| I have only been experimenting with square foot | | | | lot of care other than watering and occasionally |
| gardening since December 2008, but my efforts and | | | | spraying for the insects. Since I love making stir fried |
| investment have already paid off. We moved to a | | | | meat with vegetables, we had some very healthy |
| townhouse, which has a very small back yard. Prior | | | | meals from our garden. |
| to that we had a very large yard with many fruit | | | | I purchased some insecticide but found that mixing a |
| trees and a large garden. Trying to economize was a | | | | little dish washing soap (1 oz.) with 6 oz. water and |
| bit humbling but has been very educational. | | | | spraying the plants weekly, the pests stayed away |
| My husband put together a square foot garden | | | | as well being much more economical. I also didn't |
| frame, which was 4 x 4 feet with a wooden frame | | | | have to worry about being poisoned by the |
| to divide the 16 evenly spaced squares in which to | | | | insecticides. |
| grow my produce. We originally invested in some | | | | I did plant some marigolds, which insects do not like, |
| perculite to mix with the soil. Also we added some | | | | and they add a touch of color. I also splurged and |
| compost from a local farm, which contained scraps | | | | bought a small seedling from a local shop of a tomato |
| from vegetable peelings and such. I got the | | | | plant. It only cost about $2.50 and produced well over |
| vegetable seeds from a local shop and made sure | | | | 10 times that worth of yummy tomatoes. The thing |
| they were not expired. | | | | I learned from that is to only plant one large seedling |
| I learned that I needed to read the instructions | | | | in a box so it won't be crowded as it grows. I also |
| carefully to make sure they were evenly spaced and | | | | learned to only water the roots since watering the |
| at the correct depth. Also some plants do better in | | | | leaves too much promotes diseases and insects. |
| direct sun and others do better in shade. | | | | From this experience I learned that corn needs a |
| First I planted tomatoes, pak choy, lettuce, yellow | | | | much larger place to grow - it will take over and cast |
| peppers, long beans, peas, green onions, carrots, | | | | too much shade on the other vegetables. We did |
| swish chard, corn and cabbage. I was so excited | | | | have a few very delicious sweet ears of corn, but |
| when the first small sprouts came up after about a | | | | lost some other vegetables like the cabbage because |
| week. I had to let them grow a bit to distinguish | | | | they were shaded too much. Another thing I realized |
| between the actual vegetables and the weeds. I had | | | | is that I need not be scared to thin out the carrots |
| a watering can that I filled up each night so that it | | | | and green onions otherwise they won't grow too |
| would be warm when I watered my baby plants. | | | | much. |
| Of all the vegetables I planted, the ones that amazed | | | | I am really enjoying my square foot garden. I will be |
| me most were the tomatoes, swish chard, pak choy | | | | experimenting with flowers next and let you know |
| and long beans. They seemed to do well without a | | | | how that goes. |