Square Foot Gardening?

I haven’t tried it yet but want to have one bed to see what difference it makes

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Gardening in general isn’t easy. You do it because that’s what you do. I don’t see where sq.ft. gardening is any different than any other gardening. It’s just a system of organization and a particular way of gardening.

Growing “up” is a good way to keep from not having to bend over to work. Trelis’ can do that same thing in wide open spaces or in closed spaces.

Raised beds allow you a way of controlling the soil (and gaining some elevation) whether it’s in sq.ft. style or not. If you’re going to get serious about it, keeping documentation and organizing with a plan are always a good idea.

I also think books always make things sound easy. If they made it sound hard nobody would want to follow the practices.

I think there is no single perfect system. Each one will address certain needs of different people. Experiment and find what suits you.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist......Zone out....(USA 5)

how tall do carrots get?.........or radishes?.......or Romaine lettuce.

it would seem like there are pros

-- Central northish Ontario

carrots don’t get tall….but, it’s alot easier to grow them in raised beds where you can make the right soil, or…....

you can till up a particular section in the “big” garden and do exactly the same thing.

Additionally, if you don’t give climbing things something to climb they don’t climb. If you do then they cllimb. I can give my beans something to climb in the “big” garden just as easily as I would in a square foot.

Why use soil at all? Why not use hydroponics? Why not grow tomatoes upside down….

As I said before no single system is perfect. There’s always a particular system that will suit the individual and his or her situation. sq.ft. is one particular organized system. So is hydroponics, so is row cropping. If it works for you, then use it.

But then I haven’t met a book yet that I couldn’t reduce to about one tenth it’s size by editing out all the fluff. I don’t like paying $20 for a 200 page book that has about 20 or so pages of useful info.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist......Zone out....(USA 5)

Square foot gardening generally does use raised beds where you make the right soil.

-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20