Comments on: Building a Square Foot Garden Box (Wood) http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/ Follow the progress of my square foot garden. I provide helpful tools for companion planting, square foot gardening layouts and plans, square foot gardening spacing, and more! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:03:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Emily http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-44638 Emily Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:25:58 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-44638 I'm not an expert on "traditional" gardening, but I know that fresh manure will kill plants. So putting it on in the fall and letting it sit all winter, then tilling it in early spring will be your best bet. I’m not an expert on “traditional” gardening, but I know that fresh manure will kill plants. So putting it on in the fall and letting it sit all winter, then tilling it in early spring will be your best bet.

]]> By: Lisa http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-44517 Lisa Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:08:37 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-44517 I have a 12' x 12' area of backyard (with grass) that I'd like to garden, but I've never gardened before. I'm looking for the most economical way to get started, so I don't think that building beds will work due to cost of lumber and adding so much soil. My soil seems to be good; I have done a lot of flower gardening and it's easy to work with and everything has grown well. I have access to a rototiller and horse manure. Would I be able to just till up the top of the soil, grass and all, and then mix in the manure (and maybe some purchased topsoil) and plant in that? If so, how much manure should I mix in? And, should I prepare the soil this way in the fall, or wait until spring, a few weeks before I would plant? (I'm in Kentucky). Thank you so much! I have a 12′ x 12′ area of backyard (with grass) that I’d like to garden, but I’ve never gardened before. I’m looking for the most economical way to get started, so I don’t think that building beds will work due to cost of lumber and adding so much soil. My soil seems to be good; I have done a lot of flower gardening and it’s easy to work with and everything has grown well. I have access to a rototiller and horse manure. Would I be able to just till up the top of the soil, grass and all, and then mix in the manure (and maybe some purchased topsoil) and plant in that? If so, how much manure should I mix in? And, should I prepare the soil this way in the fall, or wait until spring, a few weeks before I would plant? (I’m in Kentucky). Thank you so much!

]]> By: WoodsyGirl http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-43989 WoodsyGirl Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:27:35 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-43989 Craig and Emily, Just a suggestion--check out Pat Lanza's -Lasagna Gardening.- I like the combination of Pat's lasagna soil combined with Mel's Square Foot bed method. Pat recommends using thick (at least 1/4"), damp newspaper layers to block out the growth under her soil mix. She does not remove the grass. Most newspapers these days use soy-based ink (to facilitate recycling) and should be safe for garden use, but if you're concerned, check with the newspaper's publisher to be sure. FYI, Fall is the best time to start the lasagna bed for spring use, so check out Pat's low-cost alternatives to Mel's Mix. She recommends scavenging as much as you can and tells you where to look for it. Her book can be purchased on Amazon, or you can find numerous websites with the information, including her original article in -Mother Earth News- magazine on line. A note on plywood (I do realize this is a little late for the summer growing season, LOL, but maybe it will help out someone else next season): as the name implies, this item is a composite of several layers of wood. It is held together by glue. Unless you know this glue is safe to eat, I do not recommend using it with one's edible garden. I don't see any problem with the plant roots growing down to natural soil. If the soil is dense and has little nutrient content, the roots won't go very far in it due to lack of interest (all the good food is higher up and takes less work to access--the plants will develop more roots in that area instead). On the other hand, if the native soil is full of fertile goodness, it can only benefit the plants when they find it. One last note...on "building" raised beds: if you are intent on leaving the plywood attached, you can always set the frame on some bricks or cinder blocks to raise it above the level of the earth. Just be sure to put a couple near the center to support this structurally weak area...but be careful not to block the drainage holes (1 per square foot plus corners should be fine—just be sure to put landscaping cloth or screen over them to keep the soil from escaping every time you water). Setting plywood directly on the ground will cause it to deteriorate more quickly (and leach its chemicals into your food) than if it is raised (thus allowing air circulation to dry it out on the bottom). Also, raising the bed will allow you the option of leveling it. Good luck all, and happy gardening! Love your website, Emily! Keep up the good work! Craig and Emily,

Just a suggestion–check out Pat Lanza’s -Lasagna Gardening.- I like the combination of Pat’s lasagna soil combined with Mel’s Square Foot bed method.

Pat recommends using thick (at least 1/4″), damp newspaper layers to block out the growth under her soil mix. She does not remove the grass. Most newspapers these days use soy-based ink (to facilitate recycling) and should be safe for garden use, but if you’re concerned, check with the newspaper’s publisher to be sure.

FYI, Fall is the best time to start the lasagna bed for spring use, so check out Pat’s low-cost alternatives to Mel’s Mix. She recommends scavenging as much as you can and tells you where to look for it. Her book can be purchased on Amazon, or you can find numerous websites with the information, including her original article in -Mother Earth News- magazine on line.

A note on plywood (I do realize this is a little late for the summer growing season, LOL, but maybe it will help out someone else next season): as the name implies, this item is a composite of several layers of wood. It is held together by glue. Unless you know this glue is safe to eat, I do not recommend using it with one’s edible garden. I don’t see any problem with the plant roots growing down to natural soil. If the soil is dense and has little nutrient content, the roots won’t go very far in it due to lack of interest (all the good food is higher up and takes less work to access–the plants will develop more roots in that area instead). On the other hand, if the native soil is full of fertile goodness, it can only benefit the plants when they find it.

One last note…on “building” raised beds: if you are intent on leaving the plywood attached, you can always set the frame on some bricks or cinder blocks to raise it above the level of the earth. Just be sure to put a couple near the center to support this structurally weak area…but be careful not to block the drainage holes (1 per square foot plus corners should be fine—just be sure to put landscaping cloth or screen over them to keep the soil from escaping every time you water). Setting plywood directly on the ground will cause it to deteriorate more quickly (and leach its chemicals into your food) than if it is raised (thus allowing air circulation to dry it out on the bottom). Also, raising the bed will allow you the option of leveling it.

Good luck all, and happy gardening!

Love your website, Emily! Keep up the good work!

]]> By: Emily http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-38827 Emily Tue, 31 May 2011 06:10:03 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-38827 Phil--I can't find anything specific about this. I suggest calling your local extension. Good luck! Phil–I can’t find anything specific about this. I suggest calling your local extension. Good luck!

]]> By: Emily http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-37386 Emily Wed, 18 May 2011 05:17:41 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-37386 Craig--you can put it directly down, but you may not get every advantage. First, if your garden is on prepared soil, it's possible for the plants to grow down deeper than the Mel's mix to the soil below. Second, your drainage may not be sufficient, depending on the slope and how well the soil beneath it drains. Finally, I really think you want to remove the grass--it's going to grow through the drainage holes and make you crazy. So minimally, avoid the grass (or kill it), and leave the bottom. Craig–you can put it directly down, but you may not get every advantage. First, if your garden is on prepared soil, it’s possible for the plants to grow down deeper than the Mel’s mix to the soil below. Second, your drainage may not be sufficient, depending on the slope and how well the soil beneath it drains. Finally, I really think you want to remove the grass–it’s going to grow through the drainage holes and make you crazy. So minimally, avoid the grass (or kill it), and leave the bottom.

]]> By: Craig http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-36891 Craig Thu, 12 May 2011 17:33:42 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-36891 If have a 4x4 square foot garden with a plywood bottom and it has 1/4" drainage holes 1 in every square plus 1 hole in each corner... would I be able to put the box directly on the grass? Or would that not provide enough drainage and I should remove the plywood? (I'd rather leave it on if possible, and I don't want to create a "stand" to raise it off the ground.) If have a 4×4 square foot garden with a plywood bottom and it has 1/4″ drainage holes 1 in every square plus 1 hole in each corner… would I be able to put the box directly on the grass? Or would that not provide enough drainage and I should remove the plywood? (I’d rather leave it on if possible, and I don’t want to create a “stand” to raise it off the ground.)

]]> By: Phil http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-35622 Phil Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:07:08 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-35622 Recently work on some trees and have enough thick limbs to build a bed 10" deep. Any reason not to use logs? They are TX Ash. Recently work on some trees and have enough thick limbs to build a bed 10″ deep. Any reason not to use logs? They are TX Ash.

]]> By: Emily http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-35506 Emily Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:50:03 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-35506 Kirsten--the books says not to use PRESSURE TREATED WOOD, but I was never clear about painting/staining the wood. The guy at Home Depot said the boxes will weather quickly without some protection. You could at least treat the outside, or treat the inside and add some layer between the box and soil (cardboard, plastic, etc.). But in my research even about pressure treated wood, it's less than 1/4 inch of soil right next to the box that is affected, which seemed fairly minimal to me. The real question is--would the paint/stain leach into the soil? Kirsten–the books says not to use PRESSURE TREATED WOOD, but I was never clear about painting/staining the wood. The guy at Home Depot said the boxes will weather quickly without some protection. You could at least treat the outside, or treat the inside and add some layer between the box and soil (cardboard, plastic, etc.). But in my research even about pressure treated wood, it’s less than 1/4 inch of soil right next to the box that is affected, which seemed fairly minimal to me. The real question is–would the paint/stain leach into the soil?

]]> By: Kristen Waller http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-35057 Kristen Waller Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:47:50 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-35057 Hi Emily, My husband wants me to think about protecting the wood and here I see you stain your wood. I thought in the SFG book he said not to use treated wood because of the chemicals getting into the soil. Does stain do anything to the soil? ~Kristen Hi Emily,
My husband wants me to think about protecting the wood and here I see you stain your wood. I thought in the SFG book he said not to use treated wood because of the chemicals getting into the soil. Does stain do anything to the soil?

~Kristen

]]> By: Adam http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/building-a-square-foot-garden-wood/comment-page-1/#comment-32406 Adam Sat, 02 Apr 2011 01:12:35 +0000 http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/?p=677#comment-32406 Hi Emily, I just came across your site, and it has been really helpful! My wife and I started our first garden last year. We've put plywood bottoms on our boxes this year. Do you know what kind of holes I need to drill into the bottom of the boxes to allow for drainage? Thanks for your help! Adam Hi Emily,
I just came across your site, and it has been really helpful! My wife and I started our first garden last year. We’ve put plywood bottoms on our boxes this year. Do you know what kind of holes I need to drill into the bottom of the boxes to allow for drainage? Thanks for your help!
Adam

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