If you are interested in having your blog listed on my Your SFG page, send an email to mysquarefootgarden@gmail.com. Be sure to include:

• Name (first only)
• Location (city and state/province)
• Gardening method (traditional, container, raised bed, square foot, etc.)
• Link to your blog

Of course, it’s great if you link to me too, but so many of you already do that it’s hardly worth mentioning!

Happy gardening!

PROBLEM: Onions falling over

As you can see, some of my onions started falling over.

SOLUTION: Let them fall

When the onions start tipping over it means it’s getting time to harvest them, so I “helped” the rest. I’ll leave them this way for a week or two, until the tops are brown. That’s when I harvest them, and then let them dry for a week or two in the sun.

PROBLEM: Too hot for peas, potatoes

This garden box had my peas, but it finally got too hot for them to grow. If you look closely you can see my dead pea plants on the ground right in front of this garden bed! What’s left is potatoes.

SOLUTION: Leave the peas for shade

In retrospect, I should have left the peas in the ground. They gave the potato plants some shade, and as soon as I removed them the potatoes started falling over. Next year I’ll know better!

PROBLEM: Brown beets

Check out my sad, sad beets. Every time I plant beets I have had this type of result, which is discouraging.

SOLUTION: Boron

I did a little research, and beets are relatively unharmed by bugs and disease. The only problem they have is a lack of boron. I bought some Borax and dusted it over the soil. This is supposed to help–I’ll let you know! (BTW, I found the Borax in the laundry section.)

PROBLEM: Tomato plants not growing well

I have noticed that these tomatoes are not as green, full, and tall as the ones in the north-east bed.

SOLUTION: Move sprinkler head

I realized that my lawn sprinklers water this and the south-east bed, which is actually inhibiting the growth of my tomatoes. So, I need to dig them up, move them, and put on different nozzles. Yep, because I have all sorts of time for projects like that . . .

PROBLEM: Poor pepper plants

My peppers were small, yellow, with dark purple on the leaves. I fertilized them, but did not see much improvement.

SOLUTION: Eggshells

My cousin gave me this simple recipe for feeding tomatoes and peppers, and it WORKED WONDERS on my pepper plants! Last year I did this and fertilized all at once so I couldn’t tell which one was the magic. Now I know–it’s the eggs!

Save your eggshells (I saved mine all winter), let them dry out, and crush them up. Add to water (2 dozen eggshells to 2 quarts water) and let sit overnight. Water the peppers (and tomatoes) with the water, and discard the shells. Within 2 weeks my peppers were growing big, flowering, and producing peppers.

If I get a chance, I’ll try to update this post with graphics and written instructions. For now you have to watch me in the video!

Happy gardening!

The newsletter sign up now has room to indicate both your spring and fall colors (which are Maroon, Goldenrod, Olive, Navy, Purple, and Brown).  As part of this round of improvements, I have simplified the process of determining your color and added two new colors to the Spring Planting Schedule (White and Pink).

Here is a list of vegetables included in the Fall Planting Schedule:

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Bush Beans
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Collards
• Endive
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Mustard
• Peas
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips

How do I sign up?

If you are already signed up to receive the weekly reminders, I will send you an email with detailed instructions on August 1, 2010. Please check your spam/junk folders if you don’t see it in your Inbox. Contact me at mysquarefootgarden@gmail.com if you don’t receive the email.

If you have not yet signed up to get weekly reminders of when to plant:

1. Go here to find your color
2. Sign up in the form on the right sidebar

Want to see it all at once? The Fall Planting Schedule has been added to my Planting By Color e-book. Those who have already purchased the e-book and signed up for updates will automatically receive a link to download the new schedules.

Happy gardening!

The most typical gardening pattern for North America is the Spring-Summer-Fall (S-S-F) gardening season. These gardeners have a spring frost date (the average date of the last spring frost) and a fall frost date (the average date of the first fall frost), and have to fit in all the gardening in between!

S-S-F gardeners plant Hardy vegetables in the spring, followed by Semi-Hardy. After the frost date, they plant Tender and, a few weeks later, Very Tender plants. Soon the temperatures are too warm for the Hardy and Semi-Hardy plants, and they must be harvested or go to seed.

If the growing season is long enough, S-S-F gardeners can plant a second time, for harvesting in the fall. The fall garden generally includes a second planting of Hardy and Semi-Hardy plants. Most of the Tender and Very-Tender plants take a long time from seed to harvest, so they are still growing until the fall frost kills them.

If your growing season is short, you may choose to plant only Tender and Very Tender plants in the spring, and then plant Hardy and Semi-Hardy plants mid-summer for a fall harvest.

Spring and Fall

Some folks live in areas where it is cold to grow in the winter, and very hot in the summer. These areas have a spring frost date (the average date of the last spring frost) and a fall frost date (the average date of the first fall frost), and in between the temperatures soar.

This creates two growing seasons—Spring and Fall (S-F).  In the spring, S-F gardeners should choose bolt-resistant varieties of Hardy and Semi-Hardy veggies that mature more quickly. This will increase your odds of a good harvest before temperatures get too hot.

The good news is, since they live in the South or Southwest, these gardens get lots of sunshine and enjoy mild winters. While most people will only plant Hardy and Semi-Hardy vegetables in the fall, these gardeners can often plant Very Tender and Tender vegetables as well. By choosing varieties that do well in cold weather, S-F gardeners can have success growing Hardy and Semi-Hardy vegetables all winter long!

Often S-F gardeners have a longer time frame for sowing seeds, especially for a fall garden, and winter conditions that allow the hardiest plants to survive. If you are a S-F gardener and follow my Planting By Color schedule, please remember that it outlines the soonest and latest you can plant for spring and fall gardens. You may have more flexibility in when you plant.

Fall-Winter-Spring

Some locations are simply too hot to have a successful garden outdoors during the summer, but they have no fall frost date, or such a short, mild period of potential freezing temperatures that they can grow a garden all winter. Then, they continue gardening in the spring until temperatures get too hot again in the summer. These gardeners have a Fall-Winter-Spring (F-W-S) pattern.

F-W-S gardeners will have success planting Hardy and Semi-Hardy vegetables in the fall, and then planting Tender and Very Tender vegetables in the Spring. Like the S-F gardens, many Hardy and Semi-Hardy plants can be grown later, and possibly all winter long. This means the time to sow plants may be extended as well.

Year-Round Gardening

I envy those gardeners who live in areas without any frost, and climates mild enough to grow a garden all year round! Theoretically, you could plant any vegetable at any time. In practice, certain vegetables will grow better if planted in the right season.

Hardy and Semi-Hardy vegetables will thrive if planted in the fall and grown all winter, into the spring. Tender and Very Tender vegetables should be started in the spring, to grow all summer and harvested in the fall.

You will notice that most seed packets indicate planting date based on frost-date. If you don’t have a frost date, your planting schedule is probably related to the hours and intensity of sunlight you receive and average temperatures. Just because you live in an area without a frost date does not mean that my Planting by Color schedule does not pertain to you. For example, many areas in Northern California have no frost dates, but their planting times are the same as the Orange group.

Happy gardening!

Very Tender

These types of plants cannot tolerate any frost or cold temperatures at all. They need to be planted when the weather is warm, after all danger of frost has passed.

All of these Very Tender plants have long growing seasons (they take a long time to go from seed to harvest), so you want to wait until the weather is warm enough for them, but you can’t wait too long or you will not have a chance to harvest before hot or cold temperatures set in. They tend to love warmer temperatures, and thrive in the heat.

Almost all of these plants must be transplanted outside. Unless you live in an area that is temperate (no extremely hot or cold temperatures), there is not enough time for them to grow outdoors from seed to harvest. You must either purchase transplants, or grow them yourself indoors, under lights.

• Cantaloupe and Melons
• Eggplant
• Lima Beans
• Okra
• Peppers
• Pumpkins and Winter Squash
• Tomatoes

Tender

These types of plants can tolerate some cooler temperatures, but frost will kill them. They are generally planted in the ground on the date of the average last spring frost.  They grow best in when it’s warm, but not extremely hot.

• Celery
• Cucumber
• Dry Beans
• Snap Beans
• Summer Squash and Zucchini
• Sweet Corn

Semi-Hardy

These plants thrive in cool temperatures. Some of them can tolerate heat, but many will bolt or go to seed when temperatures rise. These plants are particularly great to grow in temperate areas, or in the spring and fall.

• Beets
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Endive
• Lettuce
• Mustard
• Parsley
• Parsnip
• Potatoes
• Swiss Chard
• Spinach

Hardy

These plants thrive in cool weather, and will die, bolt, or go to seed when things get hot. They grow well in the spring and fall, and in warmer climates, they can be grown all winter long! In the spring, they can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked (with soil temperatures of 40°F).

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Onions
• Peas
• Radish
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Turnip

Happy gardening!

Supplies:

• Steel remesh–I found a roll of 5′x100′ for $100 at Home Depot
• Bolt cutters–$14 (smaller is better)

Step 1–Unroll the remesh.

Remesh is divided into 6″ squares, which is great because you can reach right through to pick your tomatoes. It also makes it easy to measure! Realistically, I did not unroll this all the way–just enough to cut a 5′ section.

Step 2–Cut to 5′ lengths using bolt cutters.

They don’t need to be huge, heavy duty cutters. I got the smallest pair and they were perfect!

Step 3–Wrap the remesh into a cylinder and use the “pokey” ends to keep it closed.

Step 4–Secure the tomato cage.

I found an easy way to do this using the “pokey” end that sticks out. I grabbed it with my hand. . .
. . . pulled it down. . .
. . . and pulled it forward until it snapped into place.

Step 5–Roll, push, and pull to get the cage into a circle.

Step 6–Cut off the bottom ring.

Step 7–Place in 2′x2′ section to support one indeterminate tomato plant.

Step 8–(optional) For deeper garden beds, cut off an additional ring.

I’m starting a new section of my blog, called Your SFG (square foot garden) where my readers and bloggers can contribute. ALL GARDENERS are welcome (even if you don’t follow the square-foot method)!

If you are interested in having your blog listed on my Your SFG page, send an email to mysquarefootgarden@gmail.com.
Be sure to include:

• Nname (first only)
• Location (city and state)
• Gardening method (traditional, container, raised bed, square foot, etc.)
• Link to your blog

If you are interested in writing a guest post:

1. Create an account
2. Send me an email with your details: username, email address, topic, and date for your post.
3. I will promote you to “contributor” and confirm your post date.
4. Login to the website and write, upload pictures, edit, and get your post ready to publish.
5. When you are ready, email me so I can review and approve your post.

If you want to guest post, but find yourself flabbergasted by the technology, you can just email me your text and pictures and I will go ahead and format the post for you.

Happy gardening!

For those of you who love Square Foot Gardening, or at least prefer to grow in raised garden beds, I have good news for you! There are more and more options when it comes to purchasing raised or square foot garden beds. Honestly, it’s VERY difficult to do an “apples to apples” comparison, but I’m going to try!

I have found three online sources to purchase garden beds, and one other source that directs you to a nursery to make a purchase.

• SquareFootGardening.com
• HomeGardensToGo.com
• KareeLaneGardens.com
• EasyGardenBox.com

Key for features
WM=weed mat
GR=grid

Colors

	White
	Grey
	Adobe* extra charge applies
	Tan
	Almond

*pickup in Pleasant Grove, UT. Delivery available to Utah and Salt Lake counties for an additional fee.

4′x4′ vinyl garden beds

5.5″ deep (one vinyl rail)

Karee Lane Gardens $70 plus shipping
Square Foot Gardening GR, WM, $115 plus shipping
Home Gardens To Go GR, WM, $110 plus shipping
Home Gardens To Go GR, $120 pickup*

11″ to 16.5″ deep

11″ Karee Lane Gardens $110 plus shipping
11″ Home Gardens To Go GR, $200 pickup*
14″ Easy Garden Box (stone pattern), $200 purchase at select nurseries
16.5″ Karee Lane Gardens $160 plus shipping

4′x8′ vinyl garden beds

5.5″ deep (one vinyl rail)

Karee Lane Gardens $100 plus shipping
Square Foot Gardening GR, WM, $202 plus shipping
Home Gardens To Go GR, $180 pickup*

11″ to 16.5″ deep

11″ Karee Lane Gardens $170 plus shipping
11″ Home Gardens To Go GR, $300 pickup*
14″ Easy Garden Box (stone pattern), $300 purchase at select nurseries
16.5″ Karee Lane Gardens $250 plus shipping

A couple of things to note:

• Only the Square Foot Gardening and Home Gardens To Go sites provide grids for square foot gardening. If you choose to get your garden beds from another source, you can still buy grids from these websites.
• Karee Lane Gardens is the only I found that offers a 16.5″ garden (using 3 rails).
• Home Gardens To Go offers the widest variety of colors.
• The Square Foot Gardening store has improved the construction of their beds so they stay together better.
• The Easy Garden Box is the only bed made with a combination of vinyl posts and steel rails. If you are interested in minimizing the amount of vinyl (to avoid using PVC plastics), but still want a garden that will last longer than wood, this is a good option.

Happy gardening!

I’m always on the lookout for places to buy raised garden beds (and square foot garden beds), and have I found a great option! This is called the Easy Garden Box and is available to purchase at nurseries across the country.

I have to admit, this may be my favorite garden bed so far. It’s super easy to put together, very sturdy, and just a little deeper than most vinyl boxes.

I’ll walk you through the setup. . .

	Here is a picture of the box it came in–it can easily fit in the back of a van or possibly a car (if your back seat folds down). No bigger than buying something at IKEA!
	This is the box opened up–you can see the vinyl posts, the steel rails, and a little packet with hardware–funky plastic “nails”.
	All the pieces had stickers on them to show which side is up.
	I set the posts down, inserted the rails, and popped the black plastic “nails” through the holes. Voila!
	Here is the box put together. Okay, this was one of my FAVORITE parts of this box–it was so solid when put together. It was easy to move around and didn’t come apart at all. This box is 4′x4′ and is 14″ deep. Another FAVORITE–2″ deeper than most vinyl or wood beds.
	The hardest part of this setup was clearing a spot in my gravel for the new garden bed. I’ve learned from experience–this is the time to make sure it’s straight and level!
	Another FAVORITE part of this garden bed–the bottom is really close to the ground. There is hardly any gap for soil to “leak” out. Here I added the caps to the posts, and  pushed the gravel back around the sides.
	Creating Mel’s Mix to fill my box took: small bag of peat moss ($7.50) a large bag of vermiculite ($25) 3 cart-fulls of bulk compost ($20). A final FAVORITE part of this garden box–sturdy and strong! I mixed the soil right in the box. I could lean my shovel on the side of the box as I mixed (like a lever). Whenever I do this with my vinyl boxes they move or come apart.
	I had to buy 3 corners, a T, and a few emitters to attach this to my current irrigation system. I think it cost me $5. I had leftover drip pipe and 1/4 inch drip with built-in emitters. Click here for more information on building a drip irrigation system.
	And here it is–I planted 2 tomato plants (cages coming soon!), beets on the left, and beans on the right. I can’t wait for everything to start growing!

Summary

All in all, I LOVE my new Easy Garden Box! It was easy to install and I think it will hold up for years to come!

Pros:

• Super sturdy construction–very solid
• Easy to put together
• 14″ deep–just a little deeper than most raised garden beds you can buy
• No gap between the bottom of the bed and the ground

Cons:

• The only way this box could be improved is by making it plain tan. My husband asked me “Is that cammo?” Funny enough, that was my question when I saw the picture on the box!
• Another drawback is that I’m not sure if you can purchase this box online, especially if you don’t live near a nursery that supplies them.

I am going to get a price list and compare this to the other sources of raised garden beds I’ve found. Watch for that to come!

Happy gardening!

P.S. I received this garden box for free from the manufacturer so I could try it and review it. However, I do not have an ongoing relationship with the manufacturer and do not receive any compensation if people purchase this product.