THE SQUARE FOOT GARDENER

IMPROVE HEALTH - SOLVING HUNGER - SELF SUFFICIENCY
HAVE YOU HEARD? SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO?
HAVE A GARDEN YEAR ROUND!

Well, the buzz is about a wonderful concept from a man named MEL BARTHOLOMEW "THE SQUARE FOOT GARDENER". SQUAREFOOTGARDENING.COM He is an engineer who came up with the idea to help us grow fresh herbs, fruits and veggies for self sufficiency and our health.


THE IDEA IS You create a box out of new, salvage or scrap lumber 3'X 3' or 4'X 4'Square and fill it with potting soil and dirt. Subdivide it into square foot increments using twine or other visual line on the top of the box.



In these square foot plots you plant seeds or seedling (You can use starter plants which you grow from seeds indoors during the early Winter when it's too cold to plant outdoors) My family has done this and been very successful with the starter plants. They make beautiful little centerpieces while they are growing you get to watch the "Magic" happen as they grow. Then they are strong for your planned planting time in the early Spring. Check the yearly FROST DATE by zipcode from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, it's as simple as googling it. This will give you an idea of the best time to transfer your indoor starters outdoors to your Squarefoot Garden.

During the Hard Winter think about the kinds of fresh foods your family enjoys and begin locating the seeds you will need. Figure out what size of Squarefoot Garden you will build (3' or 4') and then how many of each type of plant you want to plant (think of how many heads of lettuce or cabbage you would consume each month, or how many cucumbers or squash or cantalopes, watermelon, blackberries, beans,etc.) When you think of it in these terms it is easier to figure out how much to plant ONE SQUARE FOOT OR TWO SQUARE FOOT PLOTS dedicated to your selected plant depending on how much you can use.

Buy your seeds. There are so many choices, from the packets from the .99cents store to Armstrong Garden Centers to Heirloom Seeds which are have not been genetically modified as many of today's seeds have been. You can start were it makes sense for you right now and then 'graduate' to the next levels as you see the value in this method. Once you have your seeds store them in a cool dry place in labeled zip-lock bags or jars in the refrigerator not the freezer, they should last for many years...3,5,10 years.

IN FEBRUARY
Take from your seeds the number of each plant ie: cabbage, melon,etc. you would like to grow and begin your indoor starter plants. You can use small starter spaces made of plastic containers or a nice pot in the corner of the breakfast room. put a little label on a stick or straw to identify what is growing where...It's easy to forget what was planted later. Tend to these little babies like you would any newbie and watch the magic. Think of how beneficial these foods will be to your bodies and how much money you will save this Spring and Summer on fresh produce.

One More Really COOL FEATURE... Once you get your mind around this type of gardening freedom. Mel throws in another great idea. How about putting your Squarefoot Garden on a rolling stand (get an old end table or file cabinet from the thrift store or dumpster and put some casters on it) YOU CAN THEN ROLL YOUR GARDEN TO THE BRIGHT SUNNY AREA OF YOUR YARD OR DRIVEWAY FOR THE DAY TO MAXIMIZE YOUR GROW TIME. THEN WHEEL IN BACK TO A SIDE YARD FOR THE EVENING. With this type of Sunlight Capture you can feasibly grow just about anything no matter what kind of restrictions your actual yard may have given you. HOW COOL IS THAT?

IMPROVE HEALTH SOLVING HUNGER
SELF SUFFICIENCY 50% LESS COST
80% LESS SPACE 90% LESS WATER
5% of the SEEDS 2% of the WORK
No Pesticides Needed No Fertilization Used
No Limitation 5 times the Harvest
Reduce Recycle Reuse On Patio,Deck,Ground,Terraced