Square Foot Gardening

Square Foot Gardening
A gardener named Mel Bartholomew developed the square foot gardening system in 1976. In this system a garden is broken down into four square foot squares and the vegetables planted in square foot blocks, using optimum spacing. I used the system for a year or two, but as I had not begun using raised beds yet, the system did not work well for me.

I have recently begun using the system again and have found that many more plants can be planted in a given space by planting crops of different maturity dates near each other. There are different methods to achieve this. In one scenario, longer maturing crops are planted in the center of each square foot while shorter maturing crops planted around them. By the time the longer maturing crop begins to crowd out the other plants, they are ready to harvest.

In other scenarios, plants of similar maturity times are planted at optimum spacing in each square foot of space. The advantages of the system are that you can get many more crops in a given space and the different types of vegetables and herbs are intermixed. This mix of plants helps prevent pests, because the diversity if different plants confuse them. You don’t have large blocks of the same plants, which makes it easy for pests to find them.

I don’t use square foot methods for the entire garden, as it doesn’t work well with potatoes, sweet potatoes and sweet corn. I constructed a jig to use to place in the garden to help me get the spacing right. So far, the garden looks good. I will chart the progress through the summer for you to see this system in action.

Other Notes
The greenhouse has provided several bunches of lettuce, radishes and snow peas. The cabbage and cauliflower are starting to head up. The Chinese Cabbage will soon be providing an interesting addition to salads and stir fries.

More Potatoes
Last week’s post was about planting potatoes from chits I grew from last year’s potatoes. I must not have done a good job of digging my potatoes last year, as there are a few volunteer plants emerging. I will let these grow on and harvest them when ready. You cannot have too many potatoes.