Dedication

Thisbookisdedicatedtothelovingmemoryofmydaughter,GailBartholomew(1954–2000). Gail was my biggest supporter and was one of the originalmembersof theBoardofDirectorsfor theSquareFootGardeningFoundation.Shewasmostenthusiasticaboutourschoolgardeningprogram.

Acknowledgments

Iammostfortunatetobesurroundedbyadedicatedstaffwhonotonlyworkedmany late nights getting this book ready, but who truly believe in and arededicatedtotheprinciplesofSquareFootGardening.

BrendaGrowTypist

LoriPelkowskiResearcher

andKarenBastowMymostableanddevotedassistant

ALLNEWSQUAREFOOTGARDENING

GrowMoreinLessSpace!

MELBARTHOLOMEW

Contents

Introduction

SFG,NewandImproved

PlanYourGarden

BuildingBoxesandStructures

Mel’sMix,EssentialforSquareFootGardeningSuccess

HowtoPlantYourAllNewSquareFootGarden

GrowingandHarvesting

VerticalGardening

ExtendingtheSeasons

SpecialGardens&Gardeners

Appendix

Whywriteanupdatedversionof thebest sellinggardeningbookofall time?Theoldsayinggoes,“If itain’tbroke,don’t fix it.”Well,SquareFootGardenisn’t broken, but the all new model is so superior, so much simpler, and soimproved that you cannow forget all about theoriginal book and theoriginalSquareFootGardeningmethod!

What’ssonewabouttheAllNewSquareFootGardeningbook?TheoriginalcanbeconsideredtheModelTofSquareFootGardening.Thisnewone...likethelatestCadillac!Theyarebothcarsandtheybothmovedowntheroad...but—ohboy—whatadifference!

In this expanded and revised book onSquareFootGardening, you too canlearn,asmillionsofothersalreadyhave,howtobecomeasuccessfulgardenerthesimpleandpainlessway.Thiseasy-to-understandmethodwillrevolutionizethe way you think about gardening; and the new ideas found in this revisededition will awe and inspire you as I share insights on how the Square FootGardeningmethodcan,andis,changingtheworld.

ForExpertsOnlyAreporteronceaskedmeifIthoughtIhadinvented“gardeningfordummies,”referring,ofcourse, tothepopularSquareFootGardeningmethodIdevelopedin1976.“No,”Ianswered.

Actually, when I invented the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method, Ithought it would be for expert gardeners. My method was very precise anddetailed, yet very simple and easy to understand, and it provided all theconditionsnecessaryforsuccessfullygrowingabroadvarietyofplantsinaverydifferent way. It also eliminated all of the wasteful, inefficient practices oftraditional single-row gardening. I thought the experts would shout “Eureka!”and immediately bless all of the new ideas and advantages of this new homegardeningmethod.

BeginnersUnderstoodAsitturnedout,theexpertsneverunderstoodthisuniquemethod.Apparentlyitwastoosimpleandeasy.Butthebeginninggardener,andthosediscouragedbyprevious failed attempts, understood it completely. They immediately saw thesimplicityofSFG.Thebeginner’sinstantresponsewas“Icandothis!”whiletheexperts continued to question every aspect of this revolutionary gardeningmethod.Theyjustcouldn’tadmitthathomegardeningcouldbethateasy.

TwoHoursorTwoWeeksInmylectures,Iliketoreassureaudiencesthatiftheyarenewatgardening,orperhapsafraidoroverwhelmedbytheideaofstartingagarden,theywillbeabletolearnthissimplemethodofgardeninginjustanhourortwo.However,iftheyare already “expert” gardeners, it will probably take them about two weeks!Afterthelaughterdiesdown,Iremindmyaudiencethatbeginnersreadilyacceptthe minimal amount of technical information needed to become successfulgardenersbecausetheywanttoknowhowtosuccessfullygarden.

The“experts,”on theotherhand,aresoentrenchedwith the ideaofsingle-rowgardeningasusedinfarming,withallofitswastefulmethods,thattheyjustcan’tseeitanyotherway.Youmightsay,“Theyarestuckinarut.”Asaresult,I’ve learned to leave theexperts aloneandconcentrateon thebeginner,or thetried-but-failed,gardener,andeventheafraid-to-startperson.

SFGappeals toother largegroupsofwould-begardeners.Yearsago, I readsomeveryinterestingstatistics(andI’msurethepercentagesaresimilartoday)aboutthesegardeners.

75Millionvs.10MillionEveryyearthereareabout15millionpeoplewho:

wouldliketobegingardening.triedthetraditionalsingle-rowgardeningmethod,butfailed. don’t want to begin gardening because they have heard of all the hardwork,time,andcostassociatedwithgardening.

aredoing single-rowgardeningbut are tiredof thehardwork, time, andcostassociatedwiththisimpracticalmethod.

areunabletocontinuecaringfortheirbigsingle-rowgardens.Combined, that’s an estimated 75 million people ready for a gardening

revolutioncomparedtoabout10million single-rowgardenerswhoarecontentwiththeirmethodanddon’twanttochange.

Twenty-FiveYearsandOneMillionBooksLaterThe first book IwroteonSFG in1981 lasted twenty-fiveyears and soldoveronemillioncopies,becomingthebestsellinggardeningbookinAmerica.HereisthestorybehindhowIcametoinventabetterwaytogarden,andtheultimatesuccessofSFG.

ItStartedin1975It all started in 1975 after my retirement from my consulting engineeringbusinessinNewJersey.Incelebration,Imovedmyfamilytoawaterfronthomeon the North Shore of Long Island. After a year of rebuilding the house andanother year of landscaping and improving the grounds, I decided to take upgardeningasahobby.Myfirststepwastoattendalectureoncompostinggivenbyalocalenvironmentalgroup.ItwasawarmspringdayinApril—agreattimetobeout inthegarden.Asmallgroupmilledaroundat theadvertisedmeetingpoint,butnoinstructorevershowedup.So,ratherthandisband,Isuggestedtothegroupthatweeachshareourknowledgewitheachotherandtellwhatlittlewe knew about composting.We had a wonderful time and actually learned alittlebitfromeachother.Aswepreparedtoleave,someoneaskedme,“Canwedo this again nextweek?”And I said, “Sure,why not?” Thus beganmy newcareerofteachinggardeningwhileIwasstillanovicemyself.

CommunityGardenThenextstepwasorganizingacommunitygardenforthissameenvironmentalgroup.Ifoundsomelandandconvincedthetowntocutdownalltheweedsandfenceitin.Alocalfarmerdeliveredtwotruckloadsofwell-rottedmanure,and,afterthegroundwasallfertilizedandplowedup,welaidoutplotsandaislesandopened for business. All of the spaces were quickly taken by people in thecommunity, and everyone started with great enthusiasm. Since most of theparticipants didn’t have a garden at home and were novices, they wereenthusiasticaboutobtaininginstructionandinsightsongardening.

So I initiated a Saturday morning gardening workshop and presentedinformationonadifferentsubjecteachweekwhileeveryonesataroundonbalesof hay listening. I was teaching basic single-row gardening because that’s allanyone knew back then. I was busy studying and learning gardening myself,tryingtokeepaheadofeveryone’squestions!Thelocalcountyagriculturalagent

helpedoutandeverythingwentwelluntilaboutmidsummer.Itwasaboutthenthatouronce-enthusiasticgardenersstoppedcomingouttothegarden.However,theweedskeptcoming—andgrowing!Prettysoontheplacewasovergrownandlookedamess.

FirstRedFlagIwasdiscouragedandthoughtIhadbetterdosomeresearchtofigureoutwhywehadfailed,soIvisitedmanybackyardgardens.WhatIfoundwasabigspaceway out in the farthest corner of the yard, about as close to the neighbor’spropertylineaspossible.Inmostcases,theseindividualgardenswerealsofilledwithovergrownweeds.The first red flagwent up inmymind, indicating thatthere was something wrong with traditional single-row gardening. I began tothinkaboutalltheconventionalgardeningpracticeswe’dbeentaughtandbegantoquestiontheefficiencyofeach.

Three-FootAislesIquestionedwhyfertilizer is spreadover theentiregardenarea,but theplantsare only placed in long, skinny rowswith 3-foot wide aisles on both sides. Iwonderedwhyyouweresupposedtotillupallthesoilinanentiregardenareawhen those 3-foot wide aisles consume over 80 percent of a garden area,althoughplantsinrowsrequirelessthan20percentofthegardenspace.ThenIwondered why you would walk all over the rest of the garden area again,packing down all that newly tilled soil? And, why is an entire garden areawateredwhenplantsareonlylocatedina6-inchwiderowinthecenterofa6-footwidestrip?

TooMany,TooMuchAsIanalyzed these traditionalgardeningmethods, I realized that there isonlyone outcome you can expectwhen you fertilize andwater a 3-footwide aislewithnothingplantedinit—weeds!

The following is a conversation I had with a friend of mine who was anagriculturalagent.

“Whya3-footwideaisleonbothsidesoftheplantedrow?”Iasked.

MelBartholomew

“Soyouhaveroomtogetintothegardentohoetheweeds,”hereplied.“ButIdon’twanttohoetheweeds,”Iprotested.“That’stoomuchwork.”“Well,”hesaid,“let’sfaceit.Gardeningisalotofhardwork.”This triggeredanotherredflaginmymind.Gardeningshouldn’tbea lotof

hardwork.Gardeningshouldbefun!There’ssomethingwronghere.Thisledtofurtherquestions.Whydotheplantinginstructionsonpackagesof

seedsdirectthegardenertopouroutanentirepacketalongarowonlytohaveyou later go back and tear out 95 percent of the seeds you planted once theysprout?Whyuse up an entire $1.89 packet of seeds for every rowyouplant?Isn’tthatratherwasteful?Whywouldtheyinstructustoplantthatway?Who’sinchargehere,anyway?

Thirty-FootRowsThe next question I asked was why plant an entire row of everything? Justbecausemygardenis30feetlong,forexample,doIreallywantorneedawholerowof cabbages?Thatwould be thirty cabbages spaced 12 inches apart. Thisbringsmetoanothercommonsenserevelationthatnooneseemstohavethoughtabout. Why would I want thirty cabbages to ripen all at the same time? Ifeverythingisplantedatonetime,won’titalsobereadytoharvestallatonce?Itsoundslikefarmingtome,but that’s toomuchtoenjoyat thesametimeforahomeowner.Howmanypeoplego to thegrocerystoreandbuythirtyheadsofcabbageonceayear?Doyou?Sowhygrowitthatway?Theremustbeabetterway to stagger the harvest, and the obvious solution is to stagger the time ofplantingwheneverpossibleandtoplantless.

BecauseThat’stheWayIsoonrealizedthatIhadalotofquestionswithveryfewanswers,soItraveledalloverthecountryseekingoutthebestexperts:agriculturalcollegeprofessors,countyagriculturalagents,gardenwriters,radioandTVgardeningpersonalities,gardening publishers, book writers, garden clubs—all those who weresupposedlyknowledgeablepeopleinthefieldofgardening.IsoughtanswerstoallthegardeningquestionsIhadand,nomatterwhereItraveledthroughoutthecountry fromMaine toCalifornia, I kept receiving the same answer.Can youimaginewhat that answerwas? It soon became apparent that the only reasontraditional single-row gardening methods continued to exist was, “Becausethat’sthewaywe’vealwaysdoneit!”RightthenandthereIsaid,“I’mgoingtoinventabetterwaytogarden.”

FarmingPartoftheproblem,Irealized,wasthatsingle-rowgardeningwasnothingbutahand-me-downtechniquefromlarge-fieldcropfarming.Singlerowsmakesensewhenyoudependuponamuleoratractortoplowupthesoilandtendthecropsbecausethosebighoovesorwheelstakeupalotofroom.Butwhyhadnooneeverrealizedthatinahomegarden,thereisnolongeraneedforallthatwastedspace. There only needs to be room for two feet—yours! Yet, every singledirectionforhomegardeningstill instructs,“Spacerows3feetapart.”Perhapsthat’sreallythegardeningmethodfordummies!

EfficiencyThenextstepItookwastolistalloftheineffective,inefficient,andunnecessarystepsthathavebeenconsistentlytaughtfortraditionalsingle-rowgardeningandthenfindabetterandmoreefficientwaytoaccomplishthesametask.Ishouldmentionherethatbesidesbeingacivilengineer,Iwasalsoanefficiencyexpert.BeforeIsoldmyengineeringcompany,myjobwastotraveltoconstructionsitesormanufacturingfacilitiestoanalyzecurrentprocessesinordertoidentifyandcorrectinefficienciesinfacilityoperations.Inotherwords,tofindabetterway.Thus,thechallengeofinventinganewwaytogardenwasrightupmyalley.Thesequence of questions I asked and simple solutions I developed was actuallyvery easy and straightforward, but it involved a little out-of-the-box thinking.Followmealongnow.

OneThousandSeeds

Ihavefunwhenteachingaclassorseminarbyasking,“Howmanyseedsdoyouthink are in a packet of leaf lettuce?” Some guess fifty, one hundred, twohundred, and someevenventureaguessashighas fivehundred seeds. I thenastoundthembysayingthatIonceopenedapacketandcountedthem,andtherewerewell over one thousand seeds!Whyplant hundreds of seeds in one longrow,andthenturnaroundwhentheysproutandthin themout tooneplantforevery6inches?Itdoesn’tmakesense,doesit?It’saterriblewasteofseedsandtime and work—all useless, unnecessary work. My first solution was to laydownayardstickandplantoneseedevery6inches.Then,Ihadnothingfurtherto do and no wasted seeds. The next thought was, if you’re growing, forexample,lettuce,andtheseedpacketsaystothinplantsto6inchesapartintherow,howfarawaydoesthenextrowreallyneedtobe?Theanswer,ofcourse,is6inches—not3feet!

Dependingonthematuresizeofeachplant,spaceacoupleofseedsortransplantsone,four,nine,orsixteenpersquarefoot.

SingleRow,DoubleRow,TripleRowEagertotestmyreasoning,Iplantedtworows,6inchesapart,toseehowwelltheplantswoulddo.Itworked!Theplantsgrewjustaswellintworowsastheydidinasinglerow,aslongaseachplanthad6inchesallaround.NextItriedatriple row—three rows where I placed all the plants 6 inches apart in alldirections.Again,itworked!HowwidecouldImakethis,Iasked?Theanswer

is,aswideasyoucanreachintomaintainyourgarden;inotherwords,aslongasyourarms.ButIstillhadaharvesttoolargetoutilize.

ShortentheRowsSo what was the obvious solution? Shorten the rows! And they kept gettingshorterandshorter,untiltheywereonly12incheslongand12incheswide—asquarefootplantingarea.Howmanyplantscouldyougrowinthatsquarefootifeachplantwas6inchesapart?Thesimpleanswer:fourplantspersquarefoot.

PlantSpacingSo, in summary, if plants should be thinned to 12 inches apart, plant one persquarefoot.Ifplantsshouldbethinnedto6inchesapart,plantfourpersquarefoot.Ifplantsshouldbethinnedto4inchesapartthenyoucangrowninewithinthespaceofthatonesquarefoot.Ifplantsarethinnedto3inchesapart,youcangrowsixteeninthatsamesquarefoot.Doesn’titallmakesenseandseemeasyenough?

NeverWalkonSoilI then wondered just how far someone could reach in to maintain a gardenwithoutcompactingthesoilbywalkingalloverit.So,Igotalittleoldladyandabighuskymanandmeasuredhowfartheycouldeasilyreach.Ifoundthatbothcouldcomfortablyreachin2feetwithoutlosingbalance.Inordertoreachin2feetandwalkall thewayaroundyourgarden,youenduphavinga4×4-footarea. Now, the only soil that needs to be dug up, improved, watered, andfertilized is a 4 × 4-foot garden area and not all the aisles. That reduced theactual growingarea in thegardenby80percent.And, an addedbenefit is thegrowingsoilinthe4×4-footareaisneverpackeddown,soyoudon’thavetohoeordigupthegroundtokeeplooseningtheplantingsoil.

SoilImprovementThenextstepwashowtoimprovethesoil.Afterlisteningtoagriculturalagentsand reading books on soil improvement and conditioning, the only optionseemedtorequireagreatdealofwork,time,andmoney.Myresearchindicatedthataveragesoilconditionsaroundthecountrywerenotwell-suitedforgrowinghealthy vegetables and beautiful flowers. Thus, in most areas soils had to begreatlyimprovedtoobtainthebestgardeningresults.

HorseManureMost soils only contain about 3 or 4 percent organic material. Thus, thetraditionalfirststepforimprovingsoilinpreparationforgardeningwastodigortill up the soil in the entire garden as deep as you could and then add soilenhancerssuchascompostorwell-rottedmanurefollowedlaterbycommercialfertilizers.Thisinitialsteprangabellwithmebecause,asateenager,Iwastheonewhohadtoturnovermymother’sgarden,diggingthewholethingupeveryyear.My father had to bring home bushel baskets full of horsemanure in hisbrandnewChrysler.Afterwedumpeditintothegardenarea,Ihadtodoallofthespreading,mixing,andturning.As laborers inMom’sgardeneveryspring,mydadandIwerenothappycampers,althoughshewasthrilledwiththeresults.

TheSeven-YearItchIonceconductedasurvey,askinggardenershowlongit tookthemtoimprovetheirsoiluntil theygotit justthewaytheywantedit.Theaverageanswerwasaboutsevenyears—sevenyearsofhardworktoproperlyconditionthesoilforgardening!Anddoyouknowwhat statistics say the averagehomeownerdoesaftersevenyears?Theymove!Andguesswhobuysthathome?Someonewhodoesn’tevengarden!

You can probably imagine the conversation between the new homeowners.“Henry,let’spaveoverthatgardenarea;itwouldmakeagreatplacetoparkthetrailer.” Seven years worth of effort lost. There’s something definitely wrongwiththisscenario.

StartRightinaSingleDayIstartedthinking,“Whynothavegreatsoilduringthefirstyearofyourgarden,andeveryyearthereafter,nomatterwhereyoulive?”Ofcourse,withtraditionalbiggardenareas,having thebest soil conditions rightawaymaybe toocostlyandentailtoomuchtimeandeffort.RememberthatafterIdidthemath,Ifoundthatbyswitchingfromatraditionalsingle-rowgardentoa4×4-footlayout—whichwill produce the sameharvest—80percent of the garden area could becompletelyeliminated.Thismeansthatyoucangrow100percentoftheharvestinonly20percentofthespace.That80percentofasingle-rowgardeniswastedspace—spacethatdoesn’tneedtobefertilized,watered,orimproved,butitdoeshave to be weeded. Think of it.With the SFGmethod, seven years worth ofwork can suddenly be condensed into as little as a single daywithout all theeffort!

The4×4-FootGardenMyfirstbookshowedhowyoucouldreducetheworkbylayingouta4×4-footarea, thendiggingout6 inchesofexistingsoil andmixing in2 inchesofpeatmoss, 2 inchesofvermiculite, and2 inchesof compost.These ingredients areavailableatanynursery.Manygardenersevenmaketheirowncompostathomefrom kitchen scraps and other plant material.Mixing the ingredients togetherwiththesoilthatyouremoved,younowhave12inchesof50percentimprovedsoil.Mythinkingwasthat12inchesofimprovedexistingsoilwouldbeallthatnew plants would need to thrive with the plant roots staying within these 12inches of improved soil. But the experts I consulted said that most vegetableplant rootsneed tokeepgrowingdownward, searching forwaterandnutrientsmany,many feetbelow the surfaceof the soil. “But,” I thought, “ifplants areprovidedagoodgrowingsoilcomposedofmorethan15percentorganicmatter,andifvermiculiteandpeatmossaremixedin,helpingtoretainwaterinthesoil,plant rootswould no longer need to continue growing downward in search ofadditionalmoisture andnutrients.”Besides that, Iwondered if theywere rightabout the roots needing to grow deeper than 12 inches, how come mostrototillersdigdownlessthan6inches?Well,itturnedouttheywerewrong.Ourgardensthrivedwithlessthan12inchesofimprovedsoilandthatwasjust thebeginning!WaituntilyoureadChapter2,whichdescribesthelatestadvancesinthis“outofthebox”typeofthinking.

StaggertheHarvest

I also realized that if each square foot could be plantedwith a different cropcontaining either one, four, nine, or sixteen plants, all properly spaced, itwouldn’tbenecessarytoplantawholerowofjustonecrop.So,whynotstaggeryour vegetable plantings, so that your harvest is also staggered?Makes sense,doesn’tit?Yetwe’vebeentaughtallourlivestoplanteverythingallatonceinlong rows—anotherhand-me-down technique from large-fieldcrop farming. Ifyou’re farmingforcommercialpurposes,youwanteverything to ripenatonceso itcanbeharvested togetherand taken tomarket.Butwithhomegardening,youwant to staggeryourproduce soyoucanuse it throughout the season fordailyconsumption.

Of course, I’mnot talking about canning, freezing, andother home-storagemeasures,althoughSFGisapracticalgardeningmethodforthesepurposesalso.However, I’ve found that people are not storing homegrown produce to theextent they did in the past. Remember, I grew up in the days of the “victory

garden,” a result of World War II when Americans were encouraged by thegovernment and by society to have a big garden that used the old single-rowplantingmethods.Mostpeoplewhogrewupduringthoseyearshatedgardeningbecauseof all theweeding andhardwork it entailed.That carriedover into awholegenerationofpeoplewhostayedawayfromgardeningjustbecauseofthenegativememoriesassociatedwithmaintainingalargetraditionalgarden.And,Imight add, also from all the work of canning and freezing. So why does thegovernmentstillteachthesameoldsystemmorethan60yearslater?

StopPlantingSoMuchImeetmanymature coupleswhere the husband proudly states, “I have a bigsingle-rowgarden,andIgrowalotofproduce.”Andthewomanresponds,“Oh,but I wish he’d stop. He grows all this produce that we really don’t needanymore. Then I have to can and freeze it. I’m tired and don’t want to do itanymore.Wedon’tneeditbuthejustkeepsgrowingit!”WithSFG,youdon’thavetogrowsomuchatatimethatitbecomesoverwhelming.

Believeme,therearesomanyadvantagestotheSFGmethod,andthebenefitsandefficienciesonlycontinuetoincrease.

LocationIbegantorealizeanothergreatadvantageofSFG—byreducingthegardensizeby80percent,itincreasesthenumberofplaceswhereagardenwillfit.Agardennolongerhastobewayoutback,snuglyputupagainstyourneighbor’spropertyline.Andsinceyoudon’thavetofertilize,water,andweedtheaisles,itcannowbelocatednearthehouse.

UpCloseandPersonal“Closerisbetter”isoneSFGmotto.Whenagardenisclosertothefrontorbackdoorofyourhome,youpassbythegardenmoreoften.Thismeansitiseasiertotake care of and can bemore readily enjoyed, all ofwhich results in a bettergardenandahappiergardener.Thewholepackagefitstogethernicely.TherearesomanyadvantagestoSquareFootGardening,andthebenefitsandefficienciesoftheconceptonlycontinuetoincrease.

TheSquareFootGardeningStory

CommunityGardenWell,wetriedall thesenewideasinthecommunitygardenthenextyear,and,guesswhat?Theyworked!Everyone understood and grasped the Square FootGardeningconceptsquicklyandeasily,andsincemostoftheparticipantswerebeginning gardenerswhowerewell acquaintedwith the disastrous experiencefromthepreviousyear—includingtheovergrownweedsandmoundsofzucchiniand rows of cabbage that ripened all at once—they were very willing to tryanotheroption.Thatnextyear,1976,wewereabletoenjoyaveryattractiveandwell-run community garden using the newly developed Square Foot method.TheBicentennialyearof1976wasahugecelebrationacrossthecountryandwealso celebratedmy youngest son’s July Fourth birthday. I decided to do threethings:oneformycountry,oneformyfamily,andoneformyself.Theofficialpresentation of Square Foot Gardening was made at a hometown event thatincludedaschoolprojectthatIhadorganized.Alltheschoolsgrewsunflowers,whichwereplantedalongMainStreetasabeautificationproject.Wehadanall-daycelebrationofdisplays,talks,booths,anddemonstrationsonthenewSquareFootGardeningmethod I had developed. I announced thiswasmygift to thecountry—abetterwaytogarden.

“Youhaveforeverchangedgardeningforme.”—KanasfromCalifornia

SharingIdeas,1978to1980BecauseoftheoverwhelmingsuccessoftheprojectandtheuniqueSFGmethod,manypeopleencouragedme towriteabooksharingmy ideas.First, the localnewspaper asked me to write a garden column. Then I began writing andproducing pamphlets. Soon, magazine representatives started coming out tophotographmyhomegarden and towrite stories aboutmynew ideas and theSFGmethod.Themediaattentiongrewandgrew,soIthought,“Whynotwriteabook?”Idraftedanoutlineandsentittotwopublishers,whichbothacceptedthe“howto”bookonsuccessfulgardeningusingthenewSFGmethod.

GardenConsulting,1981to1984At the same time, I also began doing gardening consulting work for severalcompanies. You can imagine how “retired” I was now. One was a fencecompany, and, using their products, I began to develop vertical gardeningmethods,originally for tomatoesbut later forallvinecrops.Anothercompanywantedtostartagardeningtoolcatalog.Somyjobwastosearchtheworldforuniqueandunusual tools, test andevaluate them,make recommendations, andthenarrangethewritingofsampledescriptionsforthecatalog.Duringthistime,Iwonderedwhyweneededsomuchstuffjusttogarden.And,asyou’lllearn,Idiscoveredthatyoudon’t.

PBSOneMinute,1981to1986My publisher’s predictions for my book were very modest, so they didn’tpromote my book the way I had hoped or even send me out for talks andappearances.Fortunately,someof thecompaniesIwasconsultingfordidsendme on tours and allowed me to show the book and talk about Square FootGardeningifIalsoexplainedanddemonstratedtheirproducts.Thisprovedtobea very valuable and rewarding period, and it wasn’t long before a local PBStelevisionstationaskediftheycouldsendtheircameracrewouttomygardentoshoot “A Minute in Mel’s Garden” segment for the evening news. I wasdelightedtohavetheopportunitytosharetheSFGmethod.Theresponsetothatshortsegmentwasexplosive.Thetelevisionstationreceivedsomuchmailandsomany telephone calls that they wanted to tape a show for broadcast every

weeknight.So,onceaweek theycame tomygardenand taped fivedifferentsegments. That again proved so popular that later they asked if I would beinterestedinathirty-minutenationalshow.YoubetIwas!

Thirty-MinutePBSTVSeries,1982to1986Tomakealongstoryshort,myshowairedthefollowingyearonPBSandwaspicked up by enough stations along the East Coast to pay for itself. ThefollowingyearIstartedmyownproductioncompanyanddistributedthethirty-minuteSquareFootGardeningshowthroughouttheentirePBSsystem.WithinthreeyearsitwaspickedupbyeveryPBSstationinthecountryandreceivedthehighest ratingofanygarden show.This involveda lotof travel,but itwasallveryexciting.Myoldestson,Steve,becametheshowdirector,andwetraveledaroundthecountrytodifferentviewers’gardensthatwereparticularlyworthyofsharingwithouraudience.WewerealsoinvitedtoDisneyWorldtoshootduringthe winter, an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. All of this excitement andactivitymadeitaveryrewardingandexcitingperiodofmylife.

MoreTelevisionOpportunitiesIn addition to all the above activity and travel, many other opportunitiesoccurredwithTVnetworkslikeCNNoutofAtlanta,Georgia,CBNinVirginiaBeach,Virginia,andseveralappearancesonABC,GoodMorningBoston,GoodMorning Philly, andmany other TV spots all around the country. All of thatbroughtinatonofmail(whoeverhadheardofe-mailbackthen?)andactivitieswith companies interested in developing SFG products including some bigcompanies such as Rubbermaid. This was exciting and eventful, yet at timesstressful and exhausting. Through all of it,mywifeGinny courageously tookcareofeverythingathomeandevenputupwith—yetneverquitegotusedto—thefilmcrewscomingonceaweektofilmthePBSTVshow.Itwasbadenoughto have the constant activity outside in the garden, but they even invaded herkitchentodothecookingsegment.Sincesuchabigpartofgardeningisintheharvestand foodpreparation, I convincedPBS to letushave the first cookingsegmentonagardenshow.Now,ofcourse,theyalldothat.

TVBookTagIoriginallyofferedtheprogramtoPBSfreeofchargeiftheywouldgivemeaone-minute book tag at the end of each show. At that time, PBS wascommercial-freeandhadnocorporatesponsors.Buttheywerefinallyconvincedthat itwouldbeworthwhile,allowingmetobe thefirstpersontohaveabook

tagonaPBSshow.Asaresult,atremendousnumberofordersfortheSFGbookwerereceived.Wehadtosetupatoll-freenumberandafulfillmentcompanytoprocesstheseorders.Aftersixyears,theoperationbecamefairlyroutineandthechallenge of creating something new was over. At the same time, some PBSstationsstartedtalkingliketheyshouldshareintheprofitsofthebooksales,yettheystillwantedtheshowfree.Ratherthancompromisetheinitialagreement,Idecidedtotaketheshowofftheairandretireforthesecondtime.Thistime,myretirementwas“forsure.”

DiscoveryNetwork1989to1991Afewyearslater,anagentcametomeandsaidthathecouldgettheTVshowbackontheair.Ididn’twantanythingtodowithit;Iwashappilyretired.Butwhen he offered to do all thework and take care of all the details, I thought,“Well,whatharmcouldtherebe?”(Weneverlearn,dowe?)Ifinallyagreed,andhesoldtheshowtotheDiscoveryNetworkwhereitranfortwoyearsandthenonTheLearningChannel foranotheryear. Iagain took theshowoff theair. Idecidedthatthatwasit—Ireallywasretiringforgood!(Yeah,sure!)

CaliforniaSchools,1996Fiveyearslater,whenIwastravelinginnorthernCalifornia,someoneinvitedmetocomeseeaschoolgarden.“It’saSquareFootGarden,”theyexplained.Iwentand thought it was so impressive. The children were really enjoying thegardeningexperience,andtheteachersloveditsomuchthatIbegantothinkthatperhaps I really shouldn’t be retired—I should be out teachingSFG to schoolchildren.So,again,Icameoutof retirement (youknowthesaying“fools rushin”) and established a nonprofit foundation to design a program for teachersexplaininghowtoteachSquareFootGardeningtostudents.Thefoundationalsobuilt and distributed numerous gardens throughout the country.We called theprogram “ASquareYard in the SchoolYard” since the children’s gardens aresizedat3×3feet.

OneofthetrulygreatfeaturesofSFGishoweasyitisforchildren(ofallages!)toparticipate.

UtahSchools,1998This phase ofmy life also involved a lot of travel. As I developed new staffmembers, we went from school to school donating gardens all the way fromMaine to Florida and on to the California coast. When offering Square FootGardeningtoschoolsinUtah,wetriedsomethingnew.Ratherthangoingfromteacher to teacher and school to school,wewent straight to the stateboardofeducation.Theylikedourideasomuchthattheysaid,“We’lltakeagardenforeverysinglegrammarschool in thestateofUtah.”Wegulpedandsaid,“Well,let’sseewhatwecando.”

ThanksgivingPoint,1999to2001Over the next twoyears,wewere able to do just that.Next, the school boardaskedifIwouldwritealessonplanforUtahteachersandstudents.Idid,andithasnowbeenmodifiedforhomeschoolingaswell.Weweretheninvitedtoputup a public displaySquareFootGarden atThanksgivingPoint nearSaltLakeCity. Thousands visited the garden and, since Salt Lake City is home to theChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints(theLDSchurchorMormons),SFGgainedtheattentionofmanyLDSchurchleaders.TheyinvitedthefoundationtoteachSFGat theLDSMissionaryTrainingCenter inProvo,Utah.Weshowedmissionarieshow to instructpeople living inThirdWorldcountries tobecomemore self-sufficient by growing their own food using the Square MeterGardeningmethod,whichwe had converted from the SquareFoot Gardeningmethod.

SquareMeterGardening:SFGHumanitarianEffortsGoGlobal,2001to2002Opportunities for the SFG foundation just kept on growing as we becameinvolvedwithadditionalhumanitarianorganizationsthatsentaidoverseas,manyofwhichbeganincludingtheSquareMeterGardeningsystemintheirprograms.SMGwasdesignedtoappealtofamiliesinThirdWorldcountriesandimprovenutrition by adding fresh vegetables to their diets. It is something that can bereadilydone,asthesoilthatisusedinthisprogramispurecompostsincepeatmossandvermiculite iseitherunavailableor tooexpensive toobtainoverseas.Anaddedadvantageisthatmakingcompostcleansuptheenvironmentandgetsallthefamilymembersinvolved.

SFGInternationalTrainingCenterinHomestead,FloridaSincegardening inUtah isat a standstill allwinter, the logicaldirection togothat time of year is south. Through our work with several internationalorganizationsheadquarteredinWashington,D.C.,theopportunitycametospendthewinter in southernFloridawherewe set up anSFG InternationalTrainingCenterinHomestead.Thisprovedveryeducationalforusbecausetheweather,plants, and techniques were much more like Central and South America.Weprovidedathree-daytrainingseminarforthepeopleheadingtothosecountriesas representatives of various humanitarian organizations. This enabled SquareMeterGardeningtobetakentoquiteavarietyofpeopleandplaces.

OverseasWhenworkingwithpeopleoverseas,thefirststepistoteachthemcomposting.SincemostThird-World countries are located in tropical regionsof theworld,it’sveryeasytofindmaterialsthatcanbeusedtogeneratecompost.OneofthebiggestsuccessesinSquareMeterGardeningisaprojectdevelopedinIndia.Itillustrates how easy it is to offer meaningful foreign aid to countries withoutspending millions of dollars. It is also a successful way of encouragingindependence rather than dependence on governmental bureaucracies. Thissuccess story began after a priest named FatherAbraham received the SquareFootGardeningbook.Hereaditandsaid,“Wecandothis!”Asaresult,henowoperates a sizeable, well-organized 6-acre training center where hundreds—perhapsthousands—ofpeoplehavecometo learn theSquareMeterGardeningmethod.Thepeople are learning to successfullygrowcrops they cannotonlyuseathomebutcantaketomarketwheretheyearntwentytimesmorethanthey

didpreviouslygrowingcropsthetraditionalsingle-rowway.

SingleRowsThroughouttheWorldBelieveitornot,manypeoplearoundtheworldstillgardenandgrowcropsinsingle rows. When I was in the mountains of Nepal, I observed the farmersgrowingcornonespindlystalkspaced1meter(approximately3feet)apartfromthenextspindlystalk,withthenextrow1meteraway.ThroughtheinterpreterIaskedwhy they space and plant their crops thisway. The answer, as you canprobablyguess,was“That’sthewaywe’vealwaysdoneit.Myfathertaughtme,andthat’sthewayhisfathertaughthim.”

JustthinkofallthegoodthatwillbeaccomplishedwhenSquareFoot/MeterGardeningisadoptedallovertheworld.Itwillallowfamiliestogrowfivetimesas much for their own use, thereby improving their health through betternutrition;familylifewillimprovewiththenewabundance.Itwilldrawfamiliesclosertogetherastheybecomeinvolvedinaviableandproductiveproject,andtheycanselltheexcessatmarket.Thewomanofthefamilyisourprimarytargetforthisproject,assheismostconcernedwiththechildren’snutrition.

“Yourmethod has givenme the confidence to try veggiesagainafterafewfeebleattempts.”

—AnnefromFlorida

CertifiedSFGTeachersWeholdworkshopsto train teachersandpeoplewhowant tohelpothers learnthis simple, easy, inexpensivemethod that anyone, anywhere in theworld cando. Just think—what if every woman in the world started just one SquareFoot/Meter Garden? Those nine crops could improve the nutrition of herchildren;manycouldevenexpandbyplantingmoregardensforlargerharvestsand even to grow cash crops. One of our trainees who took our course forcertificationthenwentonamissiontoteachschoolchildrenmusicatorphanagesin an African country. At the same time, she startedmany SFG projects; herstoriesofsuccesswereheartwarmingandinspiring.

GardenofEdenAfter enjoying three very productive years with our SFGDisplay Gardens atThanksgivingPoint,Utah,wehadtomakeadecisionbecausedeveloperswere

goingtobuildanewbuildingwhereourgardenswerelocated.Ratherthanmovethegardenstoanotherlocation,Idecideditwastimetogetawayforasabbaticaltodo someplanningandwritinganddiscovered thebeautiful, smallmountaincommunityofEden,Utah. I intendedtoonlystayandwriteforafewmonths.KnowingIwouldneedsomeclericalhelp,IplacedanadinthelocalnewspaperandreceivedanoverwhelmingresponsefrompeoplewantingtohelpwithSFG.Thoseinitialfewmonthsstretchedintoyears,andEdenbecameanappropriatelynamed home base for spreading SFG throughout the world. Through thedevelopment of the Square Foot Gardening website and e-mail contacts, theworldhasliterallybecomemynext-doorneighbor.

TheStoryGoesOnAndOnRecently,arepresentativefromGuadalajara,Mexico,e-mailedaskingforoneofourrepresentativestovisitandadvisehiminthedevelopmentofalargeurbanSFGprojectthatwouldteachandenablewomentohelptheirfamilies.Areallybigand impressiveprojecthasbeenstarted inSriLanka.Othershave recentlywritten from Ukraine, Mongolia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Africa requestingtrainingintheSFGmethodbecausetheyseeandknowwhatagreatdifferenceitcanmakeintheirrespectivecountries.

IreceivereportsfromsuccessfulSFGprojectsthroughouttheworld.Suchareport came from one of our certified teachers, a professor from Tennessee,along with photos of her international project in Ecuador. Letters come frompeople in Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, and Chinavolunteeringtohelptranslateourwebsiteandbookintodifferentlanguages.

Theviewercommentssenttoourwebsiteatwww.squarefootgardening.comare phenomenal and the stories are not only heartwarming, but some are veryfunny.One lady said theonlygood thing shegot inher divorcewasmySFGbook!Anothertoldofthefamilybondthatwasforgedashesatwithhisfather(nowdeceased)watchingmyPBSTVshow in the early ’80s.He still hashisfather’soriginalbook.AnentireSFGgenerationhaspassedbysince I started.Boy,amIgettingthatold?Andnowintheelectronicage,wehavethewebsiteande-mailtoreplacetheTVshowandsnailmail.Backthen,weofferedafreegardentipsflyerandapacketofseeds(myfavorite,marigolds)ifviewerssentina SASE. Do you younger gardeners know what that stands for? Ask yourparents.We received ten thousand letters and sold one thousand books everyweek.Whatahectic,excitingexperience!Butnowthat’sallhistory,andit’stimeforanallnewSFGbookforanewgenerationofgardeners.

WhyanAllNewSquareFootGardeningBookNow?

Theanswerissimple—IhavemadesomanynewimprovementstotheoriginalbasicSFGmethod.MostoftheseimprovementsaresomajortheymakethefirstSFGbookobsolete.JustlookatthenextpageandseewhyAllNewSquareFootGardeningcanhelpyouwithyourgarden!

TenMajorNewImprovementstotheOriginalSquareFootGardenMethod

1.NewLocation—ClosetotheHouse2.NewDirection—Up,NotDown3.NewSoil—Mel’sMix4.NewDepth—Only6InchesDeep5.NoFertilizer—YouDon’tNeedIt6.NewBoxes—AbovetheGround7.NewAisles—ComfortableWidth8.NewGrids—ProminentandPermanent9.NewIdea—Don’tWasteSeeds10.NewOpportunities—TabletopGardensAllNewSquareFootGardening offers tennewmajor improvements to the

original SFG method. Now, with these improvements, anyone can be asuccessful gardener. Yes, it’s true; this improved gardening method makesgardening even easier than before. You’re going to love every one of theseimprovements.

Youwillnowbeable toreduce thesizeofyourSFGsomuchthatyoucanlocate it close toyourhouse forbetter careandmoreenjoyment.You’llneverhavetodigupyourexistingsoilanymoreasyounowbuildyournewgardenontopof it.Nomorehardworkorheavy-duty toolsneeded.Allyou’llneed is6inches of a perfect soil mix from three common ingredients availableeverywhere. This mix never needs changing and no fertilizer is ever neededusingthisnatural,organicmethod.

You’llusebottomlessboxesmadefromcommonlumber,haveaislesthatarewideenoughtocomfortablymoveaboutin,andeachboxwillhaveapermanent

gridforthatuniqueSFGlookanduse.You’lluseaminimumofseeds,soyouwon’thavetobuynewpacketseveryyear.Bestofall,someofyourboxescanhavebottomssoyoucanmovethemorplacethemattabletoporrailingheightsforeasiercareanduniquelocations.

NewLocation—ClosetotheHouse

Single-RowGardensAreTooBigOneofthebiggestproblemsofsingle-rowandbedgardensistheirsize.They’rebig!Theytakeupsomuchroomthattheyareusuallylocatedwayoutback.Thatusuallymeant itwasoutof sight, resulting inoutofmind. Itbecame lessandlesstendedastheyearwenton.But,guesswhatstillgrew?Weeds!Andthesepesky plants can quickly inundate and choke out your crops. Without yourattentionthey’lltakeoverthegarden.

NoMoreAllthathasbeenchangedforthebetter.SFGtakesonly20percentofthespaceofasingle-rowgarden.Thatmeans itcanbe locatedmuchcloser to thehousewhereitwillgetmoreattentionandcare,resultinginabetter-lookinggardenandamoreusableharvest.

SplitItUpforBestLocationInaddition,yourgardendoesn’thavetobeallinoneplace.Younolongerhavetorototillorwateronebiggardenareaallatonce.YoucansplitupyourSFGsothataboxortwoarelocatednexttothekitchendoor,whilemoreboxescanbelocatedelsewhere in theyard.Small, individualgardenboxesallowyoumuchmore flexibility indetermining location.Nowyourgardencanbe locatednearwhereyouwalkandsit,orwhereyoucanviewitfromthehouse.Itcanevenbelocated in a patio or pool setting, where you relax. Your SFG becomes acompanionratherthanaburden.

ThekeytosuccessoftheAllNewSquareFootGardeningmethodistoavoidthepoorqualitiesoflocalsoilbybuildingupratherthandiggingdown.

NewDirection—Up,NotDown!

BuildUp,Don’tDigDownThesecondimprovementinvolveslocatingyourgardenontopofyourexistingsoil rather thandiggingdown.Mostofour readerscomplainabout the terriblesoil in their areas. In fact, as I lecture around the country and the world, thequestionIhearmost is,“Whatcanwedoaboutour localsoil? It issohard toworkandgardenin.”TheoriginalSquareFootGardeningbookexplainedhowtodigdown6inchesandimproveyourexistingsoilbyaddingequalamountsofreallygoodingredients.Eventhoughyouhadtodothatonlythefirstyearanditproduced a fairly good soil, people complained that it was still a lot ofworkinvolvingheavytoolsandagreatdealofeffort.Everyonewantsasimple,easywaytogarden.So,backtothedrawingboard.

Thisgotmetothinking.CouldIfindabetterway?So,Iaskedmyself,whydowe reallyneed to improveourexistingsoil if it’s sobad?Couldn’twe juststartwithaperfectsoilmixabovegroundandeliminatetheneedtoeverdiguporimproveourexistingbackyardsoil?Youprobablycouldifyourgardenwasn’tsobig...buthey,SFGisn’tbig.Infact,it’sone-fifththesizeofconventionalgardens.So,ifwecouldfindaperfectsoilmix,therewouldbenomorediggingandnomore tilling.Doesn’t thatmakea lotofsense?ItbecamepossiblewithAllNewSquareFootGardening tohaveaverycondensedno-workgardeningmethodandneverhavetobeconcernedagainaboutwhatkindofsoilyouhaveinyouryard.Wow!

NoSweatJustthinkoftheimplicationsifyouforgetabouttryingtoimproveyourexistingsoil.Itnolongermatterswhatkindofsoilyouhave!Usethetimeyousavetostartacompostpileinstead.Ifyoustartwithaperfectsoilmix,itwillsavealotoftimeandmoney.Youdon’thavetohaveyoursoilanalyzedanymore,andyoudon’thavetohaveapHtestmade...youdon’tevenhavetoknowwhatpHis!Youdon’thavetobuyanyheavytoolsorgototheexpenseofhavingsomeonerototillyourgardeneverysingleyear.Youdon’thavetobuyspecialingredientstoloosenyourclaysoilorsolidifyyoursandysoil.Andmost importantly,younolongerhavetodoanyhardwork.You’llhavetofindanotherwaytogetsomeexercise—sogomowthelawn.Thismajoradvanceinhomegardeningchangesalloftherulesofgardeningandeliminatesallofthehardworkandundesirablepartsofsingle-rowgardens.Hey,gardeningcanbefunnow!

So,ifyouarenotgoingtouseyourexistingsoilbutinsteaduseaperfectsoilmix,whatisitandhowandwheredoyougetit?

NewSoil—Mel’sMix

What’sInIt?There are three characteristics of a perfect growing mix. First of all, it’slightweight,soitiseasytoworkwithandeasyforplantstogrowin.Next,itisnutrient-richandhasallthemineralsandtraceelementsthatplantsneedwithoutaddingfertilizers.Finally,itholdsmoisture,yetdrainswell.

Aftermanyexperiments, I foundthat threeofmyfavorite ingredientsmadetheperfectmixwhencombinedinequalportions:

1/3PeatMoss—Availableatanygardencenterorsupermarket.1/3Vermiculite—Buythecoarsegradeinlarge4-cubic-footbagsatanygarden center or home improvement store. Phone ahead to be sure it’savailableinthatsize.

1/3BlendedCompost— Ifyoudon’thaveyourowncompostoperation,thenbuybagsofcompostat thegardencenter toget started.Then, startyourowncompostpileassoonaspossible.I’llexplainsomesimplestepsforfoolproofcompostinglaterinthebook.However,onewordofcautionhere:Youmusthaveablendedcompost,sodon’tbuyall thesamekind.Pick out one bag of this and one bag of that. But, more about that inChapter5.

WhatDoTheseIngredientsDo?Allthreeoftheseingredientsarenatural—notmanufactured.Theyalldrainwell,so there are no puddles to waterlog the plant roots; but they also hold largeamountsofmoisturesotheplantswillgrowwell.Thismixisapleasuretoworkwith,hasalightfluffytexture,andsmellsgood.

Thefirsttwoingredientshavenonutrients,butthelast—compost—isloadedwithallthenutrientsandmineralsthatyoucouldimagine.Compostisthemostimportant ingredient of the three, andmaking your own is good for both theenvironmentandthegarden.Thisisaboutasorganicasyoucanget.

Ifyoudon’tthinkthisperfectsoilmixwillworkinthegarden,askyourself,“What do professional greenhouse growers use for growing crops on theirbenches? Do they go out and dig up the fields for soil?” Of course not.Professionalgrowersmixupaperfectpottingsoilfromseveralotheringredientsandneveruselocaloutsidesoil.

Whenyoubuyawindowboxatthestore,whatdoyoufillitwith—youryardsoil?Ofcoursenot.Youbuyabagofperfectpottingsoil.Sowhycan’twedothesameforourvegetablegarden?Well,therearetworeasons:

One,nooneeverthoughtofit—andtwo,itwouldbeprohibitivelyexpensiveforthetypicalsingle-rowgardenthateveryonehasbeenusingalloftheseyears.

So, howcanwedo it now?BecauseSFG reduces thegarden size down toonly20percent(that’sone-fifthaslarge),soitisnowpossibletoconsiderusingaperfectsoilfromtheverystart.AnadditionalreasonisfoundinthenextmajorimprovementtoSquareFootGardening.

NewDepth—Only6InchesDeep

“Godeep,”theysaid.“Don’tbother,”Isaid.Foryears, experts saidyourgarden soil had tobe improvedat least12 inchesdeep; someeven said18 inches.Butmyexperimentswereprovingotherwise,especiallywhenIusedgoodhomemadecompostasone-thirdofthemix.Iaskedmyself, “If six inches of perfect soil is good enough for windowboxes andcommercialgreenhousebenches,whynotinbackyardgardens?”Andwhydiluteitbyaddingthemixtopoorexistingsoil?Whynotusethisperfectsoilmixinyourgardenandforgetallaboutthesoilunderneath?Well,theexpertsstillpooh-poohed the idea.But guesswhat? Itworks!Of course, everyone realizes thatyou couldn’t do that in a huge, old-fashioned, single-row garden or even inraised bed gardening, but it can easily be done in a small-space Square Foot

Garden!

“WeowemuchofourloveofgardeningtothesimplicityofSFG.”

—ManjafromOregon

Canyoureallygrowvegetablesandflowersinonly6inchesofsoilregardlessof howgood it is? I’ve been doing it for the last ten years inmydisplay andhomegarden,anditreallyworks.OfcourseinmylectureswhenImentionthe6inches,Icanseetheaudiencesquirmingintheirseats,headsshakingandhandsrisingwith theusualquestion,“Howcanyougrow longcarrotsorpotatoes injust6inchesofsoil?”It’sagoodquestion,sowedevelopedaspecialfeatureofSFGwhereyoubuilda1-foot×1-footboxonefoottallforlongrootcrops.

Whyonly6inchesdeep?Whynotbesaferandgo12inchesdeep?Themainreason is there isnoneed todoso. Inaddition, it ismuchcheaper,easier,andlesswork.Justthink—itisone-halfofthecostandone-halfofthework,sowhydouble thedepth?But ifyou’restill skepticalgoaheadanduseyour timeandmoneytogo12inchesdeep,butit’sreallynotnecessary.

Thenextquestionis,“Howcomealloftheexpertshavebeensowrongforsolong?”Itisnotthattheywerewrong,itisjusteveryoneinthegardenindustryhad trouble thinking outside the box or even questioning all the traditionalmethods.Stuckinaruttheywereandinasingle-rowrutatthat!

Here’sanother startling revelation Iamgoing tomake. It isgoing to shockanddismaythegardeningworld,butyouaregoingtoloveit.

NoFertilizer—YouDon’tNeedIt

SquareFootGardeningneedsnofertilizerever!Howcanthatbe?Afterall,thegardeningindustryisbuiltonusingfertilizer.TheoriginalSFGbookexplainedallaboutfertilizer—organicandchemicaltypes—howtomeasureandrateit;allaboutNPKandwhatthatmeans;andthelistgoesonandon.Thatwasnecessarybecause at that timewewere just improving our existing soils, and they stillneededfertilizer.Alltheexpertsagreed.Butmyownexperimentsandthoughtsabout anall new out-of-the-box idea of not improving your existing soil butrather of startingwith a perfect soilmixwasworking sowell that I began toconsideranothernew idea—thatyoudon’tneed toadd fertilizer.Thecompost

wasprovidingallofthenutrientsandtraceelementstheplantsneeded.Besides,compostwasall-naturalandcouldn’tburnorharmtheplants.Theproofofthepuddingwastojustlookatmygarden.ItwasoneofthebestgardensIhaveeverhadandhasremainedsoeversince.

This was when I was able to simplify my original book’s formula for theperfectsoilmixtoonlythreeingredients:1/3eachofpeatmoss,vermiculite,andblendedcompost,andcompletelyeliminatetheuseandexpenseoffertilizer.Somuchsimplerthantheoriginalone-pageformulaandwhatasavings!

Well,again,alltheexpertspooh-poohedtheideaandstilldo,butguesswhat?It works! I haven’t used any kind of fertilizer in my home, display, ordemonstration gardens for more than ten years. If you go to our website atwww.squarefootgardening.com, you’ll see how bountiful and beautiful thegardenslook.Andthisisnotjustgardeningthefirstyearbutyearafteryearafteryear.Just think—nomore tilling,nomoredigging,andnomore fertilizer!Theonlythingweeveraddtooursoilisalittlemorecompost.Isthisgreatorwhat?

Nowallweneedissomewaytoholdorcontainouraboveground6inchesofperfectsoilmix.So,howaboutabox?

NewBoxes—AbovetheGround

Ithinkhavingyourgardencontainedinaboxaddsuniformityandstructure,not only to your garden but to your life. Once limits are placed on almostanything,youwillfinditmucheasiertotakecareofandthereforeyouwillbemorecomfortablewithitandenjoyitmore.

The basic 4 × 4-foot bottomless boxes are easy to build out of commonlumber,bricks,blocks,orevenstone.Thesesmallboxes,filledwiththeperfectsoilmix,willgrowfivetimesasmuchasthesamespaceinasingle-rowgarden.So,youdon’tneedmanyoftheboxes.Therearenoweedstohoe.Noexistingsoiltotill.Why,onceyourboxesarebuiltandyourperfectsoilisadded,thereisvirtuallynoworkatall.

Onceyoubuildthebasic4×4SFGboxwithrotatedcorners,addsixinchesofMel’sMix,andaddthesquarefootgrid.Now,you’rereadytoplant.

Ifyouplace theboxon topof theexistingground,youeliminateallof theusual gardening concerns and work of improving your existing soil. It alsoeliminates the great deal of gardening knowledge that youwould need if youweregoing tobeconcernedwithusingyourexistingsoil.You’ll seeaswegoalongthat therearesomanyadvantagesofnotusingyourexistingsoil.You’llwonderwhynooneever thoughtof itbefore.The4×4-footboxeshavebeenchosenbecauseit’sasizeyoucanwalkaroundandeasilyreachintototendyourplants; thiseliminates theneedforsteppingonthegrowingsoilandpackingitdown,whichtheneliminatestheneedtodigorloosenit.SeehoweverythinginSFGisinterrelatedandworkssowelltogether?

For bigger gardens, you can always put some of the boxes end to end tocreatea4×8-footora4×12-footgardenboxthatyouwillstillbeabletowalkaround, yet reach in. If your box is located next to awall, fence, or building,keeptheboxesonlytwofeetwidesoyoucanreachallthewaytotheback.Theycanbeanylength.Boxescanbemadefromanytypeofwood.Thebestisfreewoodthat isfoundataconstructionsite.Justasktheforemanof theproject ifyoucanhavethescrap2×6-inchboards.Ifyouaregoingtobuyyourlumber,boxescanbemadefrompineor fir for the leastcost,orcedaror redwoodforlongerlastinguse.Ifyoudecidetotreatorpaintthewood,becarefulnottopaintinside the boxeswhere theMel’sMix comes into contactwith thewood; youdon’twant anything harmful to leach into the soil. I do not recommendusingpretreatedwoodforthesamereason.

NewAisles—ComfortableWidth

Thewidthofyouraisles isanother improvementIhavemadefor theAllNewSquareFootGardeningmethod.Thisismoreimportantforcomfort,safety,andlooks, thanforefficiency. Ifyounotice thegardenon thecoverof theoriginalSquareFootGardeningbook, therewerenoboxesandtheaisleswere1×12-inchboardsseparatingthe4×4-footareas.Idesigneditthatwaytobethemostspace-efficientbut,assomeoneoncesaid,“ThisisonetimewhenMelwastooefficient!”Butthewoodwasfree,sohey,canyoublameme?

StraightandNarrowThe 12-inchwide boardwas difficult tomaneuver on, and you had to keep aprettygoodbalance tostayupright. I foundthat theaveragegardenerneeds tohave more room to move about on than those 12 inches. In addition, youcouldn’t get close to each 4 × 4-foot planting area if you wanted to use awheelbarrow, garden cart, or harvest basket. Can you just picture two peopleworking in that garden with 12-inch wide paths, and one says to the other,“Excuseme,Ineedtogetthrough.”Canyouimaginetheanswertothat?

TheIdealWidthSowhatistheidealaislewidth?Twofeetisstillalittletight,soIrecommendaminimumof three feetbetweenyourboxes. It turnedout that foraccessibility,kneeling, working, and harvesting, the ideal distance was 3 or even 4 feetbetweenboxes.Infact,ifyourgardenhasseveralboxes,youcanvarytheaisles.Play aroundwith some ideas on paper—then, once your boxes are built (andbeforeyoufillthemwithsoil,Ishouldadd),youcanmovethemaboutuntilyougetthemjustright.Thinkofitasarrangingfurnitureinyouryard.

DressItUpTheaislespacebetweenyourboxescanbeleftingrassorcoveredwithanytypeofgroundcover.InourTVshow,wetriedallsortsofthingstocreatesomeveryinterestinglookingaisles.Atother times,wejustremovedanyweedsorgrass,thenlaiddownweedclothandcovereditwithmaterials thatwerecomfortableforwalkingonsuchascrushedstone,compost,orgroundbark.

NewGrids—ProminentandPermanent

When Iwrote the first bookonSquareFootGardeningmore than twenty-fiveyearsago,Iadvocatedlayingouta12×12-inchgridforthegarden.Then,inmytravels around the country, I heard a lot of people say, “Oh, I doSquareFootGardening,”or“IhaveaSquareFootGarden.”ButwhenIwenttoseethem,thesizewasrightbuttheyhadnogrid!

In our introductory film, we show the people in our class how a 4×4-footgarden lookswithout agridandask them,“Howmanyplants couldyouplantthere?Howmanydifferent crops?”Theydrawablankbecause it looks like asmall area that isn’tgoing to containverymuch.As soonaswe laydown thegrid, they suddenly light up and say, “Aha! I see!Sixteen spaces, so it’ll takesixteen different crops! Later, as soon as one square is harvested, I can add atrowelfullofcompostandreplantthatsquarefootwithadifferentcropwithoutdisturbinganythingelsearoundit.”Bingo!Theyseethelight.

SeehowthegriddefinesaSquareFootGarden?Withoutagrid,it’shardtovisualizetheharvest.

There aremany,many interrelated reasons for the “different crop in everySquareFoot”rule,andyouwillseeandunderstandtheseaswegoalong.Theydeal with nutrients used, limiting over-ambitious planting, staggered harvests,weedandpestcontrol,beautyofthegarden,companionplanting,simplificationofcroprotation,cuttingplantingtimeinhalf,andmanymorefactorsthatresultin a very unusual and innovative gardening system.When you have no grid,yourgardenhasnocharacter.Ifyou’rehavingvisitorsover,theymaynotevennoticeyourgardenifit’slaidoutinplainbeds.Butifit’saSquareFootGardenwithveryprominentandvisiblegrids, theywill say,“Hey,what’s that inyouryard?Itlooksgreat!”

GridMaterialsIn the past, whenever I used string or twine as a grid, it eventually got dirty,rotted,andfinallybroke.Inaddition,youhadtodriveinnailstotiethestringto,anditjustneverlookedgood.Italkedwithmanyotherswhohadthesamebadexperience so I experimentedwith all kinds of differentmaterials formakinggrids. If I couldcondense thirtyyearsof experience intomycurrent advice, itwould be—don’t use string or any other floppy material. A firm, rigid,prominent, and visual grid permanently laid on every one of your boxes willmakeallthedifferenceintheworldasothersseeitbutmostlyinhowyouuseandenjoyyourgarden.

Withaveryvisiblegrid,yourgardentakesonauniquecharacter.Itwillnotonlylookspectacular,butyou’llbeabletoimmediatelyvisualizeyourplantingsquares.Withoutagrid,yourgardenisnotaSquareFootGarden.

NewIdea—Don’tWasteSeeds

NewSeedPlantingIdeaWhenIfirststartedgardening,IfoundthetraditionalmethodofpouringoutanentirepacketofseedsalongasinglerowwassowastefulthatIcouldn’tbelievethat’sthewaywe’vealwaysdoneit.Didn’tthepioneershavetocarrytheirownseedsallthewayacrossthecountry?Theycouldn’torderanewbatchovertheInternet from a seed company every year, could they? Didn’t they teacheveryone tobe frugal andnotwasteful?Whywouldanyone tell us towaste awholepacketofseedsalongalong,lonely,singlerow,especiallyknowingthatwewouldhavetogobackandthinout95percentofthesproutedplantsinordertoleaveonlyoneplanteveryfewinches.Didnooneeverthink,“Let’sjustplanta few seeds every 3, 4, or 6 inches?” I guess it took someone outside of thegardenindustrytothinkofit.

Whenyourseedssproutfromthepinchofseedsyouplantedinyoursquares,snipoutallbutoneofthem.

InthefirstSFGbook,Iadvocatedsingleseedplantingattheproperspacingfor that particular plant, but many people found it tedious and even difficult,especiallywithsmall,unusuallyshapedseeds.Besides,assomeoneonceteasedmeandsaid,“IfapacketofleaflettucecontainsonethousandseedsandIonlyplantfourineachsquarefoot,howoldwillIbebeforeitistimetobuyanotherpacket?”She’llhavetoleaveherseedsinherwill!

SobacktothedrawingboardIwent.Howaboutjustafewseedsineachhole

—justapinchofseeds?Aftertestingthisideawithmanypeopleandcheckingtheir dexterity and ability to pick up just a pinch (two or three seeds), thisseemedtobetheanswer.

ASnip,NotaTug

ThebestfeatureoftheAllNewSquareFootGardeningmethodisthatitmakesgardeningaccessibletoeveryone.

ButIwasagainstthinning—that’swhenyoupulloutalltheseedlingsexcepttheoneplantyouwanttogrowtomaturity.Thinningisalotofworkandalsoseemsto disturb the roots of the remaining plant, and that’s not good. But then Ithoughtofanabsolutelyperfectsolution.Ifyouplantjustafewseeds—apinch—in each hole and two or three seedlings come up, you just take a pair ofscissorsandsnipoffallbutthestrongestone.Thateliminatesanydisturbanceofthe plant youwant to keep, and you’re not tempted to replant the others.Theonlythingyouneedtodoisjustmusterthecouragetomakethatinitialsnipandit’sallover.

Sonowwe’vebeenabletoimprovethesingle-seedplantingand,atthesame

time, end up with one strong plant in each location, which is just what wewanted.At thesame timewe’renotwastinga lotof seeds.Afterplanting thatsquarefoot,putthepacketinsafestorage,andifstoredproperlythatpacketwillbegoodnextyear,andtheyearafter,andtheyearafter.Manyseedslastuptofiveyearsifstoredproperly.(So,howcomenooneevertoldusthatbefore?)

NewOpportunities—TabletopGardens

MakeThemPortableNow thatwe no longer need to improve our existing soil—andSFG takes uponly20percentofthespacefor100percentoftheharvest—andweneedonly6inchesoflightweightsoilmix,wecanbuilda4×4-footbox,andaddaplywoodbottomdrilledwithdrainageholes.Thismeansyoucancarryittoanylocationyouwant,evenmovingittosuitweather,climate,anevent,asituation,orevenaperson’sneeds,abilities,ordisabilities.Ifthesizeorweightseemstoomuchforyoutohandle,thinkaboutusinga3×3-foot,a2×2-foot,orevena2×4-footboxforeaseinmoving.

James,BringOuttheGoodBoxesSmaller sized SFG boxes can become wonderful patio boxes, and it’s evenpossibletoplantseveralsothereisalwaysoneortwowithflowersinfullbloomor salad crops ready for harvest.The rest canbe kept somewhere less visible.Withasystemofrotation,therewillalwaysbeafewgardenboxesreadytobringout toshowoff.There’snothing like thevisual impactofabeautifullyplantedboxfilledwithvegetables,flowers,and/orherbs.Ifyou’regivingatalkordoingapresentationongardening,the“seeingisbelieving”techniquewillcinchyourtalk.And just think, youwon’t have to answer the usual question aboutSFG,like“Howonearthcanyougrowagardeninonly6inchesofsoil?”Or,“Howcanyougrowwithoutfertilizer?”Now,youjustpointandsmile!

REASONSTOMOVEYOURPORTABLESFGBOX

WEATHER—Toprotectitfrom:FrostThundershowersHurricanesHailSnowWindHeavyrainIntensesun

CLIMATE—MoveyourSFGboxfor:MoreshadeforaspringcropastheweathergetshotterMoresuninearlyspringMoreshadeinsummertimeindesertareas

EVENTS—Moveitto:EnhanceordecorateforapoolsidepartyorbarbequeBehindthegarageforastart-upnursery

SITUATIONS—Placethebox:Onatabletopforasit-downgardenerInthegarageifyou’reexpectingextremeweatherOnthedecktocleartheyardforafootballgame

PERSONS—Youcan:TakeittoGrandma’sforabirthdaygiftTakeittoschoolforshow-and-tellTakeittoclassforteachingSFG

Takeittoschoolforthesciencefair

BestofAllSo there you have it—the ten new major improvements to the Square FootGardeningmethod.Eachonemakestheentiresystemmoreproductive,theworkmuch easier, and the cost of gardening lower.At the same time, the beginnerfindsgardeningmucheasiertounderstand.

IthinkSquareFootGardening’sbestfeatureisthatitnowmakesgardeningavailable to just about anyone you can think of, regardless of their age,circumstance, location, ability, or disability—anyone, anywhere, can nowgardenusingtheAllNewSquareFootGardeningmethod.

This chapter is going to talk about three basic components of Square FootGardening.

SizeLocationDesign

Size

Yourgardenwillbelaidoutinsquareorrectangularboxesseparatedbywalkingaisles.Buildyourboxesfrommaterialslikewood,bricks,orblocks.Ifyoudon’tliketheideaofcommonwood,whichwilleventuallyrotorbeeatenbytermites,useamoreexpensivewoodlikecedarorredwood.Youcanevenusesomeofthemanmadecomposite“wood”orrecycledplasticorvinyl.ThewoodIlikebestisfreewood.Youcanusuallygetitfromanyconstructionsite,butalwaysasktheforemanfirst.

Ifyoudecidetouselumber,you’llbehappytoknowtheadvantageof4×4gardens is that all lumber comes in 8-foot lengths. Most home improvementcenterswill cut it inhalf foryouat littleorno cost.Yourboxes canbemadefromjustaboutanymaterialexcepttreatedwoodbecausethechemicalsusedtotreatthewoodarenotsomethingyouwantleachingintoyourgarden.

HowMuchIsEnough?Ifyou’refiguringaSFGforanadult,rememberthat:

1.One4×4SquareFootGardenbox(equalto16squarefeet)willsupplyenoughproducetomakeasaladforonepersoneverydayofthegrowingseason.

2. One more 4 × 4 box will supply the daily supper vegetables for thatperson.

3.Justonemore4×4boxwillsupplythatpersonwithextraofeverythingforpreserving,specialcrops,showingoff,orgivingaway.

So, eachadultneedsone, two,or three largeboxesof4×4,dependingonhowmuchtheywant.Insquarefeet,thatis16,32,or48squarefeet.

Ifyou’refiguringaSFGforachild,rememberthat:1.One3×3SquareFootGardenbox (equal to9 square feet)will supplyenoughproduce tomakea salad foronechildeverydayof thegrowingseason.

2.Onemore3×3boxwillsupplysuppervegetablesforthatchildeveryday.3.Justonemore3×3boxwillsupplythechildwithextraofeverythingforshow-and-tellorscienceprojectsatschool,specialcrops,showingoff,orgivingaway.So,eachchildneedsone,two,orthreesmallboxesof3×3,dependingonhowmuch theywilleat. Insquare feet, that’s9,18,or27squarefeet.

Suggestion: Since the kidswill grow into teenagers, youmay just want to

makeeveryone’sboxa4×4.Ontheotherhand,differentsizesmakethegardenlookinterestingandmorepersonable.The3×3canlateronbestackedontopofa4×4tostartapyramidgarden—butmoreaboutdesigningyourgardenlater.

YourFamily—YourGarden

According to surveys of homeowners, the average conventional single-rowgardenmeasures20feetwideby35feetlong,whichequals700squarefeet.Togrowthesameamount,aSquareFootGardenwillneedonly20percentorone-fifth of that growing space to equal 140 square feet. That’s quite a differenceisn’tit?

YOURFAMILY—YOURGARDEN

DowntoSize

Whenever I’m giving a lecture I like to illustrate the difference between aconventional garden and a Square FootGarden. I’llwalk down themiddle ofwhatever room we’re in and, standing in the center, stretch out my armssideways, as I say, “If thiswhole roomwere our garden,when you switch toSquareFootGardening,you’llnolongerneedeverythingonthisside.”Thatcutstheroominhalf.ThenIturntothesidethatremains,cutitinhalfwithmyarmsagain,andsay,“Everythingon that sidewedon’tneed.”Thatcuts thathalf inhalfagain.AndthenIadd,“That’sstill toomuchroom.Wecanstillcutdownthisremainingcornerevenmoresoweendupwithonly20percentofthetotalroom. We can grow as much in this size of a Square Foot Garden as wepreviouslycouldinthisentireroom.”

Tryit in theroomyou’re inrightnowandsee ifyouaren’t impressed.Yousuddenlybegintothinkofthereducedamountofwork,equipment,supplies,andfencing.Thenyoubegintoseemanyof theadvantagesofbeingable to locatethegardenwhereyouwishandallthepossibilitiesinyouryard.VisualizingthegreatdifferenceofspaceneededforaSquareFootGardenisreallythefirststepin learning and appreciating the entire system. Then you can begin to takeadvantageofalltheotherattributesyouwilldiscoverwithSFG.

AllThatinOneBoxHowmuch salad couldyoupick everyday from this little garden?More thanyoucanimagine.Soasan illustration, I’ve listedbelowexamplesofwhatyoucanharvestfromjustone4×4boxinonespringseason:

StartSmall

Onceyoudecideonthefinalsizeandlayoutofyourgarden,keepinmindyoudon’t have to build the entire garden right at the start. Try a three-phase planinstead.

Ifyoubuildandplantjustone-thirdofyourultimategardenboxesandgrowfor one season—for example, the spring season—you can then see howmuchyou’ll harvest and see if you’ve correctly judged the amount you really need.Then you can go into phase two, or the summer crop, and buildmore boxesaccordingtoyourlayoutormasterplan.Attheendofthesummercrop,moveontophasethree,buildingmoreboxesifyoustillneedthem,toprepareforplantingafallcrop.

Yes, it’s okay to lay out the whole area and to design it for the ultimate,depending on how big your family is and how much you think you want toharvest.Justdon’tdoeverythingthefirstseason.I’veseensomanypeoplestartouttooambitiously,andtheybecomeoverwhelmedbecausetheyunderestimate

how much they can actually grow in such a small area. Their gardens areactually larger than they need so there ismore to take care of—and allwhilethey’relearninganewsystem.Takeiteasyandstartsmall.

If you have a single-row garden and don’t really want to give it up yet, Isuggesttakingonesmallcornerofyourold-fashionedgardenandplantingitinjustoneortwo4×4boxes,mixthecorrectsoil(don’tjustshovelyourexistingsoilintotheboxesnomatterhowgoodyouthinkitis),putdownthegrid,andtryplantingthisway.Nextyear,I’llbetyou’llprobablybereadytoconvertyourentiregardenintoaSFG.

OverallSizeoftheBoxesOnce you decide on the overall size and number of boxes, the next step is todeterminethedimensionoftheaisles.We’llcoverthis inmoredetail later,butfornowyoucanfigureona3-footaislebetweenall4-footboxes.Youcouldalsodecide now if youwant to join several boxes together end to end to create arectangularboxof4×8,or4×12.Thiswillsavea lotofyardspacebutyoumaynotlikethelookoryoumayfindwalkingaroundalongboxinconvenient.Iwouldnevermakeaboxlongerthan16feetoryou’llenduptryingtocrossitinthemiddleandthen—whoops!—thereyouare,steppinginyourgarden.Ihopenoonesawyou! Ifyouaregoing tobeputtingsomeboxesagainsta fenceorwall and can’twalk all around to reach in, those boxes should be only 2 feetwide.Everyonewants tomake them3 feetwide (Iwill never knowwhy)butthentheyalwayscomebackandcomplainitwastoowidebecausetheycouldn’treachinthatfar.

“Gardening has always seemed too overwhelming. Nowwithyourmethod,Ican’twaittostart.”

—AlejiendrafromVenezuela

Don’tForgettheAislesThewholeideaofSquareFootGardeningistowalkaroundyourgardenboxesandreachintotendyourplants.Thisway,thesoilnevergetspackeddownandyoueliminatedigging itup to loosen it again. In fact, theonly toolyou reallyneedonceyoufillyourboxeswithMel’sMixisasmallhandtrowel.(Itdoesn’thave to be the strong, expensive kind from Sweden. The one dollar varietyworksjustfineandcanlastalifetime.)

Sohowwideshouldyouraislesbe?Itdependsalotonhowmuchroomyouhaveandwhatkindofalookyouwantforyourgarden.Ifyou’regoingtohavemany boxes—remember, we suggest you begin using only a small numberbecauseyoucanalwaysaddmorelater—youmaywanttohave,forexample,acenter aisle that is 4 feetwide so you can easily get inwith a garden cart orwheelbarrow,orsoseveralpeoplecanwalkdowntheaisleatonce. (Hey,howaboutagardenpartyorawedding?)

DrawItUpOnceyougetaroughideaofhowmuchspaceyou’llneed,makeaquicksketchmoreor less toscale.Youdon’tneedgraphpaper(unlessyou’readesignerorwanttouseit);justdrawthe3-footaislesslightlysmallerthanthe4-footboxes.Now you’re ready to tour your property looking for nice open areas near thehouse.Laterinthischapterwe’lldiscussdesigninmoredetail.

Location

Thereare fivemajor things to look forwhen touringyourproperty for aSFGlocation.Use these as a test for the areayou’re considering for yourAllNewSquareFootGarden.(Remember,convenienceiskingsomakesureyoufollowRule1.)

1.Placeitclosetothehouseforconvenience.2.Pickanareathatgetssixtoeighthoursofsunshinedaily.3.Stayclearoftreesandshrubswhererootsandshademayinterfere.4.Theareashouldnotpuddleafteraheavyrain.5.Theexistingsoilisnotreallyimportant,sinceyouwon’tbeusingit.

1.ClosetotheHouse

With the All New Square Foot Gardening Method, you have so many moreplacestoputyourgardenthaneverbefore.

Keepinmindfoottrafficandsiteswhereyouwilloftennoticeandenjoyyourgarden.IfyourSFGisneartrafficpaths,you’llwalkpastthegardenmoreoften,hence take better care of it (remember—no need to change into gardeningclothes,orrunandgetsometools).Thismeansitwillalwayslookniceandtheend resultwill be that you’ll enjoy itmore aswill everyothermemberof thefamily. (Chapter10 covers different locations like hillsides or heavilywoodedareas.)

ICanSeeClearlyNowWhenyouthinkaboutobservingyourgarden,considerwhereyoucanfrequentlysee it—especiallyfrominside thehouse.Whatroomareyouin themost?Canyouseethegardenfromthere?Thereasonisnotonlyforyourpleasurebutforprotection. If it is close, you will see problems (like deer, wilting plants, aneighbor’s dog or cat) when they begin rather than hours later after all thedamageisdone.

Remember theSquareFootGardenway is to treatyourplants just likeyoutreatyourchildrenorgrandchildren,andyouknowyouwouldbeglancingoutthewindow at them. I believe that every plant out there is constantly seekingyourattentionbysaying,“Lookatme, lookatmynewblossom,lookhowbigI’mgetting.”Isn’tthatjustlikechildren?

PlacementofyourSquareFootGardenopensupsomanydoors to thewayyoucarefor,enjoy,appreciate,andharvestit.Plusyou’llshowitoffmoreoften

andgetthewholefamilyinvolved.It’sevenpossibletosplitupyourgardenandplace some of your boxes in different locations for perhaps a different visualeffectoradifferentpurpose.

2.Sunlight

The next thing to consider in selecting a location is sunlight. Growing plantsneed sunlight.Howmuch they need depends on the type of plant. In general,large-floweringor fruitingplantsneed a lot—at least eighthours aday.Thesetypesofplantsarereferredtoasa“summercrop”or“warm-weatherplants”andincludemostofthefavoritethingsthatpeoplegrow,suchastomatoes,peppers,squash,beans,andsunflowers.

Indeterminingtheamountofsunlightanareareceives,keepinmindthat itchangesthroughout theyearwith theseasons.Inearlyspringandagainin latefallthesunislowerintheskythaninthesummertime.Andofcourse,therearenotasmanyhoursof light in theday in the springand fall as thereare in thesummer.

IfYouOnlyHaveShade

Ifyouhaveshadyconditionsandnootherplacetolocateyourgarden,youcanstillhaveathrivinggardenbutyou’llhavealimitedselectionofcropstogrow.So,obviously,you’dstayawayfromthetomatoes,peppers,andsquashandplantthe rootand leafcrops like radishes, spinach,and lettuce.Ofcourse, therearemanyflowersandherbsthatloveshade,socheckwithyourlocalnurseryifyouareinthissituation.

TooMuchSunSometimesyoumighthavealocationthatgetsfullsunalldaylong,fromsunuptosundown.Thatwouldactuallybetoomuchforsomeofthecoolweatherandleafycrops,aswellasmanyflowers.Ofcourse,withabig,hugegardenthere’snotmuchyoucando.ButwithaSquareFootGarden,it’sveryeasytoprovideshadebybuildingasimplesupportandcoveringthe4×4boxwithsomeshadecloth.That’sallcoveredinChapter4.

“Iwanttoconvertmyentiregardentoyourmethod.”—GuyfromUtah

3.AvoidTreesandShrubs

When choosing your SFG location, stay clear of trees and shrubs for tworeasons.The first is shade aswe just discussed. Second, if they sense awell-wateredperfectsoilnearby,theserootswillcomestraightasanarrowintoyoursoil. If that’s theonly locationyouhave, thenthere isawaytocounteract thatsituation.Putaplywoodbottomonyourboxesandraisethemupofftheground.Youcanraisethemupbyjustputtingabrickundereachcornerandoneinthecenter.Oryoucanuseacementblock,oreventwoblocksandbuildlittlepiersandhaveitasagardenyousitdownbesidetoharvest.Then,ofcourse,thetree’srootswon’t even know that the garden is there. This is a niceway to have ashadegardenrightunderatreealongwithabenchorafewlawnchairs.

Keepinmindthatshrubsarejustasbadastreesasfarasprovidingshadeandrootinterference.Mostshrubsaremoreshallow-rootedthantrees.Keepinmind,too, that as trees and shrubs grow, their shadewill increasingly cover a largerarea.

4.NoPuddles,Please

Rootswilldrowninaccumulatedandstagnantwater,soyoudon’twanttolocateyourSFGinanarea thatholdswateraftera rain.Thematerials inMel’sMix,thoughtheydrainwellandholdalotofmoisture,willsoakupallthewaterinastanding puddle and your plant roots will be harmed. Areas that puddle alsopromisemudintheaisles,whichmakesgardeninglessfun.

Ifyouhavenootherplaceandcan’tdrainthearea,thenofcourseyoucouldfill in thelowareawithsandtoraiseyourboxslightlyand/oryoucouldagainputabottomonitandraiseitupwithstones,bricks,cinderblocks,orsomethingsimilar.

5.ExistingSoil—WhoCares?

Whenyou’rechoosingalocation,itdoesn’treallymatterabouttheconditionofyourexistingsoil.Manyoftheothergardeningbookstellyouhowtogoaroundtheyardanddigtestholesandseewhatkindofsoilyouhave.Sometimesyou’reevensupposedtomakeapercolationtest,inwhichyouhavetodigahole,fillitwithwater,seehowlongittakestodrain,blah,blah,blah....Or,howaboutallthe unnecessary advice on how to take a soil test andwhat the resultsmean?Forget about all thatnow.Youdon’thave toknowabout it becausewe’renotgoingtouseyourexistingsoil.We’regoingtobuildbottomlessboxesabovetheground.Youcanevenputyourboxeson thepavementorapatioand itwon’tmakeanydifference.

TheEnvelope,Please

The best location is where you can see your garden more often from moredirections. Things like sunlight and avoiding trees and shrubs are merelyprecautions to help make your garden more successful. So walk around youryardandthinkaboutthebestplacetolocateandenjoyyourgarden.

Design

Now thatyou’vedeterminedhowmanyboxesyou’llhaveand strolledaroundyouryardtofindthebestspot(s),it’stimetothinkaboutdesign.Youcanlayoutyour boxes so they turn corners, even intersect each other, but keep in mindtrafficandwalkingaround.Don’tmakedeadendsornarrowplaces.Keep3-or4-footaisles,andleavebiggerareasforchairs,benches,andentranceways.Hereisafunidea:explaintotheentirefamilythebasicsizeandlayoutthenleteachmemberdrawupideasandplans.Maybeeveryonecouldhaveanareatodesign,

build, andplant.Wouldn’t that be agreat familyproject?Then, take a pictureandsendittomesowecanshareallkindsofdesignswithothers.

LineThemUpYoucanprobablyguessthat,beingaformerarmyofficer,Iamgoingtowantalltheboxeslinedupneatlyandprecisely,evenperhapshavingtheminarow(oh,whatanunfortunateword)—excuseme—inaline.Imightwanttheentireareatobeasquareorat thevery leastarectangle . .but that’s justme.Howaboutyou—doyouwantaU-shapeoranL-shape?Dowhateverappealstoyou.

GardensAren’tJustforYardsAnymoreHere’s another idea—no matter the season, you can build a SFG box with aplywood bottom and place it on your patio or picnic tabletop near your backdoor.YoumaywanttousesmallerSFGboxesonthepatioordecksuchas2×2or2×4.

BeCreative

Youdon’t have to be a landscape architect tomeasure and drawupwhat youimagine.Thedesignisjustasimportantasthesize.You’regoingtobespendingalotofyourtimeinyourSFG—notworkingorweeding,butjustenjoyingandrelaxing.Besuretomakeroomforsomechairs,abench,awaterfountain,orabird bath. One of the advantages of a Square Foot Garden is that you haveoptionsinhowyouputittogethersothatit’sperfectforyou.

Seeingapicture is sohelpful. If youwant to seewhatothershavedone intheir yardwithSquareFootGardening, go towww.squarefootgardening.comandclickon“NeighborhoodGardens.”Everyone likes toseewhatothershavedone,sotakethegardentourandseewhichoneyoulikethebest.AndthenletyourimaginationhelpyoucreatetheSquareFootGardenthatisperfectforyou.

If you like to build things, you are going to love this chapter.ASquare FootGardencanbealotlikeworkingwithErector®sets,LincolnLogs®,orLegos®.SinceSFGgrowssomuchinsolittlespaceandismadewithreadilyavailablematerials,thebasicboxprojectsoutlinedinthischapterwon’ttakeallyourtime,space,ormoney.

WhyBoxes?

Justasareminder,thereareseveralreasonswebuildboxesforourSquareFootGardens.

1.Looksneatandtidy.2.Organizesandsimplifiesyourgardeningchores.3.Holdsaspecialsoilmixaboveground.4.It’seasytoaddprotectivefeatures.If yourgarden isboxed in, it has already-established limits foryou.And if

youmakesuretoaddagrid, itestablishesnotonlyapatternbutaformulaforsuccess.

Boxesalsoholdyourperfectsoilmixsothatitdoesn’tspilloutorwashawayinaheavyrainstorm.Whengardenbedshavenobordersbetweenplant-growingsoil and walkways, there’s a greater chance that someone will step into thegrowingsoil—abigno-noforthisSFGmethod.

Let’sstartwiththebasic4×4SFGbox.Examplesofboxmaterialsthatcanbeusedinclude:

NaturalwoodManmadewoodRecycledplasticVinyl

Oranyothermanmadematerialavailableinlumbersizes

RecommendedMaterialSize1×6-inchlumberforthemosteconomical,lowtrafficgarden;or2×6-inchlumberforsturdierboxesorheavytrafficgardenareas.

“SFGismorethanahobby,it’samovement.”—RossfromSouthCarolina

MATERIALS

Makesureyou’vegotallyouneed:four4-foot2×6-inchboards,6four-footwoodlathboards,weedcloth,Mel’sMix,woodscrews,apowerdrill,andyourseeds.

PREPARATION

Stackyourfourboardsandpre-drill3holesinoneendofeachboard

ASSEMBLY

Screw3large,coarse-threaddeckscrewsthroughthepre-drilledholes,attachingtheboardsend-to-end,untilyouhaveacompleteframe.

Onceassembled,movetheboxtoyourchosenlocation,removegrassorweeds,andcoverthatspotwithweedcloth.

COMPLETION

FilltheboxwithMel’sMixuntilitcoversthebottomandthenwater.(Dothisthreetimesuntilyourboxisfull.)Then,addyourwoodlathgridandplant!

Stackyourlumberlikesteps.Onceyoudrillthetoppiece,slidetheboardbacktoexposethenextone.

Alltypesoflumbercomein8-footlengthsandmultiplesof2feetthereafter.SincemostSFGswillbe4×4feet,askthelumbercompanytocutyour8-foot-longwoodinhalfwhenyoubuyit.Theyusuallydothisforfree.Thenit’seasiertotakehome,quickertoassemble,andeliminatesanyneedforsawing.Alltypesofwoodcanbeused:pine,fir,cedar,orevenredwood(whichismoreexpensivebutlonger-lasting),butdon’tusetreatedlumber.

PENNYPINCHER

Myideaof thebestkindofwoodis freewood.Gotoanyconstructionsite,telltheforemanyouarebuildingaSquareFootGarden,andaskiftheyhaveanyscraplumber.Chancesaretheywillbethrowingoutjustwhatyouneed.Theymayevencutitforyouifyouasknicely.Thenyourboxisfree.

RotateCorners

WhenconstructingyourSFGbox,cutallfourpiecesofyourwoodsidestothesamelength,andthenrotatethecornerstoensureyouendupwithasquarebox.Ifyouwantadifferentlookthantherotatedcorners,measurethethicknessofthelumberandsubtractthatfromtwoofthesidesandaddittotheothertwosidessoyoustillendupwithasquarebox.It isnotcritical thatyourgardenboxbeexactly48incheseitherinsideoroutside,butitshouldbesquaresoeachsquarefoot planting area is the same size. Attach your box with coarse-thread deckscrewsthataretwiceaslongasthethicknessofthelumber.Usethreescrewspercorner.Pre-drillyourholesinthefirstpieceofthetwopiecesyou’reconnecting;thethreadswillembedthemselvesintothesecond.

Thisisanexampleofcornerconstruction;thesideofoneboardisattachedtotheendofanother,withthreedeckscrews.

ConstructionDetails

Work on a hard surface—like a driveway, pavement, or sidewalk—and keepyour frameflat so itwon’tendupcrookedor twisted.Whenyour frame isallscrewedtogether,carryittothegardenarea,layitdown,andseehowitlooks.Ifyouwant topreserve thewood,youcoulduse linseedoil. It’salsopossible topaintorstainthebottom,outside,andtop.Leavetheinsideunpaintedsothere’snopossiblecontaminationtothegrowingmix.

Forproperdrainage,drillholesintheplywoodbottomofyourtabletopgarden—onepersquarefootandoneextraineachcorner.

OtherBoxMaterialsSFG boxes can also be constructed with brick, cement blocks, prefabricatedstone,orlargerocks.StoneforyourSFGboxcanbemanmadepreformedsizesornaturalslate,round,riverbed,oranyothertypeofdecorativestonethatiseasytoplaceandformsaninterestingborder.

PlywoodBottomIfyoudecide tocreateabottomforyourSFG,useplywoodsheetinganddrill1/4-inchdrainageholes,oneper square footplusanextrahole ineachcorner.Youattachthisbottombyputtingitontopoftheassembledboxsides,screwingitdown,thenflippingitoversotheboxsidesaresittingontopoftheplywoodbottom.

Plywood thicknessdependson thesizeof thebox.A2×2or2×3box—anything spanning less than 3 feet—needs 1/2-inch plywood.Your 4 × 4-footboxesneed5/8-oreven3/4-inchplywoodbottoms.Use the¾-inchplywood ifyouaregoingtomoveitoften.Iftheboxisgoingtorestonsawhorsesorcementblocksandspanalarge,unsupporteddistance,itrequiresthickerplywood.Iuseregular plywood although some like to spend extra for the longer lasting, butmuchmoreexpensive,marineorwaterproofplywood.

SpecialStructures

Forout-of-seasongardening,youcancreatespring,summer,fall,and/orwinterboxes.Thesearejust4×4footstandardgardenboxesorsmaller2×4sizethatcanbemodifiedforspecialuses;we’llexplainthatinChapter9.Dependingonthetimeofyear,boxescanbeequippedwithdoubledecks,extensions,covers,or special modifications to allow a longer growing season. Usually thesemodificationsareweather-relateditemslikecoverstoshadetenderseedlingsinthesummerora frostprotectoreither inspringor fall.Youwilldetermine thebest modifications, depending on your particular weather and environmentalconditions.

RailingBoxes

If you have flat railings, it is very easy to set a box right on top of it. Forstability, it should be bolted to thewood railing. If you can’t bolt your boxesdownandyou’rehigherthanthefirstfloor,Iwouldplacetheboxesonthefloor.

Considerthestrengthandsizeofyourrailingandthesurroundingenvironment,andmakesureyourrailingboxesaren’ttoobig.

YoucanbuildaSquareFootGardenboxthatboltstoyourdeckrailing.

Railing boxes make a very decorative and excellent garden, particularly ifyou add trailing types of plants that add some color and character. There arevariousholderssoldathomeimprovementstoresthatsnapontoyourrailingstoaccommodatestandard-sizedboxes.Hangtheboxovertheoutsideedge,anditwon’ttakeupanyofyourvaluabledeckspace,and,shoulditdripwhenyou’rewatering,thewaterwillbypassthedeckbelow.However,ifyourboxisontheinsideoftherailing,itwouldbemuchsafer.

PyramidBoxes

Becreative andmakeyourSFGuniquelyyours.Whynotget fancyand stackone on top of another to create pyramids?Whywould you do that? Becausethey’respectacular,andtheywillbethehighlightandfocalpointofyourentiregarden.Constructionisverysimplewithjustafewbracesforstability.

StepUp,YoungLadyThenextfancygardenlayoutwouldbetomakeastandard4-footwidebyanylength box but every 2 or 4 feet step up by one level. There are manyarrangements you could design, and they would be limited only by yourimagination. Build them the same way as the corner pyramid with an insidebraceforevery4-footsection.

One-foot-squareboxesaretheperfectsizeforthestepsleadingtoyourfrontdoor.

MakeBoxesExtraDeepMakingboxesthatareextradeepmeantheyareextradramatic.IknowI’vetoldyouthat6inchesofMel’sMixisenoughforallplants,butyourgardenbecomesmoredramaticwhenthecontainerisextratall.Ifyoudecidetobuildyourboxtaller, just use 8-, 10-, or 12-inch lumber instead of the normal 6 inches. Theonlydrawbackiscost.Butnomatter—you’reafteradramatic,spectacularlooknow.Sincetheplantsdon’tneedmorethan6inchesofMel’sMix,don’tspendyourmoney on filling the entire depthwithMel’sMix. Use sand (cheap andavailableatanyhomeimprovementcenter)onthebottomlayer.“I’lljustusemyexisting yard soil,” someone says “and save evenmoremoney.”Don’t!Mostsoilsdon’tdrainwellandhaveweed seeds.Rememberweeds?Wedon’thavethem anymore in SFG, so if you’re going to multiple layers for your gardenboxes,fillanyspacebelow6incheswithjustordinarysand.

ASpecialBoxforCarrots,Leeks,andPotatoesThereisonelastitemthatyoumightwanttoconstruct—yourhigh-riseboxesforcarrots, leeks, and potatoes. These root crops need deep soil so instead ofdiggingdownasinmostgardeningmethods,wetaketheeasywayandbuildup.Builda1×1-footboxeither6,9,or12inchestalloutofplywoodoranythin

typeoflumber.SeeChapter6fordetailsonplantingandgrowing.

GridsandMaterials

Grids are amust. Every box should have its own permanent and prominentgrid.I’msoadamantabouthavingagridoneveryboxItellpeoplethatifyourSFGdoesn’thaveagrid,itisnotaSquareFootGarden.Butwithagrid,it’sanattractive,unusual,anduniquegarden.IttellsthestoryofSFGinoneglance.Inaddition ithasmanyunseenbenefits, sostickwithmeon thisoneandbuildagridforallofyourboxes.

PENNYPINCHER

INEXPENSIVEGRIDSIused to searchhome improvementcenters forwoodorplasticmolding,orstripsofanytypeofmaterialthatwasstraight.Buttheywereexpensive.ThenIfoundtwomaterialsthatarejustperfectandcheap.

BlindsThefirstPennyPinchertipisslat-typeorVenetianblinds.Theycomeinmanywidthsandlengths,andifyouvisitalocalthriftshopyoucanusuallyfindausedsetatagreatprice.Findonethat’satleast4feetwide.Cutoffthestringsandlayout the strips.Trim the endswith a pair of scissors so they fit your box, drillholesatthehalfandquarterpoints,andattachthemtogetherwithsomesortofscrew, nail, or snap-fastener. The one problem I’ve foundwith blinds is theirweight. When you first start your garden in the spring, it’s usually windy.Sometimestheblindsblowaroundalittlejustbecausethegardenisemptyandtheyhavenoprotectionfromthewind.Onesolutionistoattachthemtothesoilwitha longgalvanizednailatevery12-inchintersection.Thishelpsholdthemdownsotheydon’tblowaway.

WoodLathThe second inexpensive material is wood lath, which is sold in homeimprovement centers. Believe it or not, they already come 4 feet long withsquare ends. Sometimes they’re a little crooked, filled with knots, or breakeasily, so sort through them. But they’re very, very inexpensive—less than aquartereach.Onceyoulaythemoutanddrillholesatthe12-inchintersections,they’reveryeasytoconnecttogetherwithanutandboltorsomeothertypeoffastener.Becausethewoodlathisrigid,itcanspanfromonesideoftheboxtothe other side in case your Mel’s Mix is not level with the top of the box.Otherwise, it can just lie on top of the soil. If your grid spans across the boxsides,keepthegridfrommovingaboutbydrillingaholeintheendsofthetwocenterslatsandscrewingthemtoyourwoodenbox.Somepeopleliketotakethewoodlathgridupforthewintersoitdoesn’tgetwetandrotaseasily.Unscrewthefourscrews,foldthegrid,andhangitonthegaragewall.Putthescrewsinaplasticbagandhangitupwiththegridtokeepthescrewssafeanddryoverthewinter.

Drillaholethroughbothpiecesofwoodateachgridintersection.

Next,insertsomekindofhardwaretolooselyholdthegridtogether.

Drillaholethroughtheendofthecentergridsandadd4deckscrews.

Oncethegridisattached,yoursquarefootgardenisreadyforplanting.

FunIdeasYoumaybeabletofindotherscrapwoodstripsaround.Carpentersoftenhavestrips leftover.You justhave tokeepyoureyesopen.“Quick,Henry,stop thecar.Isawsomethingbackthere.”Or,ifyouhaveatablesaw,it’seasyenoughtocutstripsofwoodyourself.Thewoodorblindgridscanbepainted,whichkidslove to do, creating fancy combinations of colors. For the best visual effect, Ithinkplainwhite isbest. (Kidswill say,“Blah!”)Youcanalsowriteon them.(Kidswill say, “Cool!”)Somepeople like to recordwhat they’veplanted. It’sfun to have visitors sign your grid, especially children and grandchildren. Letthempickoutwhichsquaretheylikebest,andtellthemitcanbetheirs.Whentheycall, youcan tell themhow theirplants aredoing. I bet they’ll callmoreoften.

ProtectingYourSFGToprotectoneormoresquaresnexttoeachotherfromweatherorpests,thefirststepistomakeawireU-framecagetofitoverthosesquares.YoumaywanttomakeseveralU-framesofdifferentsizes thatcanbeusedfor1,2,or4squarefeetandanotherforanentire4×4blockof16squarefeet.Basically,youwanttomakeawirecagethatwillfitover thetopofeachof theseareas.Lateryoucan attach a covering made from any number of materials to protect thosesquaresfromavarietyofhazards.I’vefoundthattheeasiestcageismadefromplastic-coatedwirefencing.Thiscanbecutwithwirepliersandeasilybentoverastraightedgetoalmostanyshape.Youcanmakeafour-sidedwireboxfromtwoU-framesorjustatwo-sidedone.Thereisquiteavarietyoffencingwiretochoosefromsocheckoutwhatisavailable.Itcomesinrollsofdifferentwidthsandlengthsaswellasdifferentopeningsandwirethicknesses.Youmaywanttocallaheadtoseveralplacestofindthebestchoice.

Tobuildaprotectivecageforyour4×4garden,you’llneed:fouroneinchbytwoinchboards,4feetlong;chickenwire;plasticties;cuttingshears;andapowerdrill.

Arrangeyourboardsasshowninthisphotoanddrilltwoholesinoneendofeachboard.

Attachtheboardswithtwocoarse-threaddeckscrewsusingyourpowerdrill.

Rolloutonelongpieceofchickenwireandplaceyourframeclosetothecenter.Bracingtheframewithyourfoot,bendthechickenwireup.Then,dothisagainfortheotherside.Remembertoweargloves!

ChickenWireAnothercommonmaterial I like touse ischickenwire. Itcomes insmaller1-inchopeningsor larger 2-inchopenings.The1-inch size ismuch stronger butwillcostalittlemore.The1-inchsizealsotakesalittlelongertobendintoshapebutwillkeepoutmorecrittersthanthe2-inchsize.Chickenwirecanbecutwithpliers or cutting shears. It’s sharp, so be sure to wear gloves. You can buy awholerollofit,3or4feetwide.Inmanyhardwarestoresyoucanbuywhateverlengthyouwantfromtheirroll,andtheywillcutitforyou!

FullCageAchickenwirecageover theentire4×4makes it fairlyeasy toprotectyour

gardenagainstunwantedrabbits,birdsthatdigupandeatnewlyplantedseeds,catsthatliketodiginthesoil,toomuchsunonnewlyplantedanddelicateseedlings,orstrongwindgustsduringthewindyseason.Buildyourwire cage to fit theplants’mature sizes. (Onceplants startgrowingthroughthewire,itisverydifficulttotakethecageoff.)Grabthecagewirewithyourfingersandlift thewholethingoff, tendtotheplants,andthenputitbackdown.Afullcageneedsawooden-framebottomforsupport,but itthenfitsnicelyonyourwoodengardenboxframe.SeehoweverythinginSFGfitstogethersonicely,justlikeLegos.

ConstructionTomakeawoodenbottomforawirecage,attachfourpiecesof1×2inchpinelumber4feetlonginaboxshapewithtwodeckscrewsateachcorner.Thencutandshapeyourchickenwireorfencingwiretothe4×4boxtocreateanyheightyouwant. Staple thewire to thewood frame using 3/8-inch staples, and thenwireortietheverticalcornerstogetherorwhereverthewireformsacorner.Ifyouareusingchickenwireoranywire thathassharpedges,youmaywant tocoverthesharppoints—includingwherethewireisstapledtothewood—withsomethinglikeducttape(chooseanicecolor)topreventgettingscratchedwhileyou’removingyourcover.Anotherwayistoattachthewiretotheinsideofthe1×2frame.It’salittlemoreworktostaplethewiretotheinside,buttherewon’tbeanysharppointstoscratchyou.Ifyouhaveacoupleofthesecagesmadeupaheadoftime—oneortwothatare6inchestall,anothercouple12inchestall,and a few at 18 inches tall—they will be available at the right time they’reneeded for your garden. Don’t forget you can use them as a framework forspringprotectionfromcold,cats,orcrows.Theycanbesummerprotectionfromsun,wind,andrain,andfallprotectionfromdeer,frosts,andsnow.Theycanbestackedonthegroundinapileorhungonthegarageorfencewall.

Bracetheframewithyourfootandbendthechickenwireup.

Oncethewireisbentonallsides,removethewoodframeandconnectthefourcornersatthreelocationsusingtheplasticties.

Setyourwireframeoverthewoodframeandconnectthewirewiththeplasticties.Usethetiesatrandompointsontopoftheframe,too.

Theframeislightweightandiseasytoliftoffyour4×4.Removeittowater,plant,prune,orharvest.

Whenplacingyourprotectivecage,makesuretheframeslineup.Thiswillkeepallkindsofcrittersfromtakingyourharvest.

Covers

Materialsusedforcoveringthewirecagescanbeanythingfromclearplastictoprotectplantsfromwindorcoldweatherandsnow,sleet,orrain—tosomesortofclothlikecheeseclothorfloatingcovertoprotectplantsfrominsectsgettingintolaytheireggs.

Bendtwo10-footPVCpipesof1/2-inchdiameterfromcornertocorner.

ClothespinsAcovercanbeeasilyheldinplacewithclothespins.Thecovercanbeopenonsome sides to allow air to circulate or it can be completely enclosed. Oneconsideration,ofcourse,iswhethertoomuchheatwillbuildupinsidethecage,andthatdependsontheseasonandtheamountofsunlightyourgardenreceivesinyourarea.Whenthereistoomuchsunlightfornewlyplantedtransplants,justputashadeclothover the topofyourcage. Ifyouhaveseveralnewlyplantedsquares among other well-established plant squares, you can attach shadepatchesoverjustthoseplantsthatneedalittleshade.

ProtectiveDomeSupports

Adomesupportissoeasytomake.Justbenda10-footlengthof1/2-inchPVCpipe from corner to corner of your box, and then another from the oppositecorners;thentieorboltitattheintersectionatthetoptomakeadomethatcansupport any type of cover. Think of it as the structural framework for agreenhouse—intheearlyspringitcanbecoveredwithclearplastic, inthelatespringwithcheeseclothtokeepoutegg-layinginsects,andinthesummerwithshade cloth to provide a little shade for tender youngplants.You can provideprotectionthesamewayforthefallcrop.

Yourtwopipesshouldmakeadomeasshownhere.

Attachaplastictieattheintersectiontoensurethatitdoesn’tfallover.

Useathickplasticcovertoprotectyourplantsfromfrost.Placesomeheavyobjectssuchasbricksontheedgestosecureit.

CoveredWagonAnotherneatlookingPVCframeisoneintheshapeofacoveredwagon.Thistakesalittlelongertomakeandrequiresjustabitmorematerial,butitgivesalotmoreroomandismucheasiertousewhenyouhaveacoverovertheframe.Itrequires thesametwo10-foot longPVCpipes,but they’rearchedovereachendofyourbox.Then,youneedanextra4-foot-longpieceofpipethatbecomesthestrutholdingthetwoarchesfromcollapsing.Tyingtheintersectionwillnotworkinthisdesign,soyouhavetodrillholesinthecenterofthearchesandineachendofthestrut,sothataboltwillconnectthecentralstruttothetopcenterofeacharch.Useaboltandnutthatwon’tteartheplasticornetcovering.Nowyoucanseetheshapeismuchmoreconducivetoliftingonesidetoworkinside,anditmakesiteasiertothrowablanketovertheentire4×4onacoldnight.

For those that don’twant such a high frame, you just cut the 10-foot PCVpipesdownto6or8feetandyou’llhaveamuchlowerwagontop.Forthoseofyou thinking, “I’ll just buyone10-footer and cut it in half,” thatwon’twork.Thearchovera4-footspanhastobemorethan5feetlong.

Locatethecenterofyourtwotenfootpipes.

Drilloneholeinthecenteroftwo10-footPVCpipes.

Placeeachpipeinacornerandbendasshown.

Drillholesintheendsofa4-footPVCpipe.Itwillbethesupportingstrut.Insertaplasticcabletiethrough

theholesoranutandabolttokeepitinplace.

PlantSupports

Whatdoyoudowithheavyfruitingplantssuchaspeppers,eggplants,andgiantmarigolds?Theeasiestwaytosupportthebranchesoftheseplantswithoutdoingalotofstakingandtyingistomakeapermanentcagethattheplantscangrowthrough. The cage’s height depends on the height of the mature plants. Thiscouldbefor1squarefoot,2,4,orforthewhole16squarefeetina4×4garden;italldependsonwhatisplantedineachsquare.Thecagecanbeself-supportingwith sides that stick into the soil just like the wire U-frame previouslymentioned,or,ifyouaremakingasupportfortheentire4×4,itisveryeasytoput a stake of some sort in each corner—either wood or metal—and thensuspendthewirehorizontallybetweenthesefourcorners.

Evenbetter, ifyouaresupporting theentire4×4-footarea,put in thefourcornerstakesandthenhorizontallytieonsomenylontomatotrellisnetting.Thisnetting isavailableatmostgardenstoresand isparticularlygoodbecause it issoftandcushionyandwon’tcuttheplantswhentheyrubagainstitinthewind.Italsohaslargeopeningsyoucanreachintoandtheplantscangrowthrough.Itwon’tbotheranyoftheshorterplantseither.Itisveryeasymaterialtoworkwithandwell-suitedforgardening.Cornerpostsmustbeverystrongandfirmlyheldsothehorizontalwireornettingwon’tsag.Postscanbeconstructedofwoodanddriven into the ground or attached with deck screws to the inside or outsidecorner of thewood frame.You can also use PVC pipe or evenmetal pipe orfence posts. The many options available show how flexible Square FootGardeningcanbe.

HoldMeUpTalllankyplantssuchasdahlias,gladiolas,andsunflowersmayalsoneedextrasupportastheymatureandgrowinheight.Sunflowerseedswillneedtemporaryprotection when first planted to prevent birds or rabbits from digging up theseeds and to prevent other birds from eating the young sprouts. Temporarilycoveringyourgardenwithchickenwire6inchesovertheboxwillprovidethisprotectionuntil theplantsget that tall.Then,after theplants reachaheightofabout3feet,itistimetoputinfourcornerposts—strongsteelfencepostsandnylonnettinghorizontallyatseveraldifferentlevels.Startthefirstat3feetandthelastshouldbeashighasthefenceposts.Thiswillsupportplantsthroughtomaturityandkeepthemfromfallingoverinheavywindandrainstorms.

CornProtectionEveryone loves corn—especially chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons! To keepthemoutandyourharvestin,trythisfoolproofsecret.Putonesteelfencepostineachcornerofyour4×4footgarden.Usetallmetal5-or6-footfenceposts,andthen,whencorn reaches4 feet, runchickenwirewith1-inchopeningsaroundthe outside forming four walls. Next, add onemore piece across the top at aheightofabout4feet.Thiswillkeepthecrittersoutofthecornandpreventthecrowsfromeatingtheseedsandseedlingswhenfirstplanted.Then,asthecorngrows,itwillgrowrightthroughthetopofthewire,whichwillsupportthetallcornstalkswhen thewindblows—at thesame time,keeping the raccoonsandchipmunksoutbeforethecorncanbeharvested.Youcaneasilytiethehorizontaltopwirewith temporary bows so that you can undo a few and still reach in.Since it is chicken wire, make sure you wear a long-sleeved shirt when youreachinsoyoudon’tgetscratched.You’llbeabletowatereasilyeitherbyhandorusingalong-handledwandandshut-offvalveontheendofyourhose.

“SFGisgreatforthefamily.Eachpersonhashisorherownplot.”

—GaryfromMichigan

VerticalFramesforVineCrops

WhenIfirstinventedtheSquareFootGardeningmethod,Iknewoneoftherealchallengeswasgoingtobesomeofthebigsprawlingvinecropsliketomatoes.Without a doubt, tomatoes are America’s most-loved garden vegetable.However,theycantakeupalotofroomandcanbecomeunsightlybyseason’sendiftheyareallowedtogrowwithoutpropercare.Also,iflefttosprawloverthe ground, tomatoes can attract additional pests, and many get damaged orruinedfromfoot traffic.Thewhole ideaofgrowingtomatoes thiswayseemedverynon-productive.

Iwasdetermined to findabetterway togrowtomatoesandwhat Idevisedturned out to be not only good for tomatoes, but for all other vine crops too.Everyplantthathasavinethatsprawlsallovertheground—evenpumpkinsandwatermelons—can be grown vertically as long as you have a strong enoughsupport;theresultisaspectacularsightwithverylittlewastedgroundspace.

AirRightsBeinganengineer,Ithoughtofbuildingsinacity.Buildingsaren’tconstructedas one-story structures that sprawl outward over the landscape; space is toovaluable to do this. Instead, designers and contractors use what is called airrights, building straight up into the air, floor after floor after floor.Why can’tplantsbegrownthesameway?Well, Idiscovered theycan!Allyouneed isastrongframeworkandsomethingtoholdthevineontotheframework.Didyouknow that vines grow better vertically than horizontally? Growing plantsvertically prevents ground rot and discourages pest infestation. I know slugsaren’thappyaboutmywayofverticalgardening;Iheartheygetdizzyuphigh,butthat’stheirproblem!

NatureSupportsThrough the years I experimented with all different types of materials andframes.Finally,Isettledupononethatwassosimple,easy,andinexpensivetouse that itwas almost ridiculous. Then I began growing all different types ofplantsvertically.IoriginallythoughtIwouldneedtodesignsomespecialwaytoholdupandaccommodateheavier fruits suchaswinter squashandpumpkins,but as it turned out, these plant vines seemed to understand the situation; thestemsupportingtheheavyfruitgrowsthickerandheavieras thefruitbecomeslarger. Ifyouhavea frameworkand support thatwillhold theplant, theplantwillholdthefruit;itisassimpleasthat!MotherNaturealwaysseemstoknowbest.

BestMaterialIusethestrongestmaterialIcanfind,whichissteel.Fortunately,steelcomesintubularpipeusedforelectricalconduit.Itisverystrongandturnsouttobeveryinexpensive. Couplings are also available so you can connect two piecestogether.Idesignedanattractiveframethatfitsrightontothe4×4box,anditcanbeattachedtothewoodenboxwithclampsthatcanbeboughtatanystore.Or, steel reinforcing rods driven into the existing ground outside your boxprovide a very steady and strong base; then the electrical conduit slips snuglyoverthebars.It’sverysimpleandinexpensivetoassemble.Anyonecandoit—even you! To prevent vertically grown plants from shading other parts of thegarden,Irecommendthattall,verticalframesbeconstructedonthenorthsideofthegarden.To fit it intoa4×4box, Idesigneda frame thatmeasured4 feetwideandalmost6feettall.

TieItTightVerticallygrowingplantsneedtobetiedtotheirsupports.Nylonnettingwon’trotinthesunandweather,andIuseitexclusivelynowforbothverticalframesand horizontal plant supports. It is very strong—almost unbreakable—andguaranteedfortwentyyears.Itisawonderfulmaterialavailableatgardenstoresand in catalogs.Thenylonnetting is also durable enough to grow the heaviervine crops on vertical frames, including watermelons, pumpkins, cantaloupes,winterandsummersquashes,andtomatoes.YouwillseeinChapter8howeasyit is to train plants to grow vertically. To hold the plants to the frame, I havefoundthatnylonnettingwith7-inchsquareopeningsmadeespeciallyfortomatogrowingworkswellbecauseyoucanreachyourhandthrough.Makesure it isthis type so itwon’t cut the stem of the plantwhen it blows against it in thewind.Thiscomesin4-footwidthsandcaneasilybetiedtothemetalframe.It’ssometimeshardtofind,socallaround.

WinterStorageBecausethenettingis loose, itcanfloparoundunlessyoutie itverytightlytotheframe;thisisthefirststep.Attheendoftheseasontheframescanbeleftupor theycanbeslippedoff thesteelrebarandhungonagaragewall.Althoughtheconduit isgalvanizedandenduresmanyyearsofservice, iteventuallywillrust—especiallyatthebottomwhereitcomesincontactwiththeground.Ifyoudohangupyourmetal frames in thewinter, for safety reasonsmake sureyoucoverorclearlymarkthesteelrebarthatisleftstickingoutoftheground.Youcanflagitwithbrightlycoveredtape,paintit,orfindcapsthatcanbescrewed

ontopreventsomeonefromtripping.

Composters

Acompostingoperationcanbeassimpleasapileofleaves,weeds,andkitchenscraps.MotherNaturedoes itall the time.Gotoanyforestor fieldandyou’llsee shegets the jobdonewithout any structures.But people aredifferent.Weliketoconservespace,keepthingsintheirplace;andweusuallywanttobuildacontainerorenclosureforourcompostmaterials,whichspeedsuptheoperationbycreatingbulk,whichthenallowsthepiletoheatupanddecomposefaster.

Whatcanwebuyorbuild?Therearemanycompostcontainersonthemarketmostlymadefromplastic.Allworkwell,areattractive,andreasonablypriced.Therearecompostersthattumbleorturn,speedinguptheprocess,buttheycostmoreandworstofall—youstillhavetoturnthem.It’sfunatfirstbutitgetsoldveryfast.

MakeYourOwnWeneedastructurethatwillholdapileofmaterialineitheraroundorsquareshape.Wirefencingworkswellforroundandevensquarestructuresifyouusefourfenceposts.Makewirecylindersatleast3to4feetindiameter.Theexactlength of fencing you’ll need isn’t critical. Instead I am just going to telleveryonetobuy10or15feetoffencingandshapeitinacylinderbyattachingtheendstogetherbybendingthecutwireends.

Ifyoudon’thaveacompostpileyet,startonenow.It’sessentialtotheSquareFootGardeningmethod.

So, ifyouwanta3-footdiametercomposter,buy10feetof fencing. Ifyou

wanta4-footdiameter,buy15feetoffencingandhaveenoughforadoor.And,ifyoudon’tlikeroundcomposters,buyfour6-footlongsteelfenceposts,drivethemineachcornerofyourcomposterlocation,bendthewirearoundthose,andyou’llhaveasquarecomposter,muchmoresuitedtoSFG.FindthebestlocationforyourcomposterandfillasexplainedinChapter5.Whenfullorreadytoturn,justliftupthewirecylinder,placeitnexttothepile,anduseagardenforktofillthecylinderinitsnewlocation—you’vejustturnedthepile!

WithaGateAnotherideaistohaveanenclosurethat’seasiertogetintotomixandwateroreventurn.Makeanentranceopeningwithorwithoutagate.Startbydrivingtwosteelfencepostsinthegroundatyourselectedlocation;makethemabout3or4feet apart. Then attach your wire fencing to these posts. Two options areavailableforyou—withandwithoutagate.Ifyouwantagateitwillcostyouanextra 3 or 4 feet of fencing.No big deal, and itwill look nicer and be neaterwhentheenclosurestartsfillingup.Youstilltieorwirethefencingtobothfenceposts;onebecomesthehinge,theotherthedoorlatch.

Make the latch S-hook fromwire, or you can buy this type of hook at thestore.Youcanhaveonecompostbinortwotogetheroreventhreedependingonhowlargeyouroperationis.

WeeklyBinsJustlikethewireenclosures,youcanhaveone,two,oruptosixbinsalltogetherforMondaythroughSaturday.(Don’tforgetwerestonSunday!)Whenandwhywouldyouneedmore thanone?Whenyouget seriousaboutcomposting,youmaybeabletogetenoughmaterialtofilluponeeveryweek.Then,formixing(asexplainedinChapter5),youjustmovematerialfromafullbinintoanemptyonerightnexttoit.Thenicethingaboutaseriesisyouonlyneedthreepalletsforeachadditionalbin.

I could include directions for other materials to use like bricks or cementblocks,landscapetimbers,orlogs,butnooneisgoingtobuildacomposteroutofthosematerials.Theywouldbetooexpensiveandinefficient.Theymaylookgoodinbooksbutnotinoursystembecausetheyarejustnotpractical.

Ofcourse,noonesaysyouhavetohaveanenclosure,butifyou’reaSquareFoot Gardener and you have nice square boxes for all of your garden, whywouldyouwantjustapileforyourcomposter?

PENNYPINCHER

SQUAREISGOODHere’sano-costeasywaytomakeyourcomposteroutofwood—thatmeansfree.Womentellmetheylovethisbecauseitrequiresnotools,wirecutting,equipment,orfamiliaritywithconstruction.Findfourwoodpalletsofsimilarsizeandappearance.Youcanfinddiscardedpalletseverywhere.Theplacetofind themisbehind thestoresandshopswhere thedumpstersare.Askfirst,justtomakesuretheyarebeingthrownout.Ifyoucanfinefourofaboutthesamesizeandlook,yourfinishedcomposterwill looklikeit’scustommadejustforyou.Abrickorstoneundereachcornerhelpskeepthewoodofftheground tokeep it from rotting; corners are tiedwith rope, cord, or chain. Itdoesn’thave tobenailedorscrewed together,and itdoesn’thave toberealtight.Youmaywant tohave thepalletboardsfaceoutside to looknice,andyoucanmake themall runeitherhorizontallyorvertically—whatever looksbest.

Aisles

“Putyourbestfootforward”isthesaying,butwhatareyougoingtoputiton?Grass,brick,boards,gravel,orjustplaindirt?MostpeopleputtheirSquareFootboxesintheiryardandleavethegrassfortheiraisles.Thishelpskeepanaturallook.Anddon’tworry,thegrasswon’tgetalotofhardusebecausethere’snotthatmuch todo in aSquareFootGarden. If youwant to leavenatural soil inyouraislesuseanactionhoeonceaweektoridyouraisleofpeskyweeds.

BrickPathsInmyPBSTVgarden,wehadasmall15×15areawithseveralboxesandplaindirtaisles.Ispentfiveminuteseveryweekrunninganactionhoeoverthesoiltocutoffanynewweeds,anditlookedprettynice.ButtheninoneoftheclassesIwasgiving,someoftheladieswantedtoknowhowtolaybricksoIthoughtthiswouldbefuntoteachaswellasimprovingthegarden.Sowithoutmovingtheboxes,welaiddownmanylayersofnewspaper.Nextweaddeda1-inchlayerofsandandthenstartedlayingbricksrightonthatsandbase.Nomortarorcementis needed—just fill in the tight joints with loose sand. When we got to theexisting4×4gardenboxes,wejustwentrightaroundthem.Itwentwellandinone afternoon it was all done.What an improvement—wow!We added somepatiofurniture,andthisareabecameafavoritespottositandenjoytheyardandgardens.Wealsobegantonoticemoreofadifferentkindofvisitortothegarden—thebirdsandbeesandbutterfliesandsomanymore insects.Andall for thepriceofafewbricks(well,asmalltruckloadactually)andalittlesand.

Gotothenurserydepartmentofyourlocalhomeimprovementcenterandbrowsethroughittofindthegroundcovermaterialyouprefer.

OneLastIdeaHowwouldyouliketocarpetyourgarden...walltowall?Well,youcan.Buyneworusedindoor/outdoorpatiocarpeting.Itevencomesinagrassstylebut,don’tworry,youwon’thavetomowit!

PENNYPINCHER

KillWeedsforFreeSomegardenersuseindoororoutdoorcarpetingeitherfaceup,orifyoudon’tlike thecoloror texture, facedown.This isagoodway to smotherandkillgrass or weeds in the aisles without any digging. However, once it rains,indoorcarpetgetssoggyandsmelly,sooutitgoes.

Wheredoyougetoldcarpet?Gotoyourlocalcarpetstore;theyhavetonsofitoutbythedumpster.Don’taskthemtodeliveritthough.Ifit’snewstuffyouaregoingtobuy,theymaydeliverthatfreeonceyoubuyit.They’llevencutitforyoutothewidthofyouraisles.

Let’sReviewWhenbuildingaSFG,startwith thebasicbuildingblock—a4×4bottomlesswoodbox.Then,dependingon the situation, add special features to solveanygardening problem or to protect your garden from any hazard. Some of thesimpleadditionsyoucanaddtoyourSFGboxes:

Awirebottomtokeepoutmoles,voles,andgophersAweedclothbottomtokeepoutweedsorgrassAchickenwiretoptokeepoutcats,dogs,andrabbitsAPVCtopframethen:

ClearplastictocreateaminiaturegreenhouseBirdordeernettingAblankettoprotectplantsfromfrostsFloatingcoverstoprotectfrominsects

Thepossibilitiesareendlessforeveryone,fromapartmentdwellerstotheelderly,andevenpeoplewithspecialneeds.

Afterallthistalkaboutbuildingallthesedifferentthingsforprotectingyourgarden,Idon’twantyoutobecomeworried,thinkingthatyouhavetospendalot of time creating complex structures for your SFG. It’s not so!We’ve justlearned how easy it is to adjust a SFG to improve its flexibility and toaccommodateuniquegardeningsituations.ThisisreadilydonesinceaSFGissosmallandmanageable.For themostpart,yourplantswill justsit therequietlygrowing,lookingbetterandbettereveryday.Sorelaxandenjoy!

Family

Butremember,protectingyourgardenisa lot likeprotectingyourchildren—ifit’s cold, add a blanket (a sweater); if sleet and hail are predicted, add clearplastic (a raincoat); and if it’s windy, add an extra shield against thewind (awindbreaker). Since you wouldn’t let your kids play out in the cold winterwithoutasnowsuitforprotection,dothesameforyourplants.Keepingthis inmind,you’llbeabletocomeupwitheasyandpracticalsolutionsforprotectingyourgardenfromtheworstofconditions.Thatmakesitveryrewardingbecausethenyoucanenjoyyourgardenmuchlongereveryyear.

ThissimplePVCframecanprotectyourplantsfrommanythingsincludingharmfulweatherandunwantednibblers.(I’mnottalkingaboutyou!)

Mel’sMix

Mel’sMixisthemostimportant,productive,essential,necessary,critical,majorsubjectand is thebackboneof theentirebookand theSquareFootGardeningmethod!

That’s the picture. Get it? It is the reason all the other improvements arepossible.So,please,payattention,study,andlearneverythinginthischaptersoyou can make your Mel’s Mix the best you can. This will allow you toautomatically have all the other benefits and improvements that come sonaturallyto(theallnew)SFG.

Don’tSkimpOnThisNow,withAllNewSquareFootGardeningyou’llneverhavetodoallthehardwork, expense, and time-consuming, back-breaking labor of improving yourgarden soil every spring like we used to do. YourMel’s Mix is ready to gowheneveryouare.Itneverhastobereplacedandyoudon’thavetodoathingexceptplantyourseeds.

Mel’sMixmaybethemostcostlypartofSFG,yetatthesametimeitisthemostcosteffective.Howcanitbeboth?Theanswer:ifyoutrytoskimponthisitem,you’llbedisappointed inall therest.But, ifyoudo it right,all theotheradvantagesofSFGwillfallintoplaceandyouwillbetherichestgardenerontheblock.Sorrytobesoadamant,butthisisreallywhatmakesSFGsodifferentandsuccessful.WehaveneverhadafailureofSFGexceptwhensomeonedecidedtoskimpontheingredientstosaveafewbucks.

Let’sreviewwhatthisperfectsoilwilldoforyourgarden,thenthewhyandhowsoyoufullyunderstandthenatureofthemix.

We’ll go through each of the three ingredients indicated—compost, peatmoss, and vermiculite—andwhat each one is,why you need it, andwhere to

obtainitall.ThenI’lldiscusshowtomix,moisten,andplaceitinyourboxes.Ifyoudoitright,you’llhavethemostenjoyablegardeningexperienceofyourlife.Thatwonderfulfeelingwillberepeatedeverytimeyouplantandreplanteverysingle square foot. Your hand will just slip through the loose, easily worked,earthy-smellingsoil,andyouwillsighwithhappinessandsmileeverytime.Itistruly an emotional experience that very few gardeners have ever encountered.Butenoughtalkandteasing—let’sgetstarted!

NoMoreThis is a partial list of just some of the knowledge you had to learn aboutbackyardsoilsinthepast.Butnotnow!Forgetabouteveryoneofthem.Why?BecauseSquareFootGardeningisnowsosimpleyoudon’thavetolearnalltheintricatedetailsofsoilstructure, texture,anddrainage.Youdon’tevenhave toknowwhatpHmeans,howtopronounceit,orwhichletterisacapitalandwhichislowercase(orwhypeoplearealwaysgettingthatmixedup).Why,youmayask?BecauseI’vedesignedourperfectsoilmixwiththecorrectpHlevel(acidoralkaline)forjustaboutallplants.

For those of you who crave more information, a good, blended, balancedcompost—oneof the ingredients inMel’sMix andwhat youwill add to yourboxesaftereachharvest—madefromatleastfivedifferentingredientswillnotonlyhaveapHclosetoneutral,butitalsobalancestheacidityinpeatmoss.Inaddition,sincewedon’tuseyourexistingsoil(rememberweonlyneed6inches

ofpureMel’sMix),youwon’tbeconcernedwithwhattypeofsoilitisorwhatthe pH is. You won’t have to buy a pH soil test kit or take samples to yourcounty extension agent.Youwon’t have to learn that easternU.S.A. soils areslightlyacidicwhilewesternsoilsaremorealkaline,andyouwon’thavetolearnwhattoadd,howmuch,andwhen.Youwon’thavetobuyaspreaderoranyofthatstuff.

NoFertilizer,NoMessMel’sMixhasallthenutrients,minerals,andtraceelementsthatplantsneed.Soforgetallaboutfertilizer.Isn’tthatamazing?Notonlydoyounothavetobuyit,youdon’tevenhavetolearnaboutit.SFGisanall-organic,all-naturalmethod.

Comespringyou’llfindthereisnoworktodo;thereisnogoingtothestore,reading labels, lugging big bags or bales of soil additives home, no spreadingthemout,workinginlime,gettingarototillerrunningandworking—thentryingto turnover thatwet,muckysoil,getting italloveryourshoesand tools—oh,whatamess thatwas.But that is all a thingof thepast.Why,youdon’t evenhavetodothesoilballtestinthepalmofyourhandonlytofindoutyouhavetowait another week because your soil is too wet or still frozen. (What’s thesoilballtest,youask?I’mnotgoingtotellyoubecauseyoudon’tneedtoknowitanylonger.)

YourMel’sMix is always ready to plant no matter what the weather. It’salwaysloose,friable(whichtheexpertsdefineasthatwhichiseasilyworked—goodandcrumbly),and ready for the right timeofyear toplant. Itdrainsandbecomesunfrozensomuchquickerthanregulargardensoil.

WhereHaveYouBeen?

Plantingagardenwillnolongerdependonwhenthesoilisreadybutonlyontherightdatetoplantseedsandtransplants.ThisisjustonemoresimplificationofgardeningtheSquareFootway.Howdoesthatallsound?Simpleandeasy—nowork,nomuss,nofuss.Ihavehadpeopleaskme,“Whyweren’tyoubornonehundredyearsagosoIcouldhavestartedwithSquareFootGardeninginsteadofhavingtodoalltheworkofsingle-rowgardeningallmylife?”Goodquestion!

NoDigging

UsingMel’sMixcompletelyeliminatesallthehardworkofdiggingandmovingexisting soil. A 4 × 4 × 12-inch-deep area contains 16 cubic feet of soil thatweighswellover400pounds.That’salotofsoiltodigupandmovearound.Allgardening in the past has been based upon improving your existing soil. Myoriginal book had rather complicated instructions for your soil, but we’vechanged all that. Don’t even be concerned about it. You don’t have to knowanything about soils. Just startwith a perfect growing soil—Mel’sMixof 1/3compost,1/3peatmoss,and1/3vermiculitemeasuredbyvolume.

LikeASponge

Throughmany experiments, I came upwith the very best ingredients for thatperfectgrowingsoil.Ofcourse, Imadesure theywereall inexpensive, readilyavailable,andabletoholdjusttherightamountofmoistureforplantswhilenotbecoming too soggy for roots, which might drown your plants. I created aformulathatholdsmoistureyetdrainswell.

Atfirstthisseemedlikeanimpossibletask,butthenIthoughtaboutsponges.Whenyoutakeadryspongeandslowlyaddwatertoit,itjustkeepssoakingupwateruntilit’sfinallysaturated.Atthatpoint,anyextrawaterjustdrainsoutthebottom.Well,itturnsoutthattwoofouringredients—peatmossandvermiculite—doexactlythatsamething.Ittakesawhiletowetthemandkeepthemmoistsoyouhavetokeepaddingwater,butfinally,whentheybecomesaturated,anyexcesswaterjustdrainsrightoutthebottom.Peatmossandvermiculitearesoldatgardennurseries,homeimprovementcenters,andevensomegrocerystores.

ThreeingredientsmakeupMel’sMix:Peatmoss,vermiculite,andblendedcompost.Combinedproperly,Mel’sMixretainsmoisture,drainsperfectly,andhasallthenutrientsandtracemineralsaplantcouldeverwant.

Anassortmentofcompostsisshownhere.You’llneedatleast5differenttypesofcompostforMel’sMix.Paynoattentiontoweight;gobythevolume,evenifyouhavetoestimateit.

Buyingpeatmossin3.9cubicfootbalesisthemostcost-efficient.Thesmallerbagsofloosepeatmossaremoreexpensive.

Thesamegoesforvermiculite;askforthelarge4.0cubicfootsize.Don’tsettleforthesmallbagsmeasuredbyquarts.

Makeaneatcutinthetopofyourbags.Thisway,whenyou’vefinishedmakingyourownMel’sMix,youcanreusethebagstostoreanyleftovermix.

ImportantNote:Ifvolumeisnotmarkedonthebags,comparethemtosimilarlysizedbagswherevolumeismarkedtoestimate.

Math101

The biggest problem turns out to be arithmetic, not the materials. All threeingredientsinMel’sMixaresoldindifferent-sizedbagsorbales,andthismaymakeithardertofigureouthowmuchofeachyouneed.But,don’tworry,I’mgoing to give you some examples so youwon’t even have to think about themath.

Compost

Let’stakeaminutetodescribecompost.Itisone-thirdoftheMel’sMix,anditisalsowhatyouaddtoyourAllNewSquareFootGardenafteryouharvesteachsquarefoot.Sowhatisit,howdoyoumakeit,andwhybother?

Compostisabsolutelythebestmaterial inwhichtogrowyourplants.Good

composthasallthenutrientsneededforplantgrowth.It’slooseandfriableandeasilyworked. It holds lots ofmoisture yet drainswell. It’s easy tomake yethard to find.Thebest kind is homemadecompost that youmake inyourownbackyard.Theworstkindisthesingleingredientbyproductsomecompanyhasproducedandbagged.

“My square foot garden has been the most productive,lowestmaintenancegardenI’veeverhad.”

—PatfromUtah

GoodandBadSo,let’ssimplifygardencompostingandgardencompost.

Firstoff,it’saveryconfusingsubjectbecausetheword“compost”isbothanounandaverb.Asanoun,compost isdescribedasa rich,crumbly, soil-likematerialusedingardening.Asaverb, it is theprocessofbreakingdownplantmaterialthatisnolongergrowingthroughadecompositionprocess.

To complicate the understanding of the garden-related, breaking-downprocess(compostasaverb),thereareactuallytwotypesofprocesses—aerobic,with air; and anaerobic,without air.Both are a natural,MotherEarthprocess.But the first, or aerobic, has no odor, heats up, and does its job with littlemicrobeswearingwhitehats(thegoodguys).Thesecond,oranaerobicprocess,smells,ismessy,andisveryobjectionable.Themorecommonnameforthisisrotting.Idon’thavetotellyouthatallthesemicrobebugswearblackhats(thebadguys).It’strueallthosebad-guy,black-hatitemswilleventuallydecompose,butyoudon’twanttobearoundwhiletheydo.

WhattoUseAnyplantmaterialisperfectforaddingtoyourcompostpileaslongasit’snothostingaplantdiseaseorpest.Whentheingredientsareallpiledtogetherandiftheyhaveenoughbulk,theywilldecomposeorganicallybytheaerobicprocessall by themselves. But it takes time; Mother Nature can’t be hurried. Somepeoplesay,“Ican’twaitforayearortwo.HowcanIspeedthisprocess?”Theanswer—mix,mash,moisten,andmove.

NeedsMassUsingtherightingredientsandmixing,mashing,moistening,andmovingthemwillhelpspeedthecomposting.Butthereisonemoreidealcondition,andthatismass.Themorebulkyouhaveinyourpile(uptoacertainpoint), thefaster itwillcompostordecompose.Ifyourpileistallerthan4feet,you’llhaveahardtimeaddingnew ingredients. If thearea is larger than4×4, theairwillhavetroublegettingintothecenterwherealltheactionisandthewhite-hat,good-guymicrobeswillturnintotheblack-hat,bad-guymicrobesandthepilewillstarttodecompose anaerobically (without air) and start to smell. If you don’t haveenough bulk—smaller than 3 × 3, your pilewill just sit there and do nothingexceptcryout,“I’mgoingtowaitforMotherNature.”

Wekeepcallingitapile,andyoumaywonderif itwillbeuglyandmessy.But the pile can be contained very nicely with a homemade or store-boughtcontainercalledacomposter.(Ohno!Anothername!)Sonow,I’mgoingtobecompostingmycompost inmycomposter.You’vegot it!See, thatwasn’t sobad.

StillConfused?WaybackwhenIwrotemyfirstbookonSFG,Ihadnoideapeoplewouldbesoconfused about composting until I realized that only 10 percent of gardenersactuallycompost,another10percentdon’teverwanttocompost,andthemiddle80percentsaytheywouldliketobutareconfusedandscaredbytheprocess.Ofcourse,muchofthatconfusionisfromnotknowinghowtocompostaerobically.

Let’ssummarize.

CompostIngredientsWhatyouneedtorememberabouttheingredientsisthatanimalbyproductsarenotgoodforyourcompost.Eggshellsareokay;justcrushandsprinklearound.Manure is okay from plant-eating animals, but no manure from meat-eatinganimals.

TurntheHandlesorChop,Chop,Chop

If you are in a real hurry, there are expensive, but effective, rotating drumcompostersyoucanbuy.Youjustturnahandle,flipacontainer,orpushabarrelaround,andthecontentsaremixedandmoved.Greatidea,andtheyworkifyoudoitregularly.

I’ve also heard of, but never tried, the closed, black-plastic-bag-of-ingredients-left-in-the-garage-over-the-winter method. Be careful when youopenthebagbecause,asyoucanguess,thatmethodusestheblack-hat,noair,

anaerobicprocessthatsmells.Some gardeners have tried using plastic or molded garbage cans or even

largertrashcontainers.Youhavetodrillorpokeholesinthemsotheaircangetin,butifthelidistight-fitting,youcouldrollitaroundeveryday.

OnmyPBSTVprogram,Ishowedhowtomakearollingcomposteroutofanold,cleanedoildrum.Youcouldpush itwithyour foot to roll itaround. Itwasgreat.

I’vefoundfrommyownexperimentingthat,nomatterwhatmethodyouuse,thesooneryoumixandmoveandthemoreyoumash(cutorchop),thesoonerandfasteryou’llstartthecompostingactiongoing.Justaddcompostingredientsbymixingitinwiththetopoftheexistingpile.Eachtimeyouaddalotorjustalittle,stir it into the topof thepileandmix it inwell.But,don’t justadd it inlayers.

PracticalCompostingTips

MowThoseLeavesSavesomeofyourleavesfromfall toaddtothecompostpilenextyearratherthanallatonce.Afteryourakethemup,runthelawnmoweroverthemtochopthemupandthenstuffintoplasticbags(makesuretheyaredry)or,ifyouarea“neatnik,”storethemingraygarbagebinsstoredalongthewallofyourcompostoperation.

DryThatGrassOthersliketosavetheirgrassclippingsthesameway,butyouhavetobeverycareful.Ifpiledup,freshgreengrasswillquicklyturnintoablack-hat,anaerobicoperationthat’sastinking,slimy,gooeymess.Grassclippingshavetobedriedbeforeaddingthemtothepileorstoredforlateraddition.Itdoesseemlikeanoxymorontodrythegrassclippingsonlytomoistentheminthecompostpile,butnowI’msureyoucanseewhywedoitthatway.

DETAILEDLISTOFINGREDIENTS

Icompareittomymother’smeatloaf.Shewoulddrybreadandthencrumbleittomakebreadcrumbs.Shewouldthenaddmilktomoisteneverything.Ifshehadjustaddedmoist,freshbread,itwouldhavegottenclumpyandgooey.Thecompostissimilar.Ifmaterialisputinwet,itpacksdowninclumpspreventingairfromenteringthepile,andthenitrotsandsmells.

Sospreadyourgrassclippingsoutonatarporthedriveway,turnthemafewtimeswitha rakeor flipyour tarpbeforestoring themoradding themtoyourcompost pile.How long?Until the grass is brownish and dry to the touch. Itdependsonthesun,humidity,andrain,aswellastheclimateofyourlocation.

MixandTurnThisisagoodtimetoremindyouthatthecenterofthepileiswheremostoftheactionis.Itwillbethehottest(upto150°For65°C),themoistest,andwiththemostwhite-hatsrunningarounddecomposingtheingredients.Knowingallthatwhenyouturnthecontentsofonecompostbinintoanother,youwillbeputtingthetopofAintothebottomofB—assumingyouhavetwobinsorpilesside-by-side—thenyoumakesureyouputtheoutsidematerialofAintotheinsideofB.Get it?It’s just likethetheorythatoppositesattract.Mixin(at thesametime)oppositecolors,wetness,size—everythingoppositeforthefastestoperation.In

otherwords,brownwithgreen,wetwithdry,coarsewithfine.That’salleasytoremember—justthinkofoppositesattractingandyou’llhaveagreatoperation.

IfYouDecidetoBuyCompost

Don’tbuyallofonekindofcompostifyoudecidetonotmakeityourself.Don’tlettheclerksellyouthe“bestandmostpopular,”especiallyifit’slooseandnotbagged.Here’swhy.Allcommercialcompostisabyproductfromoneindustry.Itmight be thewood, cattle,mushroom, cannery, cotton, or soybean industrythathasawasteproductandtheyhavetogetridofit.Theysaid,“Whatifwetakeourwasteproduct(sawdust,manure,vines,pulp,orhusks)andcompostit,people will pay us and take it away.” Everyone laughed but, by golly, ithappenedjustthatway.Noweveryindustrywithawasteproductisfindingwaystogetridofitataprofitallthewhileprotectingtheenvironment.Whatagooddeal.Theonlysetbackforgardenersismostbagsofcompostcomefromasingleproductandhaveonlyoneingredient.

What’sthesolution?Buyavarietyofcompostsandmixthemtogether.Now,youaremorelikelytogetabettermixture.

PENNYPINCHER

Your homeoperation should include every different thing you can think of.Gotothegrocerystoreandaskfortheproducemanager.Manystoresthrowout tons of spoiled vegetables and fruits they can’t sell. These are from allover theworld, so just think of the different soils and climates all that hasgrown in and what different vitamins, minerals, and trace elements theycontain. If they’renotdiseased,chop themupandmix themin thecompostpile.

GoBigTime

Ifyouarereallyintothis,youcanbrainstormtothinkofplacesthat throwoutorganicorplantmaterial.Likeabirdshopandall thosebirddroppingsthatgoon the bottom of the cage. And, how about the annual fire departmentcommunitybreakfast—freshfruit,bananaandorangepeelsmaybe,butalsohowabout eggshells? Just askahead—takeboxesorbagsandask them to separatethetrash.Or,howabouttheannual4thofJulywatermelonpicnicintown?Thereareallkindsofplaceswhereyoucancollectingredientsforyourcompostpile.And,youknow, thenice thing is that you’ll find the same situation theworldover.

WhenI’mvisitingforeigncountries,myhostssay,“Wearepoorhere,andwehavenothingtocompost.”Itakethemonatourandfindalloftheseplaceshavethingsthatcouldbecomposted.It’salwaysthingspeoplearethrowingout.I’vedone that in India, Haiti, Argentina, Nepal, Thailand, Ghana, and even inLondon,Paris,Amsterdam,andNewYorkCity,sodon’tbeafraid togo, look,andask—it’soutthere.

PENNYPINCHER

COFFEEGROUNDSANDFREEBUCKETSAnyplacepeoplegather, therewillbewaste thrownout.Checkout farmer’smarkets,localfairsorstreetcarnivals,fleamarkets,evenplaceslikeStarbucks(guesswhattheywouldhaveforyouthere?).Inadditiontocompostmaterial,many of these restaurant-type places have big buckets used for pickles,mayonnaise,oroilthatmakegreatwaterbuckets—allfreefortheasking.

PeatMoss

The second ingredient in Mel’s Mix is peat moss. It’s a natural materialoccurring on the earth that has been made after millions of years fromdecomposingplantmaterial.Youcanusuallydeterminehowoldpeatmossisbymeasuringhowdeeplyit’sburied.Itiscommonlyusedinagriculturetoimproveexistingsoilsbecauseitmakesthemlighter,morefriable,andwaterretentive.

There are plenty of debates about the use of peat moss because it’s anonrenewableresource.BecausethereisalimittothisvaluablematerialI’dliketoguideyouinusingitresponsiblywhilemaximizingitsbenefits.

OnlyaLittleThenewSFGmethodusesonly20percentofthespaceoftraditionalsingle-rowgardens.Therefore,youautomaticallyuseonly20percent—one-fifth—asmuchpeatmoss, an 80 percent reduction. In addition,with Square FootGardening,youaddpeatmossonceandonlyoncewhenyou first createyourMel’sMix.Thereafter,you’llneverneedtoaddpeatmosstothegarden.(Whatyouwilladdiscompost,whichisrenewable.)

In the United States, most peat moss comes from the northern states andCanadawhereitisstillreadilyavailable.Becauseit’ssuchavaluableresource,SFG says let’s notwaste it. Instead let’s get rid of all single-rowgardens thatrequirefivetimesasmuchnonrenewablematerialstoimprovethesoilyearafteryear. Let’s be conservative and sensible and use what we have, a beneficial,naturalmaterial,butmakeitlongerlasting.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite,thethirdandfinalingredientinMel’sMix,isalsoanaturalmaterialand is obtainable all over theworld. It’smica rockmined out of the ground.Once therock iscollected, it is thengroundup intosmallparticlesandheateduntilitexplodesjustlikepopcorn,formingsmallpiecesfromaslargeasthetipof your little finger down to almost a powder.However, thismaterial is filledwithnooksandcrannies,justlikeanEnglishmuffin.Thesenooksandcrannieshold a tremendous amount of water and yet can breathe, making the soilextremelyfriableandloose.Themoistureisalwaystherefortherootstoabsorb.Remember that rootsdon’tgrow throughsoil; theygrowaroundsoilparticles.

That’swhyplantsdobetterinaloose,friablesoilbecausetherootshaveaneasytimegrowing.

CertifiedVermiculiteisgradedintoseveralsizes—fine,medium,andcoarse—andisalsotested and qualified for different types of uses. The coarse agricultural gradeholdsthemostmoisturewhileatthesametimegivingthemostfriabilitytothesoilmix. Youmay find that some stores do not carry vermiculite. If you askthemwhy,youmighthearastorythatstartedmanyyearsagowhenonemineinMontanawasshutdownbecausepartoftheminewasfoundtocontainasbestos.Now,shuttingdownaminebecauseitcontainsasbestosmakessense.

However, some newspaper stories associated the problem with all of theproducts coming from the mine. Although the mine was shut down and theindustryhasproducedagreatdealofevidencethatthecontaminationwasnotinthe vermiculite, the story surfaces every few years as if it was new, therebygettingeveryoneupsetalloveragain.Itwasaserioussituation,butasaresult,thegoodnews is thatall thevermiculiteminesaround theworldandproductssold are nowmeticulously inspected by everyone; the bagswe buy now evencomewitha“CertifiedAsbestosFree”sticker.

Locatingitcanbedifficult.Letyourfingersdothewalkingandcallaround.Call all the major nurseries, garden supply centers, and major homeimprovement stores and try to get the gardenmanager on the phone and askthem if they carry the large 4-cubic-foot bags of coarse vermiculite becauseyou’re building a Square Foot Garden. If that fails, look under “greenhousesupplies or suppliers” in the yellow pages for wholesale distributors. SomepeoplehavefounditatfarmfeedstoresorevenontheInternet.

There is one cautionwhenyoumix it, and it is the samecautionwithpeatmoss.Bothmaterialsaredustywhendryrightoutofthebagsowearglovesandapaintingmask.Mixonlyoutdoorsonacalmday.

PerliteInsteadofVermiculite?Perliteisanothernaturalmaterialminedoutoftheearthandusedinagriculturefor thesamepurposeasvermiculite—tobreakupand loosenpoorsoilsand toretainmoisture.Ipersonallydon’tlikeoruseperlite,andhere’swhy.Itishardasarock,rathercoarseandgritty,andIdon’tlikethefeelofit inthesoilmix.Itdoesn’tholdmoisturelikevermiculite.Inaddition,itfloatstothetopofthesoilmixasyouwateryourgardenandbecause it’swhite, it looks ratherunsightlyandunnatural.Anditmakesmesneeze!Manypeopledouseperlite insteadof

vermiculite and, in fact,most of the commercialmixes aremadewith perlitebecause it’s cheaper. It’s a matter of preference and availability, but I knowwhichoneI’mbuying.

BuyingWhatYouNeed

Ifyoufoundthemathaboutareadifficultinpreviouschapters,don’tevenbotherwithvolume.Getthekidstodothemathforyou.

Whyconcernyourselfwithvolume?Becauseyouneedtoknowthequantityof the three ingredients for Mel’s Mix necessary to fill your boxes, and thepackagesforthedifferentingredientscomeindifferentsizes.Butthegoodnewsistheyusuallyusecubicfeetastheirmeasurement.Ifnot,disregardweightandestimatebyvolume.

So,let’sreviewhowtofigurevolume.Volumeismerely:area×depth=cubicfeet.Inotherwords,squarefeet(thearea)timesthedepthequalscubicfeet.

Our4×4-footboxis16squarefeet inarea(that’s4feet times4feet).If itwere1footdeep,thevolumewouldbe:16(thearea)times1(thedepth)equals16cubicfeet.Butit’snot1footdeep,it’sonly6inchesdeepsoweneedonlyone-halforjust8cubicfeetforour4×4box.Themathlookslikethis:4times4dividedbyone-halffootequals8.Ortoshowitmathematically,(4×4)/2=8.(Now don’t laugh, kids, some of the parentswill be thankful for this kind ofhelp).

PeatMoss(Compressedbale)Fullbale:3.9cubicfeetcompressed=8cubicfeetlooseHalfbale:2.2cubicfeetcompressed=4cubicfeetloose(Thesemeasurementsaren’texact,butwe’renotmixingacakehere.)

Vermiculite(coarse)Don’tbuythesmall4-quartsizedorsimilarbag—insistonthe4-cubic-feetbigbag.Callaheadtolocate.

Mel’sMixVolume

Now here’s the tricky part. Since all the products for Mel’s Mix come indifferent volumes, you’ll have to purchase them already knowing how muchyou’ll need to mix correctly and fill your boxes completely. Let’s use ahypotheticalexample.Ifwehad4×4boxes,theywouldeachhaveavolumeof8cubicfeet,aswedeterminedalready.So,ifwehadsixboxestofill,wewouldneed6×8=48cubic feetofmix. (Sixboxes times8cubic feet foreachboxequals48cubicfeetofmix.)One-thirdofthetotalforeachingredient=48/3=16 cubic feet of each. (A total of 48 cubic feet divided by three differentingredientsequals16cubicfeetofeachingredient.)

ShoppinglistPeatMoss:16/8=twofullbalesVermiculite:16/4=fourbigbagsCompost:Whatever it takes to get 16 cubic feet of five different kinds.Forgetweight,measurebyvolume.

MoreShoppingListsforDifferentSizedBatches

Ifyouhadthree4×4boxes(24cubicfeettotal),youwouldneed:two4-cubic-footbagsofcoarsevermiculitetoequal8cubicfeet.one3.9-cubic-footbaleofpeatmoss(expandsto8cubicfeet).and8cubicfeetfromatleastfivedifferentcompostsbags.Ifthebagsaresoldbyweightonly,estimatevolumebycomparingtosimilarsizedbagsthatnotevolume.

Ifyouhadone4×4boxandone2×4orone3×3box(12cubicfeet),andyouwantedtomixuphalfofabatchtostartwith,youwouldaddtogetherjustone4-cubic-footbagofvermiculite,halfofa3.9-cubic-footbaleofpeatmoss(or ifyoucan find the2.2-cubic-footbales thatexpand toequalabout4cubicfeetloose),andtwoofthe2-cubic-footbagsofcompost.Ifthecompostcomesinothersizedbags,youmayhavetodoalittlearithmetic.That’senoughMel’sMixtofillone4×4boxthatneeds8cubicfeetplusone2×4boxthatneedsfourcubicfeet,orone3×3boxthatneeds41/2cubicfeet.

“Yourbook,websiteandmethodarejustfantastic.”—AnniefromNewJersey

HowtoMix

This iswheremakingyourMel’sMixand fillingyourboxes starts toget fun.Mixitallatonceifpossible(storinganyexcessinrecycledbags).Butifit’stoobigabatchtohandle,splititintosmallerbatches.

Here’s a suggestion:Use a pair of scissors to cut open your bags carefullyalong the topsoyoucan reuse them.At the same timeexplain to thekids theenvironmental three R’s—reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our Square FootGardeningsystemisagreatexampleof:

1.reduce,by80percent,2.reuse,savethebags,and3.recycleplantsinyourcompost.Getalargetarp,atleast16×16-feet,andopenitnearyourgardenwhereyou

have all your boxesbuilt and located.Make sure youhave them in their finalrestingplace—checkwiththebossonemoretimeandask,“Areyousurethisiswhereyouwantalltheboxes,dear?”

Allof the three ingredientsaredustywhendry,sodo thiswhen there isnowind.Don’tdoitinthegarage,oryou’llgetdustalloveryournicenewcarorworkshop.Wearapainter’smaskandhaveahosereadywithaveryfinespray.Don’t forget tohavea fewmixing tools ready likea snowshovel, ahoe,or asteelrake.

Countoutthebagsandboxes,dothemathonemoretimeandstartopeningthe bags and pouring the contents out on the tarp without walking on theingredients.Roughlymixthethreeingredientsasbestyoucanasyoupourit.

Emptythe5bagsofdifferentkindsofcompostinthecenterofalargetarp.

Thendragtwocornersofthetarptotheoppositetwocorners.You’llseethematerialrollover,mixingitself.Whenyou’vepulledthetarpsothatthemixtureisalmosttotheedge,move90degreesandpullthosetwocornersover.Youjustwork yourway around the tarp and repeat pulling corners together until yourMel’s Mix is uniformly mixed. It’s finished when you don’t see any singlematerialoronecolor.

Youshouldhaveafairlylargepileofblendedcompost.

Tomix,taketwocornersofthetarpanddragthetarpoveritselfuntilthepilerollstotheedgeofthetarp.Ithelpstohavetwopeopledothis.

Oncethecompostiswellmixed,addyourvermiculite.

Next,addthepeatmoss.

Theseingredientscanbedusty,sowaterthemlightlybeforemixing.Youmayalsowanttowearaprotectivemask.

Usethehosewithafinemistorspraytowetdownanydust,butdon’tspraysomuchyoumakepuddlesorwet the ingredients so themixturebecomes tooheavytomoveeasily.Don’tletthekidsplayinthemixture,ortheywillcrushthe largeparticles of vermiculite. (By theway, I’d save a small plastic bagofvermiculiteforseedstarting.We’llgettoseedstartinginthenextchapter.)

Thenextstep is to fill theboxes,wettingdown themixed-in layersonlyasyoufillit.Oncetheboxisfullandthetopleveledoff,don’tpackitdown.Itwillsettlejustrightbyitself.

If you have any leftoverMel’sMix, put it back in the empty bags you set

asideforreuse.ThatextraMel’sMixwillcomeinhandytofillfour-packsandusefortransplantsaswellasextratotopofftheboxeswhenthesoillevelsettles.Turnthebagsinsideoutifyouwantaplainlook,labelwithamarker,andputthemaside.Sinceyoudon’treallywaterthemixuntilit’sinthebox,yourstoredmixwillbefairlydryandlightweighttocarry.

Tofillotherboxes,workwithsomeoneelsetodragthetarpclosetothenewboxes. Don’t try to carry shovelfuls ofmix to the box as it will spill and bewasted.This is precious stuff. (RememberwhatGrandmaalways said, “Wastenot,wantnot.”)

That’s also whywe don’t water theMel’sMix in the tarp, but as you areaddingittothebox—thatwaytheremainingmaterialinthetarpdoesn’tgetsoheavythatitishardtodrag.Assoonasyouaddyourgridtoeachbox,youarereadytoplant.

Youhavenowcompleted themost importantandrewardingstep inSFG.Ifyoufollowedtheformulacorrectly,anddidn’taddanyofyourexistingsoil, itwill stay loose and friable as long as you live andyouwill be so excited andhappy.Youmayhavetokeeponesquarejustforshow;visitorstoyourgardenwillwatchasyousay,“Justlookatthissoilasyourunyourhandsthroughit.”Many of you will then add, “Here, you try it. Just feel this soil.” (But don’tbecomeapest.)

ThefinishedMel’sMixshouldlooksimilartothisphoto.

AnAfterthought

Iwant tomakedoublysureyougot themessageof thischapter, so I’d like tosummarize the critical facts about compost. You need blended compostmadefromat least fivedifferent ingredients.Mix severaldifferent typesof composttogetherifyoubuyyourcompost.Mostcommercialcompostshaveonlyoneortwoingredientsbecausetheyaremerelyleftoverwastematerialsorbyproductsfromanindustrialorcommercialoperation.Bythemselves,theydonotmakeagoodingredientinMel’sMix.However, the good news is, if you can find at least five of these individualcompostedmaterialsyoucanmixthemtogethertomakeawell-roundedblendedcompostingredientforyourMel’sMix.

Andifyoudidyourjobandgotablendedcompostmadefromat leastfivemajoringredients,youwillbeblessedwiththemostwonderfulgardenyoucouldeverimagine.Andnomoreworkever.

Withyourgridinplace,it’seasytohaveastunninggardenbyplantingadifferentcropineverysquare.

Nowwe’regettingtotheinterestingandfunpartofSquareFootGardening.You’velearnedallofthebasics.You’vepickedthesize,shape,andlocation

of your garden.You’ve built the frames, put in theMel’sMix, and added thegrids.Nowit’stimetoplant.Thischapterisgoingtoinstructyouonyourplantchoices,howtoputyourseedsinthegardenwiththeproperspacing(it’saseasyasZip-Zap,Bing-Bing-Bing—you’llsee),andgrowingyourowntransplantsforthequickest,mostdependablegrowth.

VisualizetheHarvestIn SFG, begin by visualizing what you want to harvest. This simple stepprevents you from planting too much. Picture a large plant like a head ofcabbage.Thatsinglecabbagewilltakeupawholesquarefootsoyoucanonlyplantonepersquarefoot.It’sthesamewithbroccoliandcauliflower.Let’sgotothe opposite end of the spectrum and think of the small plants like radishes.

Sixteencanfit intoasinglesquarefoot. It’s thesameforonionsandcarrots—sixteen per square foot. (Yet that’s a 3-inch spacing between plants, which isexactlythesamespacingtheseedpacketrecommendsasitsays“thinto3inchesapart.”)

Small,Medium,Large,ExtraLargeThinkof theseplants as if theywere shirt sizes.Shirts come in all four sizes:small,medium,large,andextralarge,andsodoourplants.It’sthatsimple.

The extra large, of course, are those that take up the entire square foot—plantslikecabbages,peppers,broccoli,cauliflower,andgeraniums.Nextarethelarge plants—those that can be planted four to a square foot, which equals 6inchesapart.Largeplantsincludeleaflettuce,dwarfmarigolds,Swisschard,andparsley.

Severalcropscouldbe1persquarefootifyouletitgrowtoitsfullsizeoritcanbeplanted4persquare feet ifyouharvest theouter leaves throughout theseason.Thiscategory includesparsley,basil, andeven the largerheadsof leaflettuceandSwisschard.UsingtheSFGmethod,yousnipandconstantlyharvesttheouter leavesof ediblegreens, so theydon’t takeupasmuch spaceas in aconventionalgarden.

Mediumplantscomenext.Theyfitninetoeverysquarefoot,whichequals4inchesapart.Mediumplantsincludebushbeans,beets,andlargeturnips.

Forextralargeplants,locateseedsorplantsrightinthemiddleofyoursquare.

PLANTSPACING

Tohelp keepupwith this, youmaywant to copy this chart so you alwayshaveithandy.Somepeopleevenhaveitlaminatedsotheycantakeitoutdoorswithoutworryingabouttheweatherdestroyingit.

Anotherwaytogettheproperspacingandnumberpersquarefootistobealittlemorescientificanddoalittlearithmeticasshownbelow.

You can see that one, four, nine, or sixteen plants should be spaced anequivalentnumberofinchesapart.Thisisthesamedistancetheseedpacketwillsay “thin to.”Of coursewe don’t have to “thin to” becausewe don’t plant awholepacketofseedsanymore.Soifyou’replantingseeds,orevenputtingintransplants thatyoupurchasedorgrew fromseed, just find the seedpacketorplanting directions to seewhat the distance is for thinning.This distance then

determineswhetheryou’regoingtoplantone,four,nine,orsixteenplants.

KID’SCORNER

ZIP,ZAP,BING,BING,BINGForninepersquarefoot,taketwofingers,spreadthemapart,anddrawtwo lines horizontally (zip, zap), which divides the square into thirds,and then two vertically, so that you’ve got nine sections. Folks fromTexas liketousethe“hook-em-horn”signusingthetriggerfingerandlittlepinkyfinger.

Forthosewithsmallerhands(kidslovedoingthis),useyourthumbandthetriggerfinger,ortakeonefingeranddrawtwolinesseparatelygoingeachway.Pokenineholes(bing,bing,bing)inthemiddleofyourdrawnsquaresandyou’rereadytoplantyourseeds.

It’s even more fun marking the sixteen plantings per square foot.Remember, there is nomeasuring.Divide the square inhalf eachway(eyeballit)bydrawinglinesinthesoilwithyourfinger,thesamezipzap(one vertical line and one horizontal line, each dividing the square inhalf)asdescribedforfourpersquarefoot.Then,taketwofingers,yourtriggerandmiddlefingers,andpunchholesinthesoil.Theyshouldbespaced about the same distance your eyes are spaced apart.Without

poking yourself in the eye, hold your fingers up to your face so thefingersarespacedjustaboutright,andthen,markyoursoil.Ineachofthe four squares, go bing, bing, with your fingers,marking two holeseachtimesotherearefourholesineachsmallsquare.

Forcropsthatcanfitfourtoasquarefoot,dividethesquareintofoursectionsandpokeaholeinthemiddleofeachsection.

Plantseeds—justapinchoftwoorthreeseedsdependingonsize—intotheholesyoupokedintothesquares.

Justbecausewe’retalkingaboutmeasuringininchesdoesn’tmeanyouhaveto get out your ruler or yardstick, and you don’t have to do any complicatedmeasuringorfiguringeither.Thisiswhenthegridbecomeshandy.Whenyoursquare foot is bordered by a grid, it’smuch easier to think one, four, nine, orsixteenplantsineachsquarefoot.

Allyoudoisdrawlinesinthesoilwithyourfingers!Foroneplantpersquarefootjustpokeaholeinthemiddleofthesquarewithyourfinger.Forfourpersquarefoot,drawaverticalandhorizontallinedividingthesquareinhalfeach

way.Theplantsgorightinthecenterofthesefoursmallersquares.

HowMuchtoPlant

Irecommend,especiallyatthebeginning,thatyouplantonlywhatyouwanttoeat.Occasionallytrysomethingnew,ofcourse,butespeciallyatfirstonlygrowthosevegetablesandherbsthatyounormallyeat.

Remember,planteachadjoiningsquarefootwithadifferentcrop.Why?Hereareseveralreasons:

1.Itpreventsyoufromoverplantinganyoneparticularitem.2.Itallowsyoutostaggeryourharvestbyplantingonesquarefootthisweekandanotherofthesamecropintwoweeksorso.

3. It promotes conservation, companionplanting, crop rotation, and allowsbetterplanthygieneandreducedpestproblems.

4.Itautomaticallyhelpstoimproveyourgrowingsoilthreetimesayearinvery easy, small steps.Remember the saying, “Square by square, you’llsoonbethere.”

5.Besidesalloftheabove,itlookspretty.Justlikeapatchworkquilt,thedifferentcolors,leaftextures,plantdensities,

shapes,andheights,plusthevisiblegridwillgiveyouaverydistinctive,photo-opportunitygarden.You’lljustloveandadmireiteverytimeyouseeit.

Somepeopleask,“Whycan’tweplantallsixteensquareswithleaflettuceorspinach orSwiss chard orwhateverwewant to plant?”Oh, that’s going rightbacktothesingle-rowmentality.SquareFootGardeningbeginswithvisualizingtheharvest.It’sverydifficulttoputinfourtinyplantsofSwisschardandthinkthat’sgoing tobeenough for thewhole family,butonesquareof redandonesquare of green chard usually is more than most families eat. Proof of thepudding. . .howmanybunchesofSwisscharddidyoubuylastweekorevenlastmonth?Thestoreshaveit, it’sfresh,andit looksgood,sowhydidn’tyoubuyanymorethanyoudid?Well,it’sthesameanswerastowhyyoushouldn’tplanttoomuchofonething.

It’sworth repeating here that the biggest problem for single-row gardenershasalwaysbeen“Iplantedtoomuch.Ican’ttakecareofit.It’stoomuchworkand I’m sorry now.” All that has changed with SFG and you now haveboundaries (the grid) and the opportunity to ask yourself, “For every singlesquarefootIplant,isthatenough?DoIreallywantmore?Woulditbebetterto

plantanothersquarefootofthesamethinginaweekortwoorthree?”

TimeofYear

Keep inmind thatyoucanbuildaSquareFootGardenanytimeof theyear—spring,summer, fall,andevenwinter.Formostof thecountry,youcouldstartplantinginanyseasonotherthanwinter.Whattimeoftheyearisitrightnowforyouandwhereareyouinthesequenceofayearlygardeningcycle?Thinkofitlike themovie theater before themain feature.You’re all settled inwith yourpopcorn,readytodevoteyourfullattentiontothemovie.Inthegardeningyear,this isusuallytheequivalentofspringtime.Whatifyoucameinthemiddleofthe picture? For gardening that would be summertime. You can still plant awarm-weathercropevenifyoumissedthespringcrop.Ifit’snowfall,youcanstill start your SFG with a great cool-weather crop and get some valuableexperiencebeforenextspring.Startwheneveryougettheurgetoplant.

Forconvenience,we’llstartwiththebeginningofthegardenyearformostofthecountry,springtime.(Somepartsofthecountry,likeTexasandFlorida,cangrowallyearlong.Youluckypeople.)

SeasonalPlantsYoucangetatleastthreecropsayearineverysquarefootofyourSFG.Everychoiceisgoingtobefun,exciting,andtasty.Ofcourse,yourselectiondependsonthetimeofyear,andwhatyouandyourfamilyneedandwant.Therearetwotypes of crops when you consider weather. The first are called cool-weathercrops thatdobest in the springand fall,butwon’t survive in thehot summer.Thesecondgroupisthewarm-orhot-weathercropsthat,youguessedit,don’tdowell in the cool weather of spring and fall, but thrive in the hot weather ofsummer.

HardinessandProtectionwithSFG

SFG’ssizemakesitveryeasytoprotectyournewplantingsfromanextraearlyorlatefrost.There’salotmoreinformationaboutfrostsandfreezesinChapter9, especially if you are interested in extending the season, aswell asways toprotectyourplantssoyoucangetmorefromyourgarden.

Plants aren’t all the same, of course. They are just like people. Some canstandtheheat,cold,orhumiditybetter thanothers.Weclassifytheseashardy,and those thatcan’thandle itasnon-hardy.Eachof the four seasonshas threetimeperiods—the early season,midseason, and late season. If you’re thinkingabout a spring crop, for example, theremaybe somevegetables that canonlygrowinthemid-partofthespringwhileotherscantoleratealittlemorecoldinthebeginningoftheseason,butcan’tstandanyheatatallnearthelatepartoftheseason.Ittakesalittlewhiletogetusedtowhichiswhich,andhowbesttheyfitinwithyourplantingschedule.

Thoughtheweatherisneverexactlythesameeveryyear,ithelpstoknowaplant’s hardiness. Don’t worry—you’ll learn it in time. This is not an exactsciencesorelaxifyou’reabeginnerandjustenjoytheride.Don’texpecttofinda perfect list because how well plants thrive differs in different parts of thecountryandofcourse,differentyears, sometimes fornoexplainable reason. Ifyouloseafewsquaresofsomethingoneyear it’snobigdeal. Itdoesn’tmeanyou’renotgoingtobeagreatgardener.

FrostDatesAlthoughpeopleliketocelebratethefirstdayofspring(March20th)accordingto the calendar, plants don’t give a hoot about our calendar—they respond toweather.Inthespringweneedtoknowthedateofthelastfrostinourarea.Thatwillhelpusdeterminewhentoplant.Eachdifferentcrop—whethercool-seasonorwarm-season—willneedtobeplantedsomanyweeksbeforeorafterthatlastdayoffrost.

Forplants, the fallgrowingseasonbeginsnotwith thefirstcalendardayoffall(September23rd),butwiththefirstfrostandcontinuesuntilthefirstfreezeof the fall.Theaveragedatesofyour firstand last frostdependonwhereyouliveinthecountryandtheregionalandlocalvariationsofweather.Allwecandoisgobythepastandhopeitwillbesimilarthisyear.Tohelp,thegovernmentcollects dates for your area and calculates the average date from the past 100years.Ofcourse,theaverageisonlyaguide.

Howdoyoufindyourlocalfrostdates?TheInternetisthebestresourcefordetailedinformation.Youcanalsocallyourlocalcountyextensionagentormostareanurseries.Tofindyourlocalextensionagent,lookintheGovernmentbluepages for your county in your telephone book, then look for the heading“Extensionof[yourstate]University.”

FrostDateWebsitesYoucanaccessyour frostdatesonanynumberofwebsites,byentering“frostdates” in the search engine. The best one I’ve found iswww.victoryseeds.com/hardzone. This Internet site has the frost dates andhardinesszonemapsfortheentireUnitedStatesaswellasCanada,andlinksforhardinesszonesforAustralia,Europe,theUkraine(inEnglish),andChina(alsoinEnglish).ThehardinesszonemapfortheUnitedStatesisinteractive,youjustpoint towhere you live and click, and you get the information. This site alsolinkstoyourlocaluniversityextensionservice.Lettheexpertsadviseyouonthevarietiesthatwilldobestinyourlocalarea.

SequenceofGrowth

Didyouknowthatplantsgrowandbloomeverywhereinthesamesequence?Inotherwords, throughout the country, daffodils bloom in the springtime, then alittle later tulipsbloom, then it’s time for the lilacs tobloom. (Did I leaveoutdandelions?)Startnoticingthesequenceinyourlocation.Itwouldincludetrees,shrubs,flowers,evenweeds.

I read a book once about following spring north. It’s theoretically possiblethatifyoudrivefastenough(andeatandsleepquickly),youcouldseenothingbuttulipsinbloomallthewayfromGeorgiatoMaine.

If you knowwhat kinds of plants are summer crops (themost popular andwell-knownvegetables),it’seasytorememberthateverythingelseisaspringorfall crop. Summer crops include beans, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, andsquash.Ifyouplantthesewhenit’stooearlyorcool, they’lleitherdieortheirgrowthwillmostlikelybestuntedforthatyear.

“Youhavegotmesoexcitedaboutgardeningagain;Iloveteaching SFG. It is so much more successful than othermethods.Idon’tknowwhyallgardenersandfarmersaren’tusingit.”

—MikefromUtah

Charts

I’vedesignedchartsforAllNewSquareFootGardeningsoyou’llknowwhentoplant and inwhatorder.Thesechartswillguideyoualong,providing seed-to-sprouting times at certain soil temperatures. I’ve also included calendar chartsthat show, basedupon area frost dates (assumingyouhave a frost), how soonbeforeorafterafrostyoucanplantagivencrop.You’llfindthatsomeplantsareveryfrost-hardyandcanbeplantedmuchearlierthanthosethatarejustontheborderline.Turntopage252toseethecharts.

PlanonaFallCrop

Assoonasthesummercropisfinished,you’rereadytoplantcool-weathercropsfortheupcomingfall.Thesecropsarefrost-hardy,meaningthatbothyoungandmature plantswithstand frost. The seeds you plant at the end of summerwillsproutquicklysincethesoiliswarmer.Transplantscanbeginoutdoorsandgrowmuch faster than the same thing planted in the spring. Look at the charts;compare sprouting times for the same seeds in both spring and summertemperatures.

The fall crop gains an extra advantage from late summer weather. Theproblemwith cool-weather plants in the spring is not cool weather but warmweatheratharvest time.Aplant’spurpose in life is to reproduceseed,and therising temperaturesof an approaching summermake this happen sooner.As itdoes so, the plant’s whole character changes. Many people don’t realize that

plantslikelettuceputupaflowerstalk,whichthengoestoseed.Ifyouwaittoolong toharvest lettuce, the stalkwill shootup, and the same thinghappens toother crops like cabbage. The head splits open, a stalk shoots up, developsflowers, and then turns to seed. It’s nature’s way of allowing the plant toreproduce, but theplant changes tastewhen this happens.All the energygoestowardtheseedandtheplantitself,asfarastasteisconcerned,becomesrathertough,coarse,andbitter.

In cooler weather, this process is delayed. The plant feels no urgency tocompletethegrowingcycle.Sointhefall,theplantslowsitsmaturationprocess,allowing it to maintain flavor for a longer length of time as temperaturescontinuetogrowcoolerandcooler.Ifit’sfrost-hardy,itdoesn’tmatterifitisthemiddleoffallandyoustartgettingfrost.Someplantscanenduresomefreezingandstillprovideacropforharvesting.Fallisagreattimetoplantifyouputintherightcrops.

SoilTemperature

Soil temperatures vastly influence sprouting times. For example, if you plantcarrotseedsinthesummertimewhenthetemperatureofthesoil isbetween60and80degreesFahrenheit,theseedswillsproutinlessthanaweek.Butifyouplantthesameseedsinearlyspringwhenthegroundtemperatureisperhaps40degrees, theywill take amonth and a half to sprout. Just another 10 degreeswarmer and theywill sprout in a little over twoweeks. The chart shows thatwhenthesoiliscoldandfreezing,noseedswillsprout.Whenitwarmsupto40only half of themwill sprout; but as soon as it gets to 50 degrees, suddenlyalmost all of them will sprout and will continue right through the warmertemperaturesofsummerandfall.

Whathappens to seedswhen theydon’t sproutbecause theground is cold?Theycouldrot,orfunguscouldattackthem.Theycouldbreaktheirdormancyand then go dry. They could be attacked by insects, or dug up by animals orbirds.So,thequickeryoucangetthemtosproutthebetterofftheywillbe.

Spring,Summer,andFallCrops

Somecrops,likethecabbagefamily,takesolongtogrowthatthereisn’tenoughtimetoplantseedsdirectlyinthegardenandwaitfortheharvest.Soyouhavetobuyfromnurseriesorraiseyourowntransplantsindoorsaheadoftime.

Thesamesituationappliestothewarm-weathersummercropsliketomatoes,

peppers,andeggplants.Theytakesolongtoproducethatyoumustplantyourgardenwith transplants. The charts show this all in detail, indicatingwhen tostartseedsandwhentotransplant.

The fall crop isbetter for raisingyourown transplantsbecauseyouwillbeabletostarttheseedsinthesummertime,raisethetransplantsoutdoorsinyourgarden,and thenmove theminto theirpermanentspot in theearly fall for latefallharvest.

StartingSeedsandGrowingSeedlings

Thereareplentyofadvantagestogrowingyourowntransplantsandstoringtheremainingseeds in theirpacketuntilnextyear.First, seedscostpennies,whiletransplantscostdollars.Therearemanymorevarietiesofferedinseedcatalogsthan as transplants at thenurseries.Theonly setback is timebecausegrowingyourowntransplantsdependson the timeandworkyoucanspare. Ifyou’reabrandnewgardener,however,youmaywanttowaituntilnextyeartostartyourowntransplants.Likeeverythingelseinlife,wetendtogooverboardanddotoomuchandthenitbecomesachore.Don’tletithappentoyou!

StorageofSeedsIfyourseedsarestoredproperly,theywilllastformanyyears.Contrarytowhatthegardeningindustrywouldlikeyoutobelieve,itisnotnecessarytobuyfreshseeds every year or to pour out that whole packet of seeds all at once. SFGteachesyoutoplantjustapinchofseeds.

Althoughit’sagreatideatostartyourowntransplantsfromseed,thisisanexampleofwhatnottodo.It’s

notnecessarytosowsomuchwhenyoupracticetheSFGmethod.

Then store the rest. By planting just a pinch of seeds instead of a wholepacket,youcansavealotofmoneybysavingtheexcessseedsfornextyear’scrop,andthenextyear’s,andsoon.Someseedswilllastuptofiveyears.Seedcompaniesguaranteethatacertainpercentagewillsprout;thisnumberisalwaysveryhigh,usuallyupintothenineties.Ofcoursetheseedindustrywantsyoutobuy a fresh packet of seeds every year so they can stay in business. There’snothingwrongwiththat!Butthere’salsonothingwrongwithsavingmoneywithamoreefficientsystem.

KID’SCORNER

ASEED’SSIZEANDSHAPEThe interesting thing about seeds is their shapes and sizes. Why areseedsdifferent sizesanddifferent shapes?That’sa fascinating inquiryinto nature you could make with your kids. Quite often their shapedepends onhow theywere formed or nestled together in the seedpod.Doesthesizeandshapehaveanythingtodowiththeirabilitytosprout?Yesandno.Ingeneral,thesmallertheseedthemoredelicateit isasayoungplantandthegreaterthecareitneedstosuccessfullygerminateandgrow.Thesizequiteoftendependsonlyontheplantspeciesitself.

HowtoStoreSeedsWhat is the ideal storage condition for seeds? It is just the opposite of themoistureandwarmththatmakethemsprout.You’llwanttostoretheminacool,dry place—the driest, coldest place in your home. Some people freeze theirseeds.ButIfindtheygetmoistureeveniftheyareinazip-lockbagbecauseitneverseemstobetotallyairtight.Ipreferrefrigeratingtheminawide-mouthjarwitha screw lid.Labelyourcontainersandstore them in the refrigeratoronaback shelf. In each jar place a desiccant packet from a film container, ormedicinevial,oraddalittlepowderedmilkwrappedinatissuetosoakupanyexcessmoistureinthejar.

GerminationRateWhathappenstoseedsthatareinstorage?Astheygrowolder,theirgerminationrate (the percentage that sprouts under ideal conditions) gradually diminishes.But the solution is very simple. Plant a pinch of seeds—just two to three—insteadofonlyonetoensurethatatleastonewillsprout.Ifyourseedsaremanyyearsold,testthegerminationrateyourselforjustplantthreeorfiveorhowevermanyseedsdependingonhowwelltheysproutedtheyearbefore.Ifyoumarkedthesproutingrateonthepacket,youcanreasonablyestimatehowmanytoplantthenextyear.

WhatDidIDoWrong?

Knowing that roots sprout firstwill help your seeds successfully grow.Here’swhy.Traditionally, gardeners hoed open a row, planted, covered,watered, andthenwalkedawayfromtheirgardenhopingforthebest.Ifnothinggrew,single-rowgardenersthoughttheworst:“Maybetheywerebadseeds.Orworse,maybeI’materriblegardener!”Whatallofthesegardenersdidnotrealizewasthattheseedmighthavealreadysprouted,perhapsafteraweekortwo,andtherootwasheading down before the top could come up and break the surface. If thegardenergaveupandquitwatering,itispossiblethattheirseeddiddie.Why?Because if the soil dries below the seed—in the root zone only 1 or 2 inchesbelowthesurface—therootwillwitheranddiefromlackofmoisture.Butifthegardenerhadkeptthesoilmoist,thentheseedswouldhavehadagoodchancetoputtherootdowntosupporttheplantanditsnewshoot.

KeepingRecords

Many gardeners keep planting data—when, what, and where they plant, howlongittakestosprout,andhowwelltheirplantsgrow.Itmaysoundlikealotofbookkeeping,yetsomepeopleenjoyrecordingtheirgardendataandevensetupcomputerizedspreadsheetstomakecomputationsfromthisinformation.Idon’tbother to keep all these detailsmyself, but if you enjoy it, thismay help youlearnfasterandmeasuretheprogressmoreeffectively.

KID’SCORNER

WHICHSPROUTSFIRSTWhichpartofaseedsproutsfirst?Isitthetopstemwithitsleaves?Afun children’s bookwouldhave the tops popping out of the ground—looking around and if it likes what it sees and wants to stay, callingdowntotherootandsaying,“Anchormein.”Butthat’safairytale.

Forallseeds,therootsproutsfirstandgoesdown.Howdoesitknowtogodown?Gravity!Aftertherootgetsstartedandsecuredwithlittlefeederrootssoitcanstarttakingupmoistureandnutrients,itcallsupto the top and yells “all clear below” then the top sprouts and goesstraightupagainstgravity.Itisnotbecauseofdarknessorlightoranyotherreason—strictlygravity,andtheall-clearsignal,ofcourse.

MovingPlants

ASFGgarden is small, and I’vebeenable to change things aroundonce theywereallplanted.Itdoesn’ttakemuchtomoveandreplantsomethingfromonesquaretoanotherifyouthinkitwouldlookbettersomewhereelse.It’skindoflikearrangingaroomoffurnitureandpicturesonawall.Youcanmakeallkindsoflayoutsanddrawingseventoscale,butIguaranteeyouonceeverythingisinplace,you’llchangeyourmind.

DropaPinch

Wehavelearnedaboutseedsizeandshapeandstorageandsproutingconditions.The next thing is to practice planting. You can do this indoors in the winterbeforeyoustartyourgarden.Takedifferentkindsofseedsfromthetiniesttothelargest and practice picking up and dropping a pinch of seeds onto a piece ofwhite paper to count your results. This is really a lot of fun, almost a familygame.

Thereisaverypracticalreasonfordoingthis.WhenItellpeopletojustplantapinchof seeds—twoor three—I think Ihavegiven themall the instructionstheyneed.ButIalwaysfindsomuchvariationinhowmanyseedstheyendupplanting.It’sinyourfingerdexterity,andyoumayneedalittlepractice.Ifyouarehavingtrouble,youmayevenwanttouseaspoonforpickingupthatpinchof seeds.Awhiteplastic spoonusuallyworksgreat, especially ifyou’reusingdarkercoloredseeds.Ifyouscoopuptoomany,youcanjustshakeafewbackintothepalmofyourhand.

HowDeep?

Howdeepshouldyouplantaseed?Thisdependsa loton thesizeof theseedand the soil you plant it in.Generally speaking, a seed’s depth is two to fourtimesthethicknessoftheseed.It’simportanttoplaceyourseedsbelowamoistsurfacetopreventitfromdryingout.Tooclosetothesurfaceanditcandryoutfromthehotsun.Onceaseedreceivesmoistureandbeginssprouting(knownas“breakingdormancy”),itwilldieifitdriesoutsodon’tforgettowaterregularly.

Plantseeds2to4timesthedepthoftheirsize.Whenthey’vesprouted,transplantthemintofourpacks.Whenthey’relargeenoughandtherighttimecomes,movethemintotheirownsquarefoot.

TooDeepIsn’taProblemYou don’t have toworry toomuch about placing your seed too deep, in partbecauseyourMel’sMixislooseandfriable.Iftheseedisplantedtoodeepforthekindofseeditis,assoonasitbeginstoreceivemoisture,naturewilltellit,“Get going, buddy, put some roots down and start growing.” That sprout canpushrightupthroughMel’sMixbecausetherearealotofnooksandcranniesand the soil is very easy to move. This is one of the hidden advantages ofstartingwithperfect soil. It almostguarantees that allofyour seedswillgrowintoplants.

TimetoSprout

How longdoes it take to sprout seeds?Thechart in theAppendix showshowmanydays it takesvarious typesofseeds tosproutatvarious temperatures. Inaddition,whatpercentagecanyouexpecttosprout?Thischartcanbevaluabletoyouandshouldbeusedwheneveryouplantseeds.Ifyouknowaheadoftimeit’s going to take 10 days for the seeds to sprout at the average outdoortemperatures,thenyouwon’tbeanervousNellyeverydaywonderingwhen,butyouwillknow tokeep that soilmoist for thosenumberofdays.Youcanalsojudgefromthepercentagethatwillsproutat that temperature,howmanyextrabeyondtwoorthreeseedstoplanttoensureonegoodhealthyplant.

Presoaking

Beforeplantingyourseeds,give thema jump-startbypresoaking them.Whilesomecanbesoakedovernight,somefallapartafteronlyanhour;itdependsontheseed.Bigseedsshouldbesoakedforonlyaboutahalfhourtoanhour.Beanandpeaseeds,whichmightlookshriveledup,swellupandbreakinhalfifyousoakthemtoolong.Beware,watermakessomeseedsslippery.Aplasticspooncanhelpyouhandlethem.

IndoorSeedSprouting

Theeasiestwaytosproutseedsindoorsistoplacethemonamoistpapertowel.Thenputthepapertowelandseedsinaveryshallowtrayordish;keepitmoist(aplasticbagwouldbehandytomaintainmoisture)andinawarmplaceinthehouse.Checkdaily;whenyouseeroots,it’stimetoplant.Ratherthanhandlingthe seed at this point, carefully cut the paper towel into little squares, and lifteachoneoutwithaknife.Nowyou’rereadytotakeitoutside,plantit inyourSFG filledwithMel’sMix, cover it, and give it a drink ofwater.You’ve justgivenyourplantaheadstart—inabouthalf the time.Insteadoffourteendays,youmayseeasproutcomingupinjustsix.

StartingTransplantsIndoorsNowit’stimetodecidewhetheryouwanttogrowyourowntransplantsindoorsratherthandirectseedingout-of-doors.Toraiseyourownseedlings,youneedalittle bit of paraphernalia:Mel’sMix, a fewcups and saucers, four-packs, andtrays.Startyourseedsinalittlecupofvermiculiteandtransplantthemintofour-packsfilledwithMel’sMixaftertheybegingrowing.

SeedLeafWhenyou’re sprouting seeds in a cupofvermiculite, I suggest you transplantthemintothefour-packassoonasthetopshavesproutedandyouseethefirsttwoleavescalledtheseedleaves.Mostgardenexpertssaytowaituntilyouhavetwo“true” leaves,but Ihavefound that ifyouwaituntil thesetof true leavesdevelops,therootshavealreadygrownsolongandtangledthatit’salmosttoolate to transplant.The seed leaf comes first, and it’susuallya fairly flat, largeleafthatdoesn’tlookliketheplant’sregularleaves.Thefirstsetof“true”leavescomesoutnextasthestemgrowshigher.

LiftByItsEars

Whentheseedshaveseedleavesandyou’rereadytotransplanttothefour-pack,carefully lift the plant by holding on to one of the seed leaves between twofingers.Thenwithyourpencil,diginthevermiculite, loosenitup,andlift thewhole plant out—root and all—from the bottom while your other hand isholding the top of the plant by one of the seed leaves. Don’t touch the plantstem,justtheleaf.Iftherootsareverylong,trimoffthebottomthirdwithapairofscissors.Don’tworry...youwon’tkilltheplant.Foreveryrootyoucutoff,twonewrootswillsproutasitbranchesout,creatingamuchstrongerplant.

Tostartseedsforgrowingyourownseedlings,pokesomeholesintothebottomofacontainer.(Thisisaleftoverplasticcontainershowninthephoto.)Fillthecontainerwithvermiculiteandpourwateraroundtherimoftheplate.

Addenoughwateruntilyounoticeaveryslightcolorchangetothevermiculite(itbecomesdarker).Pourafewseedsintothepalmofyourhand.

Pinchafewseedswithyourthumbandforefinger.

Sprinkletheseedsacrossthesurfaceofthevermiculite.

Covertheseedswithathinlayerofvermiculite(unlesstheyneedlighttogerminate;checktheseedpackage).

Aftertheseedssprout,takeyourpencilandmakeaholeinonecellofyourfour-pack,oroutdoorsinyourgardensoil.Thenlowertheplantrootdownintothehole.Makesurethehole’sbigenoughtoholdthewholeroot.TakethepointofthepencilandpushtheMel’sMixaroundtheplant.Plantitalittlelowerthanwhen it sprouted.Give it somewater, either from above for outdoors or frombelowforindoorsinfour-packs,andthengiveitshadeimmediately.Sunwillkillthat young seedling. In fact, if you’re outdoors, always work in your ownshadow,thenmakesuretheplanthasshadeforatleastacoupleofdays.(RefertoChapter4forinformationabouthowtobuildshadecages.)Thenyoucanletithavebrighterlightandthenfinallyfullsunlight.

TrimtheRootsWhenyouplacetransplantsintothegarden,takealookattherootstoseeiftheyare rootbound, in otherwords, if they’ve grown in a circle.My solution for arootboundplantistotakethatsamepairofscissorsandjustcutoffthebottomroots.Yes,thewholething—themassofrootsandthesoil.Thenalltheendsoftheroots,wherevertheyare,willbranchandsendoutlittlefeederroots.Lowerthewholeplantintotheholeattheproperspacinginyouroutdoorgarden.

Youcantrimexcessrootsbysnippingthemoffwithyourgardenshears.

Pushthemixaroundseedlingstoformaslightsaucershapeinthemix.Becauseofthesaucershape,waterisdirectedstraightdowntotheroots.

WaterWellOne caution: the plant and root should be verywet before you transplant intoyourSFG.Takeyourfour-packandletitfloatinabucketofwarmwateruntilitsinks and there are no more bubbles coming up. That’s when you know theplantsaretotallysaturatedwithwater.Thentakeitout,popeachplantoutofitscontainer, cut the root bottoms off, and plant it. Your garden soil should be

moist,soyou’renotputtingawetplant intodryground.Drygroundwillsuckthemoisturerightoutoftheroots.

Saucer-ShapedDepressionNext, push the soil back around the plant to forma slight saucer shape in thesoil. Make sure you plant at the level of the soil, factoring in the slightdepressionofthesaucer.Becauseofthesaucershape,watergoesstraightdowntotheroots.Wedon’twanttowatertherestofthesquarefootifwedon’thaveto.How’sthatforconservingwater?

“IwassurprisedathowmuchIcouldgetfromsuchasmallarea.”

—MichaelfromGeorgia

OutdoorSeedSprouting

Theprocedureforoutdoorseedsprouting,transplantinginto4-packs,watering,andthenplantingintothegardenisallthesame,justinmuchnicerweather.Lateafternoononacloudydayisthebesttime.

HardeningOffHardeningoffistheprocessofgettingtheplantadjustedtoanewenvironment—like going from indoors to outdoors. It’s important that your plants areacclimated gradually so they can get used to their new location and differentweatherconditions.Thisrequiressomeeffortbecauseyoudon’twantthemoutat night when it’s cold or freezing and you also don’t want them out in theburninghotsuninthedaytime.

RegulateSunlightandHeatTohelphardenoffplants, regulate thesunexposure. If it’shotout,placeyourplantsout in thesunlight in themorning,butatnoontimeprovidesomeshade.Let them receive direct sunlight in the early morning, shade at midday, andperhaps, when the sun starts down, a littlemore direct light in the afternoon.Now that’s really pampering your garden plants. And don’t forget the littledrinksofwatereverynowandthen.Actuallyallthatsun,thenshade,thensuncaneasilybedonewithashinglestuckinthegroundattherightplaceandthe

rightangle.

Can’tDryOutTokeepyournewlyplantedseedsfromcookinginthehotsun,coverthesquarewithapieceofcardboardcuttofitinthegrid.Estimatethesoiltemperatureandsprouttime(seethechartsintheAppendix),thenwritethesproutdateandthedate you planted it on the cardboard with a magic marker.Weight down thecardboardtokeepitfromflyingawayinthewind.Ofcourse,you’llneedtoliftthe cardboard before you sprinkle water on the soil surface to keep the soilmoist,andthenremoveitadayortwobeforethesproutdate.

Spacing

Howmanyplantswillfitintoasquarefoot?Thenumbersaresosimpleandeasyto remember: 1, 4, 9, or 16. If you like math, and who doesn’t, you willrecognizerightawaythatthesenumbershappentobethesquaresof1,2,3,and4.And, inaddition to the fact thatwe’regardening in square footplots, that’showSquareFootGardeninggotitsname...becauseit’sassimpleasone,two,three,four.Thenumberofplantsyougrowinasquarefootdependsonaplant’ssizewhenit’sfullygrown.(GotothechartintheAppendixtoseematureplantsizes.)

Youcanalsofigureitoutveryeasilyfromthe“thinto,”directionsonaseedpacket. (Now, every time you read “thin to,” youwill think ofme and say toyourself, “Whydo the seedpackets tellme toplant somanyseedsonly togobackandthintojustoneplant?”)

ATypicalGarden

Let’splantone4×4andseehowmuchwewillgrowinthose16squarefeet.We’ll start with tall plants on the north side of the box so they don’t shadeshorterplants.Thenputsomecolorfulflowersineachcorner.Let’sassumeitisstillspringtime,butthatwe’repastthelastfrost,sowecouldputfourpansiesineachcornerusingourfavoritecolors.

Carrotsrequirelittlecareuntilthey’reharvested.Solet’splanttwosquaresofdifferentcarrots in thecentersquares,onesquareofsixteenonionsanda low-maintenancesquareofsixteenradishesinthecenter.Thenwe’llputonesquareofninebeetsinanoutsidesquarebecausewe’llharvest their leavesduringtheseason and then finally pull the beet bottoms later.We can plant two or threevarieties of leaf lettuce on the outside, depending on your tastes. In anothersquarewe could put sixteen chives, and four parsley plants in another,whichwould provide us a continual harvest. Formore colorwemightwant to put asquare of red salvia along the back. And perhaps in one corner some dwarfdahlias, one per square foot. Or perhaps some nasturtiums spaced at one persquarefoot.Oneofthefirstthingswewouldhaveplantedinthespringisoneortwosquaresofspinach,ninepersquarefoot.Thendependingonyourfamily’stastewecouldhaveoneormoresquaresfromthecabbagefamily.Thatcouldberedorgreencabbage,broccoli,orcauliflower.Keepinmindthisisnottheonly4×4inthewholegarden.Sowedon’thavetoputallthecabbageintooneSFG.It’s better to space them out throughout the garden—makes it harder for the

cabbagemothtofindthemall.

PlansandDrawings

RememberImentionedthatsomepeoplefeeladesiretothinkaheadanddrawupa listofeverything tobeplanted in theirgarden.Thenthereareevensomepeoplewhowant to assign those plants to spaces ahead of time. So itmeansdrawing a chart, more or less to scale, of your garden and assigning thoseparticularcropstoeachsquarefoot.Despitebeinganengineer,wholoveschartsanddiagrams,Idon’tusuallydothat.IjustliketoplantasIseefit.It’sveryeasyto stand in thegardenandas the squarebecomesvacantyou just lookaroundanddecideit’stimetoplantanothersquareofradishes.Ormaybeyou’dliketohavesomemorebeans,butthistimeyou’llputintheyellowvarietyinsteadofgreen.It’salsoveryeasytospotandplantwhereyou’dlikesomecolor.Ifinditveryeasy to justbringhomea four-packof flowers I likedat thenurseryanddecidebylookingatthegardenwheretheywouldlookbest.Butit’syourSquareFootGarden,andyoushoulddowhatevermakesyouhappy.

Replanting

Keep in mind that, as soon as you harvest, it won’t be a big deal to replantbecauseyou’regoingtodoitonesquarefootatatime.Onceyournewlyplantedgardenstartsmaturing in thespring—forexample, that square footof radisheswillbereadytoharvestinfourweeks—you’llbereadytoreplantjustthatonesquare.Theseasonhaschangedandit’swarmer,andmostofyoursummercropscan now be planted. So your choices have increased and also most of thesummer crop is fairly long-lived and will be in that spot through the wholesummerseason.Asyoureplantyoukeepthesamecriteriainmind—tallerplantsonthenorthsidetokeepthemfromshadingotherplants,workingyourwaytocascadingflowersonthefrontcornerstolookpretty.Placeplantsthatdon’tneedmuch attention and only occasional harvesting like peppers on the inside, andshorterplantsandthosethatneedconstantcareorharvesttotheoutsidejusttomakethemeasiertotend.

Weeding

Thiscouldbetheshortestparagraphintheentirebook.Tostartwith,yourMel’sMixhasnoweedseedsinit,andanyweedsthatdosproutareeasilyobserved

becausethey’renot in theproperspaceandtheylookdifferentfromtheplantsthatarethere.Becausethesoilissosoftandfriableweedscomeouteasily—rootandall.Youhavetoweedaboutonceamonth.Endofparagraph;endofstory.

Thisisagoodexampleofarootboundcontainerplant.You’llwanttotrimthemattedrootsbeforeplanting.(Don’tworry,it’sbetterfortheplantsanyway.)

Harvesting

Keep inmind thatweharvestmanyof thecropscontinuously, ifpossible.Forexample,aleaflettuceisnotallowedtowaituntilitformsalarge,maturehead,butwithapairofscissorsandasaladbowlyoucancontinuouslytrimtheleavesfrom such things as lettuce, chives, beets, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, andevenoniontops.Aslongasyoudon’ttaketoomuchatonetime,theplantwilleasilysurviveandthrive.Fillingyoursaladbowleachdayshouldnotdiminishthegardeninanyway.Infact,rightafteryouharvestyou’llfindithardtonoticewhereyougoteverythingandifanythingismissing.

You’veLearnedtheBasics

You’ve now learned all the basics of Square Foot Gardening. You’ve learnedhow it got itsname—from the squaresofone, two, three, four.Youhavealsolearnedhowmanyandwhatkindofplantsfitintoasquarefootbymemorizing,calculating,orbylookingituponthechart.You’velearnedhowtozipzapinthesoil to get the proper and exact spacing then start planting your seeds andtransplants.Arewehavinganyfunyet?Nextchapterwe’regoingtodiscusshowtomaintainandharvestyourSFG.

Okay, now it’s time togoout toyourgarden anddo somethingoutrageous

thatwillamazeordumbfoundanyneighborwhomightbewatchingyou.Doyouknowhowtodoaraindance?

This is going to be a fairly short chapter because SFG requires so littlemaintenance once your garden is prepared and planted. You’ll experience acontinuouscycleofnurturing,harvesting,andreplantingeachyearwithnosoilpreparationandnoweedingtodoeveragain.Howdoesthatsound?

All of the nurturing you’ll need to do consists of providing necessarystructuralsupportforplants,riddingthegardenofanytiny,occasionalweedsorpests,andwatering.You’llenjoyobservingyourgarden’sgrowthuntilharvest;every square is different because it was planted with a different crop at adifferenttime.That’swhatmakesSFGsointeresting.

Care

When asked to name the greatest advantage of the All New Square FootGardening,mostsayit’stendingtheirgardenfromaislesandneversteppingontheirsoil.Likemanyothers,Ialwayswonderedwhyweweretaught to loosen

soil with rototillers, shovels, forks, and hoes, only to walk all over it againpackingitdown.

Sowhyaretheexpertsstillteachingustodothis?Isay,juststopwalkingonyourgrowingsoil—it’sthatsimple.

KeepItLoose

Let’sthinkofsomeoftheadvantagesofnotpackingyoursoildown.Theplantroots need air and moisture, just like people. If you pack the soil down, itbecomesmoreandmorecompressed(calledcompaction)anditbecomesharderandharderforairtocirculatethroughthesoilmakingitmoredifficultforrootsto grow. They may not die, but they certainly won’t grow well. So why notprovidethemwithnice,loose,friablesoillikeMel’sMix?Thisway,watercanpercolatedownandaircancirculate.

ThesearetheonlytoolsyouneedforyourAllNewSquareFootGarden.Atrowel,apencil,andscissors—that’sit.

ThreeTools

AnotherbigadvantageofSFGisthatthenumberandcostoftoolsisreducedtoalmostnothing—youwillonlyneedthreetools.Justthink,younolongerneedarototiller!Eliminatethatcostandyounowhaveanextra$1,000inyourpocket.And you don’t have to hire someone at $50 every year to plow for you.Youdon’tevenneedashovelorrakeoranyofthosespecialdiggingtoolsthathavebeeninventedtodigupthe toughsoil.Gardening“experts”will tellyoutogooutandbuy thebest toolsyoucan findbecause theywill last longer,but theyalso cost more. With SFG, you no longer need any of those big, expensive,heavy-duty tools that take so much energy to maneuver—they’re suddenlyobsolete.

ATrowel,APencil,andScissors

The first tool of the three tools youneed is a trowel. I’ve found that theone-dollarvarietyisreallythebestbuy.They’reattractive,strong,andneatlooking.Theyhaveallthefeaturesofasixdollartrowel.Soinsteadofjustone,nowyoucanaffordsix—oneforeverySFGbox!Whynotbuyanassortmentofcolors?Youcanhaveoneineveryboxjustsittingtherewaitingsothatyoudon’thavetogo looking for a tool when you walk by and see a square that is ready forreplanting.Ofcourse, ifyouseeanoccasionalweed,yourbig,strongweedingtoolsareyourownthumbandforefinger!

PENNYPINCHER

I like to buy children’s pointed scissors in August when you can findback-to-schoolsales.UsuallyIcanpurchasethemforaboutfiftycents—anaffordablepricethatallowsforseveralpairaroundthegarden.

Thetrowelisfortransplanting,formixinginanaddedtrowelfullofcompostwhenyou replant each square foot, and for looseningup and turningover theMel’sMixinanindividualsquarefootorevenanentire4×4.Inthespringyouwon’tbelievehowperfectthesoilwillbeifyoufollowtheMel’sMixformulaandstartwithaperfectsoil.

The other two tools you’ll need are a pencil (yes, that’s a tool) for pokingholesandliftingoutyoungseedlingsfortransplanting,andapairofscissorsforharvesting beet, lettuce, or Swiss chard leaves for supper, cutting off deadblossoms, and snipping off extra seedlings ifmore than one seed sprouts in ahole.BecauseSFG tools are so simple and inexpensive, I love to splurge andkeeponeofeachatevery4×4.Thatway,Ineverhavetolookforatool.

ItwouldbefuntolistallthetoolsthatyounolongerneedifyouhaveaSFG.Infact,youcouldprobablyjustgointoyourgarageortoolshedandseethemallrightthere—poor,lonelytools.Maybeyouhavesomeold-fashionedsingle-rowfriends who just can’t give up all that hard work and could use some extraheavy-dutytools.Youcouldrentthemoutandmaybemakeafewbucks.

PENNYPINCHER

Youcanevenmakeyourownkneelingpadoutofscrapcarpeting.Ifyouhave some leftover indoor/ outdoor carpeting, it won’tmatter if it getswet;itdriesquicklyandfoldsupnicelytomakeagreatkneelingpad.Itwouldn’thurttohaveafewofthesepadsscatteredthroughoutyourSFG.Theyareavailableasscraporsamplesatanyplacecarpetingissold.

OptionalAcccessory

Althoughyouonlyneedthreetools,youmightwanttoinvestinakneelingpad.Unless your boxes are placed on tabletops, yourmost frequent positionwhilegardeningwillbekneeling.For less than fourdollars,youcanbuyakneelingpadthatiscomfortableanddurable.There’snoneedtobuythefancyonesthatstraptoyourknees.They’reterriblyuncomfortableandwillenduphanginginyourtoolshedalongwiththeotherlonelytools.

Weeds

SFGhas fewornoweeds.Buthow?Weedsplagueeverygarden, right?First,therearenoweedseedsinpeatmossorvermiculite.Next,anyseedsthatwereintheingredientsyouaddedtothecompostpilewillgetcookedandkilledinthat150degreesFahrenheittemperatureasthepileheatsup.Ifyoupreparethebedproperly and line the bottom of the boxwith landscape fabric, noweedswillsproutfromthebottom.Sincewearenotusingourgroundsoil,whichisfilledwithweeds,theonlypossibleweedseedsinourSFGmighthaveblownin,andassoonastheysprout,youwillseethembecausetheyareoutofplace.Yourtwofingerswilldotherest,pullingouttheweed,rootsandall.Comparethattowhatyou’veexperiencedwithyourexistingsoil.Anytimetheexistingsoilanywherein thecountry is left alone, it sproutsweeds.Which systemwouldyou like tohaveinyourbackyard?

First,removeanyweedsorgrassfrominsideyourbox,thenlaydownlandscapefabricasaweedbarrier.Thiswillbeyour“bestfriend”againstfutureweeds.

ISeeYouHowcanyou tell if anewsprout isaweed?First, it’snot in theproper spaceamongyourlittletransplants.Rememberone,four,nine,andsixteen.

If it isoutofplace (and I’llbetyouwerecareful tomakesureyourspaceswerecorrectinthatsquarefoot),you’llpullitoutofthatsoftMel’sMixwithoutaproblem.

PestsandPlantProblems

Theonlywaytointelligentlyanswerthequestionswegetaboutpestsandplantproblemsrequiresknowingtheweather,growingconditions,history,andpresentgardeningconditioninanarea.Ifthequestioncamefrommycounty,I’dgiveagreat answer. But when it comes from across the country or anywhere in theworld,it’sdifficulttogiveanaccurateanswer.

CountyExtensionAgentsThereisagoodsolution.Someofourtaxdollarsgototrainandmaintainastaffof horticultural experts in every county in the country—the county extensionservice agents. In addition, the county extension agents train another groupofneighborhood volunteers called “Master Gardeners,” who then go out in thecommunityhelpingothersbyansweringtheirquestions.Itisagreatservice,andweoften referquestions to theagentsand their staff. Ifyourquestion isaboutpestsorproblemsoreventhebestvarieties togrowinyourarea,youcouldn’tfindamoreinformativesource.Tofindyourlocalextensionagent,lookinyourphonebookintheGovernmentbluepages,findyourcounty,andthenlookforthe heading “Extension of (your state) University,” don’t look under“Agriculture.”

“I’ve lived my life doing the backbreaking work of singlerowgardening—thisissomuchbetter!”

—GinafromKentucky

The only problem I have with the county agents is that most of them are

trained in our agricultural colleges, which still teach single-row farming andhand-me-downgardening.So, theyarenot thebestsourceforanswers toSFGquestions.You’llhavetocometousforthosequestions.

Tosummarizepestsandproblems, trynot toworryabout them.Enjoyyourgarden. If one square gets devastated, pull it up and replant itwith somethingelse. Ifyoudidn’tuse theprotectivestructuresofChapter4, try themoutnextseasontohelpeliminateyourproblems.

WhichPlantVarieties?

Quite often people will ask questions like, “Which are the best varieties ofpotatoesorcarrotstogrowinmycornerofthestate?”Thesequestionscanonlybeansweredbyyourlocalexpert—thecountyextensionagent.Theyarealwaysup-to-date on all thenewvarieties andwhat growsbest in their area.Keep inmindifyouhaveaquestionaboutanyofthevinecrops,youwillwanttotrainthemtoatrellis,whilemostsingle-rowgardensallowthemtosprawl.

Noticehoweasilyvinecropssuchaspolebeansclimbthetrellisnettingallbythemselves.Othervinecrops,

suchastomatoes,needalittlehelpfromyoueachweek.

SupportYourLocalPlants

Someplants,suchasrootcropsandlow-growingsaladcrops,neednosupport,so there is nothing to do for them. The taller crops might need a little help,however,dependingonwhethertheyarealeaforheadcroplikeSwisschardorcabbage. If a heavy wind and rain or hailstorm knocks them over, simplystraightenthemupandpushalittleextrasoilaroundthestem.

TooTopHeavyTheplantsthatusuallyneedalittlesupportarethesummercropslikepeppers,okra,eggplant,corn,andbushtomatoes.ThosecaneasilybesupportedbyusingaU-shapedwiresupportcageorhorizontalfencingornettingsuspendedacrossthe entire 4×4 garden, held tight by four corner posts. (See Chapter 4 forconstructiondetails.)Thesamesupporttechniquewillalsoworkfortallflowerslikegladiolus,giantmarigolds,andtalldahlias.Oneof thereasonsweprovideplantsupportisthesoilmixissolooseandfriablethatthetallplantsneedalittlehelp.

Watering

Plantsneedwater just likepeopledo.Everyoneasks, “Howdoyouwaterandhowmuch?”My idealway towater is ladlingoutacupof sun-warmedwaterfrom a bucket that can be left in the sun next to your garden.Gently lift thebottomleavesof theplantand,withyourotherhand, ladleacupof thatwaterintothedepressionaroundtheplant.Withasaucer-shapeddepressioninthesoil,thewaterwillsoakrightdowntotherootsinsteadofrollingawayfromtheplantintootherpartsofthegarden.

Wedogetafewpeoplewhosay,“Ohthatwouldtaketoolong.”Butthey’vefailedtothinkaboutthefactthat,first,theirgardenisonlyafractionofthesizethat itused tobe.Thatmeans80percentof thewateringyouused todo isnolongerneededandwasactuallywasted.Next,you’renotwateringthetopsoftheplantsortheleaves,soyou’renotpromotingfungaldiseasesandotherproblems.You’rekeepingthewaterwhereitwilldothemostgood—aroundthebaseoftheplantwhereitcantraveldowntotherootsystem.

The soil consistencyofyourMel’sMix is already100percentofmaterialsthatholdmoisture.Whenyouwater, itgoes right into the soil around the root

systemandstaysthere.Therootsystemisgoingtobeabletodrinkupthewaterwhenandintheamountneeded.Isthisamajoradvanceinwaterconservationorwhat?Hello,conservationist,areyoulistening?

Whenyourplantsneedadrink,justdipacupofwaterfromyour5-gallonbucketofsun-warmedwater,andpouritinthesaucer-shapeddepression.

And why sun-warmed water? One answer is that it’s for the same reasonpeopledon’tliketotakeacoldshower.Themorescientificreasonisplantscanabsorb nutrients in the soilmuch faster and grow better if the soil andwatertemperaturearewarmer. Inspringand late fall, sun-warmedwaterhelpswarmthe soil. Remember the chart in the Appendix showing sprouting times invarious temperatures.Thewarmer theweather, the faster they’ll growand thequicker you’ll harvest. That’s why people have greenhouses. If you build astructuretoformaminiaturegreenhousearoundyourSFG,theradiantheatfromthesunwillwarmthesoilfromthesurfacedown.Butsimplypouringwarm(nothot)waterintothesoilmeansthewarmthtendstogoalittledeeper—andevenquicker—thanthesunbakingthesurfaceofthesoil.

Don’tDrownMeInvariablygardenerswaterplantstoomuch,perhapsoutofkindnessorfearthattheywillfail.Sotheythink,“Oh,I’llgiveitalittleextra.Itwon’thurt.”Usuallyitdidhurtwithlocalsoilthatdidn’tdrainwell,butitwon’tifyouhaveaSquareFootGardenwhere thesoildrainsexcesswater.Mostpeopledon’t realize thatplantrootsneedairaswellasmoisture.Luckyforyou,Mel’sMixallowsairintoitbecauseit’slooseandfriable.(Chapter5tellsyouhowtomakeMel’sMix.)

WithMel’sMix you cannot overwater. Remember the sponge? Each littlepiececanholdmoisturesoaplantrootcangrowaroundthatpieceandtakeout

themoisturewhenneeded.Whenthatlittlespongegetssaturated,therestofthewater drains right out through the bottom. That’s howMel’sMix works, andthat’swhyyouneverhavetoworryaboutgivingyourplantstoomuchwater.

But because your soil mix drains readily when saturated, it also has atendencytodryoutquickerthanmostgardensoils.Regularsoilsstaysaturated,sosingle-rowgardenersmaybeusedtoturningonthesprinklerorfloodingthegardentwiceaweekandthat’sit.YourAllNewSquareFootGardenisdifferent.Youhavetowateralittlemoreoftenandpaymoreattentiontowatering.

Thesecret,ofcourse,islookingattheplants.Afterawhileyou’llbeabletowalkpastyour4×4gardenboxandimmediatelyspotanysquarefootthatneedswater. Perhaps the plantswill be slightlywilted.Maybe they’ll be just a littledroopyortheircolorwillbealittleoff.Youmerelywaterthosesquarefeetrightthenandtherebecauseyourbucketofwarmwaterisalwaysrightnexttoyourgarden.Andbecauseyou’redippingacupinthebucketyou’renotgoingtogetyourselfallwetanddirty.

Think of your plants in your garden the same as you do your children. Ifthey’vebeenoutinthehotsunandplayinghardandoneofthemlooksalittledroopy andwilted, you know right away to inspect the child a little closer tomakesureheorsheisproperlyhydrated.

NurtureYourPlantsIsuggestwateringbyhandbecauseitallowsyouthetimetonurtureyourplants.You’reabletostopandnoticehowyourplantsaregrowing.Youcanappreciatetheirbeautyandcolor,noticetheirblossomsandfruit.Ittellsyouwhentheplantisgoingtobereadyforharvest.It’sasatisfyingfeelingtoworkinyourgardenwith each plant.You’re not standing off in the distancewith a hose,which isveryimpersonal.You’renotopeningabigvalveandlettingthesprinklersystemtakeoveror the irrigationwatercome in. (Andguesswhat? Irrigationwater isfilled with weed seeds. Have you folks who live in states that irrigate ever

wonderedwhyyouhavetoweedyoursingle-rowgardensooften?)Evenadripirrigationsystemisimpersonal—though,Imustadmit,efficient.

TooMuchExistingwatering systemsgivealldifferent typesandsizesofplants the sameamountofwateratthesametime.Thisisnotonlyveryimpersonal;it’salsoveryinefficient. If our farmers did that we’d have water shortages all around thecountry.Hey,waitaminute,wedohavewatershortagesallaroundthecountry!

HowMuchInconclusion,onlywaterasmuchaseachplantneeds.Andthebestwaytotellis fromexperience—thesamewayyouknowyourchildneedsadrink.Yes, itdoestakealittlebitofexperiencetoraiseafamily,butgainingthisexperiencebringsalotofpleasure.

AlternateWateringMethods

AHoseForthosewhowanttouseamoretraditionalmethod,thereisalwaysthehose.Yes, it’s a nuisance to get out or put away, and in row gardening it alwaysseemedtobeknockingplantsdownas ithas tobedraggedaroundthegarden.AnotheradvantagetoSFGboxesisthehosewon’tdothatanymoreastheboxcornerskeepthehosefromcrushingtheplants.

Ifyoudouseahose,makesureyouhaveoneofthoseshut-offvalvesrightattheendofthehosesoyouhavecompletecontroloftheforceandamountofthewater.There aremany short and long extensionhandwands that comewith aspraynozzle.Thisalsoallowsyoutowaterdirectlyunderyourplants,and thenozzleontheendofthewandcanbepokeddownandworkedaroundthelowerleavesoftheplantsothatmostoftheplantremainsdry.

Leaveanextralengthofhosecoiledinthesuntohelpwarmthewaterupalittle,maybejusttotakethechillofftapwater,butyouhavetobecarefulatthestartifit’shotoutandahosefullofwaterhasbeenlayinginthesunforsometime.Youdon’twantthewatertobetoohot.Dowhatyoudowhengivingthebabyabottle—testthewateronyourwrist.

Drip,Drip,DripAveryefficientwaytowateryourSFGiswithadripirrigationsystem.Iknowit

wasdesignedforrowgardeners,butitcanbeadaptedforSFGjustaseasily.TheonlyproblemIhaveisitsortoftakesawaythenurturingandcloseattentionpaidtoyourplants.Ifyoujustturnavalveorworseyet,amechanicaltimerturnsthewateronandoff,younevergetclosetoyourplantsandtheywillmissyou.But I must admit the watering gets done very efficiently and effectively. Tryrunning small soaker tubes spaced every 6 inches the length of your box forcompletecoverageofeverysquarefoot.

LawnSprinklerSystemsSomepeopletellmetheyhavelocatedtheirSFGonthelawn,andtheyhaveanunderground sprinkler system thatgoeson andoff automatically.What shouldtheydo,theyask?Whatcanyoudo—ripupthelawnorturnoffthesystem?No,youjustlivewithit.Itellthemtomakedowithwhattheyhaveandjustkeepabucketortwoaroundforspecialplantsasneeded.

Harvest

Harvestingyourcropistheculminationofthegardeningexperience.Theharvestshould be a joyful and exciting time because, after all, this is why you’regrowingalltheseplantsinthefirstplace.

TooMuchTheproblemwithtraditionalgardeningisthatthereistoomuchtoharvestallatonce. If you plant an entire row of something all at once, it’s all going to bereadytoharvestallatonce,anditbecomesanoverwhelmingtask.Notsogreatfor the home gardenerwho justwants dinner tonight, not amonth’sworth oflettuceinoneday.So,afterthefirstfewpickings,therestbecomesalldrudgery.

ControlThatPlantingEverything is different with a SFG. Now, every time you begin to plantsomethinginyourSFG,looktheitemupinyourSFGbooktofindhowmanytoplantpersquarefoot.Preparethesoil,smoothitout,dothezip,zap,bing,bing,bing, bing tomark the spacing.Now, select the varieties youwant from yourseeds,poursomeintothepalmofonehand,andplantapinchineachhole.Asyousmooththesoilovertheseeds,waterwithafinespray.Thenaskyourself,“DoIwantanymorethansixteenradishesallatonce?They’llbereadyinfourweeksandthey’llallcometoharvestwithinoneweek.”Usually theanswer is

“No. I really don’twant anymore than this. I’ll wait aweek or two to plantanothersquarefootofradishessomewhereelse.”Right thenandthereyoucansee one of the huge advantages of your grid establishing boundaries andSFGgivingyouautomaticcontrol—simpleandeasy.

Remember that the SFG theory is to visualize the harvest. Ask yourself,“Howmuch do I need for one or twoweeks?”Then only plant thatmuch. Ittakesaboutaminute.

ALittleofThis,ALittleofThatYoudon’thave towait for theplant tomature to itsmaximumsize.Gooutatharvest time(whichmightbeahalfanhourbefore lunchordinner)withyourpairofscissorsandasmallbasketorsaladbowl,andcutoffafewouterleaves,perhaps one from each plant. To harvest a varied salad, just take four lettuceleaves,parsleyleavesfromanother,andperhapsbeetgreensfromanother.Eachsquaremaycontainadifferentvarietyandcoloroflettuce.Youmightpulloneradishandonecarrot,eventhoughthey’veonlygrowntohalfsize,washthemoff in your bucket of sun-warmedwater, put the tops in the compost bin, andthencontinuearoundyourSquareFootGardentakingjustalittlebithereandalittlebitthereofthisandthat.Soonyourharvestbasketisfullandyoulookatyourgardenandcannotevenseethatanythingismissing.

“Ihad always been a little afraid of composting, but Melmakeseverythingsologicalandeasytounderstand.”

—KarenfromUtah

Snip,SnipContinuallyharvestanytypeofleafyvegetable—likeleaflettuceorSwisschard—bysnippingalittlehereandalittletherethroughouttheseason.Thiscan’tgoonforeverbecausetheplant,especiallycoolweatherplants,willeventuallygoto seed. When it sends up a seed stalk, the plant has completed its growingseasonanditsuseforharvesting.Takeonelastharvest,removewhat’sleftover,andpreparethatsquarefootforreplanting—unlessyouwantthekidstoseehowalettuceorradishplantproducesseed.

HarvestandReplant

WithSquareFootGardening,you’reonlydealingwithonesquarefootatatime.To paraphrase the words of Dr. Robert Schuller, “Inch by inch, anything’s acinch.”WithSFG,oursaying isgoing tobe“squarebysquare,you’llsoonbethere.”Assoonasyoufinishharvestingonesquarefoot,it’stimetopreparethesoil andplant a newcrop. Just takeout anydebris likedead leaves, stems, orroots—you can place these in your compost bin—then add a trowel full ofcompost (hopefully it’s homemade) to the square, turn the soil over with thetrowel,smoothitover,andyou’rereadytoreplant.Youcandoallofthatin60seconds!

ReplantingNow it’s gettingmore interesting and fun because youwill be able to choosewhat you want to replant in every single square foot all through the gardenseason.Remember,youcangetatleastthreecropsayearineverysquarefoot.So,multiplyyournumberofsquarefeetbythreeandtherearealotofchoicestomake!Everychoiceisgoingtobefun,exciting,andinteresting.Ofcourse,whatyouselectdependsalotonwhattimeoftheyearitisandwhatyoucanuseandenjoy.

ALittleNow

Whether you’re planting, harvesting,maintaining, or watering you don’t needhoursandhourstoenjoyyourgarden.Becauseyoucandoalittlebithereandalittlebitthere,youcandoitanytimeoftheday—evenonyourwayoutthedoor!Ifyouseea fewtinyweedsgrowing,pluck themout;giveadrinkofwater toanyplants thatappeara littledroopyorwilted (rememberyourbucketofsun-warmedwaterisrightthereandsoisyourtrowelifyouneedtoloosenthesoil).It’slikestraighteningacrookedpictureasyouwalkdownthehall,jottinganotetosomeonewhowillbecominghomesoon,orputtingsomethingaway in therefrigerator.Theseare thingsyoucando right thenand there.And they’re funthingstodo.Noheavywork.Nogettingalldirtyandsweaty.

AWonder

Ifyourgardenisclose to thebackdoororkitchendoor,you’llprobablyuse itmuchmore.You’ll enjoy the fresh greens and saladmore often, eat healthier,andfeelbetter.SFGcouldbepartofaweight-lossprogram,ifyouaskme!Ontopofallthat,you’llhavefundoingit!Don’tforgettosharethefunwithyour

spouse, children, or grandchildren—the wonder of growth and harvest ispriceless.Harvestafewsmallplantswithachild,andthatchildwillremembertheexperienceforever.

NextCrop

Whenthesummerisfinished,you’rereadytoplantafallcrop,whichwillbeacool-weather crop. Go through the whole quick process of picking out anydebris, adding a trowel full of compost, mixing it in, smoothing it over, anddeciding what’s next. There goes another minute out of your busy life. Howaboutspinach?Checkthespacing,gettheseedsout,soakthemforalittlewhile,pop them in the ground, smooth them over, water, and you’re all finished.Anotherminutegone,butyouarecreatinglife.You’venowplantedthreecropsinonesquarefootinonlyoneyear.Youstartedwitharootcrop,replaceditwithafruitcrop,andfinally,inthefall,addedaleafcrop.Inaddition,youpracticedsoilimprovementthreetimesinoneyear—squarebysquare.

RotationNotCritical

ThenicethingaboutSFGisyouarealsopracticingcroprotationwithoutevenknowing it.Crop rotation is very important in traditional rowgardeningwhendealingwithexistingsoils thathaveveryfewnutrients in them—nutrients thatcanquicklybedepletedbyplantingandreplantingthesamecropyearafteryearinthesamesoil.Whenyoubegingardeningwithahealthy,richsoillikeMel’sMix,croprotationisreallynotcritical.Mel’sMixgivesyouagardensoilthatis33 percent compost,which has all the nutrients and trace elements that plantsneed.Butcroprotationisstillagoodideaforinsectandpestcontrolinadditionto soil nutrients. If you grow the same thing continuously in the same place,eventuallypestsordiseasesmaytakeoversince theyhave livedandplayed inthatspotforsolong.Butifyoureplanteverysquarethreetimesayear,SFGisgoingtobenopicnicforthem.Theywillhavetomoveeverytwomonths.I’llbet they will go somewhere else to set up residency. How about your rowgardenernextdoorthatlaughedatyouwhenyoustartedbuildingyourboxes?

AddColor

Onemorething.Nowthatyou’vebecomeanaccomplishedgardeneronesquareatatime,you’veimprovedthelookandlandscapeofyourgardenandperhaps

evenyouryardandpatio.Whenyoudecideyouneedalittlecoloroverhereorthere,youmayput ina summercropof flowers—perhapspinkpetunias—youbecomeadesigner.Justthink—you’reenjoyingapaintinginprogresswhenyougardentheAllNewSquareFootGardeningway!

Whataresomeofyourfavoriteflowersorherbs?Plantthemamongyourveggiesforaddedcolorandinterest.

Bynow,youmight feel that the80percent reduction in size, theno fertilizerneeded, thegrowing inonly6 inchesofMel’sMix,oreven thenodiggingofyour existing soil ever again are all that you could ask from your All NewSquareFootGarden.

Inaddition,youmightsaythatmostpeoplewouldthinkthatalloftheaboveisamazingandearth-shattering(well,okay,howaboutjustimpressive),butthistopic,“VerticalGardening,”isdownrightspectacular.

HowItHappened

Here’saquickflashbackto1976whenthisretiredengineertookupgardening.IdevelopedSFGbutasIlookedattomatoplantsgrowinginpotsondecksandinsingle-row gardens, I knewmyworkwasn’t complete. Tomatoes are not onlyAmerica’sfavoritevegetabletogrow,but theyalsotakeupthemostroomandcause quite an unsightlymess by the end of the season if they are allowed tosprawlallovertheground.Therearealsothecomplaintsofslugsgettinginandruiningallofthetomatoesaswellasgardenerssteppingalloverthevinesandcrushing them when trying to harvest the fruit. The whole idea of growingtomatoes this way seems very non-productive. At the time, the only cagesavailableweretooshortandtooweaktosolvetheproblem.

Isaid,“Thisisnowaytotreatatomato.Wecan’tletitliedownandsprawlallover theground.Itshouldbeallowedtostandupstraightandtallsothat itcanbeproudofitselfandabenefitandcredittothecommunity.”

Six months later my vertical frame was designed, tested, and put intooperation.ItwasanAll-AmericanmodelmadefromrigidGermansteelconduitandJapanesetwine.Itwassostrongthatitheldupthroughrain,sleet,snow,andheavySeptemberstormswhenthetomatoplantfilledtheentireframeandwasloadedwithred,ripetomatoes.

After growing tomatoes this unique and attractive way for several years, Ibeganthinkingabouttheothervinecropsthatspreadalloverthegarden.Could

they be grown the same way? First I tried pole beans (a no-brainer), thencucumbersandpeas.Thenevenwinterandsummersquash.Theyallworkedandgrewwell,andtheylookedjustgreatgrowingonaverticalframe.AndIwassopleasedwiththeresultsofgrowingvinecropsthisnewwaythatIsaid,“Thisisagoodthing,”andincludedthemethodinmyfirstbookonSFG.

“Icouldn’tbelievetheamountofvegetablesitraised.”—DanfromTexas

But since then—Wow! You should see the vertical gardens now. Thepumpkins,allkindsofmelons(includingthenewsmallerwatermelons),andallofthereallybigsquashesgrow7feetintheair.

VerticalGardening

A few years ago at our display gardens in Utah, we were growing 35-pound

pumpkins7feetintheair.Wemadetheverticalframes8feetabovethegroundfornootherreasonthanwewantedtoshowoffanddemonstratehowtall theycanbe!Nowthiswasaspectacularsight,andmanypeoplehavewantedtoknowhowtheycouldaccomplishthissamefeatintheirownbackyard.

We usually refer to vertical gardening as “Advanced SFG.” But, really, assoonasyoumasterthebasicsofSquareFootGardening,youcanenjoygrowingcropsvertically.Andyouwillbetheenvyoftheneighborhoodwhenyoudo.

Growingverticallynotonlysavesspacebutitalsoaddsanotherdimensionofbeautytoyourgarden.

PictureThisCanyou justpictureawallofgreen inyourgarden filledwithvinecrops liketomatoes,cucumbers,polebeans,evenmelonsandsquash?Allthecolorfulfruitjusthangingtherewaitingtobepicked!Nosprawlingplantsalloverthegroundwiththeirfruitlyingonthesoilgettingalldirtyandeatenbyslugs.Thesewallsof green can even be located so they hide any unsightly areas of the yard orgarage.Theycanevengiveyousomeprivacy tokeepneighbors frompeeringover thefence to lookatyourSFG.It’snotonlyaspectacularsight,but those

plantswill be up in the air getting better sunshine and airmovement. They’llproduceamoreuseableharvestforyouwithnothingwasted.Totopallthatoff,eachplantwillonlytake1or2squarefeetofgardenspaceandgrowperfectlywellinyour6inchesofMel’sMix.Anotherbigadvantageisyoucandoallthisstandingup—nobending,kneeling,orsquattingdowntotendyourplants.

Toconstructaverticalframe,youneed:two5-footelectricalconduitpipes(1/2-inchdiameter);one4-footconduitpipe(1/2-inchdiameter);two18-inchlongrebarsupportsof1/2-inchdiameter;screwdriver;hammer;twoelbowconnectors;andtrellisnetting.

ConstructingSupports

Iexperimentedthroughtheyearswithalldifferenttypesofmaterialsandframes,andI finallysettleduponone thatwassosimple,easy,and inexpensive tousethatitwasalmostridiculous.

Ifoundthatelectricalconduitisthecheapest,strongest,andbestmaterialtouse for the vertical supports. I do not like PVC pipe or wood because iteventuallywill bend andbreak anddestroyyourwhole vertical garden.Whenyou first build and plant a vertical frame out of just about anything, it lookssturdy and strong.But, near the end of the growing season,when your plantshavegrowntothetopandfilledupalltheopenspaces,thatframeactslikeasailon a boat. Just when your tomatoes are getting ripe and ready to pick, alongcomesa latesummerstormwith lotsofwindandrain,and thenext thingyouknowthewholethingisflatontheground.

Usingelectricalconduitandasteelgroundrod(rebar)willpreventthisfromhappening.And the two posts and top are simple and inexpensive to buy andinstall.

The conduit itself costs a few dollars for a 10-foot length, so you can seewe’renottalkingaboutbigbuckshere,andyoushouldbeabletotalktheclerkatthestoreintocuttingitinhalf.Forthecornersyoucanbuyelbows,pre-bentroundedcornersorbendyourownifyouhaveaconduitbender(about twentybucksatthesamestore).It’skindoffuntobendtheconduit,andonceyougettheknackofit,itcomesoutniceandsmoothwithgoodcurves(seethephotoonpage 8). The bent pipes are connected with a simple metal coupling (see thephotoonpage158)thathastwosetscrewsthattighteneachpipetogether,andtheybothusuallycostlessthanadollar.

PlacementofVerticalSupportsintheSFGGardenWhen you’re decidingwhere to place your vertical frames, keep inmind thatyoudon’twant thevines to shade the rest of thegarden.So, the framesworkbestwhenplacedonthenorthsideofeachbox.Ifyouwantmoreverticalcropsthanoneframeperbox,youcanmakedoubleortripleboxesandturnthemeastandwestsotheframescangoallalongthenorthside.Youcouldalsodevoteaspecial-sized box just for vertical crops.Make a 2×12-foot or any length boxwithaverticalframecontinuouslyonthenorthside.Thiscouldstandagainstawallorfence.Youcouldevenplantthefrontsquareswithprettyflowersoranylow-growingcroplikepeppersoreggplantthatwilllookgreatandwillhidethebottomstemsoftheverticalvines.

Onceyou’veattachedtheelbowconnectorstoyour4-footconduitpipe,layitagainstthenorth-facingboardofyourSFG.Next,hammertherebarwheretheelbowsarelocated.You’llwanttodrivetherebarinabouthalfitsheight.

InstallingtheVerticalFrame

Yourverticalframeshouldbeinstalledoutsidethebox,soitsitsontheground.Aside from driving the concrete reinforcing bars (rebar) into the ground, andslippingtheconduitoverthem,youcouldalsoattachtheverticalframetoyourboxwithpipeclampsontheside.Thiswouldgivethemevenmorestability.

SecuringVerticalSupportsIntheGroundTo secure the vertical frame, pound two 1/2-inch diameter pieces of concretereinforcingbars(rebar)intotheground.Thesebarscanbepurchasedalreadycutat anybuilding supply storeand shouldbeanywherebetween18 to24 incheslongdependingonyoursoil.Thelooser(sandier)yoursoilis,thenthelongerthebar should be. Drive the rebar halfway into the ground, keeping it nice andstraight;Isuggestyouwearglovesforthis.Thetwoelectricalconduitlegssliprightoverthose1/2-inchrebarsandaresecurelyinplace.Weneverpoundonthe

conduit itself because the ends will bend and then they won’t fit into thecouplingorovertherebar.

Slidethe5-footconduitpipesovertherebarforastandardstrengthverticalframe.Or,asdescribedbelow,useashortsteelfencepostinsteadoftherebarforanextra-strongframe.

Extra-StrongFrameforHeavyCropsTomaketheverticalframeextrastrongforwatermelons,squash,andpumpkins,driveasteelfencepostintothegroundfirstinsteadoftherebar.Afencepostcanbejusttheshortest3-foottallsize.Oncethefencepostisintheground,thentheconduitisattachedtoitwiththreepipeclamps.Thewholeframethenbecomessostrongthatitwillholdupanyweightnomatterhowhighyougo.

Attachthetopconduittothelegsandtightenthescrewsintheelbows.

Vertical Supports On A Patio, Balcony, Rooftop, orWaist-HighGarden

Vertical supports can also be added to patio, balcony, or waist-high gardens.Theyareconstructedinthesamemanner.However,wesuggestthattheybenotaller than4feet. Insteadofusingrebar in thegroundtosecure them, theyarefastened to the garden box using special clamps screwed into the sides of thebox. Buy those when and where you buy your conduit and lumber. In thissituation, there’s not a great strength with the vertical frame, so it would benecessarytoput thestrutsfromthetopdowntothesouthsideof thebox,anddependingonhowhigh,andyourlocation,thewind,andtheplantgrowth,youmight have to provide additional support. The illustration on the next pageshowsguywires.

NylonNettingOntheSupports

Nowthattheverticalframehasbeenconstructed,itistimetoaddsomethingfortheplantstogrowon.Iusedtouseeitherspecialwide-openingfencingorgoodstrong synthetic twine or cord, but then along came this beautiful, soft,indestructible nylon netting with large openings you can reach through. Thisnylongardennetting isnow theonlymaterial Iuse forverticalgardening. It’swhite,keepsitscolor,can’tbebroken,willlastforever,andiseasytoworkwith.Thenettingistiedtightlyandsecurelytothetopandsidesoftheverticalframe,andtheplantscanthenbegentlywoveninandoutofthenettingastheygrow.Thenettingcomesin4-and5-footwidthsandvariouslengthsandisavailableatmostgardencentersandcatalogs.Whenweteachourclasses,itisalwaysfuntoasktwoofthestrongestmentocomeupfrontandtryandbreakthenetting;theyjustcan’tdoit!

Ifyouliveinacityandhavenoplotofgroundtocallyourown,callyoursuperintendentandaskforpermissiontobuildarooftopgarden.

Toattachthetrellisnettingtoyourframe,firsthookthenettingonthetwocorners.Next,cutthenettingateachconnection.Thiswillgiveyouonelongstrand.(Becarefultocutonthesamesideoftheconnectingstrandeachtime.)

Loopthelongstrandoverthetopoftheframeandfirmlytieasimpleknot.Trytokeepthelengthuniformsoyournettingisn’tcrooked.

Makethesamecutsdownthesidesoftheframeandfirmlytieknotsaroundthesupportingpipes(above).

Tiethenettingtightandyourverticalframewilllookneatandtrimformanyyears.

Withtightnettingandastrongframe,you’llbeabletogrowallsortsofviningcrops.

ArborsandWalkways

If an upside-down,U-shapedmetal vertical frameworks sowell for one box,justthinkofallthevariousshapes,sizes,andarrangementsyoucanmakewithmoreverticalframes.Youcanputtwotogetherinastraightline,turnacorner,orevenzigzag.Youcanputfourtogethertoformanarbor.Youcanputnettingontwosidessoit’sawalk-through,onthreesidessoit’sasittingarea,oronfoursideswithonelittleopeningforthekidstoplayin.Thatwouldbeasecretplace,andyoucouldputnettingacrossthetoporruntwosetsofverticalframesdownapathway,creatingawall.Youcouldevencreateawholemazewithdeadends,turns,andtwists.Allofthetypesofplantsthatwouldgrowonitproducehugeleaves,andmakeaveryinterestingvisualpatternforyouryard.

And don’t forget vining flowers. If youwant something that blooms everyyearwithlittlecarerequired,insteadofanannualvine,youmightwanttoplantsomething more permanent like a perennial flower such as clematis,

honeysuckle, climbing roses, trumpet vine, or thumbelina. Another goodsummerviningcropisNewZealandspinach.Ifyouhadlongwalkwayswiththeverticalframesdowneachside,youcouldbuild2-foot-by-any-lengthboxesandhavethemontheoutsidegivingyouplentyofwalkingroom.Youcouldalsoputthemsothat1footisinsidethepath,and1footisoutside.Iwouldplantthevinecropsontheoutsidesotheywouldclimbupthenetting,andplantflowersalongthe inside that will do well in the eventual shade of the pathway—perhapssomethinglikeimpatiensorcoleus.

PlantsthatGrowVertically

Seedpacketsandcatalogsoftendonotindicatewhetheravarietyisaviningorbush type. The seed companies are constantly changing and adding newvarieties, and inorder to findout thebestones thatvine, Iwouldsuggest thatyoucall(iftheyhaveatoll-freenumber)ore-mailthevariousseedcompaniestofindout.TellthemyouaredoingSquareFootGardeningandwanttogrowcropsvertically and that youwant to knowwhich of their varieties are vineswhichneedtrellisingandsupport.

PlantingSeedsorTransplantsRemember,tomatoesaretheonlyvinecropyoucannotstartasaseeddirectlyinthegarden.Theytakesolongtogrowintoasizeableplantthatinmostcaseswe

havetogroworbuytransplantstoputintothegardenassoonasthelastfrostofspringisover.Therestofthevinecropscanbestartedfromseeddirectlyinthegarden.TheseedplantingchartintheAppendixshowswhentoplantthematthebesttime,andChapter9showsyouhowtostart theseasonearlierorextenditlater.

EasyClimb

Oneoftheparticularlydesirablepointsofverticalgardeningisthatthere’sverylittlemaintenancetodofortheplants.Asidefromwatering,it’samatterofonceaweek tucking the topsof theplant in throughanopening in thenetting, andback through another one, so they keep climbing up the netting. Some of thevertical crops, like pole beans and cucumbers, will do all the climbingthemselves,buttomatoeshavetobehelpedthroughtheopeningsandpointedtothetop.Thenettingissostrongthatitwilleasilyholduptheplantand,infact,after further studies I found out the netting will also hold up all the fruit,includingsmallwatermelonsandpumpkins.SomeofthewintersquashesgotsoheavyIwasafraidlatesummerstormswouldblowoverthewholecontraption.Itdependsonhowstrongthegroundrodsareandhowtoughthesoilis.Butifyourframeis locatedoutside theboxandthegroundrodispoundedintoyourexistingsoil,itwouldrequirebendingtherebar,ortheelectricalconduit,beforetheframewouldcomedown.

Tomatoes

Themostpopularhomegardenvegetableistomatoes,andwhenyou’reverticalgardening the SFG way, there are a few things you can do to increase youryields.

Naturehasalreadytaughtsomevinestoclimb.Youbasicallyjustneedtoplanttheseedsandwatchthemgo!

TomatoesandtheSingleStemMethodThetheorybehindpruningtoonesinglestemisthatalltheenergygoesstraightupthemainstalk,andyouwillhavemoretomatoespersquarefootthanifyouallow it to put energy into branching out.Thatmeans youhave to cut off thebranches, and the best time to do it iswhen they’re tiny.Unfortunately,mostgardeners don’t. They look so small and cute, and as they grow bigger andbigger,theybegintotakeontheappearanceofaproductiveplantanditbecomeshardtocutthemback.

Tohelpconvinceyoutopruneoffthosesuckers,rememberthatthenicethingabout them is onceyouprune them,you can root them, and they canbecomeanotherplantforalatecrop.

Nomatterhowlargethesuckerorsidebranch,youcanstanditinaglassofwaterandtransplantthatintothegroundassoonastherootssprout.Or,youcanstick thosesuckers inacupofvermiculite,andkeep that inasaucerofwater,andtheywillalsosproutroots.Theyaregreat,freeplantsforalateharvestfor

canning,juice,orpreserving.

“Moremanageable,enjoyable,andbountiful thanI’deverimagined.”

—ManjafromOregon

Getinthehabitofinspectingandpruningyourtomatoplantsonceaweektoa single stem, andweave the top in and out of the netting.At the same time,check the overall appearance of the plant to make sure you have no tomatowormsvisiting.

LayTomatoesDownSinceatomatoplantcansproutnewrootsalongitsmainstem,Ihavefoundthatthebestwaytoplantthemaincropoftomatoesistolaythemdownhorizontallyinashallowtrench.Theywilldevelopanenormousnumberofroots,allalongthat hairy stem,whichwill sustain a larger,more productive plant. Pick yourbest-lookingplants,andpinchorcutoffthelowerleaves(atleasttwoorthree)soyouhaveatallskinnyplantreadytoplantinalay-me-downposition.

Todothis,youfirstlocatethesquarefootit’sgoingtobein,takeyourhandoratrowel,anddigoutalongshallowtrench,perhaps3or4inchesdeepinthemiddleofthesquareandaslongasyourtomatoplantis.Makethetrenchlongenoughsoyoucanlaydowntheplantwiththerootballatoneend.Digalittledeeperfortherootballandthenlaythestemonthebottomofthetrench.Attheotherendwherethetopis(rememberyoucutoffmostofthelowerleaves),very,verycarefullybendthetopsoitstartspointingup.YoucantaketheMel’sMix,andpushitunderneaththatbenttoptoactasapillow(see,thisisreallyabed),andifyou’reverygentle,you’llendupwiththetopstickingoutofthesoilataslightangle.Itdoesnothavetopointstraightup;itjusthastobeaboveground.Fillintherestofthetrenchandwaterwell.

Injustafewdaysthattopwillstraightenitselfup,andatthesametimeallthenew rootswill start sproutingout from themain stem. If younoticed the rootsystemwhenyouputtheplantintheground,dependingonwhatsizepotitwasgrowing in, it probably had a very small rootball, perhaps only 1 or 2 incheswide,and1or2incheslong.Butnowfortheaveragetransplantyou’regoingtodevelop a 6-to 8-inch rootball along the entire length.This procedurewill nottakeanystrengthfromtheplant,anditwillnotdelayanyofthefirsttomatoesyou’regoingtoharvestfromthatplant.Infact,becauseofitsextrarootstrength

andsize,itwillbeamorevigorousgrowerthanbefore.

Somebooksmayadviseyoutodigadeephole,andplantthetomatostraightdowndeepsojustthetopleavesshow,thusburyingtheentirestemwiththeideathattherootswillstillsproutalongthestem.Thisisokay,butthatputstheplantquitedeepinthegroundandusuallyit’sstillspringtimeandthegroundisstillfairly cool. So I’ve found the lay-me-downmethodwillmake the plant growmuchfaster,becausethesoilatthatleveliswarmer,byperhapsasmuchas10degrees.Aftertheplantisheadingskyward,youtreatit theexactsamewayasanyothertomatotransplant.Thismethodoflay-me-downplantingalsowillgiveyoumorefruitbecausethefirstfruitingbranchtoformalongthemainstemwillbecloser to theground,allowingyoumoredistanceto the topofyourverticalframetohavefruit.

Vinesneedalittledirectionfromtimetotime.Gentlyweaveavineinandoutofthetrellisnettingtohelpitkeepasteadycourse.

TomatoWorm

Ifyouseesomeofyourtomatoleavesarechewedup,youmayhavethedreadedtomatoworm.Lookforlittleblackspecks(thedroppingsfromtheworms),andcheckthesurroundingleavestofindthem.Thewormsarecamouflagedbutstillbrightly colored, large, and beautiful.Usually there are just one or two at themost.(Caution:donotpickitup.Tomatowormsemitaveryfoulsmellthatwillgetonyourhandsandclothes.)

Playitsafe.Getyourscissorandcutoff theleaf.Put it inapaperbag,sealand throw it in the garbage. Tomato worms don’t usually harm the tomatoesthemselves,buttheytakestrengthfromtheplantastheyeatmanyoftheleaves.Ifyourchildrenare interested inascienceproject,youmighthave themcomeandlookatthetomatohornwormandgettheirearsascloseastheycan.Theycanactuallyhearthemcrunchingtheleaves.(Becareful,thewormscouldjumponyourhead—no,I’monlykidding!)

OvertheTopWhatdoyoudowhenthetomatoplantgetstothetopofyourtower,andthereisstillalotofgrowingseasonleft?Youhavetwochoice,dependingonhowmanytomatoesyou’vepickedsofarandhowmanygreenonesarecoming.Youcaneithercutthetoprightoff,stopitsgrowth,andallowagoodpartoftheenergytogointotheexistingtomatoes.Or,youcanletthetopcontinuetogrow,andletithangovertheside.Itwillkeepgrowinguntiltheendoftheseason,whichforatomatoplantisthefirstfrost.Ifyouwanttoprotectthisplantfromthefirstfrost

(and everyone does), the vertical frame is designed so all you have to do isgently lay a tarp or blanket over it. Nextmorning take it off, fold it up, andyou’rereadyuntil thenext threatof frost.Thiswayyoucankeepyour tomatoplantsgrowingandproducingforseveralmoreweeks.

Thisverticalgardenhasbeanandtomatoplants.Theyareplantedwithsageandsquash.Thinkoftheharvest!

PruningCucumbers,Melons,andMore

The other vine crops can have their side branches continue to grow until thewholeplanttakesuptoomuchspace.Ingeneralyouwanttheplanttospreadouttobeapproximately1to2feetwideontheverticalframenetting.Ifyouplantoneplantpersquarefoot,itcanfillthat12-inchwidesquare,goingrightupthenetting.Ifthespacingforthatparticularvegetable(forexample,cucumbersthatarespaced2persquarefoot),youwouldtrimthesidebranchesbacksothateachone is from6 to9 incheswideoutsideof its space.Squash isa littledifferentbecausetheleavesaresolargethatit’shardtojudgewherethestemisandhowmuchroomtheentireplantistaking.That’swhywegivesquashalotmoreroom(2squarefeetperplant)intheverticalgarden.Althoughmostsquashplantswillgrowononecentralstalk,somedobranch.Thosewithbranchestakelongertohavefruit,soifyoucutthemoffalltheenergywillgotothemainbranchandtheflowersandfruitonthatmainbranch.Whenitgrowstothetop,letithangdownuntilitgetsnearthebottom,putitthroughthenetting,turnitup,andstartalloveragain.

All theviningplantsareveryvigorous,energetic,andsturdy,so there’snotmuchyoucandotodetertheirgrowth.Butwheneveryou’rebendingastemto

pokeitthroughthenettingoroverthetop,holditwithtwohandsandbecarefulsoitdoesn’tbreak.

SafetyPrecautions

Ifyourcropsaregrowingthicklyandhavecoveredthe4-foot-wideframes,youmightwanttoplayitsafeandputguywiresontheverticalframewhenyougetnear the end of the season. This requires tying something like fishing line orstrong cord from the topbardown to the south sideof thebox.For thenorthside,youcouldalwaysprop the topupwitha1×2-footboardcutoutwithanotchtofitintothetopbar.Thatwouldholdtheframeupfrombothdirections.

Cold-SeasonHandlingofaVerticalFrame

Afterthegrowingseasonisover,theframecanberemovedintactandhungoutofthewayinthegaragetowaitforthenextgrowingseason.Somepeopleleavetheirverticalframeupallwinter,andduringtheholidayseason,weavebrightly

colored ribbon or even lights in and out of the netting to decorate for theholidays!

Conclusion

Wehaveseenhowbeneficialandeasyverticalgardeningcanbe.Notonlycanyougrowvining crops in less space, but harvestingbecomesmuch easier andcropsdon’tgetsoftandmushyfromrestingontheground.Verticalframesaddbeautytoagardenaswellasthatunique,verticaldimension.

So, we encourage you to add this innovative feature of Square FootGardeningtoyourowngarden.Youwillbesogladyoudid!

STEP-BY-STEPVERTICALFRAMES

Wegardenersliketobendrealityabit.Naturesays,“Youcan’tplantnow,it’stoocold.”Butwesay,“Wannamakeabet?”Thischapterwillshowyouonhowtogetthemostoutofyourgardeneachyearbypushingtheenvelopeonnature’sconditions.Withavarietyofeasy-to-makeimplements,yourgardencangrow30to 50 percent more produce each year. And in addition to the extra food, itextendsthebeautyofthegardenandthesatisfactionofthegardener.However,this idea isn’tnecessarily for the first-timegardenerunlessyou’vegota lotoftime,anaturaltalent,andalotofconfidence.

Naturegivesusourgardeningcuesastheseasonschange.We’regoingtousethoseseasonalcyclesasourframeworkforthischapter.

Butfirst,whywouldyouwanttoextendyourseasons?Well,wouldyouliketopickthefirsttomatoesontheblock?Wouldyoulikeagarden-freshsaladonThanksgiving? Your answer to these questions will help you determine howmuchworkyouwanttoputintoextendingthegrowingseasonbecausegrowingoutofseasondoesrequiremoretimeandeffort.

“Fantastic! it very much appeals to my innate sense oforganizationandefficiency.”

—JefffromNorthCarolina

LengthenSeasonby50Percent

InmostpartsofthecontinentalUnitedStates,theaveragegrowingseasonrunsfromMaytoSeptember.Thismeansthatmostgardenersgrowvegetablesduringanaverageofsixmonthsoutofapossible twelve.When thesesixmonthsareextended by an additional twomonths, the growing season is extended by 33percent.Athree-monthextensionprovidesa50percentincrease—aworthwhilegoalthatcanbeachievedeasilyandinexpensively.Gardenersgainagreatsense

ofaccomplishment from these increasedyields, andmodernhomesteaders andfoodpreserversfinditanabsoluteblessing.

SquareFootGardenersdon’t have thenegative experiences associatedwithdoing all that hard work when they garden, so they look forward to moregardeningandwanttolengthenthegrowingseason.Forthem,gardeningisn’tatestofendurance.It’sapleasantexperience.Theydon’twanttoknowhowsoontheycanquit,buthowlongtheycancontinueexperiencingthejoyofgardening!

Don’t think youmust extend the season to be an accomplished gardener.Sometimesit’sjustasgoodtositback,relax,andjust“godormant”forawhile.Insteadofgardeningyoucouldbesatisfiedandsavetimeandwork.

It’syourdecision.But ifyouthinkit’s timeto tricknature intofeedingyouyear-round, then readon!The restof thechapterwill explainwhat todoeachseasontoextendyourharvestfromcool-weatherandwarm-weatherplants.

ExtendtheHarvestbyGrowingOutofSeasonTheobviouswaytoextendthegardenyearistostartearlierthanusualandkeeptheplantsgrowinglater.Cool-weathercropscanbegrownintwoextraplantingsforalongerseason.Thefirstplantingismadeintheearlyspringandwillmatureinthecoolweatheroflatespring.Thesecondcropofcool-weatherplantscanbeplantedinlatesummertomatureinthelatefall.

Sinceearlyspringandlatefallcanbringsomerathersevereweather,growingoutofseasonissimplykeepingthecoldtemperaturesawayfromyourplants.Todothis,it’simportanttoprovidethesecropswiththeextraprotectiontheyneedfrom the elements. By covering and protecting your crops, you are basicallycreatinganartificialenvironment.Afterall, that iswhatagreenhousedoes—itkeepsthecoldairoutbutletsthesunlightin.Whatmorecouldaplantwant?

Ifyouwanttojump-startyourgarden,trystartingyourownseeds.ButwiththeSFG,youwon’tneedall

thisexpensiveequipmentandyouwon’thavesomanyplantstotakecareof.

Inaddition,allofthesummerorhot-weathercropscanbestartedtwotothreeweeksearlierthannormalandthey,too,canbeextendeduptoamonthbeyondtheirnormalseason in thefall.Then,anextraplantingof lettuce,spinach,andradishes can be grown during the hot summer months that are normallyconsidered out of season for these two crops. Sound like a lot ofwork?WithSquare Foot Gardening, it’s easier than you think. It all depends on youprovidingprotectionfromthesuddenandharshtemperaturesandweather.

BoxwithCageSince a Square Foot Garden takes up so little space, it is relatively easy toprotectyourcrops.

While special techniques that provide extra protection may vary with theseason and the variety of vegetable, they are quickly learned and easilypracticed.Chapter4explainshowtobuildaspecialboxandthevariouskindsofprotective cages. These structuresmake it possible tomoderate the climate inthatboxsoyoucanstretchyourgrowingseasonatbothends.

EarlySpring

Agreattimetoextendthegrowingseasonisearlyspringbeforeanyoneelseisoutgardening.BeginbywarmingupthesoilinyourSFGboxes.Spreadclearorblack plastic over the top of the soil, andweigh it downwith a brick in eachcorner.Afteracoupleofsunnydays,takethecoveroff,liftthegridout,andmixupthesoilwithatrowelsothewarmersurfacesoil ismoveddownbelowandthecolder,deepersoilsareraisedtothetop.Thenreplacetheplasticcovers.ThisisnobigdealsinceyourMel’sMixislooseandfriableatalltimesoftheyear.Besides,thesoilisonly6inchesdeep.Howmuchworkcouldthatbe?

KID’SCORNER

SCIENCEPROJECTIfyouwanttobereallyscientific,getathermometertomeasurethesoiltemperatureatthesurface,butbesuretocoverthethermometersothesundoesn’tshinedirectlyonit.Alsotakethetemperatureofthesoilatadepthof2inches.Thenmeasureandrecordthesameinformationina4×4thathasbeencoveredwithblackorclearplastic.Usethechartsinthis book to find how long it takes seeds to sprout at certaintemperatures. Plot all that information, and then use the charts tocomparethequickerseedsproutingtime.Notonlyisthisafunprojectforthekids,itwillenableyoutogetanearlier,moresuccessfulstartonyourgarden.

JumpStartYourSeeds

If youwant to get a quicker start and earlier growth, try sproutingyour seedsindoors, and then transplanting them into individual containerswhen they arevery young. Before the plants get too large, harden them off before plantingthemoutdoorsinyourspringbox.

Spring

Foryourfirstspringplanting,setupaspringboxwithastormwindowcoverorthePVCtypestructureoveranygardensquarewhereyou’llbeplantinganearlycropsothesunwillstartwarmingthesoil.Dothisaboutfourweeksbeforeit’stime toplantyourseeds.Foradouble-quicksoilwarm-up,cover thesoilwithclearorblackplastic,andthenremoveitbeforeplanting.Oryoucanuseplasticcoveredcagesoverindividualsquaresaroundthegardeninsteadoftheentire4×4-foot area. When the weather is warm enough, transplant the plants you’vegrowninto theopengardensquares.Theycanalsobe left togrowwhere theywereplantedbyremovingtheprotectivecagefromthesquares.

ClimateControlWhenyou’reusingaspringboxonyourearlycrops,rememberthatfreshairhastogetinandyouhavetoventoutthehotairthatbuildsuponsunnydaysevenincoldorfreezingweather.

Heatbuildsupquicklyintheboxesonsunnydays.Astheweatherwarmsup,slide or lift the cover open a little farther eachweek until you can remove itentirely.(Don’ttrytopropupaglassstormwindowwithsticks;believeme,thewindwillblow itdownwheneveryou’renot around.)A light frostwon’thurtmost cool-weather crops, but too much heat will cook them. It takes a littleexperiencetolearnhowtocontroltheheatandmoistureinsideyourframe.Keepinmindtheseprecautionswhentryingtogrowoutofseason.

ExtendingCool-WeatherCropsintoSummerInadditiontolettuceandradishes,youmightalsotrygrowingspinachorevencabbageoutofseason into theearlysummer.Springcropscanbegrownfromseeds or from transplants started indoors a few weeks ahead of time. Whenchoosingvarietiesof cool-weather crops togrow into summer, look forwordslike“longstanding,”“slowtobolt,”and“heatresistant”intheseedcatalogsorpacketdescriptions.

Summer

As the spring season progresses, it’s time to give some summer vegetables—such as beans, squash, and cucumbers—a head start. For earlier harvests, trystartingtheseedsforthesewarm-weathercropsrightintheirpermanentlocationunderaprotectivecagetwoweeksbeforetheusualplantingtime.Theywillbemuch hardier and stronger than seedlings grown on thewindowsill.When alldangeroffrostispast,removethecovers.

Thereisanentireindustrywithallkindsofprotectivedevicesandproductstohelpthegardenerbesuccessfulinearlygardening.Theyvaryfromwater-filledwalls around the plant to special ground covers designed to heat up the soilquicker.Trysomeoftheseproductsandseewhathappens.Ialwaysliketoplaceanunprotectedplantrightnexttotheprotectedoneforcomparison.

ShadeandWaterIf you’re the type of person who doesn’t like hot, sticky weather, and youliterallywiltinthesun,thentheobvioussolutionistomoveintotheshadewitha large pitcher of your favorite cold drink. Well, lettuce and radishes are nodifferent.Ifyoucanprovideshadeforthesespringcrops(especiallyduringthenoonsun),alongwithsomeextrawater,youwillbeabletoharvestthroughoutmost of the summer. Look for special hot-weather varieties of your favoriteplantsinyourseedcatalog.

Coverthesquarewithashadecage,andgivetheplantsplentyofwater—asageneralrule,watertwiceasoftenasyouusuallywould.Remember,oneofthebest aids for growing a good crop isMel’sMix—our soilmix that combinesequalpartspeatmoss,coarsevermiculite,andblendedcompost.Itholdslotsofmoisturesotheplantrootscantakeupall that’sneeded,yetdrainswellso therootscan’tbecomewaterlogged.

ShadeScreensThe shade cage will admit enough light for proper growth while keeping thetemperaturedownconsiderably.Alayerofthickmulchwillalsohelpmoderatesoil temperatures. You can also make use of natural shade or sun screens bylocatingaplantingofspringcropsbehind(tothenorthof)yourverticalgrowingframes.

Keep inmind thatyou’regrowingoutof season,whichmeans it isnot theplant’s natural inclination to grow then.You are urging these plants on, so begenerouswithyourhelpandattentionanddon’texpecttoomuch.Justenjoythechallengeandexperience!

SummerPlantsintoFallGardeners sometimes wonder whether the extra effort involved in protectingsummercropsfromthefirstfallfrostisworththeeffort.Ithinkitcertainlyis,ifyouwant an extra two or threeweeksworth of harvest from all thosewarm-weathercrops.Quiteoften the first frost is followedbya longperiodofclear,warmweatherbeforethenextfrost.Ifyoucanprotectyourgardenfromthatfirstfrost, you can enjoy green plants and fresh vegetables during one of themostpleasantperiodsoftheyear—mid-autumn.Sincemostofthesecropshaveasixto eight week harvest season, the extra two to three weeks gained amount toquiteabit—morethana25percentextensionoftheseason.

AllTogetherNowTo protect your crops from frost, you can start with a PVC arch or coveredwagonframe,and thencover itwitha largesheetofplastic, floatingcover,orlightblanket.Fastendownthecornerssoitwon’tblowoffduringthenight.Or,thelow-growingcropscanbereadilyprotectedwithaloosecoveringofhaythatiseasilyremovedthenextmorning.

Toprotectvinecropsfromfrost,justthrowablanketortarpovertheverticalframesoit’shangingdownonallsides.Thisisoneoftheprimeadvantagesofgrowing squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, pumpkins, and similarsummercropsonaverticalframe.

Fall

Whenfallarrives,youandyourgardenhavethreeoptions:tostorefoodforthewinter,extendtheharvest,orstopyourgarden.Whicheveryouchoosedependsonyourtimeanddesire.

ExtendingtheHarvestbyStoringItLet’slookattheeasiestandleast-knownwaytoextendtheharvest—storingit.There’s theold-fashionedbuteconomicalcanning,preserving,andfreezingforthe future, and it has a place. But I think the most economical andenvironmentallycorrectwaytoextendtheseasonistostoretheharvest.Thereisalmostnoworkandmoneyinvolved,andtheflavorandnutritionalvalueofeachvegetableisgreaterthanifitwasfrozenorcanned.

HandleYourHarvestGently

The only secret of successful storage is actually very simple—learn eachvegetable’s best storage conditions and provide it. There are really only two:

cool anddry, or cold andmoist.The list of vegetables that need cool anddryconditionsiseasytorememberbecausethereareonlyafew—pumpkins,wintersquash, and onions. The temperature should be around 50 to 60 degreesFahrenheit(10to15.5degreesCelsius),andthehumidityneedstobefairlylow—atabout50percent.

Trytofindacoolcornerofyourgarageorbasementwherethetemperaturestaysabove35butbelow60degreesF(above1.6butbelow15.5degreesC).Ifyouthinkyourstorageareamightfreezeorgettoowarmattimes,youcanbuildtwowalls toencloseacorner toprovideaneven-temperature fruitcloset.Addsome insulation, and remember to allow plenty of air circulation.Don’t stackproduceupinabigpile,butspreadyourvegetablesoutevenlyonashelf(notonthefloor).

Handle produce as gently and infrequently as possible. When you’re outharvesting,treateachvegetableasifitwereanegg.Anybruiseorcutwillbethefirstspottospoil.Layeachharvestedvegetableseparatelyinaboxofsawdustorcrumpled newspaper; don’t pile them all together. Do not wash or scrub theproduce.Leavethebottomoftherootonrootcrops,andatleastaninchofthetop growth. For crops such as vine crops, leave as much of the stem on aspossible.Onlystoreproducethatisinreallygoodcondition.

Vegetablesinthegroupthatneedcoldandmoistconditionsareallrootcrops—beets, carrots, turnips, white potatoes, and winter radishes plus all of thecabbage family. This group also includes fruit—especially apples. The idealstoragetemperatureforthemisascoldasyoucangetwithoutactuallyfreezing—35to45degreesF(1.6to7.2degreesC).

Actually,thesimplestwaytostorerootcropsisnottodigthemupatall.Rollabaleofhayovertheplantedarea;thiswillbreaktheirtopsandstoptheplant’sgrowing cyclewhile keeping the ground from freezing.Whenyou’re ready toharvest,simplyrollthebaleover,digupafewvegetables,andthenreplacethebale. Regular radishes won’t hold up too long in freezing weather while thewinter radishwill lastalmost indefinitely.Carrotsand leeksalsodoquitewellthroughtheentirewinter.Ifyou’refeelingadventurous,youcanexperimentwithleavingdifferentrootcropsinthegroundtoseewhichlastthroughthefallandwintersoyou’llknowwhattoexpectthefollowingyear.

CozyCoverCabbageandotherleafandheadcropscanalsobestoredinthegarden,buttheywon’tdowellunderasolidbaleofhay.Instead,itisbettertousealoose,fluffycoveringofstraworleaves.Tokeepthewindfromblowingthisloosecoveringaround,tryplacinga2-foot-highfenceofchickenwirearoundyourgardenareasandanchoringthewiringateachcornerwithstakes.

DigItIn

Anotherstoragemethodforrootcropsistoburyacontainerinthegroundand

pack your vegetables in layers ofmoist sawdust, peatmoss, or sand.You cansinkaplasticormetalgarbagecanstraightintothegroundwhilekeepingthetopa few inches above the surface so nowater gets in.Make sure the cover fitstightly;thenpileatleast12inchesofhayorleavesoverthetop.Keepeverythingdry by covering it with a weighted-down plastic sheet or tarp.Watch out forleaksinthecontainerthatcanallowgroundwatertoseepin.Ifyoucan,selectanareaonhighgroundtolocatethestoragecontainer.Thegroundwillnotfreezeunderoraroundthiscontainer,andyourvegetableswillbemaintainedinaveryevenandmoistcondition.

TemperatureDifferences

On a cold night you can walk around your property and actually feel thedifferencesintemperature.Thecoldairvirtuallyrollsdowntheslopeandsettlesinlowlyingareas;infact,thisiscalledcoldairdrainage.Surprisingly,thiswillhappenevenwherethereisnotagreatdifferenceinelevation.Onceyougettheknackofwatchingoutforfrostandcoveringyourplantswhenitthreatens,youwillseetheadvantagesoflocatingagardenonthetoporsouthsideofasloperather than at the bottom of a low area. You will also see the advantage ofgrouping your crops according to their weather requirements. This makes iteasier toprotect them fromeither frostor freezing inboth the springand fall.OneofthegreatestadvantagesofSFGishoweasyit is toprotectyourgardensinceitiscondensedintosmall,uniformareas.

It’smuchsimplerandmorecosteffectivetogrowcool-weathercropsforanextendedseasonusingasun-heatedboxthatprotectsplantsfromjustthesevereweatherfluctuations.

FrostFrost forms when the outdoor temperature drops below the freezing point,resultinginthedepositoficecrystals.Plantmaterialwillfreezewhenthereisanaccumulationofcoldair,32degreesFahrenheitorbelow(0degreesCelsius),atgroundlevel.Frostcan,anddoes,occurinlowareaswhilethehillsandslopesrightnexttothemmightbefrost-free.Thisisbecausehotairrisesandcoldairsinks.Ifabodyofwaterisnearby,itcangreatlyreducetheoccurrenceoffrostaswaterholdsheatverywell.

Ingeneral,frostusuallyoccursintheveryearlymorninghours,particularlyafter a still, calmnightwhen theweather isdry.Thechancesof frost are alsoincreasedfollowingthepassageofacoldfront,indicatedbyanintermittentand

changingweatherpatternofbrokencloudsandoccasionalprecipitation;thisisincontrasttothesteadyorcontinuousrainandtheheavy,low-hangingcloudsthataccompanyawarmfront.

When frost is predicted, be ready. Your best bet is to catch the eveningweather forecast, particularly the local one.Another (perhaps better) source istheInternet.Oneofthebestwebsitesiswww.weather.com.Clickon“HomeandGarden,” then “Lawn andGarden” and enter your zip code.You’ll get all theinformationyouneedtobereadyforthatfirstfrost.

LightVersusHardFrostAlightfrostblackenstheouterleavesofmostsummerflowersandvegetables.Itis indicated by awhite covering on the lawn in very earlymorning. Summervegetablescanstillbeharvestedifeatenrightaway.

Ahardfrostwillblackenandkillallsummerflowersandvegetables.Plantsthatwerebushyandcolorfulthedaybeforearenowjustdroopyskeletonswithblackened leaves hanging like rags from the stems. This can be verydishearteningforgardenerswhocomeoutinthemorningtofindthatthegardenhasbeendevastated.Ahardfrostisindicatedbyacrunchyfeeltothegroundandathinfilmoficeonthebirdbath.Thisisthetimewhenmostgardenersdeclareanendtotheseason.Butifyouhaveplantedsomecolorfulfall-bloomingplants(mums,asters,andsomehardydaisies)alongwiththefallvegetables,andyoucleanupthegardenrightaway,yourgardenwillstilllookattractiveandinvitingafter a hard frost. Your spirits will be lifted and you can go on to enjoy anautumngarden.

WinterGardeners who are particularly ambitious and want to continue growingsomethingallwinterwillneedadditional tools forprovidingspecialprotectiontoaveryselectvarietyofplants.Ifyoucankeepthegroundfromfreezingsolidandprovidesunlight injustasmallarea, inmanypartsof thecountryyoucancontinuegrowingspecialvarietiesoflettuceandspinach,hardyleafcropssuchaskale,andanumberoforientalvegetablesallwinterlong.It’salsopossibletoplant somemembersof theonion family in the fall inorder toget a largerorearlycropnextspringandsummer.Callyourcountyextensionserviceforlocaladviceandconditions.

Asyoucontinuegardening,you’lllearnwhichvegetablesarehardierinyourparticulararea.Windandrainhavealottodowithplantsurvivalandhowmuchprotectionyouneedtoprovide.

SpecialColdVarietiesSaladfromyourgardenduringthecoldestmonthsofwinter?Youbet.Afallbox(that’s justaSFGbox that’susedduring the fall)canprovide freshsaladeachweekduring thewinterwithout agreenhouse.Here’show: select fast-growingvegetables for yourwinter garden.Try anyof thehardy saladgreens and rootcrops, but look for special cold-tolerant varieties. Every seed company offersdifferent varieties so look through catalogs and select those that arerecommendedforcoldandwintergrowing.Lookfornamesthathavewordsinthemlike“Arctic,”“FrostKing,”or“SnowMan”(Ijustmadethatlastoneup).

PickaSpot

Now,pickthesunniest,mostshelteredspotyoucanfindforyourwintergarden.Itdoesn’thave tobe in themaingarden;next to thehouseorgarage isbetter,especiallyifyouhavewhitepaintedbrickorstuccowalls,sincetheywillreflectquiteabitofheatintoyourminiaturegarden.Rememberthatthesunisverylowintheskyduringthewinter,andtheplacethatmayhavebeeninfullsunduringthesummercouldnowverywellbeaveryshadyplaceinthewinter.Don’tplacetheboxundertherooforgutterline,oryou’llriskthechancethatrain,sleet,orsnowwillfallonit.You’llbeingoodshapeiftheareaisshelteredfromstrongwinterwindsandifitgetsamaximumamountofwintersunlight.Itdoesn’thavetobeapermanentspoteither.First, laydownasheetofplasticorsturdyweedclothandinthespringyoucanpickeverythingupandreturntheareabacktoitsformeruse.

“Best book on gardening I’ve ever read,wish I’d found ityearsago.

—MindyfromNewJersey

SnuggleUpInstallyourwinterbox,fillitwithMel’sMix,andstartyourplanting.Sincetheplantswillgrowveryslowlycomparedtospringandsummerandsinceyou’llbeharvesting every leaf almost as it is ready, you can plant your produce closerthantheusualspacing,evenascloseasone-halftherecommendeddistance.

InsulateProvidesomeinsulationaroundthewinterbox,bybankingtheoutsidewithsoilor placing bales of hay all around. Provide a tight-fitting cover or make adouble-layercoverwithplastictokeepthesoilandairfromlosingheatatnight.Throwablanketortarpontheboxforthoseextracoldnights.

PuttingYourGardentoBed

When it is time to put the SFG to bed,we do this the samewaywe put ourchildrentobed.Youwouldn’tthinkofsendingthemtotheirroomandpayingnoattentiontothemwouldyou?Instead,weencouragethemtoprepareforbedtime—tobrushtheir teeth,getonelastdrink,fix thebedjust thewaytheywant it,andthenspendsometimereadingabedtimestory.Thenit’sfinallylightsout.

Well,treatyourgardenthesameway.Don’tleaveitamesswithdeadplantsanddebris lyingabout.Tidy itupandmake it lookgood.Nowisanexcellenttimetomixalittleextracompostineachboxandsmoothandlevelitoutsoitwill be all ready for the spring planting. That’s never happened before withsingle-rowgardening.Nowit’snotonlypossible,butalsoverypractical.

The littleextraworkyoudo in thefallwillkeepyourgardenattractiveandneat-lookingallwinterandmakeyourspringtimegardeneasiertobegin.You’llsimplygoout,rakeoffthemulchcover(rememberyourrototillingneighbor?),andstartplantingeitherattheregulartimeorearly.

GridsinWinterYoucan remove, clean, fold, andhangup thegridsnowor leave themon the

boxesallwinter,whichwill remindyouofhowmuch funyouhavenowwithgardening.WhatI’msuggestingfor theendof theseasonisreallynodifferentthanwhatIrecommendyoudoallseasonlong.Keepyourgardenneat,tidy,andattractive.Ifyoukeepit intip-topcondition(andthat’snot toodifficultwithano-workgarden),youwillenjoyitsomuchmore.

TakeNotes

Theonlythingyoumightwanttodoisrecordinanotebookorjournalsomeofthe highlights of this past year—notes for improvements, special varieties ofplants,andtipsfornextyear.

DecoratefortheHolidays

You’llenjoySFGmuchmoreifyoukeepyourgardenneatandattractiveatalltimes.Sinceyounolongerhavetohoetheweedsordigandcultivatethesoil,you’llhavetimeandenergyforthepleasantthingsliketrimmingoffyellowordead lower leaves,deadblossoms, removingplants,ordeadandpest-damagedleavesorentireplants.

Butwhataboutwinter?Notmuchworktodoafterputtingthegardentobed,butyoumightthinkaboutdecoratingthegardensoitstilllooksniceallwinterlongoratleastfortheholidays.

ThanksgivingMakeanicearrangement inoneormoreboxesofa fall scene, likea stackofcornwithpumpkins.Someoftheboxescouldjusthaveabaleortwoofhayorstraw.Maybe even a scarecrow in a box. Those boxes could be coveredwithcloth(likewhitegardenfloatingcovers)oroldcoloredsheetstackedorstapleddown.

ChristmasorWinterHere are some ideas thatwillmake your SFG festive during the bleakwintermonths.

1.MakeChristmasboxesoutofyourgardenboxesbyusingoldcoloredorstripedsheets,atarportablecloth,orfloatinggardencovers.

2.Think aheadwhenyougo toyard salesor the thrift shop.Manycovers

couldservedoubledutyasfrostcoversinthefall,thendecorativecoversinthewinter.

3.Usewide,colorfulribbon,rope,orcontrastingcoloredstripsofsheetstotiebowsontheboxes.Tuckingreensandpinecones,evenlights ifyoucangetanextensioncordtothegarden.(Remembernow,yourgardennolongerneedstobewayoutback;itcanberightnearyourbackdoorwhereyou’llseeitmoreoften.)

4.Decorateyourverticalframeswithdecorativelights,pinebranches,pinecones,andbirdfeeders.

AfterChristmas, stickadiscardedChristmas tree in thecenterofeachbox,andmakethemintobirdfeeders,withorwithoutlights.Tieastringfromeachboxcornertothetreetopforsupport.

StartSmall

This chapter teachesushow to extendall the seasons andhowdoing that cangiveusanextra50percentofgardeningtime.Howexciting!Ifyoureadthroughall this and felt a little discouraged or glazed-over, don’t worry. If you havenevergrownout-of-season, add just a few featureshere and there asyougainmoreconfidence.Itcanbeareallyfunchallengetoanygardener—regardlessofexperience.Aswithallnewgardeningprojects,myrecommendationis tostartsmallinordertogainexperience,confidence,andpleasure—thenexpand.Andjust in case you need more convincing, remember that All New Square FootGardeningeliminatessomanygardeningtaskssoyouhavethetimeandenergytoextendtheseasons.

NoYard

Sometimesapropertymayhave limited space for agarden. Ifyou’re in ano-property situation, think creatively and closer to your front or back door. Forinstance,patios,decks, andbalconiesalwayshave roomfora smallgarden.Acornerofapatioorbalconycouldcontainseveral2×2-footboxes.Thesecouldbe stacked up creatively at different heights to form a very attractive cornergarden thatwould use less space than a 4 × 4-foot area. The boxes could beplaced on low tables of different heights or on something likemilk crates orcinderblocksinordertogiveeachoneadifferentheight.Ifyouinstallaverticalframewithnettingalongbothwallsorjusttackthenettingtothewalls,itcouldfanoutsoitgetslargerasitgetshighertoexpandthegardenareaevenlarger.Anotheroption,ofcourse,isatthebaseofandevenontopofabalconyordeckrailing.Youcould install6-to12-inchwideboxeson thefloororbolted to thetopoforhangingfromtherailingonbothsides.Thiswouldcreatealmostawallofgardensendingupinquiteafewavailablesquarefeet.

WoodedYard

Ifyouhaveaheavilywoodedyard,thenyoudon’thavetoomanychoices.Onesolutionistolocateseveralboxesaroundthehousewherevertheymightreceiveenoughsunlight.Yourboxescouldbeonthegroundorevenonlegsnexttothehouse. If you had a southern exposurewith enough sunlight, you could put adouble-deckerlongboxagainstthehouse.Otherthanthat,theonlychoicewouldbetomakeaclearinginthewoods,butthatwouldhavetobeafairlysubstantialareatogetyourSFGboxesoutoftheshade.Ifthesesuggestionsdon’twork—it’sshadegardeningforyou.

Hillsides

What if the only space you have for a garden is on a hillside or fairly steepslope?

Someeasy-to-growannualsincludemarigold,sunflower,andzinnia.

If it’s facing south, it may be worthwhile to develop it for your All NewSquareFootGarden.Thelimitingfactorsarehowsteeptheslopeisandhowbigyourgarden is going tobe.You’re in luckwith aSFGbecauseyou canbuildboxesthatwillfitintothelayoftheland.

Basically,inordertohavealevelgardensoyoursoilandwaterdon’trunoff,you’regoingtocutapathintothehillsidewideenoughtomakeagardenarea.Ifyouwanta4-foot-widebed,youwillhavetoreachinfrombothsidesandthatcanbetoomuchofastretchfromtheuphillside.However,witha3-footwidebox,whichwillbehigherthanthedownhillaisle,youwillbeabletoreachinthefull 3 feet from the downhill side because you are standing up rather thankneelingdownnexttothebox.

Togeta3-footwide level spot,you justcut into thehillandmove thesoildownhilltoformthe3-footwideareas.

Thinkaheadaboutwateravailability,time,andthecosttodigandthenlevelapathwaywideenoughtoholdbothyouandyourgarden.Thesteepertheslope,theharderitbecomes.

“It’s such a positive thing you’re doing, helping peoplearoundtheworldtogrowtheirownfood.”

—ReganfromtheUSA

Decks

When creating deck gardens in an apartment or condominium, be sure toconsiderthepeoplebelowyouandhowyou’regoingtowater.Yourgardenmaynotbeaproblemwhenitrains,butwhenitissunnyandbrightandyourgardenwaterdripsdownontheneighborswhiletheyareattheirbarbequebelow,theymaynotlookfavorablyuponyouoryourgarden.

There are several things you can do about this situation. First of all, sinceMel’sMixholdswater sowell, it’s highly unlikely youwill overwater,whichwillpreventalotofdrippingorexcesswaterleakage.Justincase,though,youcanalwayschoosenottodrilldrainholesatconsistentintervalsovertheentirebottomofyourSFG,butonly a couple inonecorner.Then, slightly slope thebox towards this one corner and put a decorative vase or other containerunderneathtocatchanydripsthatmayleakout.

Railings

Anotherpopularlocationforagardenisonarailing—particularlyonawoodenrailing.Railingboxesmakeaverydecorativeandexcellentgarden,particularlyif you include trailing plants that add some color and character. If you haverailingsthatareflat,itisveryeasytosetaboxrightontopofit.Forstability,itshould be bolted down. If you can’t bolt your boxes to the railing and you’rehigher than the first floor, Iwould place the boxes on the floor. Consider thestrengthandsizeofyourrailingandthesurroundingenvironmenttomakesureyour railing boxes aren’t too big. There are various holders sold at homeimprovementstoresthatsnapontoyourrailingsandcanaccommodatestandard-sized boxes. These boxes can hang over the outside or inside of your railing,dependingonyourpreference.Oneadvantageofhavingtheboxhangover theoutside edge is the box won’t take up any of your valuable deck space. Inaddition, should it dripwhen you’rewatering, thewaterwill bypass the deckbelow.Thereisonesafetyconcernandthatisanythingfalling.Ifyourboxisontheinsideoftherailing,itdoesn’thavefartofallandwon’thurtanyone.

Grandparents

One of the greatest bonds that I have found between grandparents andgrandchildren is formed during a gardening project, even if the visit is short.Giveyourgrandchildagardenor just a square, lethimwritehisnameon thegrid, encourage her to plant her garden, and youmay find your grandchildrenwillkeepintouchmoreoftenjusttofindouthowthegardenisgrowing.This,of

course,canwork just theoppositewaywhen thegrandparentvisits thechild’shome and they plant a garden there. And, of course, there will be greatanticipation for the next visit andwhat has happened in the garden. Selectingplantsforchildrenisquitesimple;plantsshouldbeeasytogrow,fastgrowingforquickresults,andsomethingthatwillproduceanexcitingresult.

GardeningforSeniors

Some people find it difficult to do hard, manual labor like digging up theexisting soil, aswell as getting downon the ground and then getting back upagain. With SFG, the simple answer is to just raise the garden up to thegardener’sheight.Itcanbeasitdowngarden,whichisparticularlyadaptableforapersoninawheelchairorsomeonethatwantstositandgarden.Alittlehigherwouldbeastandupgardenifthatmakesiteasiertotend;sincethereisverylittlemaintenance—just nurturing—you are not standing for long periods of time.Andthegardens,oncetheyhaveaplywoodbottominstalled,canbemovedtoanylocationfortheconvenienceandpleasureofthegardener.

You can now put various sizes of boxes on patios, near the pool, the backdoor,oranypleasantareaaroundthehousethatiseasyforaseniortoattendtotheir garden. Of course, there is no longer the need to walk way out backcarryingabunchofheavy-duty tools.Now, it is justamatterofgoing toyourgardenandtendingitwiththeminimalamountofeffort,work,andtools.Thereisnoweeding,andbecausewearestartingwithaperfectsoilmix,thereisneveranyheavydigging.Thereisnoneedtoevenhaveshovelsorforksoranylargetools,justonetrowel.

Wheelchair,sitdown,orstandupgardeningisnowarealpossibility.Thebestsupportforatabletopgardenisastrongtablewithfourlegs,givingall-aroundaccess.Thelessdesirablemethodistheuseofsawhorses,

whichmaybesturdy,butlimittheaccess.Theleastdesirablemethodisatablewithjustacentersupport,whichcouldbeunstable.

Sometimesseniorsenjoyout-of-seasongardeningbecausetheyhavethetimeto tend their gardens during the tricky, out-of-season weather. This also getsthemmovingaboutoutofdoorsmoreoften,whichisanotherasset.

SpecialNeedsGardening

SFGshavegonealotofplacesovertheyears.They’vebeenplacedonwheels;weknowofaveteran’shospitalwhereaSFGwasbuiltonagurneyandwheeledfrom the roof down the service elevator so it could be taken to bedriddenpatients. The SFG Foundation has taught the blind; I designed a SFG for theHelenKeller Institute onLong Islandwhere blind students learned gardening.We have also taught at the school for the deaf in Salt LakeCity,Utah.Otherworthwhile places we have installed SFGs are in prisons and troubled youthfacilities.Buildingasmallportablegarden(insizesfrom2×2upto4×4withaplywood bottom added) allows people to participatewho otherwisemight nothavebeenabletogarden.

GardeninginSchools

OnethingI’velearnedfromteachingSFGoverthelastthirtyyearsisthatkidslovetogarden.Theyaresoexcitedaboutgrowingplants.Fromthebeginning,itwas obvious that SFG is perfect for teaching arithmetic and all kinds ofmathand,thatinfact,anythinginthescientificfieldiseasilytaughtusinggardeningas the vehicle. But then I began to see that a teacher could readily relate allsubjectstogardening.

OneofthebestexamplesofthisisateacherinCalifornianamedSandy.Sheteacheseverysubjectintheclassroomthroughtheclass’sSquareFootGardens.Oneyear,thefinalprojectwastohaveeachstudentwritemealettertellingmeabout their garden.They eachdescribedwhat they likedbest and thendrewapicture illustrating it.Theywere learningpenmanship, spelling, pronunciation,letterwriting, and theability todescribeobservationsand feelings.During theyear, Sandy covered many aspects of science and art, as well as economics,history, language, communication, and the environmental issues. The class

produced a play and video about SFG and invited parents and the rest of theschooltocomelearnwiththem.This,ofcourse,gaveSandytheopportunitytoteach play writing, acting, stage presence, costume design and making,advertising, publicity, promotion, and somuchmore.A side benefit is that, inadditiontoschoolsubjects,thechildrenlearnedtheimportantvaluesofsharing,nurturing,andresponsibility.

We have worked with all age groups from preschool through high schoolusinggardeningasateachingtool.Suddenlylearningbeginstohavesometypeofmeaningintheirlives,andtheycanbegintoseethevalueofthesubjectstheyhavebeenlearninginthepast.

ASquareYardintheSchoolYardThe only change in SFG for children is thatwemake the box a little smallerbecausetheycan’treachinasfar.Insteadtheygardenina3×3-footbox,whichequalsasquareyard.AsImentionedbefore,thisishowwegotthenameforourschoolprogram,“ASquareYard in theSchoolYard.”Wehave thedescriptionandphotosofmanyschoolprogramsonourwebsiteon theSchoolGardeningpage.

Aplanneedstobemadeonwhattodowiththegardensduringthesummervacation period. There are lots of solutions—all you need to do is brainstormwith the students, and the brainstorming itself becomes another learningexperience!

CommunityGardens

With SFG, it is possible to have pocket gardens anywhere in the community,evenrightinacity.Itdoesn’ttakeanentireemptylotnow,anditdoesn’thavetobeahugeprojecttoconvertspaceintoacommunitygarden.Itisnowpossibletotake just a corner of that lot or any other small space—perhaps even in anexistingcitypark—andhaveaverysmallcommunitySquareFootGarden.Eachpersoncanhavefromone4×4-footboxuptoanareaofperhaps12×12,whichwould enable them to have four ormore boxes.One of the best things aboutusingSFGinacommunitygarden is thatsince therearenoweeds, thegardendoesn’tbecomeanoverruneyesorebythemiddleofthesummer.Thismeansitismuch easier to operate and get public and official approval. If youwant tostartacommunitygarden,Iwouldemphasizetheneedagaintostartsmall,gainexperience, become successful, and then expand during the second season oryear.

Communitygardensdo requireasetofguidelines forwhatparticipantscanand cannot grow so they don’t interfere with their neighbor’s garden; theguidelines should also cover the hours of operation, use of water, andmaintenance of the gardens so they look neat and attractive. The use ofpesticidesandfertilizerwasalwaysabigconcernwithcommunitygardens,butthatissuecanbetotallyeliminatedwithSFG.

“Yourmethodisawesome.My3-year-oldandIhaveablastwithtwo4×6boxes.”

—RichfromNorthCarolina

In the layout of the garden, it would be nice to have several tables wherepeopleinwheelchairscouldwheelrightuptotheirassignedgardenplot.Also,severalbenchesandsomeshadearealwaysagoodfeature.

GroupProjects

ASFG could be a demonstration project formany different groups, includingchildren’s gardens, scouts, 4-H’ers, Master Gardeners, botanical gardens, andgardenclubs.Agroupcouldcreateasaladgardenwithallthefixings—lettuce,tomatoes, root crops, and edible flowers. Each squarewould have a nice signstatingwhatisthereandhowitisusedinasalad.Anotherideawouldbeanherbdisplaywithsignsandaninvitationtotouchtheplants.

ThenicepartabouttheideaofusingaSFGisitrequiressolittlemaintenanceyet produces such a spectacular showcase. It is an easywayof attractingnewmembers or of putting on a demonstration at a function. Another nice thingaboutitis,attheendofafairorshow,fourpeoplecanpickupthegarden,putitintoavan,andtakeithome.Inthatsituation,youcanevenincludeashortenedverticalframeso that itwouldstill fit in thevehicleandyetwouldadda thirddimensiontoyourdisplay.

HumanitarianProjects

For some, gardening is an enjoyable hobby, but for many it can mean thedifference between life and death. One step up from starving—the worstconditionintheworld—ispovertyandcontinualhunger—andthat’swhereSFG

comesin.Wecanhelpsolvethehungersituation.Wehaveabillionpeoplewhoneedhelp,andthesolutionistoteachthemhowtohelpthemselves.TheyneedtobeshownhowandthenhelpedtostartjustoneSquareMeterGardenoftheirown;therestwillfollow.Weteachthemtousestraightcompostintheirgardensbecauseofthelackofpeatmossandvermiculiteinmanyoftheseareasoftheworld;theycancreatecompostforfree,whileimprovingtheirenvironment.Webelievethat,insteadofourgovernmentsandhumanitarianorganizationssendingfood, theyshouldstarteducationalprogramsthat teachpeoplehowtocompostandhowtocreateaSFGgarden.Itwouldcostless,producemore,allowpeopleto become self-sufficient, take very little effort, and yet deliver worthwhileresults.

ThatiswhytheSFGFoundationissointentontakingSquareFootGardeningworldwidewithitsinternationalcounterpartSquareMeterGardening.Wefeelitcantrulymakeadifferenceintheeverydaylivesofsomanymillionsofpeople.

OnMySoapboxWell,hereIam,onmysoapboxtryingtosolveworldwideproblemswhenyoujustwanttolearnhowtohaveabettergardeninyouryard.ButwhatthisbookisallaboutishowSFGcanreachandhelpsomanymorepeople.

That’s the significant and imperativemessage Iwant to bring to theworld.Willyouhelpme?Youcan—byencouragingotherstostartaSFG.Getinvolvedin your community or stretch your involvement to the entire world. Anyone,anywhereintheworldcannowhaveasmallsquaremetergardenrightattheirbackdoor.Thenutritionalvalueofthechildren’sdietwillimprovedramaticallyandstep-by-step,andas theyexpandtheirgarden, thatfamilywillbecloser toself-sufficiency and independence from government and private aid programs.Youknowthesaying,“Giveamanafishandyoufeedhimforaday.Teachaman to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”Theworld hunger problem canneverbesolveduntilwehelppeoplehelp themselves,step-by-step,square-by-square.Then,maybe thesayingwillbe,“Showa familyhow toSquareMeterGarden,andtheywillfeedthemselvesforever.”

BasilandBeyond

AtAGlanceVegetables

AtAGlanceHerbs&Flowers

PlantProfiles

Mel’sFinalSummary

PlantingCharts

Glossary

PlantingGrids

Mel’sMailbox

Index

MeetMelBartholomew

AlthoughweassociatebasilwithItaliancooking,itisanimportantingredientinAsiancuisinetoo.‘SiamQueen’isaspicyThaibasilwithanintenseflavorandfragrance. ‘Holy Basil’ is a sacred herb in India where it is used in religiousceremonies and planted around Hindu temples. Introduced to Europe in thesixteenthcenturyasaculinaryandmedicinalherb, itmadeitswaytoEnglandandAmericainthemid-seventeenthcentury.

Basil is used as the perfect complement to summer tomatoes. For asummertime treat, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and balsamicvinegarinafoodprocessor,spreadoncrustybread,andsprinklewithParmesancheese.

Six plants of ‘SweetGenovese’will yield enough leaves tomake pesto allyearwithoutoverdosingonit.Amixtureofbasil,garlic,Parmesancheese,andoliveoil,pestoisatreatwithadistinctiveItalianflavor.Trymakingpestobreadinsteadofgarlicbread,orusepestoasanimaginativesandwichspread.

2cupsbasilleaves2clovesgarlic1/2cupgratedParmesancheese2tbsp.Romanocheese1/4cuppinenutsorwalnutsdashofsalt1/2cupoliveoilwater

Combinebasil,garlic,cheeses,nuts,andsaltinafoodprocessororblender.Withthemachinerunning,slowlyaddoliveoil.Thinwithafewdropsofwateruntilitreaches the consistency of oatmeal—not too thick but not runny. Let stand 5minutes before serving. Toss with cooked pasta; gemelli and penne hold thepestonicely.

Foracreamiertasteandconsistency,add3tablespoonsofwholemilkricottacheese.Foracolorandtastesensation,add1/3cupofsun-driedtomatoes.

To freeze basil for pesto, wash and dry 2 cups of leaves (a salad spinner

workswell), and chop them in a small food processorwith 1/4 cup olive oil.Scrapethemixtureontoplasticwrap,folditup,andputtheresultingpattyinthefreezer.To use, defrost the patty, and put it in the food processorwith all theotheringredients.Justrememberthatthereisalready1/4cupofoliveoilinthepatty,sobesuretoonlyuseanadditional1/4cuptomakeupthe1/2cupcalledforintherecipe.Stockupduringthepeakgrowingseason,andusethemallyearlongintherecipeabove.Freezingbasilinthiswaydoesnonoticeableharmtothecolororflavor,soyoucanhavethetasteofanItaliansummerallyearround.

Whenplantingbasilclosetotomatoesandpeppers,itisthoughttheywillallgrowstrongerandmoreflavorful,andthebasilwillpreventsomeoftheinsectsand diseases associatedwith tomatoes.A layer of basil leaves over a bowl oftomatoeswillrepelfruitflies.

‘SpicyGlobe’dwarfbasilisabeautifulplant.Itgrowsinadorablelittleballsperfectforafront-of-the-borderaccent,withtheaddedattractionofhavingsmallleavesthataretheperfectsizeforaddingtoherbedbuttersorvinegars.Althoughcinnamonandlicoricebasilhaveadeliciousscent,theyareanacquiredtasteforsome people. The flavor of lemon basil, on the other hand, is an irresistiblemixtureofsweetandcitrusthatcomplementsthelighterfoodsofsummer.Tryitinplaceofparsleywhencookingriceorchicken.Ormakealight,sweetpestowith lemon basil, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese to top summertomatoes, bread, or pasta. ‘Sweet Dani,’ an All-America Selections winner in1998,isasprettyasitistasty.

Regardlessofwhatyoucallitorwhatyourheritagemaybe,ifyouaregoingtogrowoneherbthissummer,basilistheonetochoose.Andifyoureallymustgrowonlyonevarietyofbasil,makeit‘SweetGenovese.’

GrowingandCaringforBasil

Start basil from seed outdoors after the last spring frost (basil needs warmnights), or indoors about 4 to 6weeks before.Or choose plants at your localgardencenter,butkeepthemsheltereduntilthatlastfrost.Oncehotweathersetsin, basil plantswill grow quickly, but theywon’t amount tomuch if they getchilledearly in the season.Basil plantswill turnblackanddie at the slightesthintoffrost.

Sow seedsor set transplants inyourSFGor awindowbox in full sun andkeepwellwateredthroughoutthegrowingseason.Pinchoffflowerbudstosavetheplant’senergyforleafgrowth.Alsopinchoutgrowingtipstokeeptheplantsbushy.

Toharvestbasil,cutwholestemsjustaboveapairoflowerleaves.Theplantwillgrownewstemsfromthatpoint.Onlytheleavesareusedinfreshorfrozenrecipes;thestemsgotothemulchpile.

Todrybasil,hangentirestemsupsidedownoutofdirect sunlight.Removethedried leaves from the stems and store in an airtight container.Crushdriedleavesintoyourfavoritesaucesforasubtlebasilflavor.

Nowlet’stalkaboutsomeotherplants.

ATAGLANCEVEGETABLES

Name AsparagusFamily LilyHeight 4-6feetSpacingpersquarefoot 1or4Growingseason spring,summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

3years

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 3Name Bean,BushFamily PulseHeight 12-18inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 9Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

8

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 3-4Name Bean,PoleFamily PulseHeight 4-7feetSpacingpersquarefoot 8Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

10

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 3-4Name BeetFamily GoosefootHeight 12inches

Spacingpersquarefoot large-9small-16Growingseason spring,summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

8

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 4-5Name BroccoliFamily MustardHeight 18-24inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason spring,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

16

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name CabbageFamily MustardHeight 12-18inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason spring,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

16

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name CarrotFamily CarrotHeight 12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 16Growingseason spring,summer,fall,winter*Weeksfromseedtoharvest

10

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 3-4Name Cauliflower

Family MustardHeight 18-24inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason spring,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

14

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name Chard,SwissFamily GoosefootHeight 12-18inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,summer,fall,winter*Weeksfromseedtoharvest

8

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 4-5Name CornFamily GrassHeight 5-6feetSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

9-13

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 1-2Name CucumberFamily GourdHeight vineSpacingpersquarefoot 2Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

9

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-65

Name EggplantFamily NightshadeHeight 24-30inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

19

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name LettuceFamily CompositeHeight 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,summer*,fall,winter*Weeksfromseedtoharvest

7

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name MelonFamily GourdHeight vineSpacingpersquarefoot 1per2sq.ft.Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

12

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name OkraFamily LilyHeight 18-24inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedto 12

harvestYearsyoucanstoreseed 2Name OnionFamily LilyHeight 12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 16Growingseason spring,summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

20

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 1-2Name ParsleyFamily CarrotHeight 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,summer,fall,winter*Weeksfromseedtoharvest

14

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 2-3Name Pea,SugarSnapFamily PulseHeight vineSpacingpersquarefoot 8Growingseason spring,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

10

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 3-4Name PepperFamily NightshadeHeight 12-24inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 1

Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

19

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 4-5Name PotatoFamily NightshadeHeight 12-24inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

12

Yearsyoucanstoreseed Plantlastyear’spotatoesName RadishFamily MustardHeight 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 16Growingseason spring,summer*,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

4

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name SpinachFamily GoosefootHeight 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 9Growingseason spring,fall,winter*Weeksfromseedtoharvest

7

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name StrawberryFamily Rose

Height 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

perennial

Yearsyoucanstoreseed Useplants

Name SummerSquashFamily GourdHeight bush,vineSpacingpersquarefoot 1per9sq.ft.,1per2sq.ft.Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

8

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name WinterSquashFamily GourdHeight vineSpacingpersquarefoot 1per2sq.ft.Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

12

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5-6Name TomatoFamily NightshadeHeight bush,vineSpacingpersquarefoot 1per9sq.ft.,1per1sq.ft.Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

17

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 4-5

ATAGLANCEHERBS

Name BasilFamily MintHeight 1-2feetSpacingpersquarefoot small-4,large-1Growingseason summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

12

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 5

Name ChiveFamily LilyHeight 6-12inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 16Growingseason latespring,summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

16

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 2

Name CilantroFamily UmbelliferHeight 1-2feetSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason latespring,summerWeeksfromseedtoharvest

5(leaves),12(seeds)

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

Name MintFamily MintHeight 1-3feet

Spacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason spring,summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

N/A

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

Name OreganoFamily MintHeight 1-2feetSpacingpersquarefoot 1Growingseason spring,summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

16

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

ATAGLANCEFLOWERS

Name DahliaFamily DaisyHeight 1-3feetSpacingpersquarefoot small-4,medium-1Growingseason summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

10-12

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 2-3

Name DustyMillerFamily DaisyHeight 12-18inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason latespring,summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

15

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

Name MarigoldFamily DaisyHeight 6-12inches,1-1/2-3feetSpacingpersquarefoot dwarf-4,large-1Growingseason summer,fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

10

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 2-3

Name PansyFamily ViolaHeight 6-9inches

Spacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason spring,summer(ifcool),fallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

20

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

Name PetuniaFamily NightshadeHeight 6-18inchesSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason latespring,summer,earlyfallWeeksfromseedtoharvest

14

Yearsyoucanstoreseed N/A

Name SalviaFamily MintHeight 1-2feetSpacingpersquarefoot 4Growingseason latespring,summer,Weeksfromseedtoharvest

14

Yearsyoucanstoreseed 1(usefreshseed)

Asparagus

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:LilyHeight:4to6feetSpacing:1or4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:noWinter:no

SeedtoHarvest/Flower:3yearsSeedsStorage:3yearsWeekstoMaturity:12weeksIndoorSeedStarting:10to12weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2to4weeksbeforelastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionFresh, tender asparagus spears from the spring garden have no rival in thesupermarket—andcanbeeasilygrowninaSquareFootGarden.Becauseitisaperennialandtakesacoupleofyearsbeforethefirstharvest,producingonlyonecropayear,wesuggestyouplantanentire4'×4'boxonly inasparagus.Theplants get very bushy throughout the summer andneedquite a bit of room tospreadoutsoleavegoodaislespacearoundit.Whenyouinvestinanasparagusplant,considerthelocationverycarefully,asitcanlastforupto20years.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:10to12weeksbeforelastspringfrost.Soakseedsovernightandplantatleast1/2inchdeep.

Transplanting:2to4weeksbeforelastspringfrost.SeedsOutdoors:2to4weeksbeforethelastspringfrost,plantseedsthathavebeensoakedinwaterovernightinaholebetween1/2and1inchdeep.

Traditionally,youbuyandplant2-year-oldroots,onepersquarefoot.ButI’vefoundthatifyoucanaffordtobuyenoughoftheroots,fourpersquarefootwillproduceamuchbiggercropearlier.Theconventionalwayofplantingasparagusistoputabout3inchesofyour

Mel’sMix down,mark your spacing (either the one or four per square foot),makelittlemoundsattheplantlocation,andthendrapetheroots(purchasedatthenurseryor throughmail order)over eachoneof those littlemounds.ThenpourintherestoftheMel’sMix(about3moreinches,tototal6inchesdeep),whichcoverstherootsaninchortwo.

If you have lots of time but little money, raise your own transplants fromseed.Ittakesanextrayearortwo,butcostspeanuts.

GrowingWatering:Weekly,moreinthesummer.Maintenance:Cutthefoliagetothegroundinfallasitturnsyellowandbeforethe berries ripen. Asparagus self-sows readily, often with less than perfectresults.

Harvesting

How: Cut the largest asparagus shoots at the surface of the soil with a sharpserratedknife,makingaslantingcut.

When:Harvestasparagusinlatespring,whentheshootsare4to6inchestall,forabout6weeks.Spearstallerthan6inchescanbetough.Harvestfrommatureplantsonly:don’tharvestfromfirst-yearplants,andonlysparingly,sayoneortwo shoots per plant, the second year. Three-year-old plants are consideredmature.

PreparingandUsingAsparagusisbestusedasfreshaspossible,butitcanbestoredforacoupleofdaysintherefrigerator,standingonendonawetpadorinajarofcoldwater.Asparagus can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted, or cooked incasseroles and salads. Tall narrow asparagus kettles are designed to cook thespears upright, immersing the stems while the tender heads steam. Cookasparagusbrieflyasitcanbecomemushyifovercooked.

ProblemsSlugs,asparagusbeetle,rust,Fusariumrootrot.

HintsandTipsAfterthespringharvest,theremainingshootsgrowintoalarge,lacyplantinthegarden,andthefrondsarelovelytouseasfillerinflowerbouquets.

Maleplantsarethemostdesirableastheyarethemostproductiveanddonotsetseed.

Bean

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:PulseHeight:Bush:12to18inchesPole:4to7feet

Spacing:Bush:9persquarePole:8persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:no

SeedtoHarvest/Flower:

Bush:8weeksPole:10weeks

SeedsStorage:3to4yearsWeekstoMaturity:

Bush:8weeksPole:9weeks

IndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:

immediatelyafterthelastspringfrost

AdditionalPlantings:every2weeks

DescriptionProlific and easy to grow, beans—whether of the bush or pole variety—are aterrificcropforanygarden.Alotofgardenersthinkthatpolebeanshavebetterflavor, while the bush types taste more like “green beans.” Bush beans growlowertotheground;eachplantyieldsonelargecropallatonce,withasmallercropa fewweeks later.Polebeans,whicharegrownonavertical frame, takelonger togrow,butprovideasteadycontinuousyieldallseasonlong.Asingleplantingofpole types isadequate,whileadditionalplantingsof thebush typesareneededtohaveaconstantharvest.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Presoakseedsthirtyminutesforfastersprouting.Watersoilandcoversquarewithachicken-wirecagetokeepoutbirds.Seedssproutin5to10 days; remove cage after two weeks. For a continuous harvest of bushbeans, plant a new square of a different color or variety every 2weeks allsummerlong.

GrowingWatering:Beansmusthaveregularwaterings.Donotallowthesoil todryout,butkeeptheleavesdry.

Maintenance:Weedweeklyifyouseeanyweedssprouting.

HarvestingHow:Breakorcuteachstemholdingthebeanpod(there’snoharmdoneifthebeanbreaksandpartof thepodstayson thevine).Donotpullon theplantwhenharvesting.

When:Pickbeanswhentheyarestillsmallandtender.Donotallowthemtogetsolargethatpodsbulgewithseeds;theplantwillstopproducingandthebestflavorispast.

PreparingandUsingWashandrefrigerateifnotusingimmediately.Beansdonotstorewell,sotryto

usethemthesamedaytheyarepicked.Intheolddays,beanswerecalledstringbeansandthestringhadtobepulledoffbeforecooking.Newervarieties—calledsnap beans—only form strings if you let themget too tough and large.BeanscontainlotsofvitaminsA,B,andC,aswellascalciumandiron.

There are probably as many ways to prepare and serve beans as there arevarietiesintheseedcatalogs.Beansaregoodeatenrawwhentheyaresmall—remember, the smaller thebean, themore tender itwill be.Rawbeans canbeservedwholewithadiporcutintopiecesforadditiontoasalad.

Cookany sizebean.Theycanbe steamed,boiled, or stir-fried, then servedindividuallywithalittleseasoning,gratedcheese,orparsley.Beansareexcellentadditions to soups, stews, or mixed vegetable dishes. Leftovers are easilymarinated for addition to a salador use as a relish; I’ve evenheardof peopleaddingmarinatedbeans toasandwich,alongwith lettuce, tomato,andcheese!Howdoesthatsound?

ProblemsAphids, Japanese and Mexican bean beetles, birds, rabbits, woodchucks, anddeer;blight,rustandmildew.Soundslikealotbuttheyarestillworthwhile.

HintsandTipsIf your square of bush beans gets floppy and starts spreading over adjacentsquares,justrunastringaroundthemasagrouptokeepthemintheirsquare.Itwon’tharmtheharvest.

Beet

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GoosefootHeight:12inchesSpacing:9or16persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:8weeksSeedsStorage:4to5yearsWeekstoMaturity:8weeksEarliestOutdoorPlanting:3weeksbeforelastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:every3weeks

DescriptionBeetsareawonderfulvegetabletogrowbecausethey’reeasyandboththerootsandthegreens(tops)aresuitableforeating.Theyaremostlypest-anddisease-free and resistant to both fall and spring frosts.The root gets very hardwhengrowninthehotsummerseason.

StartingLocation:Partialshadeorfullsun.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors: Each seed in the packet is actually a cluster of two to fiveindividual seeds, so several sprouts will come up from each seed planted.Plantonepresoakedseedineachspace1/2inchdeepthreeweeksbeforethelastspringfrost.Tohaveacontinuousharvest,plantanewsquareeverythreeweeksexceptinthehottestpartofthesummer.Afterthesproutsareabout1inchtall,cutoffallexceptthestrongestplantfromeachseedcluster.

GrowingWatering:Plantsneedconstantandevenmoisture.Maintenance:Keepdamagedleavespickedoff,mulchinhotweather,andweedweekly.

HarvestingHow:Pulluptheentireplantwiththelargesttop.Ifyou’renotsureofbulbsize,digaroundtherootwithyourfingerstouncoverthetoptocheckthesize.Toharvestgreens,individualleavescanbecutatanytime,butdon’ttakemorethanoneortwofromeachplant.

When:Rootsarethemosttenderwhenhalfsize,sostartpullingwhentherootsareapproximatelythesizeofaPing-Pongballandcontinueuntiltheyarefullsize.Leavesareusableatanysize.

PreparingandUsingUsegreenswholeorchoppedinfreshsalads,orcookthemlikespinach.RootsarerichinironandvitaminB.Servehot—boiledorsteamed.Marinateleftoversforasaladorrelish.Trysautéingshreddedrawbeetsquicklyandservehot,or

trythemcookedandchilled(shredded,sliced,ordiced)insaladsormixedwithcottagecheese.Smallwholebeetscanalsobecookedandservedwithanorangesauce,saladdressing,oraspoonfulofsourcream.

ProblemsCutworms, slugs and snails, leaf miners, rabbits, woodchucks, and deer.Relativelydisease-free.

HintsandTipsTryasquareeachofseveralvarietiesfordifferenttastes,texture,andcolors.

Broccoli

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MustardHeight:18to24inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:16weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:9weeksIndoorSeedStarting:12weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:5weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionBroccoli requirescoolweatherbut isgreat inaSquareFootGarden. It isveryfrost hardy and grows well in the spring and fall; it doesn’t do well in thesummerheat.

StartingLocation:Needsfullsun.SeedsIndoors:Plant5to10seedsinacupofvermiculite,orplaceoneseed1/4inch deep in potting soil in each individual compartment of a seedling tray,approximately12weeksbeforeyourlastspringfrost.Seedwillsproutindoorsin5to10daysat70°F.Keepseedwarm(70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasthefirstshootsappear.

Transplanting: Plant outside approximately five weeks before the last springfrost.

SeedsOutdoors:Notsatisfactory,as theseason is tooshortbeforehotweatherarrives.

GrowingWatering:Like allmembersof the cabbage family, you’regrowing leaves andflowers,whichneedconsistentmoisture.Neverletbroccolidryoutorwilt.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;mulchinwarmerweather.

HarvestingHow:Cut off themain central head at its basewith a sharp, serrated knife orclippers,leavingasmanyleavesontheplantaspossible.Withinafewweeks,newside-shoots(miniatureheads)willformandgrowfromtheoriginalplanttoprovideyouwithasecondharvest.

When:Harvestassoonasaheadappears fulland tight.Thehead isactuallyaflowerhead,whichyouwant toharvestbefore theflowerbudsopen. Ifyouhaveseveralplants,don’twaittoolongtocutthefirstoneaftertheheadsstartforming,evenifitlooksalittlesmall.It’sstillediblewhenit’ssmall.

PreparingandUsingBroccoli contains vitaminsA, B, and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, andiron.Washunder runningwaterandsoak incoldsaltedwater for twohours if

there’sanychancethatagreencabbagewormispresentinthehead.Refrigerateif you’re not using immediately. Broccoli can be served fresh and raw withmayonnaise,oranydip,orcanbechoppedfreshintoasalad.Tocookit,youcansteam, boil, or stir-fry. Try it plain with just a little dressing, sour cream, ortoppedwithacheesesauce.Cooked leftoverscanbemarinated foraddition tosalads or relishes. It’s an excellent addition to any stir-fried dish;mix it withinterestingcombinationsofmeatsandvegetables.

ProblemsCutworms,rootmaggots,greenworms,andcabbageworms;clubroot.

HintsandTipsAfteryoucutthemainstalk,don’tremovetheplant,asnewsmallerheadswillform for a second harvest. Some claim the smaller side-shoots are evenmoreflavorfulthanthecentralhead.

Cabbage

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MustardHeight:12to18inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:16weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:9weeksIndoorSeedStarting:12weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:5weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionCabbage isaveryeasyvegetable togrow: it’s frosthardyand takesvery littlework.Cabbagecomesinavarietyofshapes,sizes,colors,andleaftextures,andcanbegrownasanearly-tolate-seasoncrop;theearly-seasonvarietyissmallerand fastergrowing,while the late-or long-seasonvariety isusuallybigger.Allvarietiesgrowbestincoolspringorfallweather.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.Seeds Indoors: Plant one seed 1/4 inch deep in potting soil in individualcompartmentsofaseedlingtray12weeksbeforeyourlastspringfrost.Seedssproutin5to8daysat70°F.Forasecondcropinthefall,repeattheprocessanytimeinthemiddleofJune(orbackup16weeksfromyourfirstfallfrostdate). Inmost places you can usually start seeds of a new crop as soon asyou’veharvestedyourspringcrop.Keepwarm(70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear.

Transplanting:Don’t let transplantsget too largebeforeplanting themoutside.Latetransplantsdonotformgoodheads,andsometimesflowerthefirstyearifallowedtogettoolarge.

SeedsOutdoors:Theseasonistooshorttoplantseedsdirectlyinthegardenforthespringcrop,andstartingthefallcropfromseedoutdoorswouldtieuptoomuch valuable garden space that could be usedmore productively. Start allseedsinindividualcontainersfortransplantingintothegarden.

GrowingWatering:Cabbageneedslotsofwatertoheadupproperly,butaftertheheadisformedandwhileitisgrowingtofullsize,cutbackonwateringortheheadwillgrowtoofastandsplit.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;cutawayanyextra-largebottomleavesiftheyareyellow. If large lower leaves are spreading to other squares, cut away anyportionsthatare“overtheline.”Thiswillnothurttheplant.

HarvestingHow:Cutofftheentireheadwithasharp,serratedknifeorclippers.When:Anytime the head starts to develop and feels firm. If you have several

plants,don’twaituntilalltheheadsarelarge.Theymaysplitinhotweatherandgotoseed,andyou’llbeleftwithnothing.

PreparingandUsingCabbageisdeliciouscookedorrawandcontainsalotofvitaminC.

ProblemsSlugsandsnails,aphids,andcabbageworms(theirworstenemy).

HintsandTipsCovercabbageswithabonnetofinsectnettingorfloatingcovertokeepoutthecabbage moth. Otherwise, watch for eaten leaves and then pick the greencabbagewormsoffbyhand.

Carrot

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:CarrotHeight:12inchesSpacing:16persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:yes*SeedtoHarvest/Flower:10weeksSeedsStorage:3to4yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:3weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionCarrotsarerelatedtothewildflowerQueenAnne’slace.Theseedsaresosmallthatplantingthemcanbeverytedious;practicedroppingapinch(2or3seeds)onsomewhitepaperuntilyougetthehangofit.Carrotscanbeeitherlongandthin or short and stubby; pick the shape and size that best suits your garden.Thereisnothingmoreexcitingforkids(includingkidsmyage)thanpullingupacarrot theyplantedmonthsago! It’s sortof like fishing—youdon’tknowhowbigitisuntilyouseeit,butyouhopeit’sawhopper.

StartingLocation:Fullsun,butcanstandpartialshade.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Sprouts in twotothreeweeksoutdoors.Seedsareverysmall;try pelleted seeds if necessary. Plant two or three seeds in each of the 16spaces in a square.Water soil and cover the square with a plastic-coveredcage.Keep thegroundmoist at all times,even if itmeansdaily spraying insunnyweather.

GrowingWatering: Carrots must have constant moisture until they’re almost mature togrow quickly and continuously. Then reduce watering so the carrots don’tcrackfromoverlyrapidgrowth.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;otherwisecarrotsarerelativelywork-free.

HarvestingHow:Pullupthosewiththelargesttops.Ifyou’renotsurewhicharebiggest,digaroundtheplantwithyourfingerstotestthesize.

When: Pick them early, when they’re only half size and at their sweetest andmosttender.

PreparingandUsingScrubwithavegetablebrush,butdon’tpeel them.Mostof thevitaminsare inthe skinor close to the surface.Rich invitaminAand thiamine (vitaminB1),carrots also contain calcium. Carrots are delicious fresh and raw—shredded,

slicedthinly,orcutintosticksforsnacking.Theycanbecookedbysteamingorboiling.Theycanbeservedinavarietyofdishes,oraddedtosoupsandstews,but seembestwhen servedwith a dressing, a dabof sour cream,or sprinkledwith parsley and grated cheese. Carrots are so versatile you can evenmake awonderfullymoistcakewiththem.

ProblemsCarrotrustfly,rabbits,woodchucks,deer,andvoles.Virtuallydisease-free.

HintsandTipsThelongandthinonescanbegrowninyourSFGwiththeadditionofahigh-rise box (seeChapter4). For a latewinter harvest,mulch heavily to keep thegroundfromfreezingtoprotectyourfall-plantedcarrots.

Cauliflower

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MustardHeight:18to24inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:14weekSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:8weeksIndoorSeedStarting:10weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:4weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionEven though cauliflower is amember of the cabbage family, it is not as coldhardy and ismore susceptible to the heat. Fall is the best season for plantingbecausetheplantwillmatureinthecoolweather.Whitecaulifloweristhemostpopularvarietybut thepurpleone isconsidered tobemore flavorfulanddoesbetter in theheat.Thewhitevarietyneeds14 to15weeks tomaturewhile thepurplevarietycantakeupto19weeks.

StartingLocation:Fullsun,butwilltoleratepartialshade.SeedsIndoors:Willsproutin5to10daysat70°F.Plant5to10seedsinacupofvermiculite, or plant one seed 1/4 inch deep in potting soil in individualcompartmentsofaseedling flat tenweeksbefore the last spring frost.Forasecond crop in the fall, repeat the process anytime from June 15 to July 1.Keepwarm(70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear.

Transplanting:Setoutinthegardenfourweeksbeforethelastspringfrost.Placeacutwormcollararoundthestem,water,andprovideashadecage.Beextracarefulwhenplanting; cauliflower suffersmore from transplanting than anyothercabbagefamilymember.

SeedsOutdoors:Notsatisfactory;seasonistooshortbeforehotweatherarrives.

GrowingWatering:Neverletplantsdryout.Maintenance:Weedweekly;mulchinhotweather.

HarvestingHow:Cutofftheentireheadatitsbasewithasharpknifeorclippers.When:Harvestassoonastheheadenlarges,isfirm,andhasanicewhitecolor,beforethebudsseparateoropen.Donotdelayharvest,astheheadwillgrowfastandpasstheidealharvestpointinjustafewdays.

PreparingandUsingServefloretsfreshandrawwithanysaladdressingordip.Choppedcauliflowerisexcellentintossedsalads.Cookbysteaming,boiling,orstir-frying.Servehot

withcheesesauce,saladdressing,orjustsprinkledwithgratedcheese.Itmakesamarvelousadditiontoanysouporstew;cauliflowersoupissuperbandquiteunusual.Marinateanyleftoversforadditiontosaladsorrelishes.

ProblemsCutworms, root maggots, occasionally cabbage worms, and cabbage loopers;clubroot.

HintsandTipsForwhitevarieties thatarenotself-blanching,bendorbreak large leavesoverthetopwhenheadsstart toform.Thentieorholdwitharubberbandtocoverandprotecttheheadfromexposuretothesun,whichcanturntheheadyellow.

Chard,Swiss

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GoosefootHeight:12to18inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:yes*

SeedtoHarvest/Flower:8weeksSeedsStorage:4to5yearsWeekstoMaturity:8weeksIndoorSeedStarting:7weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:3weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionSwisschardisknownbestforitsvitamin-richleavesanditssucculentstems.It’sone of the easiest vegetables to grow in any part of the country, and can begrowninthesunorshade,allspring,summer,andfallforacontinuousharvest.Inmost climates it can even be carried over thewinter. Chard is available inwhite-orred-stemmedvarietiesandisalsoavailableinmanyrainbowcolors.Itcanhaveeithersmoothorcrinkledleaves,whicheveryoulike;tryboth!Itisalsovirtuallypest-anddisease-free.

StartingLocation:Doesbestinfullsun,butcangrowinpartialshade.SeedsIndoors:Plant10seedsinacupofvermiculite,orplaceoneseed1/2inchdeep in potting soil in individual compartments of a seedling tray 7weeksbeforeyourlastspringfrost.Seedswillsproutin5to10daysat70°F.Keepwarm (70°F) until sprouted; move to full sunlight as soon as first shootsappear.

Transplanting: Plant into the garden three weeks before the last spring frost.Waterandcoverwithaplastic-coveredcage.

SeedsOutdoors:Plantpresoakedseeds1/2inchdeepineachsquarethreeweeksbefore your last spring frost. Seeds sprout outdoors in two to three weeks.Waterandcoverwithaplastic-coveredcage.

GrowingWatering:Weekly, or twice weekly in hot weather. Like all leaf crops, Swisschardneedslotsofwaterforluxuriousleafgrowth.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;cutoffanyyelloworovergrownouterleaves.

HarvestingHow:Carefullycutoffeachouterstemattheplantbasewithasharpknifewhenthe leaves are 6 to 9 inches tall. The smaller inner leaves will continue togrow.

When: Start harvesting when the outer leaves are about 6 to 9 inches tall(approximately eight weeks after planting seeds), and continue harvestingouter leaves (stalk and all) everyweekor so.Don’t let outer leavesget toolargebeforeharvesting.

PreparingandUsingBoth leaves and stems are edible; leaves are very rich in vitamins A and C,calcium, and iron. The stalks can be cooked and served like asparagus; theleaves are used fresh or cooked, and are similar to, but milder in taste than,spinach.

Afterharvest,rinseandpatdrylikelettuceorspinach;refrigerateifnotusingimmediately. Cut out the central stalk and use the leaves as fresh greens forsalads,orboil or steamasyouwould spinach.Add freshly choppedgreens toanyappropriatesoupforagarden-freshtaste.Chopthecentralstemorstalkintoconvenient-size pieces and boil or steam like asparagus or celery. Serve withyour favorite salad dressing, covered with bread crumbs, or grated cheese.Marinateleftoverstalksovernightforasaladorappetizers.

ProblemsSlugsandsnails,cutworms,andleafminers;occasionallyrabbits,woodchucks,anddeer.Freeofmostdiseases.

HintsandTipsHarvesttheouterleavescontinuously.Plantasquareeachofall thecolorsandgetoutyourcameraforgreatground-levelshots.

Swisschardwillsurviveseveralfrostsevenifit’sunprotected,allowingafallharvest. Ifmulchedwith loosehay it canbeharvested into thewinter inmostclimates.Withacompletemulchcover,itwillalsowinteroverandresproutthesecondyearforaveryearlyspringharvest.Graduallyremovethemulchinearlyspringandbe rewardedby the first freshgreens fromyourgarden.Plantswillonlyproduceacropinearlyspringthesecondyear;latertheywillgotoseed,sostartnewplantseveryyear.

Corn

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GrassHeight:5to6feetSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:no

SeedtoHarvest/Flower:9to13weeksSeedsStorage:1to2yearsWeekstoMaturity:9weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:immediatelyafterlastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:every2weeks

DescriptionCorn is a long-time favoriteofmostgardeners.The tasteof store-bought corncan’tcompetewithhomegrowncorn,somanyplantawhole4'×4'SFGofjustcorn.Mostofthevarietiesforhomeuseareplanted4persquarefoot;onlyonecropcanbegrownperseasonbecauseitneedsalongtimetomatureandlotsofhotweather.

Theremanycolors andvarietiesof corn.The later season types tastebetterthantheearlierseasonvarieties;the“extrasweet”varietyisunusuallygoodandkeeps its sweetness even after picking. The most common color of corn isyellow,butthebesttastingarethebicolorandwhitevarieties.Asnewvarietiesof corn are developed, check with the seed companies for the latestrecommendationsonhowfarapart toplantvarioustypesofcornsotheydon’tcross-pollinate.

StartingLocation:Fullsun;locatecornwhereitwon’tshadeothercropsbecauseitgetssotall.

SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Sproutsin5to10daysoutdoors.Plantyourpresoakedseeds1to2inchesdeep,dependingontheweather,attheproperspacing.Waterthesoilandcoverwithachicken-wirecagetokeepoutbirds.Togetacontinuousharvest,plantanewcropeverytwoweekswithseveralvarietiesofdifferentmaturationdates.

GrowingWatering:Weekly,moreinthehotweather.Maintenance:Weedweekly; remove thechicken-wirecagewhen thecorn is6inchestall.Placearaccoon-prooffencearoundyoursquareswhentheearsarestartingtoform.

HarvestingHow:Usetwohandstoharvest—onetoholdthestalkandtheothertopulldownandbreakofftheear—otherwiseyoumaybreakthestalk.Iftherearenootherearsleftonthatstalkit’sbesttocutitdowntotheground.Don’tpullitoutoryoumaydisturbtherootsofthesurroundingstalks.

When:Checktheearsdailywhenthesilkfirstbrownsandtheearsfeelfullandslightlybumpy.Thefinaltestofeachearbeforeharvestingistopeelawayasmallstripofthehusktoexposethekernels.Theyshouldbeplumpandfull.Toseeiftheearisready,punctureakernelwithyourthumbnail.Ifmilkyjuicesquirtsout,it’sready;ifthejuiceisclear,thecornisnotquitereadytopick.

PreparingandUsingCornlosesitssweettasteveryquicklyafterbeingpicked,sotrytocookandeatitassoonaspossible.Ifyoucan’tuseitimmediately,huskandrefrigerateit.Upto50percentoftheflavorislostinthefirst12hoursofstorage,moreifit’snotrefrigerated. If youharvestmore thanyou eat, cut thekernels off the cob andfreeze them, add to a relish dish, or serve warm with butter and parsley. Ofcourse,cornisexcellentaddedtoanykindofsouporstew.

ProblemsCornhasmoreproblems thananyothergardencrop, includingcornborer,earworm, birds, raccoons, and squirrels. There are relatively few diseases thatbotherthehomegardener.

HintsandTipsChapter4hassomegreattipsonhowtokeepthecrittersoutofyourcornpatch.

SinceyourMel’sMixstaysso looseandfriable,protectcornfromblowingover in latesummerstormswith thesimpleadditionofsteel fencepostsandalittletomatonylonnetting.Driveapostineachcornerofyour4'×4'gardenandthenstretcha4'×4'pieceofnettingbetween the4posts,about3 feetoff theground. The plants will easily grow right up through the netting, which willsupportthemwithoutanyextraworkonyourpart.

Cucumber

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GourdHeight:vineSpacing:2persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:no

SeedtoHarvest/Flower:9weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:7weeksEarliestOutdoorPlanting:1weekafterlastspringfrost

DescriptionThecucumber isagardenfavorite,and isveryeasy togrowinwarmweather.Althoughbothvineandbushvarietiesareavailable,bushcucumberstakealotofroomanddon’tproducelikethevinetypes.Usetheverticalmethodtogrowyourvinecucumbers.

Therearemanyvarietiesranging insize,shape,anduse, includingonesforpicklingorservingraw.Thepicklingvarietiesarepickedmuchearlierwhentheyare smaller—just the right size for the pickle jar—but they can also be eaten.The slicing types aregrown larger andaremore commonlyused for saladsorsandwiches.

StartingLocation:Fullsun,althoughthevinetypeswilltoleratesomeshade.SeedsIndoors:Sprouts in4 to8daysat70°F;will sprout even faster at80°F.PlantoneseedinindividualpapercupsfilledwithMel’sMix.Punchholesinthebottom fordrainage.Keepwarm (at least 70°F)until sprouted;move tofullsunlightassoonasthefirstshootsappear.

Transplanting:Plantthecupandallinthegroundattheproperplantspacing.Ifthecupiswaxedcardboardoraheavypaper,tearawaythebottomcarefully;avoiddisturbingtheroots.Waterandcoverwithashadecage.

SeedsOutdoors: Sprouts in five to ten days; place presoaked seeds at properspacing,water,andkeepsoilmoistuntilseedssprout.

GrowingWatering:Weekly;twiceweeklyinhotweather.Neverletthesoildryout.Avoidwetting the leaves, as this spreads any fungus disease thatmay be present.Cucumbers have the highest water content of any vegetable, so plenty ofmoistureisrequiredforpropergrowth.

Maintenance: Weed weekly; keep vines on the trellis; watch out for beetles;mulchinhotweather.

HarvestingHow:Cut(don’tpull)thestemconnectingthefruittothevine.When: Harvest continually! Never allow any cucumbers to become yellow oroverlylarge,ortheplantwillstopproducing.Keeppickingevenifyouhave

totosssomeonthecompostpilebecauseyoucan’tusethem.Don’ttrytheoldpractice of eating the large cukes and leaving the smaller ones on the vine,becauseinonlyoneortwodaysthelittleoneswillbebig.Instead,composttheverylargecucumbersandeatthesmallerones.

PreparingandUsingWash and scrubwith a vegetable brush. Serve long, slender burpless varietieswiththeskinslefton.Peelthefattervarietiesbeforeslicing,cubing,orcuttingintolongsticks.Servefresh,slicedonsandwicheswithonionsandmayonnaise,ormarinateforrelish.Manygardenerslikecucumberssimplysoakedinvinegarovernight and served with lots of pepper. They also go well in any salad orarrangedaroundaspoonfulofcottagecheese.

ProblemsCucumberbeetles;mildew,wilt,andmosaic.

HintsandTipsDon’tletthefruitgettoolarge;pickearlyandoften.Trysomeofthelong,thinvarietiesforafuncrop.

Eggplant

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:NightshadeHeight:24to30inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:19weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:7weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2weeksafterlastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:no

DescriptionEggplantisanice-lookingplantwithfruitthatcomesinawidevarietyofcolorsand shapes; most types yield a rather large, egg-shaped fruit that is black topurple.However, someof thenewervarieties areyellow,brown,orwhite andare smaller and rounder. Eggplant yields a very large harvest and are used inmanydifferentstylesofcooking.Theyareeasilygrown,buttakealongtimetomature—soyou need to start plants indoors in early spring or buy transplantslocally.

StartingLocation:Fullsunandlotsofheat;pickyoursunniestspotforeggplant.Seeds Indoors: Sprouts in 12 days at 70°F, but only requires 6 days at 85°F;won’tsproutbelow65°F.Sprinkle5to10seeds1/4inchdeepinacupfilledwithvermiculite 7weeksbefore your last spring frost.Keepwarm (at least70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear;thenpot up in seedling trays as soon as plants are large enough (usually one tothree weeks). Keep a careful watch over the plants, especially aftertransplanting themintoseedling trays,becauseanypauseorstoppageof thegrowthwillaffecttheultimatebearingcapacityoftheplant.

Transplanting:Plantintothegardentwoweeksafterthelastspringfrost;disturbthe roots as little as possible. Water and cover with a shade cage. Sinceeggplant is so vulnerable to coldweather, cover thewire cagewith a clearplasticcoveraswellasasunshadetoprovideagreenhouseatmosphereifitisatallchilly.Inafewdaysthesunshadecanberemoved.

SeedsOutdoors:Notsatisfactory,as theseason is tooshortbeforehotweatherarrives.

GrowingWatering:Eggplantneedsconstantmoisture,especiallywhenfruitsareformingandenlarging.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;addathickmulchwhenhotweathersetsin.Provideawidemesh, open-wire cage supportwhen the eggplant is half grown; theplantswillgrowrightthroughit,andwillbesupportedwithoutstaking.

HarvestingHow: Always cut the fruit from the bush with clippers; watch out for sharp

spinesonthestemsandfruits.When: Edible almost anytime after the fruit turns dark and glossy (when it’sabout6inches),don’tletthemgettoolarge.Iftheyturnadullcolortheyareoverripeandtheseedswillbelargeandhard.

PreparingandUsingPeelandsliceordice,thenstew,fry,stir-fry,orbake;addtocasseroles,orbreadand fryby itself.Eggplantmixes especiallywellwith tomatoes andonions. Ifyou’renotgoingtousetheeggplantrightaway,don’trefrigerateit;instead,storeitonthekitchencounterandenjoyitsgoodlooks!Handlecarefullyorfruitwillbruise.

ProblemsCutwormsandfleabeetles;verticilliumwilt.

HintsandTipsManycooksuse eggplant as a substitute formeat invariousdishes.Show thepretty flowers to your children and then have them watch the fruit form andgrowbiggereveryday.

Lettuce

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:CompositeHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yes*Fall:yesWinter:yes*SeedtoHarvest/Flower:7weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:4to7weeksIndoorSeedStarting:7weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:4weeksbeforelastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:everyotherweekLastPlanting:earlysummer

DescriptionLettuce is so easy to grow, very gratifying, and extremely suited for SFG—itgrowsquickly,prolificallyandlooksgreat.Whileitdoesgrowbestinthecoolseasons andwithstands coldweather, it tolerates someheat and can be grownnearlyyear-round.

There are several types of lettuce: the solid head usually found in grocerystores; the loose head, or Bibb, a faster growing, and smaller variety of headlettuce;Romaineorcos,which isa looseheadwitha rougher texture than theleaf types.TheRomaine leaf iscomprisedofmanytight,upright leavesand isprobably the best pick for home gardeners—but there are also somany greattypesof leaf andBibb lettuces that everygardener should try togrowat leastfourvarietiesatalltimes!Theydobestasaspringorfallcrop,butwithcareandprotection,theycanbegrowninsummerandeveninwinterinmanypartsofthecountry.Lookforthetypesthataresuitableforsummerorwinterseasons.

StartingLocation: Full sun to partial shade; shade iswelcomed in the hot summer.Aswith all leafy vegetables, the stronger the light, the higher the vitamin Ccontentwillbe.

Seeds Indoors: Sprouts in 2 to 3 days at 70°F. Start 5 to 10 seeds of severaldifferent varieties in cups filled with vermiculite 7 weeks before your lastspring frostdate.Keepwarm(70°F)until sprouted;move to full sunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear;thenpotupinseedlingtraysassoonasplantsarelargeenough(usuallyonetothreeweeks).

Transplanting:Moveplants into thegardenanytimeuntil theyarehalfgrown.Plantanewsquareortwooflettuceeveryotherweekuntilearlysummer.Thehotweather,longdays,warmnights,anddrysoilofsummercauselettucetobolttoseed.Plantspecialvarietiessoldasheat-orbolt-resistant.Aftersummerisoveryoucanstartplantingthesamevarietiesyoudidinthespring.

SeedsOutdoors: Sprouts in 5 to 10 days. Seeds sprout quickly outdoors andgrow fairly rapidly; however, this method is time-saving but space-consuming.Ifspaceisyourconcern,startallseedsindoorsorofftothesideofthe garden and move plants into the garden when they’re half grown.Transplants seem to bolt to seed more easily than direct-seeded plants, soplantthesummercropdirectlyinthegarden.Plantoneortwoseedsineachhole;waterdailyuntiltheysprout.

GrowingWatering:Trynottowettheleaves;youmayspreadfungaldiseases.Don’twateratnight;morningisthebestfollowedbynoonorlateafternoon.

Maintenance: Weed weekly; don’t let any weeds grow. Lettuce has such ashallow root system it can’t competewithweeds. Provide shade covers forplantsinsummer.

HarvestingHow:Youcancutindividualouterleavesortheentireplant.Ifyou’regoingtocut outer leaves you can start when the plant is half grown. This makes asurprisinglylargeharvestwhencombinedwithafewleavesofbeet,spinach,and Swiss chard. If you take just one leaf from each plant, you can stillharvestalotandhardlynoticewhathasbeenharvested.

When:Harvestleafvarietiesatsevenweeks,andBibbvarietiesatnineweeks,orharvest outer leaves from either onewhen the plant is half grown.You canalsocuttheentireplantatanytime;itdoesn’thavetogrowtofullsizetobeedible.Ifyouwaituntilallyourplantsreachfullsizeyouwillhavetoharvestalmostallofthematonceortheywillgotoseed.

PreparingandUsingRinselettuceundercoolwater,spinorpatdry,andstoreintherefrigeratorinaplastic bag until you’re ready to use it. Lettuce will stay fresh and crisp forseveral days, although it’s even better to harvest almost daily for maximumnutritional value. Lettuce contains vitamins A and B, calcium, and iron(especiallythedarkgreenouterleaves).

ProblemsRabbits,deer,woodchucks,slugs,cutworms,sowbugs,andwireworms.Therearenotmanydiseases tobe concerned aboutunless the lettuce is quitewet atgroundlevel.

HintsandTipsGrowasmanydifferentcolorsandtexturesaspossible tohaveunusualsalads.Pickouterleavesdailytofillyoursaladbowl...infact,takeyoursaladbowlrightouttothegarden!

Melon(Cantaloupe,Muskmelon,Watermelon)

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GourdHeight:vineSpacing:1per2squares

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:12weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsIndoorSeedStarting:2weeksbeforetransplantingEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2weeksafterlastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:no

DescriptionMelonsneedabout3monthsofhotweathertogrow,butareafunandexcitingcrop—even though the yield isn’t large,when the harvest finally comes, it allseemsveryworthwhile.Theyshouldbegrownonvertical frames,as theywillmaturesoonerandsavespace.Ofcourse,oneof thebiggest rewards is seeingmelons hanging 4 to 5 feet off the ground on your vertical frame—that’s notsomethingyou’reusedtoseeinginyouroldsingle-rowgardens!

StartingLocation:Fullsun;growonaverticalframe.SeedsIndoors:Sproutsin5to10daysat70°F;thehotterthebetter,evenupto90°Fforsprouting.Plantsingleseedsinindividualpapercups.Plantsdonottransplantwell,sodon’tstartthemuntiltwoweeksbeforeplantingoutside.

Transplanting:Plantoutdoorstwoweeksafterthelastfrostdate.Sinktheentirecupinthegroundaftertearingoffthebottom.

SeedsOutdoors:Won’t sprout in soil below 65°F; takes 5 days in 70°F soil.Plant apresoaked seed ineach square foot,oneweekafter last frost.Coverwithaplastic-coveredcage.Removeweakestonelater.

GrowingWatering:Mulchheavilyinhotweather.Reducewaterwhenmelonsarealmostripetodeveloptheirsweetness.Keeptheleavesdrytoavoidfungaldiseasesandmildew.

Maintenance:Weedweekly;supportthehalf-grownmelonsinslings;pinchoutallnew,smallmelonsneartheendofthegrowingseasonsothatalltheplant’sstrengthgoesintoripeningthelargermelonsthatarealreadyset.

HarvestingHow:Twistthemelonwithonehandwhileholdingthestemwiththeother.Ifitresistsparting,themelonisnotripe.

When:Harvestwheneverithasastrongmelonscent,andthenettingpatternontherind(ifit’sacantaloupe)becomesveryprominent.Thestemwillslipoffeasilywhenthemelonisrotated.Ifeachmelonisheldinaslingitwon’trollaroundandaccidentallytwistitselfoffwhenit’sripe.

PreparingandUsingSomepeoplelikemelonswarm,some,chilled.Cutmuskmelonsorcantaloupesinhalf, scoopout theseeds,andcut intowedges,or serveanentirehalf filledwith ice cream, blueberries, or custard. The flesh of all melons can also bescoopedoutusingamelon-ballerorcutintocubesandmixedwithoraddedtoafreshfruitsalad.They’reexcellentforbreakfastorservedasadinnerdessert.

ProblemsCutworms;mildewandwiltdisease.

HintsandTipsBethefirstonyourblocktogrowmelons!Therearesomanyvarietiestochoosefrom—startwiththesmaller,morecommonvarieties.Melonsgetveryheavy,somakesureyourverticalframeisstrongandwell-supported.Watermelon:Alldataandadviceaboveisaboutthesameforthisgiantofa

summercrop.Onebigcaution:makedarnsureyourverticalframeisstrong!Itwould also be prudent to start by growing the smaller varieties; they producewell, are very sweet, andwould be a good trial for your experiment, as theygrowwellvertically.Pumpkin:Thesamescenariowillapplytogrowingpumpkinsonyourvertical

frame. Yes, pumpkins! Be prepared to attract a crowd, and get some goodpictures!

Okra

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:LilyHeight:18to24inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:12weeksSeedsStorage:2yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:6to8weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:aftersoilhaswarmed,7to10daysafterlastfrost

AdditionalPlantings:notneeded

DescriptionOkra is a tall, warm-season, annual vegetable. It is a pretty plant with largehibiscus-likeyellowflowers,heart-shapedleaves,andathickwoodystem.Theediblepart isa long,ribbed,fuzzypodthatcanbeyellow,red,orgreen.Oncetheflowershavebloomed,thepodsgrowveryquickly,sochecktheplantdailyforyoungpodsasthesehavethebestflavorandtexture.Okraloveshotweather,andmaynotgetalongenoughperiodofheattogrowwellinareaswithashortgrowingseason,buttryitanywayasitdoesgrowveryquicklyduringthehottestdaysofsummer.Youmightalsolookforsmaller,short-seasonvarieties.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors: 6 to 8weeksbefore the last spring frost. Soak seedsovernightandplantatadepthof1inch.

Transplanting:Setseedlingsoutafterthesoilhaswarmed,7to10daysafterthelastfrost.

SeedsOutdoors:Soakseedsovernight,thenplant1inchdeep,2weeksafterthelastfrost,andatleast3monthsbeforethefirstfallfrost.

GrowingWatering:Keepsoilfairlymoist;mulchinveryhotweather.Maintenance:Removeold,hardpodsfromtheplantunlessyouaresavingthemforseedordriedarrangements.

HarvestingHow:Cutpodsfromplantswithaprunerorknife.Breakingorpullingthepodscandamagetheplant.

When: Harvest pods dailywhen they are young, nomore than 4 inches long.Olderpodscanbetootoughtoeat.

PreparingandUsingOkracanbestoredintherefrigeratorinapaperbagorwrappedinapapertowelinaperforatedplasticbagfor2to3days;itmaybefrozenforupto12monthsafter blanching whole for 2 minutes. Cooked okra can be stored in therefrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Okra can be served raw, marinated in salads, or

cooked on its own, and goes well with tomatoes, onions, corn, peppers, andeggplant.Whole,freshokrapodsalsomakeexcellentpickles.Anddon’tforgettomakesomegumbo!

ProblemsAphidsandcabbageworms,verticilliumorfusariumwilt.

HintsandTipsTrysomethingdifferent:barbequesomeyoungpodsatyournextparty.

Onion

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:LilyHeight:12inchesSpacing:16persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:20weeksSeedsStorage:1to2yearsWeekstoMaturity:14weeksIndoorSeedStarting:8to12weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:4weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionOnionsareeasytogrow;theydon’ttakemuchcarebutarealittleunsightlynearthe endwhen the tops turn brown and fall over—but that justmeans they arenearingharvesttime.Trimoffthebrown,deadtopstokeepthegardenlookinggood.

Onions can be planted from sets, plants, or seeds; the bulb reaches harvestsometimeinthemiddleofthesummer.Thesizeofthebulbisdeterminedbythelengthofthegrowingseasonbeforethesummersolstice(June21).Ifyouhaveashort growing season, don’t bother with seeds—get the plants or sets (whichlooklikeminiatureonions).Ifyouliveinamilderclimateyoucouldtrytheseedmethod.

Therearemanytypesofonions,fromlarge,fatones,tosmall,golf-ball-sizedvarieties.Someneedtobeusedsoonafterharvest,whileothersarefineareforstoring.Checktheseedcatalogdescriptionsandpickyourfavorites.

StartingLocation:Onionslikeasunnyspot,butwilltoleratesomeshade.SeedsIndoors:Sproutsin5daysat70°F.Sprinkleabout20seedsofeachvarietydesiredintocupsfilledwithvermiculite8to12weeksbeforeyourlastspringfrost.Keepwarm(70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear;thenpotupinseedlingtraysassoonasplantsarelargeenough(usuallyonetothreeweeks).

Transplanting: Four weeks before the last spring frost, shake most of thevermiculite from your young plants and gather them together in smallbunches. With scissors, cut off both the tops and the roots so the plant isbalancedwithabout2inchesofeach.Drillaholeateachspaceinyoursquarewithapencil,andslipinaplant,firmthesoil,andwater.

SeedsOutdoors: If the season isnot longenough for seeds, use sets.Push thetiny onion sets into the ground, pointed side up at the proper spacing,withtheirtopsjustshowingabovethesoil.Water,andthat’sallthereistoit.

GrowingWatering:Withholdwaterwhenthetopsstarttofallover.Maintenance: Weed weekly; when bulbs start expanding use your finger toremovesomeofthesoilaroundeachbulbandpartiallyuncoverit.Thismakesiteasierforthebulbtoexpand.Itwillnothurtifyoucanactuallyseethetop

of every bulb; in fact, it’s kind of exciting to see them getting bigger andbiggereveryweek!

HarvestingHow:Pulltheonionsoutofthegroundandplaceonchickenwireorawindowscreenlaidoutinthesunforseveraldays.Thetops,roots,andouterskinofeachonionwill thendrythoroughly.Brushthemoffandcleanoffanylooseskins,driedtops,orrootsbyrubbingthembetweenyourpalms,thenstoreforlateruse.Anyonionswithgreenor thicktopsshouldnotbestoredbutusedimmediately.

When:Aboutthemiddleofthesummeryou’llseeyouroniontopsturningbrownandfallingover.Whenthemajorityhavefallen,bendovertheremainingoneswithyourhand. Inashortwhile, the topswilldryupwhile thebulbsattaintheirmaximumsize.

PreparingandUsingYou’llfindhomegrownonionsmuchmilderandsweeterthanstore-boughtones.Thismakesthemmoreuseful,especiallyforthosefolkswhomustbecarefulofeating toomanyonions.Fora real treat, tryanonionsandwich—thinslicesofonionwithmayonnaiseandlotsofpepperonyourfavoritebread.Oraddfresh,crispcucumberslicestothesandwichforadelightfulcombination.Hangdriedonions in amesh bag, or braid tops together and hang in a cool, dry area forstorageallwinter.

ProblemsOnionflymaggot.Resistanttomostdiseases.

HintsandTipsScallionsandgreen-bunchingonionsareveryeasytogrowusingyourhigh-riseboxes,whichwillgiveyoutwicethewhitestalk.

Parsley

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:CarrotHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:yes*SeedtoHarvest/Flower:14weeksSeedsStorage:2to3yearsWeekstoMaturity:7weeksIndoorSeedStarting:12weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:5weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionParsley is a wonderful herb that looks great in the garden, yields a bigcontinuousharvest,isextremelynutritious,anddoesn’tneedagreatdealofcare!Pestsdon’tseemtobotherit,andit’sdisease-resistanttoo.Allinall,parsleyisavery easy addition to your SFG. There are many varieties, but basically twokinds: flat-leaved and curly. It’s said the flat-leaf varieties taste better, but thecurly-leaftypesarebetterlooking,andmorecommonlygrown.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.Seeds Indoors: Sprouts in 10 to 15 days at 70°F. Seeds are very slow togerminate, and should be soaked in lukewarm water for 24 hours beforeplanting. Sprinkle ten presoaked seeds in a cup filled with vermiculite 12weeksbeforelastspringfrost.Keepwarm(70°F)untilsprouted;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear;thenpotupinseedlingtraysassoonasplantsarelargeenough(usuallyonetothreeweeks).

Transplanting:Moveoutdoorsfiveweeksbeforethelastspringfrostoranytimeplantsarelargeenough;plantthematthesamedepththeygrewinthepot.

SeedsOutdoors:Better to start indoorsbecause seeds are slowanddifficult togerminate.

GrowingWatering:Never let parsley dry out completely because it becomes tough andbitterandmaybolttoseedinthefirstyear.

Maintenance:Weedweekly.Mulchheavilyforcontinualharvest inwinter,andforearly-springgrowingthefollowingyear.

HarvestingHow: Cut outer leaves as needed; for a large harvest, cut off the entire plantslightlyabovetinymiddleshoots.Eitherway,theplantwillcontinuetogrowwithnoharm.

When:Harvestassoonastheplantgets3to4inchestallandanytimethereafter.

PreparingandUsingParsleyisgoodinsoups,casseroles,stews,andwithfishoranykindofmeat;it’s

excellent over boiled vegetables, particularly potatoes. Parsley is loaded withvitamins A and C. Cut up leaves with scissors and sprinkle on food for thatdecorativegourmetcheflook!

ProblemsRelativelyfreefrompestsanddiseases.

HintsandTipsPotupaplantor two in the fall forakitchenwindowsillgarden,orevenplanaheadandpotupseveralforholiday,birthday,orChristmasgifts.

Pea,SugarSnap

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:PulseHeight:vineSpacing:8persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:10weeksSeedsStorage:3to4yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:5weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionWhodoesn’tlikethetasteoffreshpeas?Yetuntiltheintroductionofsugarsnappeas,itwashardtogrowenoughformuchmorethanafewmeals—peasusedtotake time,space,andeffort toharvest,not tomention theshelling.Evenwhenyou’reallfinished,itdoesn’tseemtoadduptomuch!

Thesugarsnappeas,orediblepodvarieties,havechangedallof that.Theyareextremelyhighyielding,andyoucaneattheentirepod.Theyhaveaboutfivetimes the harvest of conventional peas. Sugar snap peas are juicy, sweet, andcrisp,andareabsolutelywonderful.Theycanbeeatenraworcooked.Theyareamust inmy garden, and I recommend them as the only peaworth growing.Veryfewofthepeapodsevenmakeittothekitchennow,becausetheyaresuchatreattoeatrightinthegarden—youmightneedtomakeafamilyrule:pickandeatallyouwantbutleaveenoughfordinner!Oncethekidsaretoldtheycaneatrightfromthegarden,they’llbecomemuchmoreinterestedineatingvegetables!

StartingLocation:Fullsuninspring;shadedtowardsummerifpossible.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Sprouts in10 to15daysoutdoors.Mixpresoaked seedswithlegumeinoculantpowderforanaddedboost, thenplant1inchdeepabout5weeks before the last spring frost. Water and cover with a plastic-coveredtunnel.

GrowingWatering:Neverletthepeasdryout.Maintenance:Weedweekly;keepwateroffthevines.Keepthevinestraineduptheverticalframe;mulchasweathergetswarm.

HarvestingHow:Carefully(withtwohands)pickorcutpodsofftheirstems.When:Thebeautyofthesepeasisthatyoucaneatthematanystageofgrowth.They’rejustastasty(raworcooked)whethertheirpodsarefullymatureandbulgingwith peas, or still thin and barely starting to show the peas inside.Munchonafeweverytimeyou’reinthegarden—whatatreat!

PreparingandUsingJustwashandtheyarereadytoeatorcook.Trytousethemasfreshaspossible;store what you can’t use right away in refrigerator. Sugar snaps are rich invitaminsA,B1andC,andcontainphosphorusandiron.Asthepodsgetnearlyfull size, somedevelop a string along each edge, but it’s easy to remove: justsnapoff thestemendandpulldown,andbothstringswilleasilypeeloff.Thepodisstillverycrispandtastyevenwhenfullsize.

Ifthepodsstarttolosetheirnicepea-greencolorandturnbrownonthevine,they are overripe. Pick them immediately and add them to the compost pile,becauseifyoudon’tharvestthemtheywillcausethevinetostopproducingnewpeas.

Theversatilityofthesetastypeasstretchestheimagination.Trythemrawinsalads,withadip,plain,ormixedwithotherfreshvegetablesinvinegarorsourcreamdressing...orcookthembyboiling,steaming,orstir-frying.

ProblemsNopeststospeakof(exceptthosepeopleinthefamilythateattoomany),butsometimespronetopowderymildew,especiallyduringwarmweatherwhentheleavesgetwet.

HintsandTipsLetthekidsgrowthemandyou’llhaveavegetarianinthemaking.

Pepper

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:NightshadeHeight:12to24inchesSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:19weeksSeedsStorage:4to5yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:7weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2weeksafterlastspringfrost

DescriptionMost gardeners love to grow peppers: they’re easy to grow, pest-and disease-free,andproducealotforthespaceallotted.Youcanbuytransplantslocally,orstart seeds yourself. They look great in the garden, and some people growseveral typesfor theirdecorativeaspect. Ifallyou’vegrownare thegreenbellpeppers,give thesweetyellowbananavarietiesa try.Pepperscome in severaldifferent shapes, from the bell shape to the skinny, curved, hot chili peppers.Theyrangeincolorfromgreen,red,orangeandyellow.Selectthetypeyouwantforcookingandgoforit!

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:Sproutsin10to15daysat70°F.Sprinkle5to10seedsinacupofvermiculiteapproximately7weeksbeforethelastspringfrost,coverwith1/4 inch more vermiculite. Keep warm (70°F) until sprouted; move to fullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear;thenpotupinseedlingtraysassoonasplantsarelargeenough(usuallyonetothreeweeks).

Transplanting:Peppersneedwarmsoilsodon’ttransplantuntiltwoweeksafterthelastspringfrost.

SeedsOutdoors:Theseasonistooshorttostartoutdoors.

GrowingWatering:Don’twettheleaves;thiscausesfungalandwiltinfections.Maintenance:Weedweekly;mulchinhotweather;coverhalf-grownplantswithanopen-meshwirecagetosupportplantswithoutstaking.Stemsandbranchesof pepper plants are brittle andbreak easily, sowork carefully among themwhenharvesting.

HarvestingHow: Carefully cut the fruit from the bush (don’t pull or you’ll accidentallybreakotherbranches).Leaveabout1inchofstemoneachpepperforalongerstoragelife.

When:Harvestatalmostanystageofdevelopment!Basically,ifyouwantgreenpepperspickthemassoonastheyarebigenoughforyouruse.Youcanleavethem on the vine and they will turn red or yellow after they become full

grown.Peppers can still be eatenwhen redor yellow; in fact,many peopleprefer them, as their taste is sweeter and not as spicywhen they lose theirgreencolor.Ofcourse,thehotchilipeppersshouldturncolorbeforeyouusethem.

PreparingandUsingUsepeppersraworcooked.Peppersareexcellentasasaladorcasserolegarnish.Cutthemintostrips,cubes,orthinslicesasyouwouldatomato.Theirshapeisvery attractive as a garnish. Peppers stuffed with a meat, rice, or vegetablemixture and then baked makes a great summer supper. Peppers are high invitaminsAandC.

ProblemsCutwormsandfleabeetles.Nodiseasestospeakofexceptanoccasionalwiltorfungusproblem.

HintsandTipsIfyoulikethehotpeppertaste,justlookthroughanyseedcatalogandpickyourpoison. Let each child or grandchild pick and grow a different color pepperplant.

Growenoughtohavesometogrillonthebarbecue.

Potato

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:NightshadeHeight:12to24inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:12weeksSeedsStorage:plantlastyear’spotatoeseachyearWeekstoMaturity:12weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:inspringwhensoilhasreached45°FAdditional Plantings: late spring for a second crop to store over thewinter

DescriptionPotatoesneednointroduction;we’vealleatenthematsomepoint, inarecipe,baked,oroutofabagofchipsorcontainerofFrenchfries.Butgrowingyourownpotatoesisthebestwaytosamplethelargevarietyofpotatoshapes,sizesand colors. Harvest them early for small, tasty nuggets; or dig them later forlarge tubers to store over thewinter. And the potato plant itself is bushy andpretty,doingdoubledutyasanornamentalandanedible.Thewhiteflowersaretheindicatorthatthesmall,newpotatoesarereadytoharvestoutofthegroundandontothetable.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:No.Planting: Don’t plant seeds; cut up potatoes in small pieces and let the eyessprout,thenplantthose.

Outdoors:Plantinthespringwhenthesoilhasreached45°F.Useonlycertifieddisease-free seed potatoes. Sprout potatoes a week before planting time byplacingtheminatraywheretheywillreceivelight(notsun)andtemperaturesofabout65°F.Adayor twobeforeplanting,cutpotatoes into“seedpieces”about 1 1/2” square with at least one “sprouted eye” per section. Removeabout5 inchesofyoursoil in that square foot,place four seedpiecesat theproperspacingwitheyesup,andjustbarelycoverthem.Whensproutsappear,addenoughMel’sMixtoagaincoverthegreenleafysprouts.Keepdoingthisuntiltheholeisfilledbacktothetop.Foranextraharvest,usethehigh-risemethoddescribedinChapter4.CovertheplantseveryweekorsowithmoreMel’sMix, until the plants begin to flower.Make certain any newpotatoesthatareformingarewellcovered,asuncoveredspudswillturngreen.

GrowingWatering:Increasewateringduringflowering.Maintenance:Protectfromfrost.

HarvestingHow:Gentlyloosenthesoilaroundearlypotatoesandremovethelargesttubers,leaving the smaller ones to continue growing. For later potatoes, gently digoutsidetheplantandremovethepotatoesasyoufindthem.Takecarenotto

staborcutthepotatoesasyoudig.Iftheweatherisdry,leavethepotatoesontopofthesoilfor2to3daystodry.Iftheweatheriswet,bringthepotatoesintoagarageorbasementtodry.Thiswilltoughentheskinforstorage.Storepotatoes in a cool (40°F.), dark location for 3 to 6 months. Do not storepotatoesnearapples,whichgiveoffachemicalthatwilldamagethepotatoes.

When:Smallearlypotatoescanbeharvestedasneededinearlysummeraftertheplantsfinishflowering.Laterpotatoescanbeleftinthesoiluntil2to3weeksafterthefoliagehasdiedbackinfall,andcanbeliftedallatonceforstoring.

PreparingandUsingPotatoescanbeboiled,fried,steamed,grilled,orbaked.Allpotatoesshouldbecookedorplacedinwaterimmediatelyafterpeelingtopreventdiscoloration.Topeel or not to peel is generally a result of the preparationmethod or personalpreference. The exception is thin-skinned new potatoes, which should not bepeeled.

Choose the type of potato to use in a recipe based on its qualities. Newpotatoes aremoist andwaxyandarebest for steaming,boiling, and in salads.Oblong mature white potatoes are rather dry and starchy. They are the mostpopularpotatotouseforFrench-friesandtheyaregreatforbakingandmashing.Round redpotatoeshavea ratherwaxy texture,making them ideal forboilingand mashing. Round white potatoes are thin-skinned and hold their shape insalads as well as boiling and roasting. Yellow-fleshed potatoes are good forsteaming,roasting,andmashing.

Potatoesdonotfreeze,dry,orcanwell.

ProblemsFlea beetles, leaf hoppers, and slugs; blight, scab, and root knot nematode.Tubersexposedtosunlightwhilegrowingwillturngreenandaremildlytoxic.

HintsandTipsLettheplantcontinuetogrowforalateharvestofbiggerpotatoes.Thekidswillloveplantingtheblueorpurplepotatovariety.

Radish

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MustardHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:16persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yes*Fall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:4weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:3weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:3weeksbeforelastspringfrostAdditionalPlantings:everyotherweek

DescriptionRadishesareagreatcropforallgardeners—fromexpertstobeginners.Whocanpassupavegetable thatmatures inonly threeweeks?Plus, theyarezestyandtastyinanydish.

Radishescomeinamultitudeofshapesfromsmallandroundtolongcarrotshapes.Theyvaryincolorfromred,pink,white,andevensomeblackvarieties.Radishesplantedinthespringarenormallyredorwhitecolored,andwillmaturein 3 to 4weeks. Fall radishes take 6 to 8weeks and store verywell; they’rereferredtoaswinterradishes.

It’s easy toplant toomany radishes.Theydon’t likebeingcrowded, so theSFGmethodisverysuitableforthisvegetable.Decidehowmanyyoucanuseeachweekandthenplantnomorethandoublethatnumbereveryotherweekforacontinuous,butcontrolled,harvest.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Sproutsinfivetotendaysoutdoorsdependingontemperature.Plant 1/2 inch deep in spring, 1 inch deep in summer. If you really likeradishesa lot,plantsomeeveryweekof thegrowingyear,even throughthehotweather.Theplantswill still do fairlywell then if yougive them someshade,lotsofwater,andathickmulch.Winterorlong-keepingvarietiesneedtwomonthstomature,sostartthematleastthatlongbeforethefirstfallfrost.

GrowingWatering:Don’t letradishesstopgrowingordryout; lackofwatercauseshot-tastingandpithyradishes.

Maintenance: Weed weekly; keep covered with screen-covered cage if rootmaggotsareaproblem;mulchinhotweather.

HarvestingHow:Pulluptheentireplantandtrimoffthetop.Refrigerateedibleportionsifthey’renotusedimmediately.

When:Harvest as soon as they aremarble size up to Ping-Pong ball size; the

smalleryoupull them, the sweeter they taste.The long fall varieties canbeleft in the ground until frost, then eithermulched to keep the ground fromfreezing, or pulled and stored in damp peatmoss or sand after the tops areremoved.

PreparingandUsingSlice,dice,orcut into fancyshapes foreatingoutofhandor toadd tosalads,andforgarnishes.Ifyouhavetoomanyallatonce,twistorcutoffthetopsandstore in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Radisheswill keep for up to aweekbeforegettingsoft.

ProblemsNonetospeakof,exceptpossiblyrootmaggots.

HintsandTipsTeachingachild togarden?This is theperfect firstcrop; leteachchildpickacolor,andtakeitfromthere.

Spinach

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GoosefootHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:9persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:yes*SeedtoHarvest/Flower:7weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:7weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:5weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionSpinachissomewhatdifficulttogrow,butaverypopularplant.Itusuallydoeswell if it stays cool in the spring.A rapid grower, it can be grown in a fairlysmall space and looks great in the garden. It will quickly bolt to seed in thesummerheat,butgrowsverywellintheearlyspringandthenagaininthefall.Spinachisverycoldhardyandinmanyareasofthecountryitwillwinterover;inwarmerclimates,itcanbegrownallwinter.

Therearetwotypesofspinach—thesmooth-leavedkindandacrinkly-leavedtype called Savoy, which is more popular and more attractive. Neither willendure heat and should be grown in cool weather. Some varieties are moreresistant to frost and are particularly adaptable for growing in the fall, andpossibly into the winter season. Check your seed catalog for appropriatevarieties.

StartingLocation:Anylocationissuitable,fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors: Sprouts outdoors in one to two weeks. Plant seeds 1/2 inchdeep,water,andcoverwithaplastic-coveredcage.Plantscanwithstandanytemperature between 25°F and 75°F, so judge your spring and fall plantingaccordingly.

GrowingWatering:Beingaleafcrop,spinachneedsconstantmoistsoil.Maintenance:Weedweekly;mulchinwarmweather.Don’tworkinthespinachsquareiftheleavesareverywet—theyarebrittleandbreakeasily.

HarvestingHow: Cut outer leaves as needed; small inner leaves will continue to growrapidly.

When:Harvestassoonas theplants look like theywon’tmissanouter leafortwo.Keeppickingandtheplantwillkeepgrowingrightupuntilhotweather.Ifit’saspringcropandyouthinktheplantsaregoingtoboltsoon,cutofftheentireplantforalittleextraharvest.

PreparingandUsingWashcarefully;soiltendstoclingtotheundersides,especiallyontheoneswithcrinkledleaves.Spinorpatdryandstoreinrefrigeratorjustlikelettuce.Betteryet, eat spinach right away. Serve fresh in salads, cook slightly for a wiltedspinach salad, or cookby steaming lightly.Spinachgoesgreatwith anymeal,especiallywhengarnishedwithachopped,hard-boiledegg.It’shighinvitaminsA,B1,andC,andisavaluablesourceofiron.

ProblemsLeafminersandaphids.Nodiseasestospeakof.

HintsandTipsIfyouwanttogrowspinachinthewarmerweather,searchtheseedcatalogsforbolt-resistantvarietiesandprovideshade,aheavymulch,andlotsofwaterinthewarmerweather.

Strawberry

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:RoseHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:noFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:n/aSeedsStorage:no;seed-startedplantstakeupto3yearstobearfruitWeekstoMaturity:n/aEarliestOutdoorPlanting:4weeksbeforelastspringfrost

DescriptionPickingstrawberriesonaclearJunedayisatreatforyoung,old,andeveryoneinbetween—onlyabouthalftheharvestactuallymakesitintothebasket!Sincestrawberries are so popular, most families like to plant an entire 4' × 4' instrawberries—it’s easy to protect and harvest. You might also like to build apyramidboxandplantitinallstrawberries.

Growingyourownstrawberriesisfunandrewarding.Strawberryplantsbearfruitforatleast3or4years,thenyieldswilldecreaseandeventuallytheplantwilldie.Eachplant sendsout runners thatproduceanewplant,whichcanbeusedasthenextgenerationofstrawberriesinthegarden.However,Irecommendyounot let them root, as they take somuch energy from the parent plant. I’llexplainabetterwayforyourSFG.

Therearethreemaintypesofstrawberries:June-bearing,whichsetsfruit inJune; ever-bearing, which will set fruit twice during the growing season; andday-neutral,whichisnotaffectedbythelengthofthedayastheothersare.Anddon’t overlook the Alpine strawberry, which will reward you with tiny butincrediblytastyfruitoveralongperiod!

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Earlyspring,assoonasthesoilisnotfrozen.Besuresoilisnotwet.

Outdoors:Most gardeners buy strawberry plants in packets of a dozen or so.Soakfirst,thentrimofftherootsslightly,andplant4persquarefoot.Leaveasaucer-shapeddepressionaroundeachplant foreffectivewatering.Keep thesoilmoist;increasewaterwhenstrawberriesarefruiting.

GrowingWatering:Weekly;moreduringdryperiods.Maintenance:Cutoff all the runners as soonasyou see themeachweek; thatwayalltheenergywillstayintheparentplantforanincreasedharvesteachyear.After3or4yearswhentheharveststarts todiminish, it isbest topullout those plants and replant, perhaps in a different square with brand-newcertifieddisease-freeplantsfromthenursery.It’struethatthoserunnerswillproducebabyplantsanditseemsawastenottousethem;somepeopleliketo

letthemgrow.However,theproblemcomesfromtoomanyrunnersproducingtoomanybabyplants(becausethegardenerforgetstocutthemoff);theytakealltheenergyfromtheparent,reducingtheharvest.

HarvestingHow: Pick the fruit leaving a short piece of stem attached; use scissors for acleancut.

When:Harvestasfruitripens,for2to3weeks.

PreparingandUsingUse strawberries as soon as possible after picking; pop a few right in yourmouth. They can be used in fruit salads, on cakes, and in pies. Freezewholestrawberriesforuseinsmoothies—theywillbesoftwhentheydefrost,butstillflavorful.

ProblemsBirdsandslugs;verticilliumwilt.Peoplewhoputtoomanyintheirmouthandtoofewinthebasket.

HintsandTipsCoverplantswithbirdnettingtopreserveharvest.

SummerSquash

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GourdHeight:bushorvineSpacing:Bush:1per9squarefeetVine:1per2squarefeet

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:8weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:6to8weeksIndoorSeedStarting:2weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:immediatelyfollowinglastspringfrost

DescriptionSummersquashneedsa lotof room togrow,but isunbelievablyprolific. It iseasyandfasttogrow,butneedshotweathertodowell.Therearemanycolorsandshapes—round,straight,crookneckandflat—eachwithitsparticulartaste.

Mostofthevarietiessoldarethebushtypes,(especiallyzucchini),soyou’llhave toassigna larger space (a3'×3' area) to justoneplant.However, thoseplants can produce a vast amount of fruit, so most gardeners think it’sworthwhile,atleastforoneortwoplants.

Analternatesolutionistogrowtheviningtypesonverticalframes,whichisquiteaspacesaver.(Zucchinicanbetrainedtogrowvertically,butitstilltakesalot of room because of those huge leaves and prickly stems.) Check the seedpacketorcatalogtomakesureyouaregettingavinetype;iftheseedpacketorcatalogdoesn’tsayso,calltheseedcompany’stoll-freenumberandask.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:Doesn’t transplantwellbecauseof the long taproot. It’sbest tostartseedsoutdoors.Ifyoudowanttostartindoors,plantoneseedinapapercupofMel’sMix1inchdeep.Plant2weeksbeforeyourlastfrostdate.

Transplanting:Plantoutdoorsonyourlastspringfrostdate.Seeds Outdoors: Sprouts in 5 to 10 days outdoors. For bush types, plant 2presoakedseedsinthecenterofanine-squarespace.Forvinetypes,alsoplant2presoakedseedsinthemiddleofa2-square-footspaceunderyourverticalframe.Make sure you hollow out a dish shape around the planted seeds toholdplentyofwater.Placeaplastic-coveredcageovertheseedstowarmthesoil.Aftersprouting,cutofftheweakestplantifbothseedssprout.

GrowingWatering:Keeptheleavesdrytopreventpowderymildew.Maintenance: Weed weekly; keep vines trained up vertical frames or withinboundsofthesquare.

HarvestingHow:Carefullycut through the fruit stembutdonotcut themainvineor leafstems. Handle the squash gently as their skins are very soft and easilydamagedbyfingernailsorifdropped.

When:Harvestassoonastheblossomswilt,anduntilthefruitsare6to9incheslong.Don’tletthemgrowanylonger.Sometimesyouhavetoharvestatleastthreetimesaweek;theygrowthatfast.Squashlosesflavorastheseedsinsidemature.

PreparingandUsingRinselightlyandserveslicedorcutintosticks,withadip,orjustasanappetizeranytime. Cook lightly by steaming or stir-frying, in any number of dishes orcombinations.Servesquashby itselforwithothervegetables, seasonedwithalittledressing,gratedcheese,orchoppedparsley.SquashishighinvitaminsA,B1,andC.

ProblemsSquashvineborerandsquashbug;powderymildew.

HintsandTipsIfyouneedorwant to tell thekidsabout thebirdsandbees, thegarden is therightplacetodoit—andsummersquashistherightplantforyoutouse.Pointout toanyeagerfaces thedifferencebetweenthemaleandfemaleflower.Thefemalealreadyhasaminiaturefruitrightbeforetheblossom.Themaleblossom,which contains the pollen—oh, you know the rest of the story. Didn’t yourmotherorfathertalktoyouinthegarden?

WinterSquash

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:GourdHeight:vineSpacing:1per2square

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:12weeksSeedsStorage:5to6yearsWeekstoMaturity:12weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2weeksafterlastspringfrost

DescriptionA space-hogging plant that many gardeners won’t grow because of its largeleaves and rampaging vines, winter squash can take over the entire garden.That’swhywe grow it vertically! The fruit can be picked in the late fall andstoredwithout difficulty to be used during thewinter; it retains its delectableflavorlongafterbeingharvested.

Therearemanyvarietiestoselectfrom,butbutternutandacornarethemostpopular. All winter squashes have thick skins that harden in the fall, and aregenerally picked after the vines have been killed by frost.You don’t get yourcompensationuntilseason’send,butsincethereisalmostnofreshproducethen,the winter squash is very welcomed. The fruit has a mild flavor and is finegrained.

StartingLocation:Fullsun,buttoleratesalittleshade.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwellbecauseofthelongtaproot.SeedsOutdoors: Since the seeds sprout quickly, youmight aswell start themoutdoors.Planttwopresoakedseedsinthecenterof2squarefeet.Makesureyou’velefta2-inchdepressionaroundtheseedstoholdlotsofwaterduringtheseason.Coverwithaplasticcoveredcagetowarmthesoilandencouragefastseedsprouting.Cutofftheweakestplantifbothseedssprout.

GrowingWatering:Keepsoilmoist.Maintenance:Weedweekly;keepvinestraineduptheverticalframe.

HarvestingHow:Cutthesquashfromthevine,leavingaslongastemaspossible,atleast2inches.Thensetthefruitoutinthesuntocureforafewdays,protectingitatnightwhenfrostisintheforecast.

When:Harvestafterthefirstlightfrost,whichwillkilltheleavesandvines,andafterthemainvinewilts,butbeforeaveryhardfrost.

PreparingandUsing

Peel,cut inhalf, scoopout seeds,andprepare forboilingorbaking.Excellentservedmashedorinchunkswithbutterandparsley.Wintersquashcanevenbeadded to somesoupsandstews.Butternutcanbeused inpumpkinpie recipes(manycookssayit’sbettertastingthanpumpkinitself).Storewintersquashinacool, dry place at 40° to 50°F; check often and use if you see any bruised orrottenspots.

ProblemsAfewbeetles;powderymildew;andvinestoorambunctioustocontrol.

HintsandTipsWithoutaverticalframe,wintersquashwilltakeoveryourgarden,somakesureyouonlygrowwintersquashvertically.Thissquashissoprolificandvigorousthatitisaperfectplantforanarbororextendedverticalstructure.Whenpickingthesquash,handlethefruitcarefullyandcutthestem—don’tbreakitoff.

Tomato

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:NightshadeHeight:bush,3feettall;vine,6feettallSpacing:Bush:1per9squarefeetVine:1persquarefoot

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:17weeksSeedsStorage:4to5yearsWeekstoMaturity:11weeksIndoorSeedStarting:6weeksbeforelastspringfrostOutdoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:immediatelyafterlastspringfrost

DescriptionIf you don’t plant anything else, you should plant tomatoes—a few differentvarietiesattheveryleast.Thereisahugeselectionavailable,somespecificallysuited for eating, juicing, cooking, or canning. They’re available in early,midseason,orlatetypesindifferentcolorsrangingfromred,orange,pink,andyellow.Sizealsovariesfromthesmallcherrytomatototheextralarge4-poundtypesthatwinawardsatthecountyfair.

When choosing varieties, it’s very important to consider whether they arepest-and disease-resistant This is very important, so make a note: resistantvarietiesarelabeledVFN.VindicatestheplantisresistanttoVerticilliumwilt;FindicatesitwillresistFusariumwilt;andNisfornematodes,whicharetiny,tinywormsthat infect theroots.Therearesomeverygoodnon-resistant traditionalvarieties, but if you are hit with any of these problems and lose your plantsvirtuallyovernight justwhen they’re starting toproduce,you’llunderstand thevalueofthevarietiesthataredisease-andpest-resistant.

Theresistantvarietiestastegreatandalsomatureinearly,midseason,orlateseason.Usually theearlyseason fruitsarebest suited to thecolderclimates inthenorth. Ifyou live ina longer-seasonclimate,youcangrowa fewdifferentvarietiesthatwillproduceallseasonlong.

Tomatoeshavetwodifferentgrowthhabits:determinateandindeterminate(inotherwords,bushorvine).Bushvarietiesthatgrownomorethan3feettallarethe determinate kinds. Indeterminate types, the vine types, are also the mostcommon and usually mature in mid-to late season. They grow the biggesttomatoes, take the longest to mature, and last until frost kills them. You canamaze your family and friends by remembering the nameof the twodifferenttypesthisway:“Itisindeterminatehowtallthevinetypeswillgrow.”

StartingLocation:Fullsun.Seeds Indoors: Sprouts in one week at 70°F. Sprinkle 5 or so seeds of eachvarietyyouwanttogrowinindividualcupsfilledwithvermiculitesixweeksbefore your last spring frost. Just barely cover with vermiculite and water;movetofullsunlightassoonasfirstshootsappear.Thenpotup inseedlingtrays or individual pots as soon as plants are large enough (usually 1 to 3weeks).Keep a carefulwatch over the plants, especially after transplantingthem into seedling trays, because any check or stoppage of the growthwillaffect the ultimate bearing capacity of the plant.Transplanting: Harden off

transplantsforonetotwoweeks,andplantoutsideonorafteryourfrost-freedate.Plantonevine-typeplantpersquarefoot.Bushtypesareplantedinthecenterofaninesquarefootarea.TheytakeupsomuchroomthatInowgrowonlyvine-typevarieties.Waterandcoverwithaplastic-coveredwirecageforprotection fromthecoldandwind.Leave thecageonuntil theplantsareatleast18inchestallandpushingatthetop.SeedsOutdoors:Theseasonistooshorttostartoutdoors.

GrowingWatering:Keepwaterofftheplantleaves.Maintenance:Pruneoffsidebranches(suckers)weeklyforvinetypesandguideplant tops up through netting. Prune off lower dead or yellow leaves.Keepaddingmulchastheseasongetshotter.

HarvestingHow:Gentlytwistandpullripetomatoessothestembreaks(ifit’sripeitshouldeasilybreakaway),orevenbetter,cutthestemsoasnottodisturbtherestofthe remaining fruit.When: If you’re not going towait until they’re red andripe,whygrowthemyourself?Somegardenersliketopickthemjustslightlybefore that point (say a day or two) if they want extra-firm tomatoes forsandwichesoraparticulardish. Ifyou leave themon thevine too long theywill turn soft andmushy, so inspect daily; it’s one of the pleasures you’vebeenwaitingforallyear.

PreparingandUsingThisisasubjectfitforanentirebook,andinfactmanyhavebeenwritten.Whatcanonesayinafewparagraphs?Tomatoescanbeusedinamultitudeofways.Youcanenjoyplateafterplateofslicedtomatoesseasonedwithlotsofpepperandsometimesalittlemayonnaise;trypouringyourfavoritesaladdressingoverthatsamedishofslicedtomatoes.Soakaplatefullinvinegarovernightforthenextday’streat.Addthickslicesoffreshtomatoestoanycasseroleandenjoyaflavor not experienced the rest of the year. If you have a lot of tomatoes, usethemfreshincookinginsteadofcannedtomatoes.

ProblemsCutworm,whitefly, and thebig,bad,butbeautiful tomatohornworm;variouswiltdiseases.

HintsandTipsDon’t let anyone, anytime ever smoke in your garden.Theymay contaminateyourplantswitha tobaccodisease. In fact, theyshouldevenwash theirhandsbefore entering the garden if they are going to handle any of the plants. (Oh,well,theregoesallyoursmokingfriends.)

HERBSBasil

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MintHeight:1to2feetSpacing:small,4persquarefootlarge,1persquarefoot

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:12weeksSeedsStorage:5yearsWeekstoMaturity:4to6weeksIndoorSeedStarting:4to6weeksbeforelastfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:aftersoilhaswarmedAdditionalPlantings:3weeksand6weeksLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionBasil is a non-invasive member of the mint family. ‘Sweet Genovese’ is thepestobasil.BasilisusednotonlyinItaliancooking,butinmanyAsiancuisines.In India, it is planted around the temples and is a part of many religiousceremonies.Basilalsocomesinflavorssuchascinnamon,licorice,andlemon.Goaheadandsplurge—growafewdifferentkindsanddiscoverthewondersofthisbeautifulanddeliciousherb.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.Seeds Indoors: Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Seedsgerminatequickly.

Transplanting: Set out after all danger of frost has passed and the soil haswarmed.Basilwill stop growing if theweather is cool and take awhile tocatchup,sowaittotransplantbasiluntiltheweatherhassettled.

SeedsOutdoors:Sowbasilseedswheretheplantsaretobegrowninwarmsoil.Seedsgerminatein7to10days,andtheplantsgrowquickly.

GrowingWatering:Keepwell-watered.Maintenance: Pinch basil often to keep the plant bushy. Harvesting basil forcookingwillalsokeeptheplantstrongandbushy.Forenergetic,tastyplants,removeflowerbudsastheyappear.

HarvestingHow:Pinchstemsjustaboveleafnodeswherenewstemswillsprout.Useonlytheleavesincooking.

When:Harvestbasilanytime.Infact,themoreyoupinchoffleavesandstems,themoreitwillgrow.

PreparingandUsingUse fresh leaves in cooking, discarding stems. Dried basil does not retain itsflavor.Excessbasil canbeprocessedwitholiveoil,wrapped tightly inplasticwrap,andstoredinthefreezerforupto3months.

ProblemsAphidsandJapanesebeetles;Fusariumwilt.

Chive

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:LilyHeight:6to12inchesSpacing:16persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:lateSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:16weeksSeedsStorage:2yearsWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:10weeksbeforelastfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:latespringAdditionPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionThisisafunlittleplantwithaspikyhairdo.Theslim,roundleavesarehollowandhaveamildonionscentwhencut.Thepinkish-purpleflowersareedibleandappearinlatespringandmakeaprettygarnishforsalads.ChivesareamemberOftheonionfamily,andoddlyenough,itisoneherbthathasn’treallybeenusedformedicinalpurposesduringitslonghistory.Itissimplyauniquegardenplantthathasenhancedtheflavorofsavoryfoodsforcenturies.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:PlantseedsIndoorsinlatewinter.Seedscantakeupto21daystogerminate.

Transplanting:Setplantsoutinspring.Althoughchivesarecold-hardyitisbesttosetnewplantsoutafteralldangeroffrosthaspassed.

SeedsOutdoors:Sproutsinlatespringtoearlysummer.

GrowingWatering:Keepsoilmoist.Maintenance:Plantswillspread,sodivideclumpseveryfewyearstorejuvenatetheplants.

HarvestingHow: Snip the tips of the leaves as needed to garnish baked potatoes andcreamedsoups.Don’tcutoffmorethan1/3oftheplantatanyonetime.

When:Chivescanbeharvestedanytimeafterthenewleaveshavereached6to8inches.Toenjoythetastypinkflowers,don’tharvesttheplantuntilyoucansee the flower buds, then clip around them or wait until they bloom. Theflowersmakealovelygarnish.

PreparingandUsingCut1/3ofthetopsoffallleavesifyouliketheflat-toplook,orcutafewleavesdownto1/3ofeachleaf.Snipthefreshhollowleavesintosalads,sauces,soups,ordips.

Problems

Insufficientwatercancauseleaftipstoturnbrown.

Cilantro

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:UmbelliferHeight:1to2feetSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:lateSummer:yesFall:noWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:5weeks(leaves),12weeks(corianderseeds)SeedsStorage:N/AWeekstoMaturity:5weeksIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:afterlastfrostAdditionalPlantings:2-weekintervalsuntilearlysummerforcontinuousharvest

LastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionThefreshleafofcilantroisprobablythemostwidelyusedofallflavoringherbsthroughouttheworld.ItisusedinMiddleEastern,Indian,SoutheastAsian,andSouth American cuisines. Cilantro is a pretty plant that looks somewhat likeparsley.Useitlikeparsleyinsmallerquantitiesforauniquetang.Whencilantrogoes to seed, it becomes another herb altogether—coriander.Ancients used tochew coriander seeds to combat heartburn (probably after weeding their longsingle-rowgardens).The seeds are sweetwhen they’re ripe, but terribly bitterwhenimmature.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:No.Transplanting:Doesnottransplantwell.SeedsOutdoors:Afterlastfrost.

GrowingWatering:Weekly.Maintenance:Shelter theplants fromwind,otherwise cilantroneeds little carebesidewatering.

HarvestingHow:Pickcilantro leavesasyouneed them,even if theplant isonly6 inchestall.Forcorianderseeds,cutwholeplantsandhangtodry,andthenshakethedriedseedsintoapaperbag.

When: Harvest the cilantro leaves anytime after the plant has reached 6 to 8inches.Harvest the seeds (coriander) after theplantshave turnedbrownbutbeforetheseedsstarttofall.Cilantroself-sowswithabandon.

PreparingandUsingCilantro leaves and coriander seeds are both used in curries and pickles. Thestrong,spicyleavescanbeaddedtosalads,fish,orbeans,anditisfoundasaningredientinmanyethnicrecipes.Themilder,sweeterseedscanbegroundandusedinbreadsorcakes.

ProblemsCilantro isusuallypest-anddisease-free.Theplantdoessuffer inhumid, rainyweather.

Mint

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MintHeight:1to3feetSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:n/a;perennialSeedsStorage:n/aWeekstoMaturity:n/aIndoorSeedStarting:noEarliestOutdoorPlanting:earlyspringAdditionalPlantings:anytimethroughoutgrowingseasonLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionMint,andothermembersofthemintfamily,hasthedistinguishingcharacteristicofsquarestems.Youcanseethisbestbylookingatthecutendofamintstem.Mintplantscomeinmanyflavors,suchasspearmint,peppermint,apple,lemon,andchocolate,andallmintsgiveoffalovelyscentwhentheleavesarecrushed.But beware—mint is invasive. It sends out tough runners that grow roots andleaveseveryfewinches,andwillcropupanywhereitcan.Tokeepmintplantsinbounds,cuta6-inchdiametercirclearoundtheplantsinlatespringandagainin early fall, and pull out any runners outside the circle. Try not to leave anysmallpiecesintheground—theytoowillsprout.InaSquareFootGarden,sinka12-inch square or round plastic pail or clay pot in that square; don’t use aconventional potwith holes on the side or around the bottom. If using a pail,drill some small drainage holes in the bottom. If using a clay pot, cover thebottomholewithapieceofbrokencrockeryorbottlecap.Pulltheentirepotupinthefallandtakeitinsideasahouseplant.Don’tletthisdiscourageyoufromgrowing many different kinds of mints, however, because the benefits trulyoutweightheextrawork.

StartingLocation:Suntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:No,doesnotcometruefromseed.Transplanting:Plantdivisionsanytimefromspringthroughfall.SeedsOutdoors:No.

GrowingWatering:Weekly.Maintenance:Cutbacktopromotebushiness.

HarvestingHow:Cutmintstemsbacktoapairofleaves.Thisiswherenewbrancheswillform.Usetheleavesasaflavoringandsprigsasagarnish.

When: Harvest mint anytime after the plant has reached 6 inches tall; do notharvesttheleavesofcreeping(groundcover)mints.

PreparingandUsing

Usefreshmintleavesinsauces,mintjelly,salads,ortoflavorherbteas.Floatasprigofmintinyourfavoritesummerdrink,bruisingthebottomleavesalittletoimpartthatrefreshingflavor.Tuckasprigofmintintoafruitcupforcolorandscent.

ProblemsMintisbasicallydisease-andpest-free.Plantsmaywiltandturnbrownwithoutsufficientwater,butshouldspringrightbackafteragoodsoaking.

Oregano

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MintHeight:1to2feetSpacing:1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:16weeks;hardyperennialSeedsStorage:n/aWeekstoMaturity:8to10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:6weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:afterlastfrostAdditionalPlantings:anytimethroughoutgrowingseasonLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionWhatwouldItalianfoodbewithoutasprinklingofOreganotogiveitflavorandcolor?OreganoisanativeoftheMediterraneanareaandenjoyslotsofsunshine.It is a pretty plant with round leaves tightly covering the stems. VariegatedOregano is particularly lovelywith the leaves edged inwhite or gold, but thevariegatedplantsarenotquiteashardyasthegreenonesandareusedmostlyasornamentalplants.GiveOreganofrequenttrimmingstokeepitneatandsoyoucan dry the leaves. It is one of few herbswhose flavor is stronger dried thanfresh.Whentheleaveshavedried,crumblethemlightlyandstoreinanairtightcontainer.

StartingLocation:Fullsun.SeedsIndoors:4to6weeksbeforelastspringfrost.Transplanting:Plantdivisionsanytimeafterthetemperaturesreach45°F.SeedsOutdoors:Spring,afterlastfrost;seedsneedlighttogerminate.

GrowingWatering:Weekly.Maintenance:Water sparingly; toomuchwaterwill cause root rot.Harvest ortrimmatureplantsoftentokeeptheminbounds.Divideevery2to3years.

HarvestingHow:Cutstemsbacktoapairofleaves.Thisiswherenewbrancheswillform.When: Oregano can be harvested anytime during the summermonths, but theflavorisbestafterthebudshaveformedbutjustbeforetheflowersopen.

PreparingandUsingOreganolosesitsdistinctiveflavorduringcooking,soalwaysaddit inthelastfewminutes.UseOregano in salads, casseroles, soups, sauces, poultry dishes,andof course, pizza.DriedOreganohas a stronger flavor than fresh andgoesespeciallywellwithtomatoorricedishes.

ProblemsOreganoisusuallypest-anddisease-free.Toomuchwatercancauserootrot.

FLOWERSDahlia

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:DaisyHeight:1to3feetSpacing:small4persquare;medium,1persquare;giant,n/a.

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:10to12weeksSeedsStorage:2to3yearsWeekstoMaturity:5to6weeksIndoorSeedStarting:6to8weeksbeforelastfrostdateIndoorTuberStarting:4weeksbeforelastfrostdate

OutdoorSeedStarting:notenoughtime(seedlingsmaynotbloomuntillatesummer)

EarliestOutdoorPlanting:afterlastfrostdateAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionNative to Mexico, dahlias literally come in all shapes and sizes. This getscomplicated. They are grouped into nine sizes based on the diameter of theflower, and 18 classifications of form, from the daisylike decorative form, topompom,cactus,andthefullydoublestellarform.Flowerscomeineverycolorexceptblueandgreen,andmulticolorsabound.Eventheleavescomeincolors,from light green to deepest green to burgundy. Plus, they are said to guardneighboringplantsagainstnematodes.Thereisindeedadahliaforeveryone.

Borderordwarfdahliasgrow12 to24 incheshighandrarelyneedstaking.Gardendahliasareinthe2to4footrange,whilegiantformshavebeenknowntogrowto10feet—butnotinaSquareFootGarden!Startyourownplantsfromseed(noguaranteewhatcoloryou’llget),orbuyroots(calledtubers)forspecial,especiallyshowytypes.Inthefall,digupthenewlyformedtubersandstoreinafrost-freeareauntilthenextspring.

Warning:dahliascanbehabit-forming. Ifyougethooked (Idid), joinyourlocalDahliaSocietyandyou’llfitrightin!

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshadeforbestresults.Seeds Indoors: Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before last spring frost. Seedlingsemergein5to21days.

Transplanting:Afterlastfrostdate.SeedsOutdoors:No,timeistooshortforseeds,butyoucanplanttubersanytimeafterthelastfrost.

GrowingWatering:Waterdahliatuberswhenfirstsettingthemout,thenwaituntilyouseeshootsbeforewateringagainunlessthesoilisunusuallydry.Thiswillpreventthetubersfromrotting.Oncetherootsystemisestablishedandshootsbegintoshow,givedahliaplantsdailywater,especiallyduringthehottestsummermonths.

Maintenance:Whentheplantreachesabout3inchestall,pinchoffthegrowingtiptoencouragebushygrowth.Mulchdahliastokeepthesoilmoist.Supporttallvarieties.Deadheadtoencouragereblooming.

Since dahlias are easily grown from seed, youmay notwant to botherdiggingupthetinytubersofseed-grownplants.Simplystartthemfromseed

againnextyear. Ifyoudowant todigup the tubers,after thefirst frosthaskilledthefoliage,carefullydigdahliatubersandletthemdryforafewhours.Cutoffthestems,leavinga2-inchstump,removeexcesssoil,andstoreinaboxfilledwithpeatmossorvermiculite,inacool,frost-freelocation.Checkthedahliaseachmonthover thewinteranddiscardanyrotten tubers.Sprayanytubersthatstarttoshrivelwithwarmwater.

Hint. Be careful of theword “miniature”when purchasing dahlias—it usuallyreferstotheflowersize,nottheplantsize.

HarvestingHow:Dahliashavehollowstems,anda stickywhite substancewillooze fromthecut.Thisisanutrientthatthecutflowerneedstostayalive.Topreservetheflower,searthecutendwithamatchorcandle.Aftersearing,prickaholeinthestemjustundertheheadoftheflower.Removeanyleavesthatwillfallbelowthewaterline.Dahliaswilllast5to7daysinavase.

When:Cutdahliaswhentheflowersarefullyopen.

ProblemsEarwigsandslugs;powderymildew.

DustyMiller

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:DaisyHeight:12to18inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:lateSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:15weeks;half-hardyannualSeedsStorage:n/aWeekstoMaturity:10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:10to15weeksbeforelastfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:2to3weeksbeforelastfrostAdditionalPlantings:afterlastfrostwithotherannuals,ornotneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionOneofmyfavoritesfortheSquareFootGarden!Thecharmingdustymillerhasbeengrownbygenerationsofgardeners,andforgoodreason.Thesoft,silveryfoliage is a beautiful addition to just about any garden type, from formal tocasual,andthecolorblendsorcontrastswithmanyotherleavesandflowers.Itscarefree nature, unique color, and interesting texture make it a gardener’sfavorite.Thereareafewdifferentkindsofdustymiller,mostlydistinguishedbythedepthofthe“cuts”inthefoliage—somearescalloped,somearelacy.Dustymillerplantshaveunattractivemustard-yellowflowersthatgrowonplants thathaveoverwintered.Thereareotherannuals,andevenperennials,thatareeasilyconfusedwithdustymiller.Iftheplantinquestionhaswhitedaisylikeflowers,itisprobablySilverLace.Ifithaspurpleflowers,thenitismostlikelyaperennialCentaurea. Regardless of which plant you actually have, enjoy it as a lovelygardenaccent.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:10to15weeksbeforelastfrost;seedsneedlighttogerminate.Transplanting:Dustymillerisuniqueinthatitcanbesetoutintothegarden2to3weeksbefore lastfrost.Waitinguntilotherannualsarereadytobeplantedafterthelastfrostisfine,too.

SeedOutdoors:Onlyintrulyfrost-freeareasasitisaslowgrower.

GrowingWatering:Water regularlywhen young,weekly once established.Even thoughdustymillerisdroughttolerant,itwilldobestifwateredregularly.

Maintenance: Dustymiller is fairly hardy andwill overwinter inmany areas,especially ifcutbackandmulched in the late fall.Prunesecond-yearplantsbackseverelytomaintaintheplant’sshapeandremoveanyfloweringstemsastheyappear.

HarvestingCutbranchesatanytimeforflowerdisplays.

Problems

Rotcanbeaprobleminwetsoil.Otherwise,dustymillerisnearlyproblem-free.

Marigold

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:DaisyHeight:dwarf,6to12inches,large,11/2to3feetSpacing:dwarf,4persquare;large,1persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:noSummer:yesFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoFlower:10weeks;half-hardyannualSeedsStorage:2to3yearsWeekstoMaturity:3to4weeksIndoorSeedStarting:6to8weeksbeforelastspringfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:atlastfrostdateAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionJust about everyonewill recognize the pompom flowers of themarigold. Themostcommonflowercolorsareorange,yellow,andred/orangebicolor,buttheycanbefoundinburgundy,red,andevenacreamywhite.Flowerscanbesingle,double,orcrested,andbetween1and6inchesindiameter.Marigoldleavesaredistinctive—slimandlacy—andgiveoffapungentscentwhencutorcrushed.

Thesmallermarigoldplantsare sometimescalledFrenchmarigolds,butallmarigoldsarenativetosubtropicalAmericaandhavebeengrowninMexicoforthousandsofyears.Thedwarfplantsrangeinsizefrom6to8inchestall.Don’tbefooledbythename—dwarfreferstotheplantsize,notnecessarilytheflowersize.

The larger marigold plants are known as African marigolds, but like theirsmallercousins,theyarealsoindigenoustotheAmericas.Giantmarigoldscangrowtoover3feettallandarealittletoobigforaSquareFootGarden.

Marigolds are said to discourage nematodes when planted near tomatoes,potatoes, asparagus, strawberries, or roses, especially if they are grown forseveralseasonsingroundwherenematodesaresuspected.MarigoldsalsorepeltheMexicanbeanbeetlewhenplantedaroundbeanplants.Japanesebeetlesareattracted to theodorlessvarietiesofmarigolds,where theycanbe trappedanddrownedinsoapywaterplacednearthemarigolds.

I want to tell you a little story about what is grown around the globe.Wheneverwedoahumanitarianprojectoverseas,peopleaskme,“Howdoyouknowwhatcropstheycangrowinthatcountry?”Ianswer,“Wespecificallytellthe peoplewe do not try to competewith the farmer or try to grow the basicthingstheynormallyeataspartoftheirSquareMeterGarden.Wetellthem,“Wearegoingtogrownewthingssoyourchildrencanhavemorenutrientsandbetterhealth than they now have.”And stillwe are asked, “But, how do you knowthosethingswillgrowthere?”

TheanswerwasillustratedwhenIwenttoIndiatoattendthegrandopeningceremoniesofFatherAbraham’snewSquareFootGardenTrainingCenter.Theygaveusgarlandsoftheirlocallygrownspecialflower—andguesswhatitwas?Marigolds!Evenmoreastounding,broccoliturnedouttobetheirmostpopularandbestsellingvegetable.ThatmademerealizethateverythingwegrowinourUSA Square Foot Gardens can usually be grown just about anywhere in theworld.

Starting

Location:Growinasunnylocation.SeedsIndoors:Marigoldseedswillgerminateinabout7to14days,idealforachild’sfirstforayintothewondersofgrowingplantsfromseeds.

Transplanting:Afterlastfrostdate.SeedsOutdoors:Okay,butusuallynotpracticalastheseasonistooshort.

GrowingWatering:Weeklywhenyoung, twiceweeklywhen larger.Don’t letmarigoldsdryout—theplantswillwiltanddiequickly,andthestresswillattractinsectsanddiseases.

Maintenance:Pinchthegrowingtipsbackwhentheplantreachesabout3inchestall to encourage bushiness. Pinch or cut off spent blooms to prolongflowering.

HarvestingHow:Whenthinkingofflowerstocutforthevase,marigoldsdon’timmediatelyspringtomind.However, theymakeacutebouquet thatcanlastfor7to14days,aslongasthestemsarenotbent.Marigoldstemsareshort,sotrytocutwhere the flower stemmeets amain stem. Remove the leaves that will beunderwater.Toreducethearoma,addaspoonfulofsugartothewater.

When:Cutmarigoldswhentheflowersareone-halftothree-quartersopen.Fullyopenmarigoldswilldiequicklyinthevase.

ProblemsSlugsandmites;Botrytisblightandwilt.

Pansy

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:ViolaHeight:6to9inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:yesSummer:ifcoolFall:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:20weeks:short-livedperennialSeedsStorage:n/aWeekstoMaturity:14weeksIndoorSeedStarting:14to16weeksbeforelastfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:earlyspringorearlyfallAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionThebestwordtodescribepansyflowersis“adorable.”Thelittle“faces”lookupatyouwithhopeforalovelyspringafteracoldwinter,andasalasthoorahofcolor in the fall. Even the flowerswithout the actual black blotches look likehappy faces. Pansies come in somany colors and color combinations that it’sdifficult tokeepupwith the changes andevenmoredifficult to choosewhichones to plant. They are easy to grow, as long as you remember that they likecool,moistconditions.Whentheweathergetshotanddry,plantoeitherdiscardormoveyourpansies.

StartingLocation: In hotter areas, look for heat-resistant types and plant in moderateshade.Pansiescanbeplantedinfullsunwheresummersarecool.

Seeds Indoors: Growing pansies from seed indoors can be a challenge. Sowindoors14to16weeksbeforethelastfrostdate.Barelycovertheseed,thenrefrigerate for 2 weeks. Once exposed to room temperatures, seeds shouldsproutin10days.

Transplanting: Set pansies out in early spring as soon as the ground can beworked, and again in early fall to bring the gardening season to a colorfulclose.Inwarmerclimates,set themout infall forearlyspringbloom.SeedsOutdoors:Notpractical.

GrowingWatering: Weekly; water more often if the plants wilt and in the heat of thesummer.

Maintenance: Keep pansies cool and moist. Deadhead pansies for continuousbloom,andcutbackleggyplantstostimulatenewgrowth.

HarvestingHow:Pansiesmakeacutecutflower;keepinmindthatthestemsarequiteshort.When:Cutpansyflowersjustaftertheyunfurl.

ProblemsSlugsandsnails;insufficientmoisture.

Petunia

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:NightshadeHeight:6to18inchesSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:lateSummer:yesFall:earlyWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:14weeks:half-hardyannualSeedsStorage:n/aWeekstoMaturity:8to10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:8to10weeksbeforefirstfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:afterlastfrostAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionPetuniasareoneoftheeasiestannualstogrow,especiallyiftheyarepurchasedasplants.Theseedsaresotiny,ateaspooncontainsover10,000seeds!Theyarebranching,creepingplantswithlight-greenhairyleavesthatcanbesticky.Thetrumpet-shaped flowers come in just about every color imaginable, even theonce-impossible yellow, and the flower forms range from single to double,ruffled, striped, and scalloped. Petunia flowers come in a range of sizes—grandiflorashave4to5inchflowers,multiflorashave2to3inchflowers,andmilliflorashaveanabundanceoftiny1-inchflowers.Pinchpetuniaplantsbackby about one-third before planting, then keep them deadheaded and prunedthroughoutthegrowingseasonforanonstopperformance.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:Startseedsindoors8to10weeksbeforelastfrost,12to14weeksfor slowergrowingvarieties.Don’t cover the seeds.Petunias cangerminateslowly,from7to21days.

Transplanting: Set petunias out when all danger of frost has passed. Pinch attransplantingforbetterbranching.

SeedsOutdoors:No.Growthfromseedtakestoolongtobepractical.

GrowingWatering:Weekly.Maintenance:Deadheadtoencouragebloom,andprunebackbyhalfiftheplantgetsscraggly.

HarvestingHow: Petunia flowersmake an excellent cut flower for very small containers.Tryatinyvaseonthekitchentableorsinkareawithjustonesteminwater.

When:Justasthebudisopening.

ProblemsAphids;graymoldandsoftrotcanoccurinhumidareas.

Salvia

ATAGLANCE

BotanicalInformationFamily:MintHeight:1to2feetSpacing:4persquare

GrowingSeasonSpring:lateSummer:yesWinter:noSeedtoHarvest/Flower:14weeks;annualSeedsStorage:1year,usefreshseedWeekstoMaturity:8to10weeksIndoorSeedStarting:8to10weeksbeforelastfrostEarliestOutdoorPlanting:oncesoilhaswarmedFall:earlyAdditionalPlantings:notneededLastPlanting:notneeded

DescriptionThere are somany different salvias that an entire garden can be dedicated tothemwithoutduplication.Salviasplendensisanannualsalviawithtallspikesofredorwhiteflowers,althoughhybridizershavecomeupwithpink,salmon,anda deep purple that looks almost black. Also known as scarlet sage, salvia isactuallyamemberofthemintfamily,bearingthetrademarksquarestem.Theselovely plants are workhorses in the hot, sunny garden, and are quite droughttolerant once they’re established. Cut the plant back by one-third at plantingtime, to a pair of leaves where you see new sprouts emerging to encouragebushiness, and keep it deadheaded throughout the growing season for a longdisplayofcolor,texture,andheight.

StartingLocation:Fullsuntopartialshade.SeedsIndoors:Sowseedindoors6to8weeksbeforethelastfrost.Don’tcoverthetinyseeds,theyneedlighttogerminate.Keepthemixjustslightlymoisttoavoiddamping-off.

Transplanting:Setsalviaoutafterthesoilhaswarmedastheycanbeveryfrostsensitive.

SeedsOutdoors:No,notenoughtime.

GrowingWatering:Weekly.Maintenance: Deadhead often to promote branching and uninterruptedflowering.

HarvestingHow:Toencourageafallcropofblooms,cutallthemainstemsbacktoapairofleavesagaininlatesummerandyou’llhavealateseasonshowcaseofcolor.

When:Assoonashalfthebudshaveopenedontheflowerstalk.

ProblemsSlugs,aphidsandwhitefly;mildew.

Well—thereyouhaveit!TheALLNEWSquareFootGardeningSystemwiththelatestupdatesandimprovementsI’vemadetotheoriginalsystemIinventedthirtyyearsago.

Inclosing,I’dliketohighlightthemostimportantfeaturesofSFGforyousoyou truly understand why it’s so different from the old-fashioned, outdatedsingle-row gardening system we’ve all been taught at one time or another.Square FootGardening is sort of like a picture puzzle of an attractive gardenreadyforharvest—andthere’sonlysixteenlargepiecestofittogethertoproducethe finishedpicture (that is, theharvest).Toproduce the sameharvest-picture,thesingle-rowgardenhas489tinypiecestofittogether!

The features of SFG will help you understand how one thing relates toanother and how all the simplifications of SFG fit together to help each otherproduceamuchbettergarden foryou—without a lotofworkandknowledge.Herearethemostimportantandfarreachingofthosefeatures.

LocationSinceSquareFootGardeningtakesonly20percentofthespacetoproduce100percentoftheharvest,itcanbelocatedalmostanywhere—andthebestlocationis close to the house. That’s where you’ll pass it more often, notice andappreciateitmoreandasaresult,you’lltakebettercareofit.Thiswillproduceabetterandmoreproductivegarden.

SizeThe same thing applies to protecting your garden from just about anythingharmful,weather andpests being themost destructive; the smaller sizemakeseverythingeasiertomaintainandcontrol.Sizealsoappliestowhocangarden;thismanageablesizemeanseveryone—eventhosewithlimitedtimeorenergy—canenjoythebenefitsofthegarden.

SoilRequirementsWe’ve eliminated all the things you used to have to learn about soil and the

special requirements for each individualvegetable—becausenowyou’re usingnothingbutMel’sMix.Ifyoumakeyoursaccordingtotheformulaandifyouuseagoodblendedcompostmadefromat least five ingredients,you’llhaveaperfectsoil foreverysinglecrop inyourgarden.Wewon’thave to tellyou toscreenforstones,oraddextrahumus,or that thiscropneedsahigherpHorawell-drained soil . . . or anyof those things thatmost books have to tell you.You’restartingoutwithaperfectsoilforeverysinglecrop.Sowedon’thavetogiveyoudifferentorspecialdirectionsaboutsoilforeverysingleplant.

LocationforSunlightAll the vegetables need lots of sun: six to eight hours per day. If any of yourgarden area getsmore sun than other areas, that’s the place to put yourwarmweatherorsummercrops.Thespringandfallcoolweathercropscangetbywithlesssun,andinfactwilldobetterinthesummeriftheydonothaveasmuchsunastheothersummercrops.Ofcourse,ifyourentiregardengetsthesameamountof sunlight, plant coolweather crops in the partial shade of a taller plant—orprovidethemwithoneofthesimplesunshadesdescribedinChapter4.

FertilizerWe don’t use fertilizer anymore. We don’t need it. Mel’s Mix—with its richcompost—hasallthenaturalnutrients,traceelements,andmineralsthatanyofthe plants could possiblywant. Youwon’t need to learn that this plant needsextra nitrogen or that plant needs extra potassium—because Mel’s Mix haseverythingeachplantneeds,anditisreadilyavailableforthem.Thosethatneedit, take it.Those thatdon’tneedit,don’t take it. It’s thatsimple; it’s thateasy.Youwon’thavetolearnanythingaboutfertilizerorthevariousformulasorwhatNPKmeans...youwon’thavetogotothestoretobuyfertilizeratall.Thinkofthe timeandmoneyyou’ll save!Thebestpart—it’sallnatural andorganic. Isthateasygardeningorwhat?

But besides all that, you’re going to have a perfect garden because you’restartingwith a perfect soil. I’m sure you are tired of hearing about it, but thevalue and importance of the proper soilmix cannot be overemphasized.AfteryoubecomesuccessfulwithyourgardenandbeginhelpingothersstarttheirnewSFG, please be as emphatic as I am about the proper soil mix. It virguallyguaranteessuccess.

WateringThesamegoes forwatering.Thegeneraldirections forwatering in theSquare

FootGardenaretomakesurethesoilstaysmoist,andgivetheplantsasmuchwaterastheyneed.Althoughthatsoundsnebulousatfirst,youwillsoonbecomeacclimatedtothosedirections,andyou’llknowwhichplantsrequiremore.(Ofcourse, it all depends on size, season,weather, and the growth pattern of thatparticularplant.)Anyonecanseethatalargebushyplantneedsmuchmorethana young seedling just starting. No matter what method of watering you use,anotherimportantfeatureofMel’sMixisthatyouoryoursprinklersystemcan’toverwater,becausethismixdrainsoutalltheexcesswater.

PestsandDiseasesWealsowon’tgointoanydetailofpossiblepestsanddiseasesofeachindividualplant. I’ve had gardeners tell me that when they read a long list of potentialthreats,theyoftendecidetheydon’twanttogrowthatcrop—andthat’sashame,becauseinalllikelihood,they’llneverseethatpestordisease.

I think you have seen by now that SFG is not about all the problems anddiseases of plant growth, it is about healthy productive plants growing in agardenstartingwithhealthynaturalsoil.Asweexplainedinanearlierchapter,ifyouhaveaproblemorsomepests(ifyoucanfirst identifyordescribeit),callyour local county extension agent and describe it. They can not only tell youwhat it is,buthow toget ridof it. Inaddition, theyknowyourexpected frostdatesandthebestvarietiestogrowinyourlocalarea.

Ourfeeling,ofcourse,isthatwithyournaturalrichsoil,youwon’thavemostproblems;theplantswillgrowhealthyandthey’llbemuchmoreresistanttoanydiseaseorpest.

WhentoPlantCharts inthisAppendixwillgiveyouallof theinformationyouneedtoknowaboutwhentoplantbothseedsorseedlings, indoorsorout.Theyalsoindicatewhentoreplantanadditionalcropinordertohaveacontinuousharvestthroughthegardeningyear.

HowMuchtoPlantUse extreme caution here. Remember, this is not single-row gardeningwhereyou usually plant one row of everything. Start out by asking yourself, “HowmuchdoIreallywanttoharvest(notplant)inthetimeperiodthatthiscropwillbeready?”

Forexample,aplantingofbroccoliwillallbereadytoharvestoveraperiodofjustacoupleofweeksinlatespring(afterthatitwillgotoseed).Soifyou

onlywanttohavetwoheadsaweek,thenplantnomorethanfourorfiveplantsforthattwo-weekharvestperiod.Don’tforgetbroccoliisacoolweathercrop,soyougettoplantitagaininthefall,whichhasalongerharvestperiodsinceit’sgettingcolderratherthanwarmer.)ForcropsthatgiveyouacontinuousharvestlikeSwisschard,parsley, tomatoes,orpolebeans,growonlyenoughplants togiveyouasmuchasyouwanttoharvesteachweek.Youdon’thavetofeedtheneighborhood—althoughsometimesyouhavetoofferafewtomatoesinordertogetridofyourzucchini.

SpecificQuestionsIf you’re the kind of personwho needs to know everything you can find outabout theplantand itsplanting,growing,andharvestingpatterns inyourarea,thenitwouldbewisetocallthecountyagriculturalextensionagent.Askthemfor their leaflet on whatever crop you’re interested in—they have more thanenoughprintedinformationonjustabouteverysinglecrop.

Theonly thingyouhave tobecarefulabout is they’re still teachingsingle-rowgardening, unfortunately.All the literature that the government spends allthatmoneyonprintingstillshowsthehand-me-downrowsystemfromfarming,so you have to be wise enough after reading this book to interpret thosedifferences and convert them into the Square Foot method. It won’t changeanything; it’ll justmake itmuch easier. For example, youwon’t have to thinseedlingsorimprovesoilbyaddingthisorthatspecialkindoffertilizerorhoeweedsordoalltheotherthingsweusedtohavetolearnordo.Sojuststrikethatoutfromanyliteratureyougetfromyourcountyagent.

HarvestingMethodBe gentle when you harvest if you’re picking something with a stem, like apepper, tomato,squashorevenpeasandbeans.Cut thestemwithyourgardenscissorswhileyouholdthefruitwiththeotherhand.Remember,withSFGourplantsaregrowinginaverylooseandfriablesoil,soit’simportanttobecarefulandnottugoryankontheplant.

Sinceyouwon’t beoverburdenedwith toomuchharvest inyourSFG,youcan take your time and enjoy the actual harvest. It’s a happy conclusion togrowingplantsandshouldbequitedifferentfromtheolddaysofrowgardening.Backthen,youhadtomovefasttopickawholethirty-footrowofbushbeans,twisting and yanking the beans off. Then you had to get the hoe out again tofinishthemorning’sworkofweeding!HarvestingtheSFGwayiskindof likethedifferencebetweenloadingsandbagsinthetruckversusputtingthechildren

intheircarseat.Forleafcropswhereyou’repickingindividualleavesorstems—likelettuce,

spinach,Swisschard,orparsley—dothesamething.Cuttheleaforstemwithyourscissors, thenplace it inyoursaladbowlorharvestbasket.Alotoffolkslike to dip their harvest in the water bucket to wash it off—you could use acolanderasyourharvestbasket.Thenyoucanwashoffyourharvestrightinthegardenandanywaterandsoilwillfallrightbackintothegarden.WhichoneofthethreeRsisthat?

HarvestingandEatingTherearesomanydifferentideasandrecipesthatIjustwanttoencourageyoutospendmoretimeharvestingandusingtheproduce.Youhavethetimebecauseyourgardenisnolongeralotofwork.Eatmorethingsrawandfreshrightoutofthegarden.You’llfindyourselfgrowingslimmerbythedayasyoufilluponallthesegoodiesfromthegarden.Whenyoudocook,Iwouldencourageyoutouselessfat, leavethemeatout,andsautéandbroilmoreoften.Trynot tocookinwaterand,ofcourse,ifyougettheentirefamilytostartoutbyeatinghalfoftheharvestrawanddirectlyfromthegarden,you’ll findthatnotonlyyourfamilylifewill improve, but thekidswill eatmorevegetables—moreoften thanyoucould ever imagine. Try a family picnic supper some day—held right in thegarden.Seewhocanmakethemostunusualsalad!

We justhada letter froma schoolteacherquotinga studentwhosaid, “I’venevereatenaradishbefore,nowIgrowthemandlovethem.”Moreimportant,that student takes an interest in his garden, and derives a sense ofaccomplishmentandpridefromhisefforts.Itworksforfamiliestoo—thewholeideaofSFGistomakegardeningafamily-oriented,healthy,happyhobby.

AWordAboutPlantFamiliesI’vementionedall through thisbookhowI feel thatallofyourplantsare justlikeyourchildrenandshouldbe treatedassuch.Soit’sfunandworthwhile tovisit some of the plant families and get to know them a little better. Somemembers of different families will surprise you—like lettuce. Wouldn’t youthinkthatwouldbeintheleafyvegetablefamily?Butno,it’sinthesunflowerfamily...Andwhataboutcelery?It’sinthecarrotfamily!

There’s a lot you can learn from this. You can see that in the Nightshadefamily,all themembersbelong to thehotweatherorsummercrop;so theyallneed the same requirements and conditions of growing. (Check the “At aGlance”featureformoreimportantfactstoknowaboutsomeofthevegetables,

flowers,andherbsyoumightbegrowinginyourSFG.)Ifyoubecomefamiliarwiththeplantfamiliesyouwon’thavetolearnanddigestasmuchinformationaboutindividualcropsbecause,forexample,allplantsinthesamefamilyhavethesamepests,diseases,andproblemsrelatedtogrowing(notthatweexpecttoencounter any of that in our natural and rich Mel’s Mix soil). Each familymemberusuallyhas thesamefrost resistanceand is in thesamecoolorwarmweathercategory.Inaddition,theyallrequireprettymuchthesametypeofcare.So if you learn the families and the care of each family, you’ll have a moresatisfyinggardenexperience.

CHARTOFPLANTFAMILIESANDMEMBERS

CarrotCarrotCeleryParsleyParsnip

GoosefootBeetSpinachSwissChard

GourdCucumberGourdCantaloupePumpkinSquashWatermelon

GrassCorn

LilyAsparagusMallowOkra

MustardBokChoyBroccoliBrusselSproutsCabbageChineseCabbageCauliflowerCollardsCressKaleHorseradishKohlrabiMustardGreensRadishRutabagaTurnip

NightshadeEggplantPepperPotatoTomato

OnionChiveGarlicLeekOnionShallot

PeaBeansPeas

SunflowerEndiveChicoryGlobeArtichoke

JerusalemArtichokeLettuceSunflower

ConclusionThesearejustafewofmyfavoritesofthemultitudeofflowers,vegetables,andherbs you can grow in your Square Foot Garden. Can you visualize howattractiveaquilt-likegardencanbewhenyouplantsomethingdifferentineverysquare foot?Canyou seehow littleyou reallyhave toknowaboutplants andgardeningtobesuccessful?Startsmallandexpandasyougainexperienceandsuccess.ThenspreadthewordandhelpothersstarttheirownSFG.

Sogoodluckwithyourgarden—andpleaseletmeknowhowyou’redoing.Welovelettersandpictures;thisalwaysencouragesotherstogetstarted!

Thankyouforallyoursupport.ThisisMelBartholomewwishingyou...HappyGardening!Mel

acclimate.Tobecomeaccustomedtoadifferentenvironment.

annual. A plant that lives its entire life in one season. It is geneticallydeterminedtogerminate,grow,flower,setseed,anddiethesameyear.

beneficialinsects. Insectsor their larvae thatpreyonpestorganismsand theireggs. They may be flying insects such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, prayingmantids,andsoldierbugs;orsoildwellerssuchaspredatorynematodes,spiders,andants.

biennial. A plant that is genetically programmed to grow over two seasonsbeforesettingseedanddying.

bolting.Thetendencyofaleafyplantsuchaslettuce,spinach,orevencabbagetoseedprematurely.Ofteninresponsetoveryhotweather,suchaplantsendsuptallstalksthatbearflowers,thenseeds;thisusuallyaffectsthequalityandflavorofthefoliagecrop.

climber. A plant that grows vertically by means of elongating stems. It maytwist,cling,oruseholdfaststoclimbverticalsurfacesorsupports.

coldhardiness.Theabilityofaperennialplant tosurvive thewintercold inaparticulararea.

compost. Organic matter that has undergone progressive decomposition bymicrobial andmacrobial activityuntil it is reduced to a spongy, fluffy texture.Added to soil of any type, it improves its ability to hold air andwater and todrainwell.

county agent/extension agent. An employee of the state university who istrainedtoprovideinformationandassistancetofarmersandhomeownersabout

agriculturalandhorticulturaltechniques,soilanalysis,andpestcontrol.Usually,thereisanofficeineverycounty.

deadhead. To remove faded flowerheads from plants to improve theirappearance,abortseedproduction,andstimulatefurtherflowering.

deciduous.Theoppositeofevergreen;describestreesandshrubsthatlosetheirleavesinthefall.

direct-sow. To sow seeds directly into the garden rather than starting them insmallpotsforlatertransplanting.

division. Splitting apart perennial plants to create several smaller rootedsegments.Usefulforcontrollingaplant’ssizeandforacquiringmoreplants,itisalsoessentialtothehealthandcontinuedfloweringofcertainspecies.

dormancy (dormant). The period, usually winter, when perennial plantstemporarilyceaseactivegrowth,andrest.Someplants,suchasspring-bloomingbulbs,godormantinthesummer.

drip irrigation. An efficient water delivery system through special lines, orhoses, laidthroughplantedbeds.Watereithersoaksthroughthehosesorleaksthroughspecialemittersinsertedinthemtogodirectlytoplantroots.

germinate.Tosprout;toenterafertileseed’sfirststageofdevelopment.

handpick.Toeliminatepestinsectsorslugsandcaterpillarsbyremovingthemfromplant foliageorknocking them intoaplasticbagor jarof soapyor saltywatertokillthem.

hardening-off.Theprocessofgraduallyacclimatingindoorplantsorseedlingsraisedindoorstooutdoorweatherconditions.

hardiness.Seecoldhardiness.

herbaceous.Describesplants thathave fleshyorsoft stems thatdiebackwithfrost;theoppositeofwoody.

herbicide.Anyproductorchemicalagentthatkillsplants.Someactonfoliageandstemtissues,someactonseeds.

hybrid.Aplantthatistheresultofeitherintentionalornaturalcross-pollinationbetween two or more plants of the same species or genus. This pedigree isexpressedbythemultiplicationsymbolinbetweenthetwowordsinitsbotanical(scientific)name.

insecticide. Any product, compound, or garden aid formulated specifically tokillinsects.

larva(e).Aninsectinitsimmaturestage,afterithatchesfromanegg.Typicallyawormorcaterpillarformofabutterfly,moth,orbeetle,larvaearevoraciouslyhungry;thisisthestageatwhichinsectsaremostdestructivetoplants.

mulch.Alayerofmaterialoverbaresoilthatprotectsthesoilfromerosionandcompaction by rain, and also discouragesweeds. Itmay be inorganic (gravel,fabric)ororganic(woodchips,bark,pineneedles,choppedleaves).

nectar.Thesweet fluidproducedbyglandson flowers thatattractspollinatorssuchashummingbirdsandhoneybees,forwhomthefluidisasourceofenergy.

organicmaterial,matter. Anymaterial or debris that is derived from plants.Carbon-basedmaterialthatiscapableofundergoingdecompositionanddecay.

peat moss. Organic matter from peat sedges (United States) or sphagnummosses (Canada),oftenused to improve soil texture.Theacidityof sphagnumpeat moss makes it ideal for boosting or maintaining soil acidity while alsoimprovingitsdrainage.

perennial.A flowering plant that lives over three ormore seasons.Many diebackwith frost, but their roots survive thewinter and generate new shoots inspring.

pesticide. Any product, compound, or device that kills pest insects, diseasepathogens,pestanimals,orweeds.

pinchofseeds.Justtwoorthreeseedsforeachhole.

photosynthesis.Theprocessbywhichplants,collectingenergyfromthesunbymeansofthechlorophyllintheirfoliage,transformcarbondioxideintheairandwaterfromthesoilintocarbohydratesthatfueltheirgrowth.

pollen.Theyellow,powderygrainsinthecenterofaflower.Aplant’smalesexcells,theyaretransferredtothefemaleplantpartsbymeansofwind,insectsoranimalpollinators,tofertilizethemandcreateseeds.

potbound.Seerootbound.

rootbound(orpotbound).Theconditionofaplantthathasbeenconfinedtoacontainertoolong,itsrootshavingbeenforcedtowraparoundthemselvesandeven swell out of the container. Successful transplanting or repotting requiresuntanglingandtrimmingawaysomeofthemattedroots.

rootzone.Thearea that the rootsof agivenplant currentlyoccupyorcanbeexpected to spread to when mature. Water and mulch are most effectivelyappliedtothesoilsurfaceovertherootzone.

seed leaf. As a seed sprouts, the first leaves to appear are the seed leaves.Usually round or broad, these leaves eventually fall off the plant. The nextleaves,appearingabovetheseedleaves,arethetrueleaves.

successionplanting. The practice of promptly replacing food crops that havepassed peak production with seeds or transplants of a different crop. Mosteffective in raised bedswhere the soil is rich enough to support several cropsoveraseason,itmaximizesproductioninalimitedspace.

sucker.Anewgrowingshoot.Undergroundplantrootsproducesuckerstoformnewstemsandspreadbymeansofthesesuckeringrootstoformlargeplantings,orcolonies.Tomatoplantsproduceasuckerinthecrotchofthemainstemandaleaf.Thissuckerwillgrowintoasidebranch,makngtheplantverybushy.

thinning. The process of removing extra sprouts from a single planting of apinchofseedsofnewlygerminatedseedlings tocreatesufficientspace for theremainingonetogrowandmature.

transplant. A young plant that is mature enough to be planted outdoors in agardenbedordecorativecontainer.

true leaves. The second set of leaves that appear on a young seedling. Theyresembletheleavesofthespecies.

variegated. Having various colors or color patterns. Usually refers to plant

foliage that is streaked, edged, blotched, or mottled with a contrasting color,oftengreenwithcreamorwhite.

vermiculite. A natural mineral that, ground up and heated to over 2,000° F,expandsintoalightweight,water-absorbentmaterialidealforsoilmix.

I would love to hear from you! Please visit my official website atwww.squarefootgardening.com or email me directly atinfo@squarefootgardening.com.

Sendletters,sendphotos,sharesuccessstories!InadditiontonewsabouttheSquareFootGardenmethodand theSquareFootGardenFoundation,youwillfindallsortsofusefulitemsonourcatalogpage.Pleasevisitthewebsitetoday.

Unique,amazing,andmakestotalsense.

—EricafromVirginia

Yoursystemisfarsuperiortoothers.

—TessafromOregon

YourSFGmethodisperfectforuswithterriblesoil.

—RebeccafromFlorida

Thebestideatocometotheworldofgardening.—JeremiahfromArkansas

Yourmethodisgreat!Ireallyhatetheheavyequipmentandoverproducingrowmethods.

—KeithfromNewYork

Just awesome! Before, I just couldn’t get started with a garden, toooverwhelmed.. .youhavegivenmethecouragetostart.It’sallsimplifiedforme.

—SusanfromArizona

Ididn’tthinkIwouldevergardenagainbecauseofmylungcancer.Blessyou,Mel.

—JohnfromVirginia

Whatagreatidea—mygroundistheworstintheworld.

—PatfromTennessee

Iwilltakeyouradviceonstartingoutsmall.It’sverytemptingtooverdoit.—KathyfromPennsylvania

Iwasreadytogiveupgardening—mysistertoldmeaboutyourbookandyouhadmehookedbythefirsttwopages.

—TamifromUtah

Thebookisgreatforusbeginners—uniqueconceptingardening,veryuseful,andunderstandableinformation.

—BobfromMassachusetts

Thisbookissoawesomeforacitydwellerlikeme.—KimberleefromMaryland

Ihaveawaist-highSFG. Inever thought I’dbeable togardenuntil I readyourbook.

—BrendafromMissouri

OurclassSFGwassosuccessful,thekidsaskallthetimeifwecangoouttoit.

—SandyfromCalifornia

Wearestunnedathowmuchisgrowinginsosmallaspace.

—DianafromIndiana

SFGismorethanahobby—it’samovement.

—RossfromSouthCarolina

Everyone thinks I ama great gardener; I just refer them to your book andwebsite.

—MikefromUtah

SFGissoinnovativeandcreative.

—ChristinefromTexas

Aisles,12,27,82–85brick,82–83carpet,85groundcoverfor,35idealwidth,34–35,45–46mulch,83

Annuals,180Arbors,156Asparagus,194–195

Basil,189–191,232–233Beans,108,146,157,195–197Beets,108,130,197–198Boxes,27,33–34aboveground,33bottoms,58construction,54–58depthof,61materials,53–56,58painting,57patioboxes,29,51,152,179pyramidboxes,60railingboxes,59–60,181–182forrootvegetables,61size,45,53–56

Broccoli,108,198–199

Cabbage,108,116,173,200–201Cageschickenwire,67construction,66–71covers,71–76full,67u-frame,65–67

Cantaloupe,212–213Carrot,108,142,173,201–202Cauliflower,108,202–203Chard,Swiss,108,130,142,204–205Chives,130,233–234Cilantro,234–235Communitygardens,11,20,185–186Companionplants(tobasil),190Compost,29,89–97,106,142aerobicvsanaerobic,92commercial,97ingredients,92–93,95–96mixing,95,96–97tipsforsuccess,94

Composters,80–82,94Corn,78,137,205–207Countyextensionagents,135–136Coverscoveredwagon,74–76domesupports,72–74floating,85

Cropsfall,115–116,259rotation,144springandsummer,254vine,78–80,162

winter,175–176Cucumbers,146,157,162,207–208

Dahlia,238–239Decks,181Domedsupports,72–74Dustymiller,240–241

Eggplant,116,137,208–209

Fall,115–116,117,170–175,259Farmingvshomegardening,14Fertilizer,16,27,32,88–89,247Flowers,144,156–157,180,1934×4-footgarden,17–18,33–34,85–86Frost,171,174–175Frostdates,114Fullcage,67construction,68–71

Gardenscommunity,11,20,185–186deck,181depth,29,31–32design,51–524×4-foot,17–18,33–34,85–86hillside,179–181location,47–51planning,41–52planting,107–130portable,39–40protection,65–76railing,59–60,181–182

school,22–24,184–185seniors,182–184shade,49size,41–47specialneeds,183–184tabletop,27,39,183vertical,145–164

Geraniums,108Germinationrate,118,121,252–253Gridsfromblinds,61–62,65necessityof,35–36sampleplans,264–265storage,177fromwoodlath,62–64,65

Groundcover,35Groupprojects,186–187Growingmix,27,32SeealsoMel’sMixGrowth,sequenceof,115

Hardeningoff,126Harvest,130,141–143continuous,249,255–258method,249–250staggeringtheharvest,18storage,171–173

Herbsbasil,189–191cilantro,234–235oregano,237–238overview,193parsley,108,130,217–218

Hillsidegardening,179–181Holidaydecorating,177–178

Kid’sCorner,110,118,119,167

Landscapefabric,134Leeks,173Lettuce,108,130,142,169,210–211Location,19amountofsunlight,49avoidingtreesandshrubs,49drainage,50existingsoil,50–51proximitytohouse,27,28,47–48,143,246visibility,51

Marigolds,108,241–242MasterGardeners,135Melons,146,162,212–213Mel’sMix,32,87–106,246–247compost,89–97,106drainage,90formula,89materials,91mixing,101–106peatmoss,89–91,98vermiculite,89–91,98–100volume,determining,100–101

Mint,235–236Mulch,83,172Muskmelon,212–213

Nylonnetting,77,79–80,153–156

Okra,137,213–214

Onions,108,130,215–216Oregano,237–238

Pansy,243Parsley,108,130,217–218Patioboxes,39,51,152,179Peas,146,218–219Peatmoss,30,87–91,100,101,104PennyPincherTips,56,61,82,85,97,98,133,134Peppers,108,116,137,220–221Perlite,99–100Pests,135,248Petunia,244Planninggarden,41

Plant(s)design,51location,47makingasketch,47planting,128spacing,16,109,127sizeofgarden,41–47

Planting,107–130amount,112,248–249charts,115,192,252–259depth,120–121forkids,110overplanting,112replanting,129,142–143saucer-shapeddepression,126schedule,254,259season,112–113seeds,117–118,119–120

spacing,109–111visualizingharvest,108

Plantsfamilies,250–251growth,sequenceof,115hardeningoff,126moving,119,168problems,135seasonal,113spacing,127supports,77–78,137training,160–161varieties,selecting,136verticalframes,78–80

Potato,221–223Pruning,162Pumpkins,146,147,151

Quickstartguide,54–55

Radish,142,173,223–224Railingboxes,59–60,181–182Record-keeping,119Replanting,129,142–143Rootvegetables,61Roots,trimming,125Rotation,crop,144Rows,13,15

Salvia,245Schools,gardeningin,184–185Schuller,Robert,142Seasons,112–113

extending,165–178fall,170–175frostdates,114planthardiness,113–114spring,167,168–169summer,169–171temperaturedifference,173–174winter,175–176

Seedcatalogs,113Seedleaf,122,263Seedlings,117–119Seedsdepth,120–121germinationrate,118,121,252–253indoorsprouting,122–126,167outdoorsprouting,126–127,254planting,37–39presoaking,121–122selection,113starting,117–119storage,117–118transplanting,122–126,168

Seniors,gardeningfor,182–183,184SFGInternationalTrainingCenter,24Shade,49,126,169–170Shadecloth,49Sizeofgardens,41–47,246Soil,16,27,134,246–247depthof,29,31–32existing,29,51temperature,116SeealsoMel’sMix

Spacing,plant,16,109,127Specialneedsgardening,183

Spinach,130,224–225Spring,167–169,253,254SquareFootGardeningversusconventionalgarden,43foodproducedfrom,41–42,44historyof,11,20–26improvements,27–40typical,128website,26,52whyanallnewSFG,9

SquareMeterGardening,24–25Squash,146,151,162,227–230Strawberries,226–227Summer,169–171,254Sunlight,48–49,247Supports,127,137domed,72–74plant,77–78verticalframes,78–80

Tabletopgardens,27,39,183Thinning,seedling,37–38Tomatoes,116,137,230–232horizontalplanting,159–160singlestemmethod,159starting,157tomatoworm,161verticalframesfor,78,145,158–162

Tools,45,133–134Turnips,108

Vegetablesoverview,192Seealsospecificvegetables

Vermiculite,30,87,89–91,98–100,104Verticalframes,145–164construction,148–149,164installation,150–151materials,79nylonnetting,153–156onpatio,152placement,149safetyprecautions,163forvinecrops,78–80winterstorage,80,164

Vinecropspruning,162verticalframesfor,78–80

Volume,calculating,89,91,100–101

Walkways,156Watering,126,137–141,247–248dripirrigationsystem,140–141handwatering,139hose,140lawnsprinkler,141overwatering,138–139

Watermelon,146,151,212–213Weatherwebsites,114–115,174Weeds,28,61,85,129,134–135Wintercold-tolerantvegetables,175–176holidaydecorating,177–178preparingfor,176–177

Wood(forboxes),34,41,56Woodlath,62–64Woodedyards,179

MelBartholomew’spathtoarguablythemostinfluentialbackyardgardenerwasanuntraditionalone.Acivilengineerbyprofessionand frustratedgardenerbyweekend,Bartholomewwasconvincedunmanageablesingle-rowgardeningwasawasteofenergyandoutput.Afterhisresearchyieldedresponsessuchas“butthat’s the way we’ve always done it,” Bartholomew condensed theunmanageablesingle-rowspaceto4×4feet,amendedthesoil,andbingo...hedeveloped a gardening system that yields 100% of the harvest in 20% of thespace.

Bartholomew’sSquareFootMethodquicklygainedpopularityandstrength,ultimatelyconvertingmorethanonemilliongardenersworldwide.“SquareFootGardening,” the highest-rated PBS gardening show to date, launched in 1981andranweeklyforfiveyears,followedlaterbyaweeklySquareFootShowonthe Discovery Network. In 1986 the creation of the Square Foot GardeningFoundation and the “ASquareYard in theSchoolYardProgram” brought thetechniquetoanestimated3,000schoolsnationwide.

Asfanmailandtestimonialsfromthousandsofgardenersacrossthecountryarrived,Bartholomew realized that his SquareFootMethodwas relevant on aglobal scale.Converted into SquareMeterGardening,Bartholomew seized anopportunitytobringthedietarybenefitsofhisrevolutionarysystemtomillionsof malnourished Third World citizens. His global humanitarian effort,orchestratedthroughtheSquareMeterInternationalTrainingCentersinLehigh,Utah andHomestead, Florida, trained international humanitarian organizationsandleadersintheSquareMeterMethod.Sinceitslaunch,Bartholomew’sglobaloutreach initiative has spread from Africa to Asia to South America and isrecognizedasaresoundingsuccessbynonprofithumaninterestgroups.

And there are no signs of slowing down. Bartholomew’s global outreachcontinues throughout theworld while closer to home, attention has shifted toincreasing the Square Foot presence in the California school system.Bartholomew is determined to continue and strengthen the well establishedSquareFootprogramsandinstitutionsacrossthenationandtheglobe.

Bartholomew operates his nonprofit Square Foot Gardening foundation inEden,Utah.

Copyright © 1981, 2011 Mel Bartholomew; Revised and Additional ContentCopyright©2005,MelBartholomew

AllRightsReserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmittedinany form or by anymeans, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying,recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

PublishedbyCoolSpringsPress,101ForrestCrossingBoulevard,Suite100Franklin,Tennessee37064.

Digitaledition:978-1-61059813-2Softcoveredition:978-1-59186-202-4

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Bartholomew,Mel.Allnewsquarefootgardening/MelBartholomew.p.cm.Rev.ed.of:Squarefootgardening,2005.ISBN1-59186-202-71.Vegetablegardening.2.Squarefootgardening.I.Bartholomew,Mel.Squarefootgardening.II.Title.SB321.B372006635—dc22

2005025355

FirstPrintingRevisedEdition2006

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica1098765

ManagingEditors:TheStaffofCoolSpringsPressDesigner:BruceGore,GoreStudiosCopyeditor:CindyKershnerPhotography:J.PaulMoore,exceptforpages37,81,117,and166.Thesephotosare

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