How Many Square Feet Do You Have?

A question on a SFG Facebook page prompted me to find this old thread. Have your gardens grown shince you posted. How many sq. ft. do you have?

I started with 28 and now have 119, plus some 5-gallon buckets and 40 ft of BTE.

sanderson wrote:I started with 28 and now have 119, plus some 5-gallon buckets and 40 ft of BTE.

I had about 70' last year, plus containers. This year I plan on doubling that, but I think it might be all large containers. I can't see us going through another major garden creation project, considering our lack of success last year.

I started with 32 square feet (two 4x4 beds) of SFG my first year (2015). That increased to 72 sq ft my second year. I currently have four 4x4 raised beds and one 2x4 table top. 

I also have 32 squares of old style SFG (amended soil) and about 100 square feet of available regular soil beds dedicated to veggies and fruit (raspberries).

I am thinking of expanding this year but not sure if it will be SFG since we have relatively good soil.  I do prefer SFG (less weeds, easier to weed, less water, compost instead of fertilizer, better use of space, etc.).  I guestimate I have space available to put in at least another 72 SFG squares in the backyard plus at least one more 2x4 table top. But I'm not sure I want to make the up front investment.

Wow this is addicting!!!

This thread was originally framed as a confession of sorts. So, in order to justify my seed collecting...uhm... habit, my garden has undergone a number of expansions:
2013: Learned you can’t just dig little holes in a rocky lawn with a cheap trowel and expect to grow tomatoes
2014: a 7’x7’ mess of herbs and Jerusalem artichokes (~49sf but not SFG). Learned that a three-sided fence doesn't magically stop rabbits from going in the fourth, open side.
2015: Got the old book (old-style SFG=OSFG; not raised, SFG spacing, dirt amended with compost to varying degrees), and then the new book:  114 OSFG + 96 ANSFG = 210sf
2016:  Added a 4x8 and 4x4 ANSFG bed, and expanded the OSFG, partly for 'just flowers', partly to distribute costs over time:  256 OSFG + 144 ANSFG = 400sf
2017:  Conversion of some OSFG to ANSFG, and partial replacement of the converted OSFG (can’t/won’t grow those Jerusalem artichokes in ANSFG beds, so I need some OSFG!)
I didn’t get my next expansion done yet, but I made progress on Sunday! I still have a 4x8 to fill, which is easy. But I also will be expanding the OSFG by 40sf in the back (and losing 14sf OSFG that need to be switched to paths, poor planning.) I probably won’t be able to do that until spring due to the clay content of my dirt. And I’m really hoping I don’t find the edge of the septic tank...

Once complete, the 2017 plan will have 154 OSFG + 280 ANSFG (= 434sf)

I also have 8 sub-irrigated planters (2 City Picker Planters, 2 EarthBoxes, 1GrowBox, 2 Earthtainers, 1 homemade), Five 5-gallon buckets, 1 growbag, laundry baskets for potatoes, a bevy of shallow windowsill type planters, and handful of medium-large pots, a sad ~9sf growing space that used to be raised bed (but got run over by a truck) for strawberries, perennial herbs planted in the landscape beds and a 1’x4’ bed that the gutter overflows into (oops.)

To defend myself further, I'm pretty sure at least some of my garden doesn't get enough sun, resulting in lower yields for some plants than a SFG of this size would otherwise provide.

I currently have 60 squares, 3  of them occupied by garlic.  So 57 open squares.  I have plans but can't count on it!

Back in 2006, started with 6- 4x8 beds = 192 sq ft.  But using the old Mel's recommendations, beds did well for about 5 years but have shown their ages and are collapsing - needing both new boards and new Mels Mix.

Since then have added  2 more 4x8s = 64 sq ft.
                                2 2x8's         = 32 "   "
For a total of 288 sq ft in ground beds

Two years ago, added 7 - 2x4 tabletops = 56 sq. ft.

Not all this footage has been well used and this year, I will cut back and leave some beds fallow.  Using only the ones I can upgrade in production for 2017.

Back when I lived in Snow country Zone 4 I had a grand total of 192 Sq. Ft. Plus 12 five Gallon buckets on Larry Halls Rain Gutter method, Two Years ago when I moved to Texas Zone 8-9  started out with about 64 not so Mel's Mix didn't know where to find Vermiculite so I went with all compost, it was ok but Zone 8-9 has it's own learning curve I've been going thru, So this year for the Spring plant I'm starting out with four new beds full of Mel's Mix for a total of 120 sq. ft.

How do you guys find time to tend your gardens?  I work, and find it difficult to tend especially in July and August.

I have a bad record as far as retirement six times and counting, (I get bored and go back to work) So far Gardening is working for me.

I started in 2010 with a 32 sq. ft. box.  Now there is 160 sq ft.  Forty-eight sq. ft. is dedicated to asparagus and strawberries.  That leaves 112 sq. ft. ( 7 boxes ) to play with different things through the growing season.  This includes six 8 ft tall trellises. Besides fresh eating there is more to freeze, can, and dehydrate and some even goes into powder like tomatoes and garlic.

I have 12 beds 4x6
4 beds 17x2
2 beds 2x6
4 L- shaped beds with 22 squares
4 L- shaped beds with 52 squares

So in total I have 744 squares but some are planted with strawberries, asparagus and perennial herbs.

Scorpio Rising wrote:How do you guys find time to tend your gardens?  I work, and find it difficult to tend especially in July and August.

Don't judge yourself harshly, I'm cheating: I only do some part time work from home. My strong desire to not be outside when the UV is strong limits my gardening time, and allows me to sympathize with your time crunch in July and August. Everything wants to be harvested and watered then, and the bugs want to help...
themselves.

Now that I've decided to use all containers for my expansion plans, I guess I'm more of a "round foot gardener." Loosely converted, I now have about 90' (72 squares + 18 containers).

newbeone wrote:I have a bad record as far as retirement six times and counting, (I get bored and go back to work) So far Gardening is working for me.

LOL! You've got me beat. I only retired 3 times. Now I'm webmaster, sales & marketing manager, and fundraiser for our daughter's charity, so maybe I'm still not really retired.

jolokina wrote:I have 12 beds 4x6
4 beds 17x2
2 beds 2x6
4 L- shaped beds with 22 squares
4 L- shaped beds with 52 squares

So in total I have 744 squares but some are planted with strawberries, asparagus and perennial herbs.

Have you posted any photos? If not, please do. Your garden sounds wonderful.

countrynaturals wrote:Now that I've decided to use all containers for my expansion plans, I guess I'm more of a "round foot gardener." Loosely converted, I now have about 90' (72 squares + 18 containers).

I found 6 more large containers in the butterfly/greenhouse, plus another 5 from a new donation, so now I'm up to 101'.

And I'll Second Walshevak !

OK....after reading everything other people are planting their SFG in, I'll 'fess up on mine.  

Last year I planted:
4 1x4 bales of hay, which I will plant 1 more year before using for mulch
2 potato bags
1 2x3 salad box
2 9"x2 window-type boxes
12" pot
2x18" tote with sweet potatoes (QUESTION:  Can I use the same tote with the same MM plus an inch or two of new compost?)

4 2x2 boxes that were built last year, but it was too late to do anything with them.  Also another 2x3 box that I didn't use last year because I ran out of MM.

So what is that, 55 squares not counting the two potato bags & the SP tote?  You know, that was a good exercise.  I really hadn't stopped to count, which is insane considering the pile of seeds I have laid out to plant is bigger than the available space.

I think it's time to call DB (Dear Brother).

I have 4 beds,each 3x8.Then 20 containers.Plenty to be going on with!

I have 2 4x4 boxes, plus in ground tomatoes and herbs, and a few herbs in containers.  I would like to expand, but that is what I can diligently take care of.

I started out with three 4 x 8 boxes (96 sq ft) and right now am in the midst of installing my DREAM GARDEN with six 4 x 8 beds, a 4 x 4 bed, and two 2 x 10 beds (for my cutting garden) for a total of 208 veggie square feet and 40 flower square feet.  I'm so excited!!!!

kamigh wrote:I started out with three 4 x 8 boxes (96 sq ft) and right now am in the midst of installing my DREAM GARDEN with six 4 x 8 beds, a 4 x 4 bed, and two 2 x 10 beds (for my cutting garden) for a total of 208 veggie square feet and 40 flower square feet.  I'm so excited!!!!

Congratulations on living the dream!

Wow- impressive numbers friends. I have 72 SFG squares consisting of 2x2x2 + 3x4x4 + 2x3x3. I am planning an additional 150 square feet of  raised beds in my front yard, in an area where I can't construct wood borders due to zoning by-laws. When that's done, I'll be growing vegetables and flowers in almost every area of our small (85ft by 38 ft) urban property. We have a little bit of grass for the kids to play on.