Square Foot Gardening-My New Outdoor Activity for Food and Growing Ideas

Ok,  so the other day,  my wife drug me and the boys to a gardening presentation in Billings (closest town around) to see what this gentleman had to say about his new garden methods and this catchy way of gardening called, “Square Foot Gardening”.  Well,  I wasn’t convinced until I started thinking about the growing conditions, temperature, climate and availability of water in and around my area.  Then after learning his unique ways of transplanting, planting and growing a garden;  I’m convinced that it’s the newest and best way to grow a garden whether you live in the city or country. 

Now,  if your interested in gardening and providing for yourselves as much as I am, I hope that I might share some tips for gardening that I learned that will help your garden and make your garden more enjoyable then work. 

Tips For your Square Foot Garden: 

1.   Start small,  then add one table at a time

2.  Don’t use too much water as your only losing nutrients with the water that’s running out.

3.  Use compost that does not have weeds or seeds of other plants that are not desired as you will end up weeding them out. 

4.  Allow 6-8 hours for sunlight on the plants and vegetables to grow each day. 

5.  Plant different varieties of food in each square as each will and can help each other grow together.

6.  Use the square foot method as it applies in a orderly manner. 

7.  Use one cup of water a day for each square. This allows for the water to be used by all the food.

8.  Use Pete Moss as it helps aerate the soil and dirt supporting the plants.

9.  Use grass clippings and mulch that allows you to compose a compost along with your pete moss and vermitulite.

10.  Don’t use fertilizers or pest control chemicals but natural substances to nurture your seeds and plants. 

11.  Use warm water as you wouldn’t use cold water to wash your baby,  it shocks the plants and seeds.

Now there are a number of ways to set up potting plants in starter areas.  Use a toilet paper roll and wrap newspaper around it once or twice about half way.  Then crumple the bottom portion of the newspaper to close the bottom of the toilet paper roll, then slide the toilet paper roll out and you have a premolded starter for the new seeds. 

Now I will show pictures of how to construct these in the future as I don’t have it readily available at this time.  As the weather gets nicer,  you can put the new flowers and plants outside to get some sun, but when it’s chilly,  keep the starter plants in the house on top of the refridgerator as they will stay warm.  The Climate and temperature are important in growing and starting your little plants and food. 

 Anyway,  For what it’s worth,  I’ll write more later here and update with pictures. 

Enjoy.