Hello from Virginia

Hi!
I live in Va and I am reading SQUARE FOOT GARDENING. I have a LARGE garden 40x40 feet. It is over whelming. I battle weeds and our wild critters whick all know that will NOT be hurt. We have a fence and they climb over that like it wasn't there.
ANyway... I started reading SFG and it makes sense to me! With a garden my size wold SFG be realistic to do?

THanks.
Mommacat

Hello there, Mommacat, and We are really glad you are here.
One of the big things to remember is that converting from row gardening to SFGing, you only need 20% of the space to grow basically the same things. First off, you won't need 3 or 4 feet between each of your rows. You won't overplant by seeding a whole row, when you only need a few plants at one time. (who can eat 30 cabbages in a week or two?) You won't grow in long rows, you do intensive planting in square foot areas, and the BIG thing for me is, no weeds.

Check out Chapter 3, pages 41 - 47. This is the section of the book that discusses how many boxes you need for the number of people in your family and what boxes to add for canning and preserving. It won't be as much as you are used to doing, that's for sure.

As far as critters, which ones are bothering you and your garden?

I have deer that love the wildlife buffet they think I have set out just for them. The neighbors cats (and the one we foster over the winter when her Mommy and Daddy are in Arizona) love to get in the Mel's Mix and just lay there, crushing baby plants as they nap in the sun. I have found that deer netting is great. You can put wagon wheel hoops or dome hoops over your individual beds and lay deer netting on top. Works pretty good.

Hope this information gives you a place to start.

Please keep us updated on your progress. And again, Welcome!

Howdy Fellow Virginian:

Welcome to the SFG family. Mary and I live in Wake, VA (Middlesex County) close to where the Rappahannock River runs into the bay. We have been using the "ALL NEW Square Foot Gardening" system for almost 4 years and we became Certified SFG Teachers last May.

If you have questions this is the place to ask them. Don't be concerned that it may have been asked before, that is not a problem here. Each question brings a different perspective to our little corner of the gardening world and each answer helps many people.

Again a great big Square Welcome to you and yours.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.

THank you so much for the kind welcome to SFG!

I have a dumb question... When I want to reply to a post where is that on this page.. instead of startng a new topic?

Ward and Mary we have a lot in common! My husband is retired USMC! and we are about the same age!

Furbalsmom....we have several acres and a fence doesn't keep out the Ground hogs , which I think hibernate UNDER my garden shed in the winter, raccoons, possum, skunks, foxes, squirrels.. the deer stay out of the garden. My neighbor's cat likes to roll in the cat nip which is fine....makes him happy.

I have tried the Irish Spring Soap.. they love it.. they wat it and then I find pieces all over the yard.. they literally rip apart my bird feeders... they take down suet cages and drag them into the woods. Feedeing bowls, suet log holders.. they like to play hide and go seek. They hide everything and I have to seek them.

I don't know if SFG would be beneficial to me.. but I need to try something... The BIG GARDEN is wearing me out!

I also do alot of container gardening on our deck which is 32 feet long and about 12-14 ft wide!

Deb in STAFFORD VA!