Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
My second year... Toplef10My second year... 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.

My second year... I22gcj10My second year... 14dhcg10

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

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
My second year... Toplef10My second year... 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.

My second year... I22gcj10My second year... 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
» Joann's fabric bankruptcy
by has55 Yesterday at 9:13 pm

» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 12:11 pm

» Fire Ring / Round Raised Bed Planter
by donnainzone5 Yesterday at 11:47 am

» Galvanized Fire Ring for Rhubarb Raised Beds?
by OhioGardener Yesterday at 10:34 am

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

» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie 3/17/2024, 4:58 pm

» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/16/2024, 12:16 pm

» Prefab compost question
by sanderson 3/14/2024, 11:40 pm

» New gardener from Santa Fe NM
by Turan 3/14/2024, 2:06 pm

» Compost bins: Open vs. closed
by OhioGardener 3/13/2024, 5:48 pm

» Heat Mat Temperature Test
by sanderson 3/13/2024, 1:31 am

» Bokashi
by OhioGardener 3/12/2024, 5:37 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

» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 3/5/2024, 10:55 pm

» Greetings from a haggard mom
by sanderson 3/5/2024, 2:32 am

» Drip Irrigation question
by HDNoviceGardener_CA 3/4/2024, 9:50 pm

» Recommended store bought compost - Photos of composts
by sanderson 3/2/2024, 8:20 pm

» raised bed quanders
by OhioGardener 3/1/2024, 7:32 pm

» N&C Midwest January & February 2024
by OhioGardener 3/1/2024, 7:15 am

» Seeds 'n Such Leap Year Sale
by sanderson 2/29/2024, 1:42 pm

» Horsey poop
by MrBooker 2/29/2024, 10:56 am

Google

Search SFG Forum

My second year...

+2
sistabelle
jbh29
6 posters

Go down

My second year... Empty My second year...

Post  jbh29 4/10/2011, 9:51 pm

I've just begun reading this forum and love it! But I have so many questions to ask. I'll start with this one: When prepping to plant this spring, I'll add a spadefull of new compost to each square (I did not do this last fall...), but do I also add a bit of vermiculite and peat moss as well? It seems that if you continually add more compost, over time the mix will be a bit heavier if the other conponents aren't added also.

OK, I'll add one more question about planting this spring. How important is rotation of the crops? A specific one I'm thinking about is tomatoes. When I pulled them out last fall, their roots had spread literally across the entire 4 x 8 bed! (They simply thrived!) So it seems like no matter where I'd "rotate" my tomatoes, last year's roots had touched every other square. Will disease be spread easily from last years roots to this year's tomatoes?
jbh29
jbh29

Female Posts : 133
Join date : 2011-04-08
Location : Northwest Wisconsin

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  sistabelle 4/10/2011, 10:05 pm

Can't answer your question but would like to ask one!
How did your first year garden do?
sistabelle
sistabelle

Posts : 38
Join date : 2011-03-23
Location : Gloucester, VA

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  WardinWake 4/10/2011, 10:14 pm

jbh29 wrote:I've just begun reading this forum and love it! But I have so many questions to ask. I'll start with this one: When prepping to plant this spring, I'll add a spadefull of new compost to each square (I did not do this last fall...), but do I also add a bit of vermiculite and peat moss as well? It seems that if you continually add more compost, over time the mix will be a bit heavier if the other conponents aren't added also.

OK, I'll add one more question about planting this spring. How important is rotation of the crops? A specific one I'm thinking about is tomatoes. When I pulled them out last fall, their roots had spread literally across the entire 4 x 8 bed! (They simply thrived!) So it seems like no matter where I'd "rotate" my tomatoes, last year's roots had touched every other square. Will disease be spread easily from last years roots to this year's tomatoes?

JBH:

When prepping to plant this spring add a TROWELfull to each square, not a spadefull. It is not nessassary to add more vermiculite or peat moss.

Most plants in the SFG do not need to be rotated, however, in the case of tomatoes and potatoes, it is generally thought to be best to rotate these veggies to a different box each year and not to follow the planting of one with the other. There is a root disease that can take hold in the soil. This is general advise for any garden not just the Square Foot Gardening.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.


WardinWake
WardinWake

Certified SFG Instructor

Male Posts : 935
Join date : 2010-02-26
Age : 73
Location : Wake, VA

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  WardinWake 4/10/2011, 10:16 pm

sistabelle wrote:Can't answer your question but would like to ask one!
How did your first year garden do?

Sistabelle:

Please check the PM box at the top of the page for a PM from me.

Ward in Wake, VA.
WardinWake
WardinWake

Certified SFG Instructor

Male Posts : 935
Join date : 2010-02-26
Age : 73
Location : Wake, VA

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  Blackrose 4/10/2011, 10:23 pm

jbh29 wrote:but do I also add a bit of vermiculite and peat moss as well? It seems that if you continually add more compost, over time the mix will be a bit heavier if the other conponents aren't added also.

The vermiculite does not break down and will always be there. The peat moss is pretty much the same from what I understand. The compost on the other hand will break down over time and needs to be replenished in order to keep the nutrient levels up in your SFG.

I hope that helps!
Blackrose
Blackrose

Female Posts : 710
Join date : 2010-03-21
Age : 50
Location : Aurora, Ontario, Zone 5a

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  jbh29 4/11/2011, 1:25 pm

Thanks for the info. Trowel full - yes, a spade would be quite a bit. My mistake. Embarassed We are trying to make our own compost, but we don't have any yet. I think I'll just buy a bag. I'm assuming that this trowel of compost doesn't have to be a mix? I can buy a bag of something at the garden center and that one kind will be good enough to replenish the nutrients?

About rotation (and a little report on my first year) we had 4, 4x8 beds and I attempted to have salad fixings on a staggared schedule. I didn't do too well with that and I know I'll approach that better this year. My tomatoes were the best thing in all the boxes. I had several in 3 different boxes. So for getting some roation with the tomatoes, should I plant tomatoes only in my 4th box (that had no tomatoes last year?) ? Is it wise to make almost one entire bed tomatoes and then rotate that through my 4 beds each year? Would they shade each other too much?

I want to do even more tomatoes this year. My goal would be 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, and several brandywines - I'm not sure how many yet, I'd like to make tomatoe juice and I'm not sure how many plants I should have to get a large enough crop to process.
jbh29
jbh29

Female Posts : 133
Join date : 2011-04-08
Location : Northwest Wisconsin

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  Patty from Yorktown 4/11/2011, 1:40 pm

I know that you are supposed to rotate crops, however I rarely rotate tomatoes. I just do not have enough space with 17 plants. I switch up what I can and do not worry about the rest. I would be more concerned with disease, but so far so good, that has not been a problem. At the risk of cursing myself, I have not had a problem in 10 years. Happy gardening.

Patty in Yorktown
Patty from Yorktown
Patty from Yorktown

Posts : 350
Join date : 2010-03-05
Location : Yorktown, Virginia

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  Goosegirl 4/11/2011, 1:58 pm

Patty from Yorktown wrote:I know that you are supposed to rotate crops, however I rarely rotate tomatoes. I just do not have enough space with 17 plants. I switch up what I can and do not worry about the rest. I would be more concerned with disease, but so far so good, that has not been a problem. At the risk of cursing myself, I have not had a problem in 10 years. Happy gardening.

Patty in Yorktown

+1

I have read that tomatoes actually like to be grown in the same place year after year, and the only issue is if you have a disease problem that requires you to rotate them.

I have grown my 'maters in the same spots for the last 4 years with only one problem and it was last year: Blossom End Rot on 5 specific tomatoes, the ones that I had to replace because the barn bunny ate the first ones down to nubs and I had to plant and stake the replacements way late and I damaged the root system.
Goosegirl
Goosegirl

Female Posts : 3435
Join date : 2011-02-16
Age : 59
Location : Zone 4A - NE SD

Back to top Go down

My second year... Empty Re: My second year...

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

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