| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Feb 11 2009 : 09:20:02 AM
I'm trying SFG method this year, and my bf has built me two 5 ft tall frames to grow my vining-type veggies up.
I'm so excited! Will post pics if it stops raining long enough to take some.
Does anybody have experience with this? I'm planning on growing PUMPKINS (whoohoo!) zucchini, winter squash, summer squash, pole beans (duh) and tomatoes ALL vertically.
Somebody please remind me which ones I shouldn't put next to each other?
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Mar 06 2009 : 08:14:52 AM
I found this today - kind of made me laugh!
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/grd/1053397879.html
A new career? ;-)
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Mar 06 2009 : 07:20:31 AM
Heh heh, funny you should ask Suzan.
The BF did the first one and he laid them out on the ground, nailed them together (with small nails) where they intersect, then tapped them gently into the frame after he had them assembled.
*I* was left to finish the job and had the brilliant idea that I would just nail them to the box where I wanted them and not bother with nailing the strips to each other. That did not work so well, as I split the heck out of the first one I tried. Don't know if it's my nailing technique or what. Would recommend the first method, on your garage floor maybe.
I think I am going to make some lattice via similar method and climb some posies up the wall. Thought about just tacking up some of the garden netting but decided that might actually look worse. This is my neighbor's wall (he rents) and not a particularly attractive spot.
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| Suzan |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 3:24:25 PM
Amanda, How did you put them together? |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 09:25:32 AM
I love Square Foot Gardening. Once you try it you'll never go back to any other way. I live in a townhouse now with a small fenced backyard. I'll be doing Square Foot this year - some in the yard and some on my patio. I'm also going to try MaryJane's filebox garden.
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
|
| DearMildred |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 08:17:36 AM
I made my grid out of some thin wooden trim pieces from the hardware store - they were cheap and really easy for my wimpy self to cut - and that way I could "custom" build some of the boxes to be two square feet instead of one. This worked out well since I have a couple of vining plants that need 2x, and I was also running out of trim! Ha!
Has anybody tried using old window blinds?
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| Suzan |
Posted - Mar 05 2009 : 07:44:29 AM
Rene, I think I read somewhere you said you do use the grid - did you make yours, buy it or what? |
| lacisne88 |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 11:36:38 PM
Sounds great! Good luck with it!
Chelsey
Farmgirl Sister #283
http://farmgirlpleasures.blogspot.com/
http://aminiatureworld.blogspot.com/ |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 12:37:02 PM
In the SQ FT book, Mel talks about using old chain link gates for trellises which is such a cute idea....
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/http://renenaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
| azgardengirl |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 12:30:58 PM
I nail a nail halfway into the edge of my SFG on each side in 1 ft. intervals and tie string. It is so much cheaper and works just as well. I have 4 4x12 ft. beds and 2 3x12 ft beds. It provides me with enough for 6 people and more to freeze. Love the SFG method! |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Mar 04 2009 : 12:28:14 PM
I built some vertical frames for my vining pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, zucchini etc and am going to give it a try this year. Wish me luck!
Lora I'm glad you've had good luck too.
Mel's got a handy little section in the new edition of his book that gives an idea of how many of what fit into a square.
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| LoraFLeming |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 6:51:35 PM
I bought the Square Foot Gardening book back in the late 70's (or early 80's) and have been hooked ever since!! This year I'm going to try the corn/pole beans/squash in a corner of my yard too to save space. The grids don't limit you, but some things are better suited to them than others. I usually put things like zucchini along the fence around my yard rather than in one of the grids because they require a 4 X 4 and that is just too much space to use in one bed for one plant (in my opinion)! I like to plant things in the grids that I can get at least 4 to a square in ... that means I can get at least 16 plants where that one zuke would have been. Crawling things like squash also, unless grown vertically, take up too much space.
"When in doubt, just take the next small step. Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." Author Unknown |
| Suzan |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 07:10:32 AM
Going to give it a try, until I read his website I planned on just using topsoil in the frames but now I see his mixture I will try that. So is it possible to plant corn and pole beans in these - does this grid thing limit you? What about planting the squash at the end and letting it vine out into the yard (which doesn't grow grass so no problem with mowing...)? |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 07:07:47 AM
Suzanne~
You will love this system especially if you add the soil recipe that Mel suggests. which is 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss and 1/3 vermiculite...the 1/3 of compost needs to come from 5 differnet sources, so if you are buying compost make sure to look at the "ingredience" in the back of the bag and mix brands and types....
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/http://renenaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
| Suzan |
Posted - Mar 03 2009 : 06:39:45 AM
Love this thread - I'm going to try this in my backyard this summer - hubby has refused to help so this is my project! The only gardening I've done was 30 yrs ago in soil that was rich and rockless...this is not the case where I am now. I have limited sun, also, so not sure what will grow. |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 5:15:07 PM
HI Shar,
Yes I will use the grid and have in the past as well. The thing I love the most is that you can be the best "lazy gardener" as if you follow this method and the grid system, then it requires so little work later in the season.
For you that are asking about viney things. I had a farmgirl tell me that I could plant my beans by corn stalks, and then the beans clib the cornstocks.. So I love that.
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
http://farmchicksfarm.blogspot.com/http://renenaturallyspeaking.blogspot.com/
Circumstances made us FRIENDS; MaryJane's has made us SISTERS :) |
| Diane B Carter |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 4:32:04 PM
Mildred, I was just reading that you want to SFG. I'm not sure if its the same as my brother Jim does. His garden is 8ft X 30 ft. and about 6 ft tall. My brother is blind but he has the best gardens. He grows everything vertically because he could not tell the difference between a weed and a plant. He grows everything up. Even watermelon, they won't fall off even if they are heavy. I can see but his gardens are the best. He also grew tomatoes upside down before they came out with a upside down tomato hanging thing. Hope all your days are Sunnydays |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 2:49:41 PM
Oh yeah, Sher, thanks! I did check the Great Gardening Companions book out of the library, going to check it out tonight.
Ann I made my compost bin out of pallets. Tempting to plant something that would vine up and cover it, but I'm pretty sure I'd end up with compost full of (viney thing) seeds!
Now i just have to decide if/how I want to do the winter sowing.
I read that you shouldn't start seeds of different plants in the same seed-starting tray. I got several "mini-greenhouse" style with 72 cells,a nd I sure wont' be growing 72 of any one thing!
Am I in trouble here?
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| DearMildred |
Posted - Feb 15 2009 : 2:45:22 PM
I snuck a peak at Carrots Love Tomatoes in the bookstore today but am waiting to check it out of the library. We're making our Mel's Mix in the morning.
Haven't used my SFG yet (obviously) but I think the grid is pretty important to the whole concept. BF got some cheap trim at the hardware store and we're using that.
Ann I've got zucchini and summer squash, plus butternut and one pumpkin - with two 2 x 8 beds and a 2 x 3 bed in between them. I've just sort of spread them out and not put them right next to each other, put my peas, beans, tomatoes etc to separate... but they are going to be within the same area. Do you think I can get away with it?
I'll def plant the summer squashes first and the winter squashes once it's good and warm.
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| rooted_rover |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 7:11:54 PM
OOPS -- Fingers got happy -- meant to ask, has anyone done SFG without doing all that grid layout as in book -- I'd love to try but am also a lazy gardener ;) |
| rooted_rover |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 7:09:33 PM
Amanda - with your "before" photo can just picture some tomatoes against the house and some tall sunflowers bordering the neighbor -- perfect spot, can't wait to see it in full bloom.
Ann - I have some pallets leaning against the fence - now I know what to do with them! You've saved them from MY hubby's fire pit.
Joy - we have a whole bunch of deer around this year because of some heavy snow -- can you just hang the soap from the garden fence?
Jessie - the old indian corn trick is also called a "three sisters planting" corn, beans, squash -- pretty cool, huh? I have a spot reserved to try this year -- if can keep the fourth sister out of it - my happy female lab mix.
Has anyone done SFG |
| downbranchroad |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 1:41:38 PM
Jessie,
I have heard of something that works wonders in keeping deer out of the garden and around fruit trees. Ivory soap! It really works. Just shredd bars of Ivory soap the deer will stay away. I do not have the problem but have friends that do. They all say it works!
Appalachian Girl
Jem
*If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.
http://downbranchroad.blogspot.com |
| soapmommy60543 |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 1:35:28 PM
We have SFG'd for 2 years, and are expanding our garden this year (I'm hoping to talk hubby into 2 more beds instead of just 1). As far as your squash and cross pollinating, plant your acorn squash after your zucchini. We did that last year and it worked out just fine. Plus, we got our acorn squash when the weather was more suitable for baking it. The All New SFG book details succession planting quite well - you may want to reread that part.
Another neat trick that I saw in a magazine (either GRIT or MEN) was using pallets as the base for viney things. The pallets are leaned up against each other at an angle, like the top of a triangle. My hubby tried viney things on a fence a long time ago with no luck. This would help support both the vines and their fruits better. Plus, if you look and ask around, you may just be able to get them for free. We have a neighbor who does stonework for a living and he just burns the company's extras in his bonfire. Now, he will be bringing them home for us, and using them in his garden as well. He may still use a few for the bonfires, but nearly so many.
Good luck!
Ann in Oswego
http://suburbanprairiehouse.wordpress.com
Times may be tough, but farmgirls are tougher!
Craft Fasting since October 21, 2008 |
| Alee |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 1:20:49 PM
I am going to be trying this as well as I have a very narrow area of the lawn that is sunny, the tomatoes can handle the part of the yard that is almost as sunny as the sunniest and then I will plant things that can handle shade/cooler temperatures in that part of the lawn.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Cowgirl Jess |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 10:49:34 AM
I've been looking into saving space as well, not because I don't have it in my case but because the deer eat my veggies if I don't keep them fenced :( my husband doesn't want to fence an acre garden (that I wanted) so I'm going to pack a little 10x20 garden FULL! How exciting. You ladies are so creative, I also have a thought- I was reading "Country Wisdom & Know-How"- It recommends using the old Indian trick of growing pole beans with corn that way the beans will replace nitrogen into the soil and they don't have to be staked. It also suggests growing squash and pumpkins in the end row of corn since it will "ramble" into the patch and mulch the ground. I didn't have luck with corn last year but I figure even if it doesn't produce this saves space and work plus I can use the stalks after harvest to winterize- I kept carrots this way for quite some time last season.
Do not worry about tomorrow, today has enough worries of it's own. |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Feb 14 2009 : 06:40:31 AM
Hi Amanda, I've read the book, and I have used SFG method and I will never, never go back to "regular row" gardening. It is awesome, especially if you are a northern gardener(not to be confused with a "Yankee" gardener,LOL, sorry I was raised in the West, but all my kin are southerners, lol)!
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
Planting Zone 3
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
