Hello from Colorado!

Hey all, brand new to this forum. I'm a second-generation SFG-er - my parents picked it up in the early 90s, and after years of horrid row-gardening it was a wonderful thing. Now I've been on my own for about ten years and after an impromptu run at container gardening last summer, I'm trying to do it right.

I grew up in NJ, where of course gardening is pretty much as easy as sticking things in the ground. Now that I'm in CO, it's a lot more challenging - short growing season, extremely dry, hot summers, and huge herds of elk that want to eat everything you grow.

So I'm building my SFG up on my deck to keep it away from them - five 2x4 boxes with plywood bottoms and attached trellises, set up on casters and lined up against the south wall of the house. I'm growing tomatoes, of course, and peas and beans and squash and cucumbers, as well as lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, and a whole lot of herbs. I grew almost everything from seed indoors under a grow light, and my tomato transplants are all two feet tall and still self-supporting as of today, the first day with warm enough overnight temperatures to safely plant them out. The brandywine has already set a fruit.

I'll post pictures when all the transplants are in, but for now I just wanted to say hi!

Etherati

So very glad to have you join us.

Wonderful that you grew up with the orignal SFG. Now that the ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING book came out in 2006, Mel has made our lives even easier. No digging to mix in amendments and no weeds because you are not using your native soil. Just level your ground (if you are not gardening on a deck), make your box, create your Mel's Mix and start planting.

Sounds like your indoor seed starting was very successful.

Those 2 X 4 boxes set up against a South wall on your deck sound like they will give you the best protection from the weather and elk.

Congratulations on finding a better way to garden and please keep us updated on your progress. Share pictures too, cause we love them.

Again, Welcome!

I do have the new book, yes, it was my first purchase upon deciding this past January that I was going to do this this year. I think my family was a little bit ahead of the curve back then (or just lazy!) in that we never tilled up or amended our soil - just dropped 6 inches of the good stuff down inside the box like what is now recommended.

The seed starting was a variable success - the tomatoes did amazingly, the basil too, but some of the pepper varieties are still really small and stunted. I made a mistake early on and kept some of them in seed starter when I should have put them in real soil, so they were a little nutrient deprived early on - the tomatoes rallied, the peppers not as much. Still, they're alive and I'll see how they do with more room and better soil.

Well, hi back atchya....welcome aboard!! Learn all you can by poking around here. Ask any question that comes to mind. This is a great community to become a part of. We all have so much fun bragging about our gardens and watching others' grow.

Get in and get active. Great to have you here.

I too am an original SFG'r. Recently, when I started planning this year to move my garden to a new area, I started looking online to see if possibly Mel had a new book out. I was VERY happy to hear he had, and I love the new method! Any questions you have will be answered here. Great community!

Can't wait to see pics!! I love looking at other SFG gardens.

So very glad to have ya!

It's not often we get a second generation SFGer around here! How exciting. Please make yourself at home. Post lots of pictures and ask lots of questions!

Take care and happy gardening.

Anyone else start with the "old" method? I did. And I have to tell you, I originally copped quite an attitude. I really do miss some of the "stuff" he had in the old book (like the 8 radishes, 4 lettuces harvested young before the tomato needed the root space).

Since I've given away many copies through the years, I recently purchased one of the truly ORIGINAL hardcover books from Amazon. I use the simplicity of the new method while using some of the hints & charts from the old book.

Anyone else start with the "old" method? I did. And I have to tell
you, I originally copped quite an attitude. I really do miss some of
the "stuff" he had in the old book (like the 8 radishes, 4 lettuces
harvested young before the tomato needed the root space).

I agree, there's a lot more detail in the first book, but with the new method alot of it isn't necessary, anyway. Having said that, I do find myself referring back to it for some of those details. Both books are on my chair side table.

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome!

ksroman: I really should pick up a copy of the old book at some point, just to sort out for myself what of my memories were legit and which were my family being lazy/making it up as they went, haha.

dizzygardener: Thank you! I've got some pictures posted now, and hopefully will have more soon when everything is set up and done. And I'm really surprised there aren't more of us around - it feels like once you use SFG, it becomes the only proper way to garden, in your head? Last year when I decided I was going to do a real garden this year, the very next thought was 'okay, where can I put some boxes'... because to me, that's what a 'garden' is!

Denese: Thank you so much! I did much the same - went looking for a book, any book, because I was sure I remembered the family having one, and stumbled on the new one. Best choice I ever made!

BackyardBirdGardner: I'm trying! But I am a little shy sometimes, and have trouble jumping into conversations. I'm sure I'll get over it fast, this place is so friendly and welcoming