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Square Foot Gardening

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Thanks Lesley - I got the leaflet this morning. Can't wait to get the book now. :D

 

My next door neighbour is so self suffient, I'm envious. He gives me a weekly tour round his garden and last night we sat eating his raspberry's - yummy. Hopefully now I'll be able to have my own bit of self sufficiency, and between him, the book and the forum, this time next year we'll be munching on our own veggies.

 

In the meantime...I have found a local farmer who will deliver us a box of organic veg once a week.

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Hi Denise

 

Basically it is a system of using blocks of four feet square plots. Each plot is divided into 16 little squares of one foot square.

 

Seeds or plants are closely spaced within these small squares, tall things at the back and not shading smaller squares.

 

For example each square could have:

4 rows of carrots

16 Onions

1 Dwarf french bean

4 lettuce

1 courgette - at the back, clinbing up canes.

4 Runner beans - at the back, climbing.

4 rows of beetroot.

1 Sweetcorn plant.

 

You keep sowing in trays so that you can keep a succession of plants and when you harvest one crop you replace it with another.

It is a very productive way of growing.

 

The Book is Square Foot Gardening and is by Mel Bartholemew

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Hi denise..

 

When my book arrives I will let you know if I get the leaflet that Lesley sent me, and I'll send it to you. You get some freebies when the book arrives and if you aren't satisfied with the book you can return it with 2 weeks.

 

I'm really lookiing forward to getting it. My fingers are itching to go green!

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Gina it's worth waiting for, I have only two 2m by 1m plots, started in April and I'm already eating my own radishes, lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Mange tout, swiss chard, herbs and beetroot, with tomatoes, carrots, buching onions, garlic and strawberries coming soon :D:D

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Why not mark one plot into 30cm squares and then sow some seeds? You could put peas at the back and put sticks or netting ready for them to scramble up, carrots in short rows in front of the peas. Beetroot in a front plot and chard behind?8)

 

Some places like Homebase still have veg. plants for sale and you might get a tomato os some lettuce. Do your own thing for the time being and then read the book over Autumn and Winter ready for next Spring.

 

Put beer traps to catch the slugs and snails - especially in this weather :(

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I think my slugs must be hardened beer drinkers, as I've put beer traps all around the beans! Actually, the problem was the depth of the jars I used - not tall enough and they slivered right out again.

 

Lesley - I'm going to wait for the book as I really am a novice at growing things and I want to get it right. I have lots of gardening to do also, which will keep me busy while the book is winging it's way to me. Having only just moved in, I need to move things around in the garden to get the best spot for my veggies.

 

In the meantime, I've been ordering boxes of organic fruit and veg from a local farmer, so we're doing ok until I can get going.

 

If it's not here by Winter time, I'll go out and buy it!

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Oops sorry not to have answered Lesley, my computer isn't showing unread topices and I missed this one.

Yes it's been really easy the only thing I've stuggled with is not over sowing in an area but I'm starting to get that now. It really has worked well this year and whilst not self sufficient we've had loads out of a quite small area :D

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IT'S ARRIVED :lol::lol::lol:

 

I've got some freebies too!

A 'Stay Fresh' vegetable keeper bag type thing, and eight mini books;

 

1. Weed Free gardening

2. Time-saving Vege Garden Tips

3. Successful Shade gardening

4. the most Fragrant Flowers

5. Garden Pest Control

6. garden-Fresh recipes

7. Time-saving Secrets to a beautiful yard

8. Identifying Backyard Birds

 

And today of all days - I've got to go to into work (normailly work at home)

Can't WAIT to get home!!!!!

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Post in the morning here, is also rare these days :roll:

 

It actually came in a van too, AND it was hand delivered directly to me via the door - not the letter box. Feel like a V.I.P today.

 

Will have a good read tonight, and keep you posted. Better run to work now...am 5 minutes late and not even left the house yet.......running as I type.................

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Good luck with the gardening Gina, the book timed it nicely, reading on thursday & friday, then all weekend for the spadework :? let us know how you get on with it. I've been reading this thread with interest, square foot gardening sounds like a great idea, but I struggle getting my head around conventional gardening. Maybe next spring I'll turn some of my veggie plot over to it, but only if another novice can reassure me that it's easy & it works :) . So I'm relying on you :wink:

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