Planning for the next year

Termigrot 6/16/2022, 5:28 pm

Hello all,
I am a first year gardener and following the SFG methods I have read plenty about. In looking to the future, I want to expand.

I was thinking it would be wise to start the expansion in the fall. My reasoning is that I can over fill the beds and let the winter snow and early Spring rain to water the mix making it properly moist for spring planting.

I am curious of the Pros & Cons of this reasoning

markqz 6/16/2022, 5:56 pm

Termigrot wrote:I was thinking it would be wise to start the expansion in the fall.

Welcome to the forum, Termigrot!

Can I assume based on your references, that you've read All New Square Foot Gardening (3rd ed.) ?

While there's nothing wrong with starting boxes now, keep in mind that your compost is going to be breaking down over winter. So you'll probably need to charge it back up in the spring with a fresh load of compost.

If it was me, I think I might build the frame and gather the materials now so I could hit the ground running in Spring. And/or, think about making a cold-frame like your slightly more-southerly neighbor OH has.

So much for the questionable advice. I'm sure others will be along with more and better ideas.

Happy Gardening!

Hip2B 6/16/2022, 7:12 pm

Welcome Termigrot. No advice drom me, just saying mice to have you hete Smile

OhioGardener 6/16/2022, 7:17 pm

Termigrot wrote:I was thinking it would be wise to start the expansion in the fall. My reasoning is that I can over fill the beds and let the winter snow and early Spring rain to water the mix making it properly moist for spring planting.

Expecting the winter snows to "water the mix" will be a problem. When peat is dry, as it is when purchased, it is hydrophobic. It is very important when making Mel's Mix (MM) that each small batch or layer is fully moistened before the next batch or layer is put on top of it. If you mix all of the MM at once and fill the beds with it, it will be nearly impossible to get water down to the lower layers as it will just run off the peat it encounters. It is an excellent idea to make the MM and fill the beds in the fall so that it will settle and be ready to plant in the spring, but ensure each layer of the MM is fully moistened as it is added to the beds.

Daniel S. Moore 6/19/2022, 1:03 pm

Termigrot wrote:Hello all,
I am a first year gardener and following the SFG methods I have read plenty about. In looking to the future, I want to expand.

I was thinking it would be wise to start the expansion in the fall. My reasoning is that I can over fill the beds and let the winter snow and early Spring rain to water the mix making it properly moist for spring planting.

I am curious of the Pros & Cons of this reasoning

I have don’t much idea about winter snow and early spring rain to water the mix making it properly moist for spring planting pros and cons of the reasoning. I just knew about the Cool, wet seasons are ideal for the spread of diseases such as petal blight and mildew.
Heavy rainfall may also leach nutrients out of the root zone of the plants. This is especially true of shallow-rooted young seedlings such as newly seeded lawn grass.

Termigrot 6/22/2022, 8:32 pm

Glad I asked. No way I would have considered any of this otherwise.

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