A hint square foot gardening in 1943

ribsyhuggins 12/19/2010, 9:37 am

While going though an old garden book from 1943 in rather large library.
the following diagram struck me, to think if author had a bit more foresight he could have invented the spacing part of square foot gardening in 1943.
what do you think did this guy drop ball in 1943 leaving it to mel to come to rescue close 40 years later.

A hint square foot gardening in 1943 Cabbagelettuceradish

A hint square foot gardening in 1943 Cabbagelettuceradish

**WardinWake** 12/21/2010, 5:57 pm

Howdy:

Very close indeed. If I figure it right this was a 5'X5' in the ground SFG without the Mel's Mix. A good catch. It is wonderful when we think in "squares".

God Bless, Ward and Mary.

ribsyhuggins 12/22/2010, 4:23 am

WardinWake try 4x6 i also found same set up with a not as good diagram in book from 1911, but it did not look like a square foot bed, like my first posted picture.

boffer 12/22/2010, 10:10 am

5x7.5

**Furbalsmom** 12/22/2010, 1:38 pm

Boffer's got it. bounce

5 X 7.5

Too bad the minimum width is 5 ft. Most people would find that uncomfortable (impossible in my case) to reach across and not step on the growing bed.

Still amazing that the concept is so similar to Mel's when the wisdom of the day was wide aisles between rows of vegetables to allow you to hoe out the weeds.

boffer 12/22/2010, 4:53 pm

Furbalsmom wrote:Too bad the minimum width is 5 ft. Most people would find that uncomfortable (impossible in my case) to reach across and not step on the growing bed.

Even at TT height and with 36 inch shirt sleeves, reaching past 2 feet is not comfortable.

But the use of radishes in the picture reminded me, I have to pick a box this spring where I'm going to plant carrots to act as the grid. It might make for some fun pictures!

pattipan 12/23/2010, 9:08 pm

Seeing that picture, makes me think it would be so cool to let your grid be radishes or some other smallish companion plant. Radishes would be good for a lettuce box, but I'm not sure what I would plant as my grid that would stand up to summer heat.

I tried surrounding my yellow squash plants with red onion sets this spring (hoping to ward off bugs), but it stunted the squashes' growth. I pulled the onions early, hoping to save the squash, but the plants never fully recovered. I got a total of two yellow squash. I know the onion family is not friendly to legumes/peas (the sulfur the exude??), but I thought it would work for squash. Probably a case of too much of a good thing, eh?

pattipan

pattipan 12/23/2010, 9:11 pm

boffer wrote:
But the use of radishes in the picture reminded me, I have to pick a box this spring where I'm going to plant carrots to act as the grid. It might make for some fun pictures!

Carrots would be great! I have beacoup seed for those little French finger carrots. I'm definitely going to try it next spring!

pattipan

ribsyhuggins 12/28/2010, 6:44 pm

boffer
i ran the spacing from the books spacing chart the picture even thought it is looks like 7.5ft x5 is 4ft x6ft

**camprn** 12/28/2010, 7:58 pm

I have to say it just looks like a row garden to me. rendeer

boffer 12/29/2010, 2:22 am

ribsyhuggins wrote:boffer
i ran the spacing from the books spacing chart the picture even thought it is looks like 7.5ft x5 is 4ft x6ft

gridgardener, it's your picture. It can be whatever size you want it to be.

ribsyhuggins 12/29/2010, 3:40 am

boffer it is really that since all picture in book do not fit standard scale measurements. I tried grid it in diagrammed bed and it took me a while to realize the scale was off.

ribsyhuggins 1/13/2011, 4:49 pm

i converted the diagram into square foot spacing
as said it fits easily into 4ftx6ft with 2 extra rows of radishes on ends.
A hint square foot gardening in 1943 Lettucecabbageraddish-1

A hint square foot gardening in 1943 Lettucecabbageraddish-1

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