I am adding a "top hat" or two on my Square Foot Garden wish list. They are made of cedar planks and are 1' x 1' square and 6" deep. You place one on top of one square in the garden, fill it with soil and plant carrots or potatoes (or other crops requiring more than 6" of soil) in it.
Square Foot Gardening sells them for $9.99 plus shipping. I can get a 1" x 6" x 8' cedar at Lowe's for just under $15. I am adding this to my square foot gardening wish list. I may not have them this first year, but perhaps next year. For this year I'll plant short carrot varieties.
Showing posts with label My First Square Foot Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My First Square Foot Garden. Show all posts
January 20, 2016
Soil Needs for Filling My First Square Foot Garden
Apparently soil used in a square foot garden needs to be quite specific in its blend if success is to assured. Mel, from the Square Foot Gardening Foundation gives this recipe he has used with fantastic results:
Total Soil Needed for 4' x 4' x 6" Bed: 8 Cubic Feet
Since my first garden is being paid for by birthday and Christmas gifts I am taking the easy route and buying pre-mixed, bagged soil. Instead of jewelry or lovelies of some sort I will request dirt! Both Lowes and Home Depot have it listed on their websites, but it is not yet in stock in the stores (shipping from HD is $10 a bag and Lowes does not ship it). I am hoping my local Lowes will stock it soon.
Soil upkeep from year to year is simply to add homemade compost.
Total Soil Needed for 4' x 4' x 6" Bed: 8 Cubic Feet
- 1/3 Coarse Grade Vermiculite (Palmetto Vermiculite in SC)
- 1/3 Sphagnum Peat Moss (bag is compressed, when opened it about doubles)
- 1/3 Blended Compost (a variety of types -- 5 preferred)
Since my first garden is being paid for by birthday and Christmas gifts I am taking the easy route and buying pre-mixed, bagged soil. Instead of jewelry or lovelies of some sort I will request dirt! Both Lowes and Home Depot have it listed on their websites, but it is not yet in stock in the stores (shipping from HD is $10 a bag and Lowes does not ship it). I am hoping my local Lowes will stock it soon.
- Garden Time 32-Quart Organic Potting Soil from Lowes
- Nature's Way 1.5 cu. ft. Square Foot Gardening Potting Soil Mix from Home Depot
Soil upkeep from year to year is simply to add homemade compost.
January 18, 2016
Ordering My First Square Foot Garden Frame
I am by nature a very frugal person, but I am choosing to splurge while beginning my Square Foot Gardening journey. I have $250 in gift money that I have been hanging onto for a while. I just have trouble spending it. $150 of it was given to me specifically to "spend on a whim." That was a few years ago--it is still in the envelope waiting for a whim. Well, my Square Foot Garden is going to be my whim.
I am splurging on ordering my first Square Foot Garden frame directly from Square Foot Gardening. I am choosing the 4' x 8' x 6" frame. I wish it was a little deeper, but most things I have read say 6" is deep enough, so I will give it a try. I thought it would look nice, too, along our white railing in the spot I chose for my first garden.
With my birthday just around the corner I will be asking for "dirt" to fill my garden! So tho I am not looking to do this first garden economically, I will also not be spending any budget money on it -- it will all be gifts. It still makes me nervous to splurge.
Editing to add: I changed my mind. After further research, checking my garden location and discussions with my family I decided on ordering three 4 x 4 frames. Shipping was the least expensive per garden this way (over 2, 4 or 5--I checked them all to see how much a difference quantity made on the shipping costs). With shipping to my part of the country they came to $94 each.
I am splurging on ordering my first Square Foot Garden frame directly from Square Foot Gardening. I am choosing the 4' x 8' x 6" frame. I wish it was a little deeper, but most things I have read say 6" is deep enough, so I will give it a try. I thought it would look nice, too, along our white railing in the spot I chose for my first garden.
With my birthday just around the corner I will be asking for "dirt" to fill my garden! So tho I am not looking to do this first garden economically, I will also not be spending any budget money on it -- it will all be gifts. It still makes me nervous to splurge.
Editing to add: I changed my mind. After further research, checking my garden location and discussions with my family I decided on ordering three 4 x 4 frames. Shipping was the least expensive per garden this way (over 2, 4 or 5--I checked them all to see how much a difference quantity made on the shipping costs). With shipping to my part of the country they came to $94 each.
January 17, 2016
Getting Started on My Square Foot Gardening Journey
I am just beginning my Square Foot Gardening journey and hope to record each step on this blog. I will share what I learn and what I do along with my successes and failures. My first step is choosing a location for my first garden.
Because we have a huge deer population which love to eat our plants I am choosing to place the first garden in front of our front porch. So far the deer have not eaten any of the plants grown against the house. We will see. Here is my chosen location as of January 17, 2016. [I am still studying how to grow vegetables safely near a house foundation.]
Because we have a huge deer population which love to eat our plants I am choosing to place the first garden in front of our front porch. So far the deer have not eaten any of the plants grown against the house. We will see. Here is my chosen location as of January 17, 2016. [I am still studying how to grow vegetables safely near a house foundation.]
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