Square Foot Gardening 101
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Transcript of Square Foot Gardening 101
Square Foot Gardening >>>Linna ‘The Locavore’ Ferguson
Why is food gardening important to you?
My name is Linna ‘the Locavore’ Ferguson. I am a mother of two, a wife, a friend, I work full time, and I raise my own food. I preserve my
harvest for the winter. I have appeared on the Emeril Green
show. I write for Examiner.com. I am a certified Square Foot Garden
Teacher.
whowhatwhenwhy how&
So we are here to learn about the immensely popular Square Foot Gardening Method invented by Mel Bartholomew. Let’s use the five Ws to teach you its basics.
WHAT is SFG, and WHY does it work?
Mel Bartholomew is the founder of this method and has many
books and tools to help you learn about this method.
www.squarefootgardening.com
A backyard transformed- before
To get you inspired, here are some images of some SFG.
A backyard transformed- after
How awesome is this?
Versatility- patio boxes
You don’t even need a yard, this box is on legs! Making it easy for
all types of people.
Create your own style
Make it your own! Add flare, add your style.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton
As big or as little as you want it to be
Did you know that the average home garden is 20 x 35 feet long
which equals 700 square feet? To grow the same amount with the
SFG method, you only need 20% of that area, 140 square feet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordancooper/2854553375/http://www.flickr.com/photos/-po/302360126Booz | Allen | Hamilton
They come in all shapes and sizes
A great patio garden.
Garden even on the rooftop!
No yard, no deck, no problem! Rooftops work!
Garden in some of the most unlikely places- Iraq
So with all these garden types and styles, we just answered out WHO
can SFG, ANYONE!
http://www.etftrends.com
Now I have your attention...
SFG Top Ten
STEP 0: Location
• Access to water
• 6-8 hours of
sunlight• Well drained
Location is a deal breaker. If you don’t have 6-8 hours of sunlight and access to water, you can’t
have any type of garden.
STEP 1: Layout
• Think in squares,
not rows
• Have several
garden areas
Be creative, add your personal touch, make it your space, and you
will spend more time in it.
STEP 2: Boxes
• Use a variety of
material
• No wider than 4
ft.• Only need 6 inch
depth
Boxes are neat and tidy, organizes your planting, and hold’s Mel’s
special soil mix.
The basic SFG
The box can be 4 ‘ by anything… this size allows you to access all
part of the garden without stepping on your soil. Only need six inches of soil- so the box is not
very deep.
Six inches … really!
It’s true. Only 6 inches to grow most all veggies, except things like
potatoes, long carrots, etc.
Protect against critters
Box allows you to attach protective items to it to keep critters out.
Garden all year round
Or add a hoop so you can garden in the fall and winter.
STEP 3: Aisles
• Use a variety of
material
• No wider than 4
ft.• Only need 6 inch
depth
Important so you can enjoy moving around your garden.
Grass aisles
Wide aisles here allow you to mow them.
Be creative
Use what you have on hand.
STEP 4: Soil
• Use a variety of
material
• No wider than 4
ft.• Only need 6 inch
depth
This topic could be a class by itself. Soil is your most important garden asset. With SFG, you make ‘near
perfect soil’.
Building soil
1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost (use as many kinds as
you can, 5 recommended)
Tools:
Pencil Trowelscissors
Essential tools
Only tools you MUST have are a trowel, pencil, and a pair of
scissors.
STEP 5: Grid
• Must be permanent
• Must be permanent
• Must be permanent
If you don’t have grids, you don’t have a SFG.
Harvest from one 4x4 box
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1 head of broccoli• 1 head of
cauliflower• 4 heads of
romaine• 4 heads of red
lettuce• 4 heads of salad
lettuce• 5 pounds sugar
snap peas
• 8 bunches of Swiss chard
• 9 bunches of spinach
• 16 small ball carrots
• 16 beets• 4 bunches beet
greens• 16 long carrots• 32 radishes
STEP 6: Care &
Weeding
• Use weed barrier
• Easy to find
weeds• Care is a snap
Care is minimal as long as you are checking on your garden, looking
for pests, watering etc.
In my (2) Square Foot Boxes:
•Cucumbers
•Tomatoes
•Onions
•Cantaloupe
•Parsley
•Dill
•Broccoli
•Marigolds
•Bush Beans
•Lettuce
•Spinach
•Pole Beans
•Scallions
STEP 7: Grow
Vertically
• Maximize space
• Helps keep
healthy plants
Why? Why not! Saves space, grows healthy crops, and is very
cool!
Grow up not out
Only certain types of crops can be grown up….tomatoes, cucumbers,
pole beans, melons, etc.
STEP 8: Plant/Spacing
• Conserve seeds
• Using transplants
• Don’t forget the
pollinators!
Another essential concept, plant either 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per
square, based on the space they need (see book for guidelines)
STEP 9: Water
• Water by hand
• Be efficient
• Water only what
you need to
May seem tedious this way, but gets water where it needs to be.
STEP 10: Harvest
• Garden all year
long• With each crop,
add compost
This is what you worked for, enjoy!
As we conclude…. Isn’t this beautiful?!
Simplify! Create positive first impression
Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front
Resources - planning
Loudoun Locavoreshttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudoun_locavores/ Kitchen Garden Planner
http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Link-Page?id=kgp_home
Planner Toolhttp://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx
Examiner.comhttp://www.examiner.com/food-gardening-in-washington-dc/linna-ferguson
Simplify! Create positive first impression
Relate to target segments Provide top tasks up front
Resources - seeds
www.superseeds.comwww.southernexposure.com
www.fedcoseeds.com/www.cooksgarden.com
Where I am speaking next: Check www.chicamarun.com for details!
• SEED SWAP- Early March
• SFG- Mid March
• VERTICAL GARDENING WORKSHOP- Early April
• WILD HARVEST- late April
• SEED SPROUTING- TBD
Also provide demonstrations at the Purcellville Community Market- my appearances will be posted at
www.purcellvillecommunitymarket.com/
This presentation is located on SLIDESHARE:
http://www.slideshare.net/vafoodscaper/square-foot-gardening-101
For more information…
www.123foodgaardening.com
www.linnasgarden.blogspot.com
www.locavoreliving.ning.com
Booz | Allen | Hamilton
This is who I am, this is what I do.