We liked it and we're still using it. This method is simple and really allows you to plant more in less space.
We got great benefits out of his system. Some of these benefits are as follow:
- We were able to increase our area of gardening because we just built boxes pretty much anywhere in our garden; even in area where we were not planting before.
- It's easier to water the "boxes" because we can go around a lot easier than with a traditional gardening area.
- It's easier to rotate vegetables and flowers and have more flexibility. We even emptied one of the boxes and saved the rich soil. We stored the box and will use it again next year. You can't move a traditional garden like that.
- Other benefits can be found in his book: Square Foot Gardening Book
We did learn a few things that were not in the book. This is what we've learned from our experience:
- It's hard to find large bags of vermiculite. By trying to follow Mel's system, we ended up with a good quantity of Peat Moss left over. It's easier just to buy an already mixed formula. Companies are now making good mixes with similar ingredients as Mel recommends. The best we've found was by Miracle Grow. It's rich in compound and has all the ingredients you need. It worked just as well in one of our boxes.
- Mel said "weed is no problem"...because weed doesn't grow in Peat Moss and vermiculite. True, but.. Weed will come from under your box and invade your Square Foot Garden if you do not put a very good plastic weed barrier under the box. We just stapled it to the bottom of the box. We've used the regular mesh like weed barrier and it was not good enough. The soil is rich in that box and the weed wants it too.
- Mel said not to use treated wood because of the chemicals not good for plants. We found out that it's best to go ahead and paint the wood before you build the box. This is something we'll do next time. That garden box gets exposed to elements and gets water almost daily. As a result, it starts looking not so attractive after a while. Paint it if you're not getting treated wood.
- The divider grid that really makes the box a SFG (square foot garden) is not a bad idea. I like it. My wife does not like it. She thinks it's not that necessary. She is usually right. Either way is fine with me. But! Mel's point is valid. Read the book and you'll see why.
So, there you have it. Our experience with Mel's SFG. Share your experience if you've used this system.
