Our first SFG
I've gardened many times in the past, always organic, always "intensive" and "companion planting" gardening. But this year, as we were deciding what we wanted to plant, etc, my wife visited Mel's website and got all excited about it. I had read the original book years ago and liked the concept, but just never did actually do it. But with the modifications in the principle, the idea of no weeding got my attention in a hurry.
We have a couple acres of land, so have lots of room for a large garden, so I'm putting in sixteen 4' x 8' beds. All up off the ground completely. We're fortunate to have a large company local that makes potting/growing soils of many varieties. I looked at Mel's mix costwise and nutrition wise for the plants and felt we could get something very very close to what he recommended at a reduced price. We are buying their premium planting mix which contains (amongst other things): compost, perlite, sand, manure, pine bark mulch and a starter fertilizer. Buying it in bulk instead of bags, we're getting it for $54 per sq yard. One square yard is enough to fill two 7 inch deep planting beds. I've gotten the first two beds completed, filled with soil and partially planted (not time to plant some of the things alloted to those beds yet). The broccoli has doubled in size in one week. We've got carrots already up in 15 of the 16 sq ft we planted. I'm beginning to wonder if we skipped one sq ft somehow. I've got spinach planted in 12 sq feet, but haven't seen a sign of growth there yet.
I'm only two weeks into this deal at this time, so can't speak for a season's results by any means. But by now, in regular beds on the ground, using existing dirt, we'd have already been pulling weeds and at this point, the only thing growing in those two beds belongs in there.
I just picked up more materials to get more beds built. My building supply dropped a pallet of cinder blocks off yesterday which we'll use for legs on the other beds. I picked up another yard of soil today, so by Monday, we'll have much more stuff planted. We've started a lot of our own sets, so we have lots of stuff that's ready to go into the beds as I get them finished.
I must say, I'm impressed with the ease of caring for things so far. I know I'd have had a lot more effort exerted by this time using my conventional beds on the ground method. We love being able to walk up and have the beds raised so we barely have to bend over to plant. Picking the trellised beans/cukes/whatever will wind up being my chore, since the wife isn't real impressed with being on ladders, LOL. But that's not a problem. We're going to freeze and can a lot of the stuff, so that's why we're planting so many beds. I figure about mid summer she'll be doing more than her share of the labor in the kitchen, which more than makes up for the stuff I do in the garden that she doesn't.
She bought a bunch of herbs and flowers that I have to get beds ready for also.
Nothing like jumping in with both feet, is it?
We're in northeast Texas where summers can get very dry and hot, but having experience gardening in the past, I know which varieties do better around here so I think we'll get through that part of the year fine. I can't wait to see those beds all greened out and stuff climbing trellises and tomatoes ripening on the vine. That's when life gets good!
Rod


gardening_in_va
due_east
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