Zone 5a SFG Gardeners

**mckr3441** 3/21/2010, 12:32 pm

SFGers in 5a. This thread is specifically for you. Of course, you are welcome everywhere on the forums Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_smile

and others are welcome here, too. Hopefully this section will help 5a SFGers find more folks with the same planting/growing stories as they are likely to experience.

I hope this section grows like...well....topsy?

Also, if you all would check out the frost date post and let us know your results, hopefully that info will help us help you with more specific input.

Thanks.

etimmer 3/23/2010, 11:20 am

I am a 5a SFG'er. This weekend I plan to plant some cold weather crops (lettuce, radish, carrots, turnips and sugar snap peas). Has anyone else planted or planning on planting soon?

**mckr3441** 3/23/2010, 12:10 pm

Welcome to the Forum, Erica Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_cheers

. I'm glad you joined us. I'm a 5b but very near 5a. I've started lots of seeds indoors but nothing outdoors yet. I think some folks in 5b have been eager beavers and have put things out in cloches. My soil is still so wet I don't think I could start direct planting yet. We have one 2x4 and one 2x6 box. We're going to add a 4x4 this spring but haven't started that yet. I have all my squares filled with planned plantings. Can't wait to get outside more. My compost has finally thawed and I was able to finish turning it over the weekend!

Keep us posted on how your early planting goes. Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_flower

Claire

bonnie0128 3/25/2010, 2:27 pm

Hello! I'm a 5A SFGer from Lake Milton, OH.

I don't have anything in the ground yet - and no seeds started so I'm feeling a bit behind! But I've made great strides this week in my plans and seed gathering and hope to get some seeds started this weekend!

**mckr3441** 3/25/2010, 2:48 pm

Hi Bonnie! Welcome to the Forum Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_cheers

. Finally, a fellow northern Ohioan (I think)! Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_cheers

You really aren't behind. I didn't get seeds started until June last year and I had enourmous success. So don't fret. Planning is as important as planting. Are you new to SFG or a seasoned SFGer? Or a new gardener or... ? We have all types here.

I hope you have had a chance to read the book, All New Square Foot Gardening. There is so much great info in that book.

I look forward to reading about you progress. Please keep us all posted.

May the Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_sunny

shine on you and your gardens.

bonnie0128 3/25/2010, 3:26 pm

This will be my second year as a SFGer. I have read the book and have re-borrowed it from the library last week. Hoping to be able to add it to my personal library soon so I can take notes in it!!!

Yes, I am in NE Ohio - about an hour south of Cleveland...about 5-10 miles from where 76 and 80 intersect.

**mckr3441** 3/25/2010, 3:36 pm

Bonnie, we are close. We'll be able to compare notes. It will be fun Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_biggrin

titans01 3/25/2010, 5:19 pm

I'm a 5a from Grand Island, Nebraska. This will be my first year of SFGardening and my 2nd year overall. My frost date is May 9th to May 16th depending on what site I look at. Fall frost date is around September 16th. Looking forward to seeing everyone's results from the same zone.

Tony

**mckr3441** 3/27/2010, 10:07 pm

Hi Tony. Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your frost date info. I'll include that in our list. Happy to have you with us. Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_biggrin

Dietryin 4/8/2010, 1:06 am

Hi Everyone, This will be my first year gardening. I am new to everything in garden world! I spent the last 2 months pouring over books and decided to give SFG a try. I live in Northern IL.

Dina K. 4/9/2010, 4:09 pm

I live in northern Indiana and will be planting my first SFG. I believe this would be my group. I've read the whole book and can't wait to begin the process.
Bonnie, on Amazon.com, the book's about $10 and total worth having for all the charts and info.

titans01 4/9/2010, 4:13 pm

Dina K. wrote:I live in northern Indiana and will be planting my first SFG. I believe this would be my group. I've read the whole book and can't wait to begin the process.
Bonnie, on Amazon.com, the book's about $10 and total worth having for all the charts and info.

Welcome to the forum Dina. Have you made your boxes yet and if so what size and how many? Is this your first year gardening?

Dina K. 4/9/2010, 4:20 pm

I haven't made my boxes yet, but plan on doing that this next weekend. I've shown my dad the pictures and plan on enlisting his help. I'm thinking of 1 4X4 for salad, etc. and possibly another 4X4 for sweetcorn. I have a current strawberry patch that runs about 1X12 along my garage that I think I'll box up and put in Mel's Mix. Am I too anxious for my first summer? I'm a HS teacher, so I have extra time in the summer.

**mckr3441** 4/9/2010, 4:25 pm

Dietryin and Dina .

Welcome to the 5a forum.

Is it cold where you are today? If you have any new little plants in your gardens don't forget to throw a blanket or something over them tonite to keep them cozy. Better safe than sorry!

We've had such nice weather that it is hard to accept the cold again. Some say it is a good time to plant, though. Cool drizzly weather often produces good germination. I'm going to plant some this weekend and hopefully build a couple more boxes.

Keep us posted with your progress and stay warm.

titans01 4/9/2010, 4:34 pm

Dina K. wrote:I haven't made my boxes yet, but plan on doing that this next weekend. I've shown my dad the pictures and plan on enlisting his help. I'm thinking of 1 4X4 for salad, etc. and possibly another 4X4 for sweetcorn. I have a current strawberry patch that runs about 1X12 along my garage that I think I'll box up and put in Mel's Mix. Am I too anxious for my first summer? I'm a HS teacher, so I have extra time in the summer.

I think 2 boxes is fine. Much better than what I've done. This is my first year with a SFG and my 2nd year gardening and I started off building 12 4x4 boxes and I'm thinking about adding 4 more 4x2 boxes. Plus I'm trying to do most of my tomatoes from seed. I wish I would of started off smaller but it's just not in my compulsive nature.

Good luck with the boxes and snap some pictures so we all can enjoy them.

Tony

chocolatepop 4/9/2010, 4:37 pm

titans01 wrote:
Dina K. wrote:I haven't made my boxes yet, but plan on doing that this next weekend. I've shown my dad the pictures and plan on enlisting his help. I'm thinking of 1 4X4 for salad, etc. and possibly another 4X4 for sweetcorn. I have a current strawberry patch that runs about 1X12 along my garage that I think I'll box up and put in Mel's Mix. Am I too anxious for my first summer? I'm a HS teacher, so I have extra time in the summer.

I think 2 boxes is fine. Much better than what I've done. This is my first year with a SFG and my 2nd year gardening and I started off building 12 4x4 boxes and I'm thinking about adding 4 more 4x2 boxes. Plus I'm trying to do most of my tomatoes from seed. I wish I would of started off smaller but it's just not in my compulsive nature.

Good luck with the boxes and snap some pictures so we all can enjoy them.

Tony

Are you feeding the NFL? Zone 5a SFG Gardeners Icon_eek

titans01 4/9/2010, 5:37 pm

Let's hope I get that much produce. I do plan on canning, freezing and dehydrating a lot of this too.

Dietryin 4/9/2010, 7:32 pm

titans01 wrote:Let's hope I get that much produce. I do plan on canning, freezing and dehydrating a lot of this too.

My plans are to do the same. Do you stagger your harvest, or plant all of your produce to harvest at one time?

Dina K. 4/9/2010, 9:28 pm

Tony, that's crazy that you started with 12 boxes in 1 year and are adding more. My nature is to over do things, but I'm trying hard not to this time. We'll see how much the Mel's mix runs me. What do you do with all your produce? Have you done sweet corn? I'd like to but know it's a bit tricky.

Claire, I'm so thankful you've started this thread for those living in our area. I'm very curious and eager for help and suggestions. You asked how cold it is where I am-- actually I'm in Florida today and spent my time in the sun at 80 degrees. Tomorrow we head back to the Hoosier state. I see on fb that it's quite chilly and rainy.

titans01 4/9/2010, 10:59 pm

Dina,

I don't plant corn just because it takes alot of area to produce it. If I was to grow it, I would probably want something like 8-12 4x4 boxes so I could freeze the extra. I will buy my corn at the farmers market. Depending on the time of the year I eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I started getting more serious about losing some weight and getting my cholesterol under control last August. In the process of that I've became a vegetarian (never thought that would happen to me) and for about 4 months out of the last 8 months I ate nothing but raw fruits and vegetables. No cooking just raw. That gets expensive and it's frustrating to spend money on crappy non organic produce which is what got me into gardening and eventually SFG. So I plan on eating a ton of fresh veggies this year and what I don't eat fresh I'm looking to learn how to can, freeze and dehydrate the rest.

Dina K. 4/9/2010, 11:04 pm

Tony, that's amazing. Please tell me that the scale rewarded you for such efforts. Impressive all the way around.

titans01 4/9/2010, 11:04 pm

Dietryin wrote:
titans01 wrote:Let's hope I get that much produce. I do plan on canning, freezing and dehydrating a lot of this too.

My plans are to do the same. Do you stagger your harvest, or plant all of your produce to harvest at one time?

Well right now I don't really have a solid plan more just fumbling around in the dark. My thoughts are with something like beans I will stagger out a square or two every 2 weeks. These will be more my fresh eating ones. Then I'm going to plant something like 8-10 squares at a time for canning, freezing, dehydrating. I'll probably do this at least 2 times depending on how many squares I have come free.

With other plants like cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes I'm obviously just planting those all at once.

What's your plan?

titans01 4/9/2010, 11:07 pm

Dina K. wrote:Tony, that's amazing. Please tell me that the scale rewarded you for such efforts. Impressive all the way around.

It has as I've lost about 70 lbs. I quit taking my cholesterol, gout, and blood pressure medicine as well. My cholesterol is still slightly high but no where near the 328 mark 5 years ago when I first started meds. I still need to lose another 30-50 lbs as I was morbidly obese to start but at least I now have the energy to want to garden!

L&K-IL 4/25/2010, 9:52 am

Has anyone near the Chicago area done any transplants yet?

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