My Kentucky SFG - 2013

This is my first Square Foot Garden since 2010.  I had 3 beds that produced very well at my old house, but we bought a smaller house with no stairs for health reasons.  I missed my garden so much, that I decided to start one here, with help from my husband and family.  We have a great sunny area in our back yard, so that is where we put it.  Here are some pictures of the progress.
Madge
5 of my 7 beds, just planted on June 11th


Heirloom Tommy Toe Tomato volunteer


Golden Bantam Corn came up on June 15th

Something ate all of my corn right after it came up.   So I came up with a couple of ways to keep the little creatures out.  

The first is some tulle material that I got a Goodwill for $3.


the second is some rubbermaid shelves that I picked up at Habitat Restore for $1 each.


Finally got up a fence on June 22nd, with help from grandaughter & advice from the great forum members here.


Found a really cute gate for the SFG fence on June 24th.

Cute gate, nice set up. So nice of your family to help out.

Finally got the gate installed with help from my husband.  I tried several different options, but the chain link fence hinge and latch were too heavy and large for this gate.  I finally found a small steel rod that would go through the openings on the gate.  I used clamps to hold the rod to the green post.  This worked great.  I kept the chicken wire, continuing it on the back side of the gate for extra protection.
Madge

My son and daughter-in-law helped to get two cattle panel trellises installed yesterday.  My beds are 3' 2" and paths 3", so it worked for a good arch to put it across one bed and the path, with the other side near a 2nd bed.  Now I can use one trellis for two beds, and have the nice arch over my pathway.  It is about 6' 6" high at the peak.  I used 3 green u-posts for each side and attached the cattle panels to them with zip ties.
Now to get the pea gravel over the paths.
Madge

I'm going to use the cattle panels too but I didn't think to go over top one of the beds. I was just going to put them back to back. Do you think they way you have it will be tall enough with everything growing on it to walk under?

Thanks!

krisandbert, I just went out and measured the distance under the cattle panel arch and it is 6' 4". Since I am only 5' 3", it will be perfect for me. My husband is 6' 2" and he can stand under it just fine, for now. On the front bed I have a watermelon and a cantaloupe, so they will grow up over the front side, I guess it would be about 8' to the top center. In the back of that bed I have 2 heirloom Tommy Toe tomato plants, so I put 2 of those black trellises there for them to climb until they reach the top of my cattle panel. In the back bed, I have corn and white half-runner beans. I plan to let the beans climb the corn, but if they need more, I will put them on the back side of the cattle panel arch. Next year, I will know to plant climbing vegetables according to where the cattle panels are. I hope to get at least a couple more cattle panels by next year. I love them so far.
Madge

Thanks!

Looks great by the way. I'm excited and already planning for next year. I think I'm driving my husband crazy with all this SFG stuff. I just called him and told him I needed some pvc tubes to make worm tubes!

Thanks,
I know what you mean. My husband is being very helpful, probably because he loves fresh green beans and onions. But I know he has heard more than he ever wanted to know about square foot gardening. 

I am in central Ky and we just got a really hard rain, which is great, since I started my garden so late. Maybe they will start to take off soon.
Madge

R&R 1011 wrote:Cute gate, nice set up.  So nice of your family to help out.

Thank you.

My SFG vegetables are loving the Cattle Panel Arches.  And so am I.  


The beans are climbing right on up the arch.


The Golden Bantam Corn, that I had to replant, is doing great.  My white half-runner beans are hugging the corn, maybe a little too much.  I freed this one and put the beans over on the arch.


The Amish Watermelon plant is looking good and almost up to the arch.  The Cantaloupe is flowering beautifully.



My cucumbers are also loving my second Cattle Panel Arch.  I am so glad that I saw that idea here.



My middle box where I have potatoes and carrots, is being very slow to grow.  Same Mel's Mix.  So I have no idea why.  But I finally have a potato coming up and a few tiny carrots.



My box of Brandywine Tomatoes and Basil are also growing slowly, but now are looking good.


I just love being in my SFG!

Madge it looks terrific! all that hard work is going to pay off soon.

And thanks to both of you for all of your help. This is a great forum.
Madge

Looks wonderful!!!

mschaef, thank you.
Madge

My SFG has changed so much over the season, that I thought it would be nice to update this thread with the changes.
Madge
This 1st pic is from July 27. The first arch in the back has the watermelon & cantaloupe, then I added some supports for the Tommy Toe Tomatoes in the middle, with the right side of the arch supporting the Golden Bantam Corn and Lazy Housewife Green Beans.  The front arch holds my cucumbers on the left and Brandywine Tomatoes on the right.



By August 1st, everything was growing, and I got my 6th bed, middle right, started with cuts from the Brandywine tomatoes.


August 4th, the Tommy Toe Tomatoes were really growing, and I saw there was going to be a problem.  I had planted everything before I got the cattle panel arches, and now I could see everything was too crowded. The 3' path was being covered.


By August 12th, the entire 3' path was covered by the Tommy Toe tomato plant, even though I had prunded, tied up and up.  This is a wonderful giant tomato plant.

I like it very much, great job!

Wow, so vibrant! Very nice!

In the meantime, my SFG was producing great.

 These 17 cucumbers were picked on August 12th.


On August 13th, I picked my first Lazy Housewife Green Beans.


And these beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes on August 26th.


These are from Sept 1st.  Square Foot Gardens rock!

Great-looking haul!

Thanks sanderson, llama momma, and Marc.  I do love my garden.
Madge

Continuing with pictures of the progress of my SFG.

This picture of my corn and green beans, from August 12th, shows them near the top of my 6' 6" cattle panel arch.


By August 16th the corn and beans were right up there with the Tommy Toe Tomatoes, well above the arch.


And here are corn tassels on August 25th.

These storm clouds on August 31st seem to echo the destruction of my beautiful cucumber plants by Anthracnose fungus.  Even with treatment they never recovered.  However I am happy with over 30 beautiful cucumbers.


My giant Tommy Toe Tomato plant was just getting started on Sept 3rd, with another harvest.


My one Cantaloupe plant had 19 on it at one time, but came down with a very bad case of Downy Mildew.  I pruned it drastically and tried to save some of the cantaloupes.  This was the first and biggest one, but it dropped on Sept 5th and burst open. 


We were still able to get several delicious slices.