Non-renewable Resources: There's no doubt that 'Mel's Mix' makes an excellent soil for vegetables.Once new gardeners experience the success of SFG gardens they often want to expand the range of crops they grow beyond the standard SFG crops. Easy to Outgrow: Although many vegetables can be grown in SFG gardens it struggles to accommodate larger plants (squash, melons, main-crop potatoes etc), perennials (globe artichokes, rhubarb) and fruit bushes/trees.Many schools have embraced the SFG method because it's easy to install and maintain without becoming an additional burden for the teacher. It's a great method for new gardeners, people who have little time, the elderly or disabled (SFG gardens can be built at a raised height to make them more accessible) and children. There's a purpose to each of these 'rules' and together they make up a powerful and almost fail-safe method for successful gardening. Accessorise: As well as details of all the above the All New Square Foot Gardening book has practical instructions for constructing various accessories including protective cages that easily lift on and off the SFG beds, covers to extend the season and supports for vertical growing.Thin with Scissors: Instead of pulling up excess plants which can disturb the root systems of the plants you want to grow you snip them off with scissors.Climbing peas and beans are planted in two mini-rows of 4 per square. As an exception to this there are a few larger plants that span two squares. Instead each square has either 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants in it depending on the size of the plant – easy to position in each square by making a smaller grid in the soil with your fingers. Plant in Squares: To keep the planting simple there are no plant spacings to remember.Don't Walk on the Soil: This is now common practice with raised bed gardening but back in the 1970s it was revolutionary to suggest that you wouldn't need to dig your soil if you didn't tread on it.This starts the raised beds completely weed-free as well as being water retentive and full of nutrients. Use a Specific Soil Mix: One third each of compost, peat moss and vermiculite.Beds are between 6 and 12 inches deep which gives the plants plenty of rich nutrients, while maintaining good drainage. Create Deep Raised Beds: Typically 4 feet by 4 feet, with a square foot lattice placed on top to visually separate the crops.Over the years the SFG system has evolved into a precise set of rules: Add a one-foot square grid on top and it became easy to space and rotate crops. It soon became clear that getting rid of rows and using intensive deep-beds could dramatically cut the amount of maintenance the garden required. In particular he found the average gardener was spending hours weeding the big gaps between long rows of plants, creating unnecessary work for themselves. It was only natural that he would apply his analytical skills to the problems he encountered. In 1975 Mel Bartholomew had just retired as an engineer and decided to take up gardening as a hobby. SFG was developed as a reaction to the inefficiencies of traditional gardening.
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