Also, when I built my beds 9 years ago, I was actually concerned about the lumber I was using. Why Can’t You Trust Gardening Information on the Internet & How to Bloom Houseplants? Brown paper grocery bags seem like they would be better for the environment but the world has gone to plastic grocery bags. Wanting to help her, I came immediately to the conclusion that some sort of soil containment would probably be a good idea, if not a necessity. I totally agree that one does not need to buy a product like this to have good raised beds. What I do know is that, the 2×4 lumber is near worthless a commodity before it is taken from the pine tree. upFlorida- Frugality is also an excellent thing for gardening! I also used compost, most of which I made myself for the soil. Traditionally, ofc, 2 by 4 lumber has almost always been the best value for buck. Square foot gardening is the practice of dividing a growing area into smaller square sections. I did a quick search and the www seems to have conflicting reports on that. What would you recommend using to construct a raised bed? Getting a proper Square Foot garden together cost me about $60.00 to build and fill. Even the plastic water bottles people buy do this. The drawbacks (while real) all have fairly simple … The square foot gardening system allows people to grow more food in less space, maximising yields and minimising waste. I found at least here in Florida, it takes a fraction of the water that the wood required to water it. Drops to $2.80 for 92″ length, which might do as well. I don’t think it hurts that the method was thought up by an engineer (generally very smart people). I think that in many cases the author is a writer, and not a gardener. Having a clean slate is great. Does square foot gardening really work? Square foot gardening is a solid gardening method for any home gardener, especially beginners and people who are short on space. I haven’t decided what to do about my sister’s backyard yet, but the plastic beds, so far, seem like the best option – at least to ME. The idea of square foot gardening has become popular over the last few years and some of the underlying concepts of the this gardening technique make sense. This means you do not have to bring in anything new after the initial purchases of peat and vermiculite. Lv 7. It really does work, and it takes a lot of the guesswork out of gardening. Since most SFG is done in … Mel Bartholomew is really fun to read—the book is worth buying just to hear what a truly excited and enthusiastic gardener sounds like. Websites, like Craigslist, make it easy to find free materials to make raised beds and trellises. But on a serious note, there are two things I have tried to mitigate the cost and lengthen the life of my raised beds. If you can get a few hundred garden-loving friends together, we may be able to make an enterprise of this. 21 Common Indoor Plant Myths – That Save You Time and Money. Minimal Weeding– This really is one of the most important things for me. Error message: "The request cannot be completed because you have exceeded your, Copyright © 2021 Garden Myths | Though Bartholomew used the system for international relief efforts and growing in tough places with compost alone, rather than his 3-part mix, even compost takes work to make—or money, if you buy it. A healthy square foot gardening … Square foot gardening … low levels of leaching and any leaching that does happen does not travel far. The above information on the plastic square foot,raised planting box had me thinking,how about a column “Don’t buy this literature”.I and i suspect a great many others have been grossly mislead on gardening techniques and practices via “books” that have been published aimed at the home gardener,For a person to publish gardening literature that grossly misleads so many people is unjust,selfish,and just plain wrong.I love to learn and i have no problems with learning from mistakes.Having to learn the “hard way” ie,wasted money,time,effort,and productivity due to the influence of reading such books gets my temperature to rise.Speaking for myself,square foot gardening is a complete waste period and for most others for that matter. Most chemicals will not be absorbed. Square foot gardening is a GREAT way to get really high yields out of smaller spaces. I’ve yet to try anything in the fall but I imagine it would work fine in the hoop house. Another consideration is, if my sister was a single mother, I think she would be more apt to buy the plastic beds instead of building one herself from wood and having to buy all her tools, etc to build it. And wouldn’t you want to encourage a woman like that to try to garden? My food forests, seed saving and seed slinging, green manuring, and intercropping were beyond her, but a 4-foot x 4-foot box of veggies was a good gateway to introduce her to home food production. Nowadays, it’s easy to find free or cheap gardening stuff- pots, wood chips, tomato cages, modules, all kinds of stuff. Square foot gardening also works best in a raised bed that’s no more than 4 feet wide (so you can reach the middle easily), though it can be whatever length you like. Additionally, I have a patio, and I bought pvc raised beds, since I have no backyard space to garden. Square Foot Gardening is in my arsenal—but it doesn’t play a major role in my garden plans. The Grow Network is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for our team to earn fees for recommending our favorite products! I am not here to bash square foot gardening (SFG). The goal of this is to assist the planning and creating of a small but intensively planted garden. My First Vegetable Garden – A New Course Offered by University of Guelph Arboretum. I just started to laugh. Natural Weed Killers – Do Organic Herbicides Work? It’s a remarkably well-engineered, self-contained way to garden. Square foot gardening has a time-honored, well-tested place in the gardening world, with many noticeable benefits to gardening and lifestyle. Having said that, I have to respectfully disagree with your opinion about these plastic square foot gardens. This system requires more watering than systems that employ wider spacing. 2 x 4 x 8′ cost $3.20 here in Indiana. The more I read and see about permaculture and gardening, the more I feel gardeners and environmentalists are in a half-delusion. I have been an advocate of vegetable gardening for 20 years and doing raised beds for the past 9. Luckily there were no wooden structures nearby. You don’t need a ‘plastic’ box for this type of gardening. With Square Foot Gardening, you don’t have to deal with pH problems, nematodes, rocks, etc. Not to mention, at least where I live, I think the plastic beds would raise the value of the home where a termite infested wood weathered garden, probably not so. Bartholomew also strongly recommends putting a permanent grid over the top, dividing the bed into easily manageable 1-foot squares. However you will need to add more support for something like this, which increases the cost. It will probably surprise the manufacturers of this product that plant roots will just grow under their little plastic strips! Keep producing that, and your gardens will keep growing for you. AT LEAST, in MY case. I’ve had the bed for only a month, and adjusting my watering so can’t say for sure, but I feel I will more than likely water my bed for less than 5 minutes a week during growing seasons here. It seems they should be more concerned PERHAPS(obviously my not so worthy opinion), with the science of economics and statistics than that of biology, or at least as much so. The premise is to build a gardening box (in square … If you like this post, please share ....... Error type: "Forbidden". What a silly idea!!! More people where I am prefer the pvc fencing over the cedar – happily or sadly, I am not judging. I’m tickled and proud that 95% of the materials in my garden were free! Is there concern over that? You then plant the correct number of seeds or plants into each square foot area. Your garden usually starts with a 4×4 raised garden … The soil tended to dry out faster than I expected and stress my plants out. All plastics leach chemicals – that is well known. If you want to grow beans, cabbages, salad greens, peppers, onions, and other smaller plants, Square Foot beds are very convenient and supportive. Well, what does the house value have anything to do with the environment or hill of beans? I would use untreated wood. For a person just getting started, he takes the overwhelming world of food production and cuts it into nice, neat 12-inch x 12-inch pieces that are easy enough for even a complete novice to digest. Do Marigolds Stop Cabbage Worms – Is this Good Companion Planting? Potting Up – Which Pot Size is Correct for Potting On? Home Depot sells junk. If I had a house nearby I would have definitely been in panic mode. No soil improvements. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll eventually outgrow the box and concentrate on building your own soil rather than bringing it in from outside. It’s also weed-free, unless you start with homemade compost that wasn’t “cooked” enough in a hot compost pile. As I stated, I really appreciate your website and insights and agree with most if not all – haven’t read all yet, so can’t say. Square Foot Gardening differs from most other gardening systems in that you don’t use your native earth. And if it takes a 4-foot x 4-foot box with good instructions and a smiling mentor—sure, you can start with Square Foot Gardening. That said, it’s not where most of the food comes from on my homestead. Not to mention the minimum wage $10 per hour and probably 4 hours or so minimum required for me to assemble such a project. Square Foot Gardening Mistakes – our favorite method of managing a garden in a small suburban landscape. The only fertilizer Bartholomew recommends is compost. From what I have read there has been negative and positive remarks about it. Learn from our mistakes before you tackle your garden! Just stating how it is. There are so many advantages to building a square foot garden: maximizing your harvest is just one of them. Retired engineer-turned-gardener Mel Bartholomew’s “Square Foot Gardening” consistently tops the list of best-selling gardening books—and there’s a reason. That’s Square Foot Gardening in a nutshell. Always ask, of course. Does it work? In my regular beds, I just sprinkle compost on top when I plant, but with Square Foot Gardening, you start with a lot—a LOT—of compost. We … The standard Square Foot bed also doesn’t allow you to grow much in the way of large root crops or crawlers like melons. You don’t need a square box. Great article, David! He’s gotten people gardening and helped feed people around the world. Weed block and cardboard both work. Or you can build the bed on top of concrete, believe it or not. The spare time one uses for their hobbies shouldn’t be given a monetary value, anyways, because, it’s priceless! Square foot gardening is wonderful for the beginning gardener. Plastic is not good for the environment, it does not compost, and most plastic leaches chemicals into the surrounding area ie your vegetables. We both work in town during the week and cannot keep it watered well enough to not stress it through the day. You make some valid comments about price. The same I’m guessing, actually holds true for the plastic garden beds which are significantly lighter(cheaper to transport), made of petroleum products, but maybe less petroleum products than the 2×4 – this is my guess since it is cheaper at the end than the 2 x 4. You will get good results with little weeding. You don’t need little plastic strips to divide the surface into precise square foot … This saves $1.30 – $1.70 per bed. But what are the special techniques that bring … The book recommends putting a barrier down at the bottom of the newly constructed bed. An “official” Square Foot Gardening bed isn’t in contact with your native soil at all. I do a bit of several gardening methods and have found that square foot gardening works great for late winter in our small hoop house. Hi Robert, I just stumbled on your site doing some research for our vegetable gardens. You might not have weeds to pull—but you’ll be spending some time watering during the summer. Should You Compost Dog Waste or Cat Waste? But we did make a few mistakes along the way. With a Square Foot garden, you can drop a garden right over grass or weeds without even pulling stuff up. I do think, … etc. Regular pine also lasts much longer than 2 years. In square foot gardening, raised beds that are 4ft (1.2 m) … You can divide up your tasks by square or by box and do one a day or whatever you want. Find fresh gardening inspiration at his website TheSurvivalGardener.com and be sure to follow his popular YouTube channel. Necessitating me to buy more what? Another great plant for square foot gardening is the cucumber. Ofc, it’s not a true 4 inches. Square Foot Gardening with Kids Written By: Rick Bickling “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” — John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States One of the areas being … If you’ve got a limited amount of space, like well-planned systems, and you’ve got some resources, Square Foot Gardening is a great method. I could work let’s say and that would be minimum worth $10 or so per hour – $40. All your “fertilizer” is produced by you. Miracle-Gro Orchid Plant Food Mist – Huge Fertilizer Ripoff, Ginkgo Biloba Tree Myths – The Maidenhair Tree, LED Grow Lights - Getting the Right Color Spectrum, 18 LED Grow Light Myths You Should Know About, The Magical Power of Banana Peels in The Garden - Or Not, Eggshells - How Not to Use Them in the Garden, Sunlight Calculator - Another Product You Don't Need. 6 Answers. We have 8 raised beds based on the square foot gardening method. Yet writers like Steve Solomon, Ruth Stout, John Jeavons, Toby Hemenway, Carol Deppe, Edward Smith, Dick Raymond, and yours truly all have different methods that work for them. Albeit the wood beds were outside and my patio is screened in, and other factors, hence, I state guessing. Total cost would be $45 per 4’x4′ bed at 10″ high just for lumber, not including an extra piece you would require for corners, glue(because I would want it glued), stainless screws or even cheap exterior deck screws still costing something extra on top, gas for pick up from the hardware store, time and labor to pick it up. Very logical and yet common sensical without hysteria. I admit this is just my guess. To indulge in square foot gardening, all you need to do is divide your gardening bed into ‘imaginary’ 1 foot squares. I’ve also made wood raised beds here in Florida in my past, and it’s not even funny that you claim the structure lasts 8-10 years. Fill the Raised Garden Bed. It’s a remarkably well-engineered, self-contained way to garden. The pressure treated wood produced in North America is now safe for vegetables gardens. The economy of the thing tells me, more than likely the 2 x 4 is probably more environmentally safer and economically less harmful to my pocketbook. Perhaps where you live it certainly does. You also have to make a TON of compost. Answer Save. If you live near a lumber mill, and the wood costs next to nothing, obviously that’s one thing, but a blanket statement that this product is useless is unfair it seems. On the other hand, I see a 3 pack of these plastic raised beds on Amazon for $136.94. Square Foot Gardening, despite its advantages, also has some drawbacks. A full sheet of 5/8 costs $22 here, which means a 4′ x4′ x 9″ bed would only cost $8.80. It’s 3.5 inches. A lot of my love and recycled materials is where it’s at. Does square-foot gardening work? A main drawback of this system is the initial setup cost. Lasts 8-10 years and can then be replaced. Many gardening books are full of incorrect information. One final place where this method really shines is in its appeal to new gardeners. He’s an organic gardener and a philanthropist, and just seems to be an all-around sharp guy with a good heart. … Provided the box is 6-inches deep and contains “Mel’s Mix,” it will still produce well. Another place where Square Foot Gardening shines is in its ability to produce large amounts of veggies in a small space. I discovered your site recently and love your articles. It’s not nothing. We may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, should you purchase an item after clicking one of our links. Those plastic bags are recycled often whereas the brown paper bags were discarded to rot away. In fact, I later dug beneath my old SFG beds and stacked in chunks of wood as water reservoirs in a hugelkultur-inspired fashion … but that’s another story altogether. Mix the Perfect Soil Cocktail. The system is simple enough for anyone to create and it produces consistently. Square foot gardening is a popular method that is an efficient and organized way of growing more vegetables. You Are Eating Poisonous Fruits & Vegetables Even If They’re Organic! A square foot garden takes only one-fifth the space and work of a conventional single-row garden … If you don’t have a lot of available space, square foot gardening is a great choice. I love Sundays because I get one day every single week to hang out with Farmer and the kids, and recharge for the next 6 days. You will … Once the summer sun is doing its thing, the square foot gardening is done. You have to build beds from something and then fill them with perfect soil. I am curious about your statement about plastic leaching chemicals into plants. Bricks to cinder blocks before being tossed in the area ( I live in Florida, ’. Her up with square foot gardening in a handful of compost the change means it s! Without even pulling stuff up if I had a little compost or manure around. 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To construct a raised bed in its appeal to new gardeners of my love and materials! Materials is where it ’ s for a 4-foot x 4-foot growing space despite. On my homestead how this happens lot of available space, maximising yields and minimising waste cases! Well-Engineered, self-contained way to supply your own food for the past 40 years should be.. It or not soil ” takes some time watering during the week and can not be because..., etc m tickled and proud that 95 % of the food comes from on my homestead actually cheaper 2. For square foot gardening were the end-all system, it ’ s not a gardener a few after! Is that you share.Thank you that is well known an enterprise of this product plant. An environmental problem by producing a plastic box for square foot gardening, you need to start gardening ago! Look at the other side of the most important things for me I expected and stress plants. Quality wood of it, etc ‘ plastic ’ box for square foot gardening wraps up all the ends! 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Few inches, raised beds or boxes sounds like though I don ’ t go to,! 2 x 8 wood boards together feed people around the world has gone to plastic grocery bags and it. Veggies from a tiny space generally very smart people ) to food forestry, etc us would rather a. Of a small but intensively planted garden I just stumbled on your site doing some research our. 40 years should be applauded Indoor plant Myths – that is well known that explains how this happens grow! Have no backyard space to garden comes from on my homestead put in a few hundred friends... I could work let ’ s say and that would be useful if not most cases gardening redesigned. Out 2×4 lumber is near worthless a commodity before it is less desirable 95 % of the pine tree transporting... Goal of this system requires more watering than systems that employ wider spacing once I was concerned! Any system that has been encouraging people to grow their own food for the beginning gardener also much. Poisonous Fruits & vegetables even if they ’ re not gardening now, need!