Square Foot Gardening Thread

[Kassaundra]

We had a Lahsa, same thing wouldn't chase anything, but would bark endlessly at rocks!

But my doxie is a better mouser then a cat (sadly he has a taste for chicken too so we erected the "Tucker can't eat any more of my chickens fence") And we have a new rescue not sure what she is mixed w/ but probably some jack russel and hound (bird dog ish) full of energy will chase anything, but unlike my doxie won't hurt it, just loves the chase.

 

[krcote]

Almost lost most of my garden yesterday. It has been so hot here, I have avoided going out there and hadn't thought about watering for some reason

During the watering rescue mission, I had to continuously hose myself down just to make the task tolerable. But, it was worth it because everything is looking strong and grateful this morning!

 

[ContessaKris]

We're watering every day, once a day and it still is dying like we're in the Sahara. Need to go to 2 times a day but not sure its going to help. It's SO HOT here.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
I laid in those black soaker hoses and attached a four spout connection to the faucet in the garden. Using four hoses, I can now run four soakers at the same time.and let them run for an hour to drip irrigate. Then connect to four more soaker hoses. I'm inside while the hoses do the work. With snap on connectors I'm outside maybe 10 minutes at a time.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
I laid in those black soaker hoses and attached a four spout connection to the faucet in the garden. Using four hoses, I can now run four soakers at the same time.and let them run for an hour to drip irrigate. Then connect to four more soaker hoses. I'm inside while the hoses do the work. With snap on connectors I'm outside maybe 10 minutes at a time.

Dang NanaKat! Why are you always making us look so bad!

 

[Blue Ridge Hillbilly]

I have a good friend who practices square foot gardening and has the most beautiful raised beds. He takes wonderful pictures of them as they are beautiful and could easily be used in a glossy paged gardening magazine. He practices the most ardent organic gardening techniques and buys only organic soil from the same hardware store that I frequent. He mixes up his compost tea and waters his garden with it. He mixes crushed garlic in his sprayers and would never think of using anything other than "text book" organic gardening practices. He only sows organic seed in his cups in early spring and this year drove over 1 hour to Asheville NC to buy organic plants from a grower there. I really admire his dedication and what he is trying to do. His garden makes mine look bad. I don't use raised beds or square foot gardening methods. I don't use organic plants, I do raise a lot of heirloom varieties but I am not a purist by any means. The main difference between my garden and his garden is produce. Every year he comes to my house to get his beans, tomatoes and peppers to have enough produce to can and freeze. This year I have already kept him in cantelope, and beautiful Goliath and Super Fantastic Tomatoes. I gave him 10 gal of tomatoes to can last week and he is coming back tomorrow for more tomatoes. I gave him an armful of sweet Bodacious corn yesterday. I supplied another neighbor who had a crop failure enought yellow squash, beets, turnips, cantelopes and cabbage to can and provide many meals for him and his disabled wife. So far I have counted 180 quarts of green beans and over 180 quarts of tomatoes in our pantry that will be used in some good soups and pasta dinners when the temperature drops below freezing here in the Blue Ridge Mountains this winter. What I have just described is a gardening practice that is not eloquent but one that will help sustain not only my family but several neighbors who have benefited from the way I garden. You can't do that with a square foot gardening. It makes for good gardening books to sell but it is not practical if you are gardening to eat. If I can't eat it, I don't plant it.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
Perhaps your friend has gone to the extreme in combining square foot and Organic methods. To say that Square foot gardening is not practical based on your neighbor's experience is a little unfair

The main principle of square foot gardening is to utilize limited space to the fullest to provide food for the table...it's a guideline not a mandate.

I practice utilizing square foot spacing in my raised beds and follow most organic methods. We start or buy our plants. I use compost to enrich my native soil and to mulch my beds. I conserve water by using soaker hoses. If organic sprays don't get the bugs, I will use a target spray with something stronger. We can to feed the family and always have more than enough to share with friends and neighbors.

Good gardeners using good varieties in good soil grow lots of good produce. Sounds like you are doing a good job too.

 

[ContessaKris]

Quote:
I laid in those black soaker hoses and attached a four spout connection to the faucet in the garden. Using four hoses, I can now run four soakers at the same time.and let them run for an hour to drip irrigate. Then connect to four more soaker hoses. I'm inside while the hoses do the work. With snap on connectors I'm outside maybe 10 minutes at a time.

Dang NanaKat! Why are you always making us look so bad!

Exactly!

Seriously. I was out there this evening being eaten by mosquitoes and wondering why I'm watering dying plants. My problem with watering is, we have our garden in the only real place in our yard that gets full time sun, 160 feet from the back of our house and the backyard faucet. Lately the faucet pipes started leaking in the basement, so we quit using it and now run the hose all the way around the house, another 75 feet to the front yard faucet. IIf its not one thing, its another! lol) I was thinking we might dig up the yard this fall some how and run underground piping back there to the garden so it would easier to water? Haven't researched how to do it yet but I plan to. I have a huge soaker hose but it won't work on all the beds. I'd have to get more of them to use right now. I have a 2 way splitter on the end of the hose right now, wonder if I got 2 more soaker hoses and maybe find a three way hose splitter, I could make shift the soaker plan that NanaKat was telling us about. Could have a soaker hose that draped over 2 beds at a time? (I have 6 beds.) Hmmm...

Question... Anyone doing a new planting for fall? Wondering when you start that?

 

[Kassaundra]

I am planting for fall. Over the past month or so I've been planing out late summer, and winter squash, I'll finish that up today. On July 15th I put out 3 beds of 3 sisters w/ merit (germinated the best), serindipity (germinated the worst), tender treat, and peaches and cream corn, southern peas, and winter squash, and tiny pumkins.

I am starting broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage in the house since it is so ridiculously hot outside, and plan on transplanting them out towards the end of Aug. That is when I plan on putting out the bulk of the fall stuff, depending on weather I may push it to the begining of Sept. (the 50-60 day stuff) greens, beets, beans, peas (pod)

We are south of you in Oklahoma, just south of Tulsa.

 

[NanaKat]

Here is a sketch of the layout for a 16 x 4 foot bed using a 50 foot soaker hose. I run my watering system for up to an hour to soak all four beds and then move the hoses to other soaker hoses.
Depending on the length of your beds, you could run two hoses parallel to each other about 18 inches apart for the 50 feet. Try to get the soaker hose as close to your row of plants as possible for the best watering pattern.

When I plant, I work up the bed, reset the soaker hose and mark the hose location in the bed. I can plant 4 rows in the spaces between the wood and the three hose lines or I can plant three rows with plants /seed next to the soaker hose.