Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
First month Square Foot gardening Toplef10First month Square Foot gardening 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

First month Square Foot gardening I22gcj10First month Square Foot gardening 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
First month Square Foot gardening Toplef10First month Square Foot gardening 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

First month Square Foot gardening I22gcj10First month Square Foot gardening 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]
Square Foot Gardening Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Search
 
 

Display results as :
 

 


Rechercher Advanced Search

Latest topics
» New to SFG and in Virgina
by sanderson Today at 1:38 am

» Bokashi
by sanderson Today at 1:08 am

» Onions. Walk on?
by sanderson Today at 12:46 am

» Compost bins: Open vs. closed
by Scorpio Rising Yesterday at 10:38 am

» Recommended store bought compost - Photos of composts
by sanderson 3/26/2024, 5:56 pm

» 6 metal trellis frames
by docachna 3/25/2024, 4:31 pm

» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/24/2024, 3:01 pm

» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener 3/24/2024, 1:28 pm

» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener 3/23/2024, 6:02 pm

» Joann's fabric bankruptcy
by neefer 3/23/2024, 12:33 am

» New gardener from Santa Fe NM
by CantersVary 3/22/2024, 7:50 pm

» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie 3/22/2024, 5:07 pm

» Heat Mat Temperature Test
by OhioGardener 3/22/2024, 2:09 pm

» Victory Garden Reboot
by Scorpio Rising 3/22/2024, 11:53 am

» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 3/22/2024, 11:43 am

» Commercial (bagged or bulk) compost question
by Mikesgardn 3/21/2024, 7:09 pm

» Think Spring 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/20/2024, 10:34 am

» Fire Ring / Round Raised Bed Planter
by sanderson 3/19/2024, 4:51 pm

» Galvanized Fire Ring for Rhubarb Raised Beds?
by OhioGardener 3/18/2024, 10:34 am

» Happy St. Patrick's Day
by Scorpio Rising 3/17/2024, 5:54 pm

» Happy Birthday!!
by Scorpio Rising 3/11/2024, 10:28 am

» What are you eating from your garden today?
by Scorpio Rising 3/10/2024, 8:38 pm

» Why I love Oregano in the garden.
by OhioGardener 3/10/2024, 8:16 am

» Comfrey
by OhioGardener 3/9/2024, 6:07 pm

» Sealing Barrels Flowers Struggling-Need Ideas
by Turan 3/9/2024, 3:09 pm

» Hello again from a slightly different part of Central PA!
by sanderson 3/9/2024, 1:46 pm

» Chicken manure compost
by Oopsiedaisy 3/8/2024, 7:56 pm

» Chinese Broccoli
by sanderson 3/7/2024, 10:28 pm

» Heat Mat Lifespan
by Scorpio Rising 3/7/2024, 9:33 am

» Now is The Time To Take Seed Inventory
by OhioGardener 3/6/2024, 4:36 pm

Google

Search SFG Forum

First month Square Foot gardening

5 posters

Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty First month Square Foot gardening

Post  kcunha 4/9/2012, 10:14 pm

Hello,

My name is Katie Cunha and I am new to Longview, Texas (northeast) and SFG. I did my first box last month and am so excited to see everything growing so well! I am a little worried about how I will maintain this process throughout the HOT summer. Should I get shade cloths ready or move plants to a shaded area? Will all my plants die (I have, cherry tomatoes, green beans, peas, beets, carrots, spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, squash and strawberries in one 4x4 box)?

We will also be moving to the north in 2-3 yrs so I want to make sure that I can make my boxes portable but I am not sure if the plywood on the bottom will hold up like it says in Mel's book?

Thanks and looking forward to learning with each other!Smile
Katie Cunha
kcunha
kcunha

Posts : 15
Join date : 2012-04-08
Location : Longview

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Re: First month Square Foot gardening

Post  GWN 4/9/2012, 10:31 pm

wow Katie
you ARE organized planning that far ahead.
Do you have table tops?... I do not have plywood on the bottom of my beds, and cannot see that they need it.
Some of your plants will like the heat and others will not
Peas and spinach will NOT like the heat, but you can plant them again in August so that you can have a fall crop of them
GWN
GWN

Posts : 2804
Join date : 2012-01-14
Age : 67
Location : british columbia zone 5a

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Re: First month Square Foot gardening

Post  Ha-v-v 4/9/2012, 11:34 pm

kcunha wrote:Hello,

My name is Katie Cunha and I am new to Longview, Texas (northeast) and SFG. I did my first box last month and am so excited to see everything growing so well! I am a little worried about how I will maintain this process throughout the HOT summer. Should I get shade cloths ready or move plants to a shaded area? Will all my plants die (I have, cherry tomatoes, green beans, peas, beets, carrots, spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, squash and strawberries in one 4x4 box)?

We will also be moving to the north in 2-3 yrs so I want to make sure that I can make my boxes portable but I am not sure if the plywood on the bottom will hold up like it says in Mel's book?

Thanks and looking forward to learning with each other!Smile
Katie Cunha

Hi Katie,
I had a whole thing typed out and bam I hit something and it was all gone. I do have a link for you though on hot and cool weather crops.

Link>>>> http://www.vegetableexpert.co.uk/hotandcoolweathercrops.html

I think what you have is a good variety of things to shade and help the others. I would first find out how much sun the box will get in one day, that will give you an idea of what might need shading. My tomatoes are in direct sun in the summer, they taper off in production (indeterminates) then when it cools again they start giving tomatoes again. The other crops too are in full sun here at my house. The only difference is I believe yours is a table top? I do not have lots of experience with table tops. With our heat I plan to use shade cloth to extend the cool weather crops season Smile I will miss the lettuce when it gets too bitter to eat Smile

I am so glad it's spring ~
Ha-v-v
Ha-v-v
Ha-v-v

Female Posts : 1123
Join date : 2010-03-12
Age : 64
Location : Southwest Ms. Zone 8A (I like to think I get a little bit of Zone 9 too )

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Thanks for the helpful tips:)

Post  kcunha 4/10/2012, 8:03 am

Thanks for the replies and tips you have both been helpful:) I checked out the website and it looks great for getting to know which plants can stand the heat. My plants get about 8-10 hrs of sun right now so I know I will probably need to shade them sometime. What are the best times of day to put a shade cloth on? Afternoon?

Good observation about the planning. I am a teacher and we are moving in 3 weeks so I am trying to plan where to put my box at the new house (shady area or not) and how to make it portable (since currently it is not). My box is on the ground. I feel like plywood underneath would be good for the transport but over a few years it would rot and not be helpful for drainage, etc.
kcunha
kcunha

Posts : 15
Join date : 2012-04-08
Location : Longview

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Re: First month Square Foot gardening

Post  UnderTheBlackWalnut 4/10/2012, 10:55 am

glad you\'re here kcuhna Smile

I'm a teensy bit confusted in the OP you said you were moving north in 2-3 years and in the most recent one you said you are moving in 3 weeks. Are you moving more than once? Are you trying to move beds that already have plants in them and don't have bottoms? You said you have one 4x4...do you anticipate more before you move?

Here are some ideas I've read from other members...

Some members (if they don't already have their gardens growing) will actually just take their MM out of their boxes and put it in tubs and move it separate from their boxes.

Some members will start abbreviated gardens in tubs or containers for the year they are going to move and just move those (it makes a difference the size vehicle(s) you are using for moving as well...).

If your garden is already growing and doesn't have bottoms, I would think you'd end up trying to transplant stuff out anyway...not sure how you would put a bottom on it if it's already growing? Smile

If you don't like the idea of plywood, you can put hardware cloth and weed cloth on the bottom as well. Either way, MM is HEAVY. I believe a member determined that a full watered 4x4 box probably weighs in the nieghborhood of 250-300 lbs.

Here is what I do - I have 2x4 and 4x4 boxes. I don't build bigger because I have shade issues and I have not gardened before so I want to be able to move my boxes around as I find the right spots. My boxes have plywood bottoms (as described in the book) and sit on one layer of cinderblock. They drain just fine. My climate isn't that wet so the plywood seems to be working okay for me (we are on year 2 of my boxes).

The 2x4 boxes are a CINCH to move if you have one of those flat heavy-wheeled appliance dolly type things. My husband and I can lift it - put it on the cart and wheel it where we want it to go without much trouble. The 4x4s are a little more unwieldy.

Boffer has even built TTs on old carts or on wheels with bottoms that can just be wheeled.

If I knew I was facing one or more moves, I would probably keep my boxes smaller but have more of them so that when the time came I could more easily move them....

Hope that gives you some ideas... Smile
UnderTheBlackWalnut
UnderTheBlackWalnut

Female Posts : 559
Join date : 2011-04-18
Age : 57
Location : Springfield (central), IL, on the line between 5b and 6a

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Great tips!

Post  kcunha 4/11/2012, 8:25 pm

Thanks for the great tips and I think I might just build smaller boxes that will be easier to move around:) I just hope the plywood makes it for 2-3 years. You would recommend putting them up on bricks too?

I know it is confusing with all the moving and yes, we are moving in 3 weeks and then again in 2-3 yrs. I think we might just have to take the plants out because it will be heavy and some of the plants are really big already.

Thanks again!
kcunha
kcunha

Posts : 15
Join date : 2012-04-08
Location : Longview

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Re: First month Square Foot gardening

Post  TooterBelle 5/2/2012, 2:52 pm

kcunha wrote:I am a little worried about how I will maintain this process throughout the HOT summer. Should I get shade cloths ready or move plants to a shaded area? Will all my plants die (I have, cherry tomatoes, green beans, peas, beets, carrots, spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, squash and strawberries in one 4x4 box)?


I grew spinach last year, not in mm but in a raised bed with just topsoil...it grew great through out the summer. We put a shade cloth (duck canvas) on pvc pipe (I sewed pockets on each end; like rod pockets on curtains)and we would cover and uncover it as the sun demanded. The spinach (which we picked young and used for salads) grew so well that we supplied 4 families with it. Our cherry tomatoes did great so did the beets without having to cover them. Hope this helps.

TooterBelle
TooterBelle
TooterBelle

Posts : 15
Join date : 2011-08-31
Age : 59
Location : Ark-La-Tex

Back to top Go down

First month Square Foot gardening Empty Re: First month Square Foot gardening

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top


 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum