Square Foot Gardening

That's quite interesting. In fact, I am currently thinking of how to make use of my own small gardening area. Is it difficult to maintain so many plants?

Will be really interested how you get on , plz keep us updated , Happy Gardening

No, its not difficult because its right outside my back door! Every time I look out or potter around - if I see a weed I pick it up, or if something needs picking - great! (Mum had the first radishes and lettuces yesterday) so at the same time I sowed another grid of radishes (actually put them around the toms - they will have grown by the time the toms get bigger and need the room).

Really interested to see how you get on. If I literally have as little space as a square foot available to me, what kind of plants would you recommend starting with?

Mel recommends you start with 4 x 4 foot bed as thats easiest to maintain (you can reach all around), this is suitable for most salad crops (lettuces - cut and come again, bush cue - grow upwards), tomatoe again you can grow the smaller varieties e.g cherry toms (Totem, sub arctic are what I am growing this year), mangetout (even better than peas cos you can eat the pod or let them grow and eat the peas) just give them some bamboo canes to climb. The list is endless. just not the bigger crops - cabbages tend to take too much room, squashes etc unless you are prepared to go upwards.

Is there any pattern in sowing the plants or do you just sow a bit of everything, then pick up and sow again? What grows the best in such garden?
Your garden pics are lovely.

There has been a series by the BBC and Royal Horticultural Society about veggies grown in a 3x3meter plot separated into smaller blocks. At the RHS garden in Wisley, Surrey, they have a plot that is just packed full of veg growing at full pelt in a tiny little space. Plenty of 'cut and come again' lettuce and so on, climbing french beans, broad beans, herbs, spinach. Much like the recommends above - really inspiring. They work on a normal crop rotation basis with second crop/sowing coming in about now... still time to plant some beans I think

With u all the way. Have just installed 2x 1m sq raised beds, made from recycled plastic interlocking boards + 1 half m bed . amazed at results aprox 3 plants of caulis, courgettes, french beans(2 rows) runner beans, peppers and aubergines. Intercropped with beetroot carrots lettuce and onions.Plenty for the 2 of us and easy to work on can sit and reach most of bed.

Its great to hear of so many people just attempting growing veg - I was a bit daunted at taking on a big veg patch and this seemed ideal - I've alrealy had plenty of things harvested - Mangetout (about 4 dinners worth), beetroot, garlic, plenty of salad stuff (had to give some away), radishes and the brocolli is nearly ready! (Cant wait).

Sorry forgot to mention seeds - yes he does have a formula - he sows in this order: if it states 12 inches apart plant one per square, 6 inches apart plant 4 in a square, 4 inches apart plant 9 in a square and 3 inches apart plant 16 in a square.
For example, one brocolli, cabbage, tomato or pepper, - 4 of chard, 9 of spinach or beetroot and 16 of carrots, radishes and onions.
Remember, you get smaller, but tastier veg using this method.

I just checked out his website. Think you have started something here.

I planted my first veggie garden using the square foot method. It is amazing how much you can plant in 12 sq inches.

How fantastic to find other people growing veg on a small scale ... I'm so excited!

My very first attempt at planting veggies was the last week in July last year when I planted some runner beans in a tiny 4' by 18" raised bed at the end of my patio. (Raised bed is a bit of an exaggeration ... it was a bit of earth behind a little wall that was bare). After reaping beans until October I got bitten by the bug.

I ripped out a load of weeds-cum-shrubs from the 6x4 plot and planted onion and garlic, then dug up a bit of the grass and put in over-wintering broad beans and peas (not a huge success but at least I had a couple of meals off both).

I've got bits and pieces stuck everywhere at the moment but just thought I would share 2 biggest successes so far. Early potatoes in bags (have to admit I used the hessian supermarket bags at £1 each compared to a fiver for the proper thing) and have been eating them for 2 weeks and supplying a friend. Second huge success is perpetual spinach ... absolutely marvellous and planted in 3 pots which I rotate.

Sorry, I've rambled a bit, but it is so exciting finding people who are having a go like I am. Good luck with all your crops

Thats great - nothing like picking and eating something you've grown especially when you thought it wouldnt work!!