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Re: Brown Thumb in Utah with Questions

Square Foot Gardening List - http://myweb.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

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From: Sandy M. Hammond

        Question 1:  Did you start with only one 4 foot by 4 foot square?

I started with 2 squares (actually one 4 by 8 bed).  Worked fine for me.
If you start small and you don't like it you have not invested much
(time or resources).  If you like it you can always add more in the future.
The intial preperation can be a pain (double digging in hardpack clay
with 1 inch tree roots) and spreading it out makes it seem easier).  I
currently have 3 4x8 beds (one is nothing but compost right now) and am
looking to add another 4x8 bed and possibly a trench bed in front of
the new fence.  (actually was scheduled for last season but... been busy)

        Question 2:  I am uncertain about what to plant.  Mel says tomatoes,
beans, corn, lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, and Swiss chard are the easiest.
Should I just stick with these?  Should I only try one type of plant for my
first time, such as tomatoes?

Plant what you like to eat, the ones mentioned above just happen to be
(generally speaking) the easiest to do.  Mel basically encourages us to
try small easily achievable goals, and then expand (in size and selection
of plants) as needs and desire would indicate.  Come to think of it,
not a bad way to approach most things.

        Question 3:  To grow tomatoes vertically, I know I need to create a
frame of 1.5 inch black plastic pipe or metal pipe and attach string to it
for the tomatoes to grow on.  Have any of you built the trench Mel suggests
in his book and did it work well?

Mel's trench is basically a miniture garden bed (double dug, enriched
the works), I use the north ends of my raised beds as he would
his trenches.  Works great.

        Question 4 (don't worry - this is the last question):  I looked at a
colored zone map and (if I picked my zone correctly) I believe our last
frost won't be over until June 1st.  In the meantime should I just set up my
4 by 4 and double dig adding whatever I can find in one of the local
nurseries to my clay soil?  Should I also start the seeds indoors now and
then transplant them when June arrives?  Or is it better for beginners to
start the seeds directly in the ground where they will grow rather than
transplant them?

Yes start now.  (earlier started earlier done), amendments such as peat moss
and vermiculite are generally easily available now, while your local walmart
may only now be setting up the garden center in the parking lot most
nurseries restock earlier.  Starting seeds inside.  A lot of fun, go ahead
and try to start a few, but don't be afraid or feel like a failure if you
end
up going the nursery for some transplants these first few years, it is
perfectly acceptable.  Especially for some herbs, some (french taragon
if I recall correctly) are VERY hard to start from seeds, many herbs are
trival to grow from transplant or by dividing but can take 6 weeks to
germinate under perfect conditions.

Above all, have fun, relax.

Ron Souliere


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