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Re: question re: sqft for perennials

Hi Valerie,

I'm not all that much of a "veteran" myself at SQFTing but I will try to
answer your questions as best I can. I've been using the SQFT method now
for my third year. Just finished planting my two SQFT main-beds, each 7
fott by 3.5 feet, with a smaller bed 7 foot by 2 foot. The main beds
have a lot of varieties of veggies in them, including corn (36 plants)
and lettuces (5 kinds) broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, carrots, onions
(2 types). A smaller 5 foot by 4 foot bed has 4 kinds of potatoes
planted but not up yet. My strawberries are planted in a bed 2 foot by 5
foot and I have 12 plants in this space. I also planted 9 plants in a
large plastic tub with a tomatoe in the center of those plants. I have a
2 foot by 6 foot space on the south wall of my storage shed planted with
sugar snap peas. I also have a space 1 foot by 10 foot with 2 different
types of squash planted in there. The 2 x 7 foot rectangle has pole
beans and dwarf peas planted in it.

So your see that you can plant a lot in small spaces. Mels idea was to
make gardening fun and not a chore that one would give up on after a
bold try. :-)


Valerie Mutton wrote:
>
> Hi!  I have quite a small backyard and so the sqft method is
> of great interest to me.  I could probably get about 6 4'x4' squares
> but that's all.  I hope these questions aren't silly--this is my first
> day on the list...

Acturally Valerie, 6 4'x4' squares is a lot of space when using the SQFT
method. One square is a total of 16 square feet and 6 times that would
come out to 96 square feet, or a garden 8 feet wide by 12 feet long. A
rather handsome size for any garden, but in using the SQFT mehtod a huge
space.

>         1.  Can you grow asparagus in a sqft garden & what would be
> the plant spacing. And would there be any point (i.e. would I get more
> than 3 asparagus spears!)

Actually, Mel doesn't give a recommendation on plant spacing for
asparagus. I suppose that it is because of the wide spacing recommended
for the planting of 2 year old roots. One could make use of any planting
spaces along any bulding or fence to put in the roots though.

> And, on a related note, has anyone used the
> sqft method with strawberries? What would be the plant spacing for
> strawberries?  I have not read about anyone using sqft for perennials
> and I wonder if it would just take up more space in the blocks than it
> was worth for the yield. Should I just keep my strawberries growing in
> pots instead?

As I mentioned above I have 2 plantings of strawberries and am looking
forward to my "crop". :-) This is my first time at planting these plants
using the SQFT method and will have to let you know how it comes out.
The books mention using the "hill method", a spacing of 12 inches in all
directions for the plants. I used 9 inches.


>         2.  Likewise, if I can only have up  to 6 blocks, is there any
> point in growing corn.  I like corn, & would like to try growing it, but
> I'm not sure if it's worth giving up 3 blocks for 2 dozen ears. Has
> anyone else got opinions on this?
>
> Thanks!
> Val Mutton

You've had a lot of advice on corn here and I wont go further but I
expect to enjoy the "fruit" of my work in the future. A lot of SQFTers
raise corn in the beds and you can also. I am using the new 6" spacing
for my corn and have read others who have had good success with it. By
planting in "blocks" you remove a lot of the problems of pollination
that comes with raising corn.

You didn't say how many this would be feeding, but here there is only
myself and my wife, so we grow accordingly. I don't like peddling my
excesses to the neighbors and I'm sure they would tire quickly of me
doing it. :-)

OBTW, I got Mels book "Square Foot Gradening" by Mel Bartholomew at
Waldens on their sale shelves in hardback for $6.00 not to long ago
which allowed me to give my son back his paperback copy. :-)

Good luck and it is really a lot of fun. Experimenting using this method
is half the fun. Of course eating the stuff is neat also. ;-)
Don
--
Don and Carol Butler    d*@ewa.net
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1171

 He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.  Ps 91 (NIV)

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