Comments on: Designing Your Square Foot Garden Beds

By: Mindy

Mindy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:54:11 +0000

I just found your site! I read the older square foot gardening book and did a search on it earlier…..For Georgia, I LOVE this book —-very informative. It’s called The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Book (Southern Fruit and Vegetable Books)
Looking forward to diving into your site more in the days to come

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:26:22 +0000

For those who find bending over, or getting up from a crouching position, difficult, try using cinder blocks for you SFG. I put them two blocks high, and find that I can sit on the blocks and get up. The blocks are heavy, but can be moved if you are not happy with the site. They will surely last as long as I need them (I’m 64). And, wow, the work of gardening is cut way down. I can sit on the blocks and pull any stray weeds. Since I have livestock (horses, chicken, sheep, rabbits), my soil is fertile!

By: Deb in W CO

Deb in W CO — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:17:10 +0000

Thanks Emily, your site has been very helpful. Two years ago when I moved to GJ, I knew I wanted a garden. My landlady (a very nice person) said yes to putting in raised beds. The large yard is landscaped with a wide (6-8′) river rock border. I just moved the rock out of the way, put down 2 4×8′ and 1 4×4′ boxes and filled them with dirt (a CO Black Magic mix and peat moss). Last year I added an 8×12″ box. I’ve had 2 years of bountiful harvest, but I wasn’t using the SFG method! Now I am; found the book over the winter. I’ve amended my soil with Mel’s Mix, laid out grids and planted most of what I’ll grow this year. Going to price out vertical support parts and pieces today. I’m thankful for the wide rock border because I’m able to have room around all 4 sides of the boxes (the boxes are not up against the fence). I’ll be able to walk behind the vertical supports to weave the plants thru the trellis as well as harvest the vegies. The best part is 3 of the boxes line up on the north side of the yard, against a solid white vinyl fence, facing south.

Emily, your charts and links have helped me emensely with dates and products. Thank you so much.

By: donna

donna — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:44:17 +0000

I built a 4×12 cinder block bed about 2′ deep. I’ll have 52 sq. ft. It’s built directly on the ground – I plan to use ‘black magic’ soil sold by the yard at the local garden center. Should I amend this soil? Also, what about drainage? Should I use gravel?

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:51:31 +0000

Plywood with holes drilled in it. I would put some screen to cover the holes, so the soil stays in but the water can drain out.

By: heather

heather — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:43:56 +0000

I am planning on building an elevated raised 4′x4′ bed. ( I need the height to avoid stooping over the garden) What is the best material for the base of an elevated bed and how does one achieve drainage with this method?

Thanks for your help!

By: Cindy Judd

Cindy Judd — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:27:30 +0000

I love your blog. It is the best I have found. I am ready to start my sq ft garden for the 3rd year. Thanks for the advise on building the soil and the soil testing kits.
Cindy From Utah

By: Abby

Abby — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:56:11 +0000

Thanks H. Moore. My SFG has gotten deeper and deeper and I have been nervous that I shouldn’t be combining the ground soil with my mix. Now I will just continue turning my soil in the spring and if my ground soil mixes than that’s OK! What do you think about this Emily? ( my ground cloth has been gone for a very long time so my soil has been mixing)

By: H. Moore

H. Moore — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:16:44 +0000

I spent a few weeks at a gardening seminar where the teacher–after years of planting and research–suggested that SFG won’t optimize plant growth since roots have been shown to grow much deeper than typically thought. Tomatoes, for instance, can grow 12 feet deep into the soil! His suggestion? Don’t put landscape fabric down before you add your soil if your SFG is on the ground. Mix your existing soil with the soil you add to your raised beds, and that way the plants will be much healthier. I have already done Mel’s SFG method for several years now, but my plants have never produced the quantity and quality that the teacher brought to show us all. I was amazingly impressed–going to take off my fabric and mix everything together in the spring and see if it helps.

By: cathleen bowne

cathleen bowne — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:16:46 +0000

about keeping cats from using the garden as a cat box, If you don’t mind the cats in the garden just don’t want them doing their business there you can plant catnip. Cats wont go near things they would eat.