How big is your...SFG?

How big is everyone's SFGs? How many boxes & what sizes?

I'm wondering since I find myself running out of space. Between wanting to extend my summer crops since I got such a late start and planning my fall garden I have no place to put things!

I have 4 beds - one 3x7, one 3x5 and two 4x5. According to the book this should be more than enough - although our inlaws & grandparents are expecting fresh garden produce as well so I've devoted a lot of space to salad greens. I currently have tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, carrots, beets, green beans & peppers and got such a late start (last month) that everything's just struggling along. However, I started my broccoli, cauliflower & brussel sprouts 2 wks ago & the seedlings are doing well - just replanted deeper. Also, I want a lot of sugar snap peas as well - but have no place for them!

Anyone else in this situation - plans are bigger than your garden. I have two spots where I eventually plan to have three 1.5x7 beds and also a 3x9 bed. However, I can't even begin to talk hubby into that until he's seen the current garden be productive. So, in the meantime I just need to arrange plants & maybe settle for a few pots as well! We'll see - I am pregnant w/ our second child so maybe I can use it as leverage to get my beds sooner! I think I deserve it - as the baby kicks me some more!

Congratulations on the little one! Future garden helper....

Your garden is already bigger than mine and sounds just great. I have an 8x3 and a 9x4, plus a few containers. These are all in my front yard. For next year I'm toying with the idea of trying to plant trap crops on the other side of the walk.

One comment on swiss chard... I planted mine in spring, expecting a brief crop, but instead it has soldiered on through. I am STILL harvesting the stuff and it is showing no signs of slowing down. I love it!

I'm looking forward to hearing more about how your garden is growing!

Hi, I have 100 sq ft in 5 boxes. Because most of the boxes are full of large plants that use more than one sq ft( tomato, eggplant, peppers, Brussells sprouts) I am going to put in another 4x6 for fall crop that I plan on covering to try to extend the season (I reeealllly need to get that done this weekend). The 2 sq Chard I planted in the spring is continuing to produce very nicely. My 8 sq second planting of the sugar snap peas are growing nicely. We have about 6-7 weeks before frost here so I better get busy.

We have 8 2x5 boxes that are lined up along our patio. It makes it easy for me to work them as they are not that wide. We are have a 6x6 box that we plan on planting asparagus in the spring. Currently we are changing out the soil, so there is only pole beans left. I see what you mean by not enough space though , I think no matter how much you have , you can always use more! and sounds like you will have lots of help too! best of luck to you.

Thanks for all the feedback! I actually rearranged the garden this morning to solve some of my space problems. I transplanted the peppers into pots since they were getting too hot anyway - not doing well so I think they'll like their new location better! This should give me a good block of squares for the broccoli, cauliflower & brussel sprouts when they're ready. I also finally transplanted my squash into their location - hopefully they don't go through too much shock. They were doing so great in their large containers that I was lazy, but they're clearly outgrowing that spot. So, with my rearranging I figure I'll have 5 squares for my peas - not as much as I'd like but it'll do. Not only do we like having regular salads w/ dinner (& sometimes lunch) but so do hubby's parents. Plus, the grandparents & uncle/aunt live real nearby & will be desiring leftover fresh produce. So, I'm trying to plant enough for us & for giving away.

So, I should finish off this summer & fall all right and hopefully get my new beds by spring for additional plantings - really want to do potatoes too!

My original plan was that 6 beds should do it - plant one bed a month and it should be finished 6 months later. That said, I have seen a need for specialty beds - herbs and flowers and potatoes, for instance. At this moment, I have 8 beds: six 4X4, one 2X2 and one 3X6. Probably enough for food, but not enough for food, canning and fun.

(6) 4' x 4' x 1' beds, (2) 2' x 6' x 2' beds, and (2) 2' x 10' x 1' beds. So 160 ft sq. Next year, I'd like to add 52 ft sq more.

-Michelle

I currently have 2 2x8 boxes and 2 2x4 boxes. Half of one of my longer boxes is double depth for root vegetables. I am thinking about adding more beds next spring, but am limited by space and weight load (my SFG is on my rooftop).

I have 206 squares between 10 beds. Some Mel's mix and some lasagna style. Oh, and okra planted in the ground -- 4x8' area -- since it wasn't doing well in Mel's mix. I ran out of space in the Spring, but now have plenty of empty squares waiting for fall planting.

I have seven 4'x4' squares as well as numerous NON SFG flower beds and planters, a
cold frame (3'x5"), a potato patch (8'x 12'), a brick planter on the
front of the house (2'x6') which is where I plant my tomatoes. Pretty well wherever I have a bit of open space I am finding things to plant there. I put sunflowers between the compost bin and the fence so people on the street have something pretty to look at. Last year I had sweet peas on the yard side of the compost bin but this year something chewed them.

Some of my squares are "specialty" ones. I have one for flowers, one for herbs and one for strawberries and one for a different kind of potatoes than is in the potato patch. It is so much fun to mix it up though so I mix herbs and vegetables among my flowers for interest and function. Mini carrots don't need deep beds and their tops make lovely feathery accent next to flowers. Parsley looks pretty planted among various flowers and purple basil looks lovely next to pink petunias in planters. Onions sets and garlic get put wherever I happen to have a few inches of open space. Apparently, they help deter other garden pests so it never hurts to have a few extra here and there.

From what I have read in my gardening magazines, there are very few gardeners around who are satisfied with the size of their gardens or the zone they garden in.

GK

I have the smallest garden so far, just one 4x8 box. I have plenty of room for more, but we're in a temporary rental house and I don't want to invest money or energy in more boxes/Mel's mix when we're hopefully going to be moving in about a year. I'm having so much fun with my tiny little garden, I will definitely go bigger after we move.

I have 3-4x4, 1-4x6, 1-5x6(in a triangle formation), 1-2x8, 1-2x7, 3-2x2, 1-2x4, 1-18"x4, 1-18"x5, 1-3x6, and numerous trashcans and contrainers.

I still dont feel like I have enough...

SFG in Chicago wrote:I have the smallest garden so far, just one 4x8 box. I have plenty of room for more, but we're in a temporary rental house and I don't want to invest money or energy in more boxes/Mel's mix when we're hopefully going to be moving in about a year. I'm having so much fun with my tiny little garden, I will definitely go bigger after we move.

You can grow plenty in a 4x8! Have fun and learn... that's what I'm doing!

I have 128 squares. I am hoping to upt in another 64 squares in the next month or so as well as a 'tower' for potatoes for next spring. Next spring I will probably be planning more space as I am trying to gradually move over to growing almost all of our own produce (baring the things I just can't grow here, and the things I choose not to grow at this time although I reserve the right to change my mind in a few years as I get more experience and confidence)

Yes, I would like to get to the point that I'm growing most of our produce as well (except the items that I use sparingly & are cheap). That's why I'm looking to expand our garden. Actually, our garden would probably serve our current purposes except the extended family is hoping for produce as well & I actually want to eat more & better veges out of our garden than what I'm willing to buy at the store. Such as: I've never bought a single heirloom tomato cuz they're just too expensive but I love them (tomato salad & sandwiches!) and am excited to grow them next summer! We've got two spots in our yard that could easily be converted to garden beds w/out giving up a thing - 3 2x7 boxes alongside a walkway & a 3x9 bed that's just solid weeds now next to the lawn. Both spots would be much more attractive (and tasty) as garden beds than they are now! The new beds would take me from about 75 sq ft to about 140. But, from what's said above, at least I'm thrilled about what zone I'm in!

I have 128 squares in 2 4x16 beds but my wonderful hubby has just built me another 48 squares in a 4x12 bed, not yet filled. He built this bed after enjoying all my wonderful salad and vegi's for the last 4 weeks or so - this is the first time ever a garden of mine has been sucessful.

I can't get MM here so everything is growing is slightly clayey soil but still doing well.

I'm currently growing: sweet corn, brocoli, culiflower, cabbage, capsicum, iceberg lettuce, green minuete lettuce, red coral lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, parsley, tyme, chives, onions, carrots, lavender, nasteriums, marigolds, cherry tomatos, tomatos, and I just planted my first ever bush zuchini.

Newgloves - just a suggestions from someone who is currently harvesting brocoli & cauliflower - don't plant them next to each other. If you can spread them out you definatley can slow down the number of grubs. If they are next to each other the grubs can eat one plant and when you go looking for the grub he's already moved on to the next plant and is much harder to find, imo.

Good luck with the expansion.