SQUARE FOOTGARDENSArlen AlbrechtTaylor County-UW-ExtensionWisconsin/Nicaragua Partners

Level 2 MGV Training 2013

IT ALL STARTED IN NICARAGUA

And it flourished in Medford as well

Nothing fresher---Nothing better than home grown!!

TOO MANY! TOO MUCH!

Single row gardens are too big to handle

Too much spacesoil amendments heavy equipmentweedsfertilizerwater

Too many vegetables

ADVANTAGES OF

SQUARE FOOT GARDENS

Small, manageable gardens Space saving 80% less space than

conventional

Easy to get started no heavy equipment necessary locate anywhere

ADVANTAGES OFSQUARE FOOT GARDENS

Easy to manage- growing medium- weeding- watering- pest control

No waste of seeds &no thinning

Longer growing season Easy to harvest Affordable cost

HOW TO PLAN AND PLANT YOUR SFG GARDEN

Basic Planting Patterns

One square foot with 16 plants

•Carrots•Radish•Leaf lettuce

One square foot with 9 plants

•Beets•Onions•Kohlrabi•Peas

One square foot with 4 plants:

•Green beans•Lettuce•Spinach•Okra

One square foot and one plant:•Tomato•Pepper•Cabbage•Broccoli•Potato

Basic planting patterns for the Square Foot Garden Method

Each square foot is planted according to species

For some, it is just too hard to forget straight line gardening!

BOX INSTALLATION

It starts with a humble beginning, and just blossoms and blooms throughout the season

WHY A GRID? Alignment of the

plants Helps in grouping

the plants Unique and

attractive

Materials: wood lath, vinyl

strips, polyester tape, V blinds

Rain Barrels save ground water and rain water is better for the plants

CompostThe key factor to a good natural garden

Good, homemade

compost

It is not Rocket Science!

EXTENDING THE SEASON

SIMPLE PLASTIC TOP EXTENDS SEASON 3 WEEKS IN SPRING AND 4 + IN FALL

FENCING – CAGE SYSTEM

Photo Courtesy: Mel Bartholomew

Always harvest at the right time—and the eating is exquisite!

Think and act outside of the box---lose your image of straight row gardening

There are many more ways to grow a garden than the way your grand parents did!!!!