next: Check www.chicamarun.com for details! ā¢ SEED SWAP- Early March ā¢ SFG- Mid March ā¢ VERTICAL GARDENING WORKSHOP- Early April ā¢ WILD HARVEST- late April ā¢ SEED SPROUTING- TBD Also provide demonstrations at the Purcellville Community Market- my appearances will be posted at www.purcellvillecommunitymarket.com/ This presentation is located on SLIDESHARE: http://www.slideshare.net/vafoodscaper/s quare-foot-gardening-101 Booz | Allen | Hamilton
- 41. This is who I am, this is what I do.
Editor's Notes
- Letās get to know one another! Letās start with you since you came to see me speak ā¦. Why are you all here? Why do you want to learn more about the SFG style of food gardening? By show of hands, who CURRENTLY gardens? Who is BRAND NEW to gardening? My name is Linna the Locavore, the Food Garden Momā¦ I have lots of nicknames. I am a mother of two kids, a wife, a friend, I work full time and I raise a lot of my familyās food. I preserve this harvest through basic canning and dehydrating. I garden through all (4) seasons. I believe that locally produced food is healthier and is a good choice to make. I donāt want to be held to countless food recalls and to worry what goes into my families bodies. I chose to become an āexpertā in SFG because I felt it was a way for people who donāt have a lot of free time, folks that donāt have a lot of room to garden, to learn to garden. My passion is for teaching people that ANYONE can grow their own food.
- So know that we know one another, letās get into the goal of this presentation, HOW TO SQUARE FOOT GARDEN! By using the five Ws I hope to show you how you can leave tonight and get gardening!
- So letās start with Mel. Mel Bartholomew. He is the founder of this concept. This is his story, in 1975 he retired from being an engineering consultant. He moved to the North Shore of Long Island and decided to take up gardening. He attended a lecture on composting at a local env. Group but the teacher never showed up. He then asked the group to stay, talk about their experiences, and then they formed a weekly gardening club. Mel then got a community garden established, which initially flourished with energy and gardeners. They plowed, spread manure, planted rows of veggiesā¦and by midsummer it was a disaster of weeds. Mel thought THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY. Why do we fertilize the whole garden when you walk on a large part of it? Why do plant long rows of single crops? Why do we spend so much time weeding? Why do we walk on our most precious resource, our soil? WHY? BECAUSE THAT IS HOW IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE! This method is actually best for beginners, not experts, who seem to have a hard time accepting the method. In an hour or two, you can have the basics down and begin the process of starting your garden. So your first hour begins here!
- To get you inspired, letās look at some examples. While we look, letās realize that they all have their own character, their own look, their own purpose. With so many options, this must mean that this method is well suited for ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, all ages, all physical abilities. This covers our WHO.
- This means you donāt even need a backyard! You can be on a balcony, patio, deckā¦ā¦. And this makes it possible for all ages to garden.
- Add āflareā ā¦ a birdbath, a sun catcher, whatever you want!
- Did you know that an average home garden is 20 x 35 feet long which equals 700 sq feet. To grow the same amount with SFG, you only need 20% of that area, you need 140 square feet.
- Note this is sitting on a patio ā¦.. Not on existing soil ā¦ this is a precursor to a later topic.
- Live in a city? No problem!
- Live in a warzone? No problemā¦.
- Location is a deal breaker, if you donāt have the following items, you canāt have a SFG, or any other food garden. Make sure it is: Close to home 6-8 hours sunshine Careful of shade from trees and bushes Area should not puddle after rain Donāt worry about existing soil, you arenāt using it! Access to water Once someone knows they can have a food garden, the typically wonder how many boxes they will need to feed their family, the book gives some general calculations you can use. I started with 2 4x4 boxes for a family of 3 and had plenty left over!
- Do example of cutting room downā¦ā¦ compared to single row gardening, you only need 20% of the area to grow the same amount of produce. Be creative with your layout, but remember to leave room so you can access the boxes from all anglesā¦. Line things up, make a rectangle, make an L shape, do whatever will make you happy and get you into the garden. Add in chairs, a bird bath, anything that will make this an inviting space. Remember this not only can provide your family with food, but also is a retreat and stress reliever. Remember, you can put bottoms on your garden boxes and put them on your patio or deck. So if you donāt have a yard, or room to spare, that is ok with the SFG method!
- Why boxes? Neat and tidy Organizes your planting Holds special soil mix āabove groundā Add protective features ā¦. Or extend season
- So you may notice some similarities in the example gardens you just sawā¦ā¦ primarily they were all : RAISED BEDS had planting grids plants seemed to be thriving, Not a lot of visible weeds All shapes and sizes! The box makes all of this happen! The box is your basic element of the SFG. It can be 4x4, 4x6, 4x anything! It keeps things organized, makes sure soil stays where you put it, and limits the ability for someone to walk on it! The 4 foot rule is so you can reach every part of the garden without stepping on the soil. Recommended lumber size is 1 x 6 for economical, low traffic garden or 2x6 for sturdier boxes. DO NOT USE PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER. Use cedar, raw rood, composite, or vinyl. One of the key things to note is how DEEP the box is, you only need 6 inches of soil! Yes, you heard me right. You will be creating soil, not using your own.
- Boxes also allow you to add protective elements on top of a box! If you have a problem with rodents, build a barrier! You can also put the wire underneath the box to keep out moles, voles, and gophers.
- You can even turn your box into a ācold frameā or āwinter hoopā.
- Aisles are so important to allow you to move around your garden, to enjoy it, to work in it etc. It is recommended to have 3-4 ft aisles At first this may look huge, but once your garden fills in, and overflows the edges, you will be happy you gave yourself so much room! The aisles can be grass (and those wide aisles allow you to mow them), mulch, whatever you choose!
- Note the room to mowā¦..
- Use whatever you have on hand
- This is your MOST IMPORTANT ASSET! Your soil dictates if your garden will survive (some think you need to have a green thumb, you just need good soil!) Since soil varies, Mel created a recipe for a consistently perfect soil. He calls it Melās Mix and is made of 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 Vermiculite. By making your own soil you: Donāt need to dig Donāt need to till Donāt worry about weed seeds Donāt worry about nutrients Try to use 5 different kinds of compost to get a wide array of compost
- Building Soil: Vermiculite- mica rock that has been heated and popped like popcorn Peat Moss- light, friable, holds water Compost- Note that SFG is an āorganicā method of gardening as you donāt need to use chemical fertilizers, the compost is doing all the work! In the book there are volume calculations based on how many boxes you are building. When making this soil, you pile it all on the tarpā¦ā¦and fold over, like making a large cake! Use abit of water to keep it moistā¦. Why does this soil rock? No weeds Chock full of nutrients Ability to hold a lot of water Ready to plant IMMEDIATELY! Note on average people say it takes 7 years to turn your soil into good soil.
- Essential Tools: Trowel to move transplantsā¦.add compostā¦. Pencil to plan your garden, and poke holes to plant seeds Scissors to thin plants, cut off diseased areas, harvesting lettuce and greens Although there are huge catalogs on gardening tools, you donāt need them. More tools ā Better garden I know this concept is hard to grasp- but most all of you already have what you need!
- If you donāt have a grid on your boxes, it is not a SFG. Grid provides specified space for each plant, keeps things organized, allows you to know what you are planting. It must be a fixed feature on your garden box. SFG recommends using wood lathe
- By using a grid, this is what you can get from one 4 x 4 boxā¦..
- Garden care and weeding seem to be a chore that is synonymous with food gardening. Using the SFG really reduces the need for both of these activities ā¦.. Care requires watering and checking your garden for disease and pests. Since it should be close to your house, this shouild be something easy to do. Weeds? Not an issue. Since your soil started weed free, and anything that grows āflew inā, should be easy to pull out. Weed barrier on the bottom helps ensure nothing sneaks in
- Here is the garden I grew when my son was first bornā¦. Not bad!
- Why? Why not! Saves space Looks cool Grow better crops Use in tandem to grown cool weather crops
- It is not a myth that 35 lbs pumpkins can grow 7 feet in the airā¦.. The catch is, you have to train themā¦ā¦. Vertical supports include metal conduit and plastic netting Not all veggies go up, the ones that do are: Gourds Tomatoes Cucumbers Pole beans Melons Pumpkins Summer squash Watermelons Winter squash
- Each square has optimal room for a specific number of plants ā¦.. Either 1, 4, 9, 16 Since you have a prescribed number of seeds to use, you donāt need to waste any! If they all donāt come up, you know where they didnātā come up, and you know where to replant Transplants are a good way to get a jump on the growing season Donāt forget to plant flowers with your veggies. They will not only attract pollinating insects, but will also help with disease (e.g. marigolds)
- A visual on the planting technique
- Water. We know plants need it, but how much, how little? SFG recommends ladling out a cup of sun-warmed water from a bucket that can be left in the sun. Best to water at base of plant, keep away from leaves, and get the roots soaked. You may think this takes too long, but if you currently water from above, you are actually wasting waterā¦. and promoting fungal disease. By watering by hand you get water to where you need to. Note, with Melās mix you cannot overwaterā¦.
- Benefit is that with SFG, you donāt have to harvest a huge row at one time, you control what you want to grow. Make sure you visualize your harvest, and plant just what you think you will need. Plant variety, and you will harvest variety. You can also easily replant once you have pulled a square. Crop rotation is not needed, but still a good idea for pest and disease control
- So here are some best practices to fix the biggest offenders. We try to make sites as simple as possible. Too many choices at once confuse users, but through a combination of removing, hiding, grouping and displacing features, we can make them less complex.
- So here are some best practices to fix the biggest offenders. We try to make sites as simple as possible. Too many choices at once confuse users, but through a combination of removing, hiding, grouping and displacing features, we can make them less complex.