Square foot gardening
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Here are 2 questions for you… We have a raised bed that I built 2 years ago with pavers and decorative cinder block. The back of the bed is directly against the wooden fence..
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The fence needs a good cleaning (no, it really needs replaced with a composite, but that’s not till next year. Getting the paver patio built wiped me out…) but I’m hesitant to use any cleaner where it might splash onto the soil for the garden. We’re still 2-3 weeks away from putting anything in the garden. Think it would be safe to clean it now, then just dig out the top 2 inches of dirt and replace? Or are there any safe cleaners out there?
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I’ll be sealing the paver patio in 6 weeks. I would also like to color/lock the pavers on top of the wall. I’m using a spray water/poly sealer for the patio, but I’m thinking of pouring some into a paint tin and using a roller for the top of the wall. Do you think that will suffice but keep the plants and vegetables protected?
@LuFins-Dad said in Square foot gardening:
Here are 2 questions for you… We have a raised bed that I built 2 years ago with pavers and decorative cinder block. The back of the bed is directly against the wooden fence..
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The fence needs a good cleaning (no, it really needs replaced with a composite, but that’s not till next year. Getting the paver patio built wiped me out…) but I’m hesitant to use any cleaner where it might splash onto the soil for the garden. We’re still 2-3 weeks away from putting anything in the garden. Think it would be safe to clean it now, then just dig out the top 2 inches of dirt and replace? Or are there any safe cleaners out there?
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I’ll be sealing the paver patio in 6 weeks. I would also like to color/lock the pavers on top of the wall. I’m using a spray water/poly sealer for the patio, but I’m thinking of pouring some into a paint tin and using a roller for the top of the wall. Do you think that will suffice but keep the plants and vegetables protected?
Simple Green is safe around plants, I know. I think Clorox makes a diluted bleach that works, too. Or you could try something vinegar based.
Might want to cover the end of the bed with visqueen or an old plastic shower curtain. I think you'll be fine.
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Anybody do square foot gardening or gardening in raised beds in general? I have a south facing wall where the fence casts a shadow just about to the base of the wall, where a raised bed should work well. I got a 32" tall Vego, which I'll put into a 2.5' x 9.5' configuration. I'm excited, and I'll definitely start eating more vegetables if they are a product of my own work.
@Horace said in Square foot gardening:
Anybody do square foot gardening or gardening in raised beds in general? I have a south facing wall where the fence casts a shadow just about to the base of the wall, where a raised bed should work well. I got a 32" tall Vego, which I'll put into a 2.5' x 9.5' configuration. I'm excited, and I'll definitely start eating more vegetables if they are a product of my own work.
There may be a flaw in my plan. When the sun gets straight overhead, as it almost does in and around June, the roof may cast a shadow over part of the garden bed. I’m imagining mirrors now to compensate.
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My nephew has a small raised be garden that has the most tomatoes I've seen on a couple of tomato plants (Early Girl) in a long, long time. I don't know where his soil came from or how it is mixed, but when he built the bed he put in an irrigation system whereby he can run liquid fertilizer through the system.
I guess all that money his dad spent on that MS in ag, allowed him to soak up how to grow tomatoes...
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@Mik said in Square foot gardening:
Looks quite successful! How many melons do you have so far?
I've had probably 20 little watermelons, but they tend to shrivel and die as preemies. There are three that made it into adolescence, and they are growing visibly every day. I'm hoping they are split between my two plants 2 vs 1, but I can't know, because the vines are spaghetti.
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@Mik said in Square foot gardening:
Nothing better in summer than an ice cold bowl of watermelon chunks.
Yep I love it.
One interesting thing about watermelon vines is that they grow roots, if they rest on soil. Then there's the clinging shoots that wrap around and grab anything they grow into, which allows them to climb. One of them choked out a few of my basil leaves. Evolution is amazing.
Education is extremely important.
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@Mik said in Square foot gardening:
Nothing better in summer than an ice cold bowl of watermelon chunks.
Yep I love it.
One interesting thing about watermelon vines is that they grow roots, if they rest on soil. Then there's the clinging shoots that wrap around and grab anything they grow into, which allows them to climb. One of them choked out a few of my basil leaves. Evolution is amazing.
