Hi from Central Oregon

I read a Square Foot gardening book back about 2010--loved it!  I started one raised bed on the south side of our house and have grown tons of tomatoes and green beans over the years--only adding compost each year.  I want to keep learning and branch out to a lot more vegetables.  We are putting in 360 cubic feet of raised beds and are a bit daunted at the cost of the growing mix so we may not plant them all at once.  I thought this would be a great place to get ideas!

The best place to purchase supplies and ideas about what grows well together and how to overcome obstacles--gophers, and cold nighttime temperatures come to mind (now that we've fenced out the deer)--often in the 40's even when daytime temps are in the upper 90s.

Great place to be to maximize our growing though!
Granny M

Welcome to the forum, Granny—you are biting off quite a bit, from one bed to like 22!  I agree, the cost of start-up might be prohibitive to get Mels’ Mix into all those squares.    It mightt be worth your time to read one of the newer SFG books by Mel.  I have the All New Square Foot Garden 2nd Edition.  Makes a lot of sense, and some improvements as well.  

Can’t wait to hear more about your journey!

Hi Granny,  Welcome to the Forum from Central California, Zone 9B.  Is this the book you have with a publishing date of 2006?  If so, it was the first major change to SFG using raised beds filled with Mel's Mix and topped with a grid.    

Here are some updated pointers:
1. 6-7" of Mel's Mix is all that is needed, except for asparagus (usually in a dedicated bed), sweet potatoes (which can be grown in large storage totes or ranchers' empty mineral tubs) and late variety potatoes.  Except for these unusual crops, everything else does fine in 6-7".  Deeper is not better.  For long carrots or parsnips, a top hat over those squares provides the extra height of MM without having to waste money on deep MM for the whole bed.  The top hat(s) and extra MM can be moved from bed to bed.
2.  For tall beds (usually for looks or for physical limitations, the bottom can be filled with topsoil or washed sand, with the MM on top.
3. 2"x8" lumber works for the beds.  I know the book states 2"x6", but the finished dimensions are only 1 1/2" x 5 1/2".  This will be corrected in the 4th Edition coming out later this year if things go smoothly.
4.  For gophers, 1/2" hardware cloth secured to the bottom of the beds works.  Just laying the bed frame on the hardware cloth can allow burrowing critters to work their way in.
5. Peat moss.  It's easy to find compressed bales of peat moss.  Fluff it before measuring.  Then get it wet or make sure the Mel's Mix is thoroughly wet in smaller batches.  Peat moss is hydrophobic.
6.  Coarse vermiculite.  For most of use, we have to order 4 cubic foot bags of coarse vermiculite.  Uline, Greenhouse Megastore, A M Leonard, Farm Tek are some sites.  Sometimes they have sales or free shipping.  See the thread "Need Vermiculite???"
7.  Composts are the hardest to find for some regions.  Just make sure it is pure compost without fillers.  If you make your own, that's great.
8.  Manure-based composts.  Try to limit these to 20% of the total volume of compost to keep down the level pf phosphate.  ALL manures count as one source of compost - manure.
9.  Trellises and tall plants at the north end of the beds.  No beds wider than 4'.  Different sizes are fine, like 2'x8' or 3'x5'.  Maintain 3' aisles between the beds.  For long beds, orientate in a N-S direction.

If you have any questions in your journey, please ask.

Here are some photos of larger gardens. Notice most of the beds are made with 2"x8" lumber. The first hasn't installed the grids on all the beds. The second one shows installation of drip irrigation and a lazy dog, and the last is of deeper beds with either topsoil or clean sand as a lower fill (I failed to note which).

I'm a Certified Instructor in Bend, and I can give you some helpful hints, as well as compost resources.  

I'd suggest starting with just one or two SFG beds for now, to reduce labor, costs, and allow for learning time.