Hi - I have a question about the square foot gardening system and plant layout. I have container beds that are 4'x4' and 4'x8' and have been thinking about using the Square Foot Gardening/Mel Bartholomew suggested plant layouts even though I didn't use his recommended soil mix of compost/vermiculite/peat moss. Does it matter? For example, what would the drawbacks be of planting 9 bush beans in a 1'x1' square rather than spacing them out in a row?
Hi Barb, Carol answered this perfectly, but she and I also talked about it yesterday on the phone. The whole point to Mel's system is to maximize yield in a small space. People started gardening in rows primarily because of farming agriculture. People were used to growing plans in rows and kept doing it. Currently, with smaller gardens, it makes more sense to use methods that gives us more vegetables for our seeds. Mel's system is an update to the French intensive method of gardening. I hope this helps! ~~Dee
Thank you both for the advice; your explanations help me wrap my head around the intensive gardening method. It makes sense to me but it was hard to explain to my husband why I won't be planting rows.
Again, I so enjoy your podcasts and the substack newsletter. I often listen to the podcasts twice because there is just so much to absorb and learn. B.
Barb, You don't have to use his recommended soil mix. If you have a good soil mix with organic matter that drains well, your vegetables should grow fine. And all the recommended spacings in the sg. ft. garden method are just that... recommendations. Planting the beans in a block is like planting 3 very short rows, with 3 plants in a row, when you think about it. Carol
Hi - I have a question about the square foot gardening system and plant layout. I have container beds that are 4'x4' and 4'x8' and have been thinking about using the Square Foot Gardening/Mel Bartholomew suggested plant layouts even though I didn't use his recommended soil mix of compost/vermiculite/peat moss. Does it matter? For example, what would the drawbacks be of planting 9 bush beans in a 1'x1' square rather than spacing them out in a row?
Thanks!
Hi Barb, Carol answered this perfectly, but she and I also talked about it yesterday on the phone. The whole point to Mel's system is to maximize yield in a small space. People started gardening in rows primarily because of farming agriculture. People were used to growing plans in rows and kept doing it. Currently, with smaller gardens, it makes more sense to use methods that gives us more vegetables for our seeds. Mel's system is an update to the French intensive method of gardening. I hope this helps! ~~Dee
Thank you both for the advice; your explanations help me wrap my head around the intensive gardening method. It makes sense to me but it was hard to explain to my husband why I won't be planting rows.
Again, I so enjoy your podcasts and the substack newsletter. I often listen to the podcasts twice because there is just so much to absorb and learn. B.
Barb, You don't have to use his recommended soil mix. If you have a good soil mix with organic matter that drains well, your vegetables should grow fine. And all the recommended spacings in the sg. ft. garden method are just that... recommendations. Planting the beans in a block is like planting 3 very short rows, with 3 plants in a row, when you think about it. Carol