Reddit reviews All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space

We found 35 Reddit comments about All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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35 Reddit comments about All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space:

u/HayZues1 · 25 pointsr/DIY

Great work!

I put in several similar beds last spring as well. I've been gardening for nearly a decade now, but this is my first year doing raised beds using Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot method. I plan to dabble in some permaculture techniques eventually.

I can't say enough about the Square foot gardening if you want to maximize the yield in smaller spaces. I grew 8 tomatoes using the described method--1 plant per square foot--and several others using my previous method of "let 'em bush out like mad".

For larger indeterminate tomatoes, I'll never go back to the bush growing ways. The bush method works best for determinate and small tomatoes like cherries or grapes. For the square foot method the idea is to build an 8ft tall trellis and train them vertically. Pinch all suckers off once or twice weekly, which results in a single vertical stem/vine per plant rather than a giant tomato bush.

You'll get less yield per plant, but considerably higher yield per square foot of space. Tomatoes grown this way ripen quickly, and entire sets of fruit ripen together. The fruit is more uniform and less likely to be damaged by pests, and it's dramatically easier to harvest. It takes a bit more management to keep them pruned and trained, but it's well worth it come harvest time. I can't suggest it enough.

The square foot method isn't as great for some other veggies, however. Brassicae (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc) need way more than 1 sq foot per plant. Want to grow squash or melon? Better dedicate an entire bed to it. I was shocked at how well it works for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, salad greens, herbs, etc though.

u/Rude_Buddha_ · 17 pointsr/DIY

All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yZ8LBbKQCG5AP

u/dave9199 · 11 pointsr/preppers

u/spudseyes · 8 pointsr/gardening

That's him. And I've been informed it's 10 years since I set this garden up using his book.

www.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536030570&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=all+new+square+foot+gardening+2nd+edition&dpPl=1&dpID=61WJIemI

u/Jackson3125 · 6 pointsr/gardening

Ooh! Ooh! This sounds fun. I put some time into this when I should have been working, so I hope it helps.

1) Pruners - $20.49

This will be your most used tool. Eventually, you can upgrade into Felcos or Bahcos, but right now just get these Coronas. They're honestly a better size for hobby gardeners (fit right in your pocket), and the're very high quality for the price.

2) Your First Gardening Book - $17.06

Gardening Without Work by Ruth Stout. It's simple and gives you a general plan that really does work very well. It's a must for beginning gardeners, imho. You can find just about any other information you need on the internet (for now). Very little maintenance required, including fertilizing, weeding, applying pesticides, etc. (In a nutshell, the main step involves putting down an 8" layer of mulch...).

If you want to go with a more traditional raised bed setup, you should buy Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening. It's a fantastic back yard gardening book, as well, but the methods are kind of pricey and less sustainable. Still, it's a great system for growing a lot of food in limited space and it was the first book I used.

3) Indestructible Garden Trowel - $15.99

This will be your second most used tool. This particular model is about as indestructible as it gets short of this bad boy. You'll use it for digging holes for transplanting, mostly. Don't buy a cheap one or it will bend or break or both.

4) Fertilizer - $7.83 + $11.06 = $24.26

I chose cottonseed meal because that's what Ruth Stout recommends using (the rest of the nutrients in her system come from the giant mounds of mulch). Apply as she indicates.

I also added some Fish Emulsion Liquid Fertilizer because I love the stuff. It's a great way to add some extra nitrogen (and just a little P & K) mid season to your veggies or even to your compost pile when it gets carbon heavy. The stuff I have right now stinks, but the plants love it and it's easy to apply if you have a watering can.

Make sure you tailor your fertilizer to whatever system you're using, though. Don't fertilize like Ruth if you're not using her mulch based system. If you're using Square Foot Gardening, you won't be fertilizing at all, but you will be using lots of peat, vermiculite, and (different kinds of) compost. Etc, etc, etc.

5) Work Gloves - $10.97

These are specifically for women, but there's a button to switch to men's if that's you. You won't wear them all the time, but you'll be happy you have them when you need them. Notice that this comes with 6 pairs of gloves. I misplace gloves all the time, so having several is handy (hehe).

__

Total: $88.77

Notes:

Save the rest for now. You're inevitably going to become enamored with something like earthworm casings, azomite, or a nozzle for your gardening hose down the line. Your future self will thank you for having some extra cash to buy it with, and this is plenty to get you started on your way to being a badass backyard gardener.
The two above methods claim to be mostly pest free. In my experience, nothing is pest free, and you just need to grow enough quantity to weather the storm when it does randomly come. I would just concentrate on growing healthy plants first and foremost and then let the chips fall where they may. You might turn to pesticides later, and that's fine, but hold off on buying any until you know what is nibbling on your plants. Most pesticides are specific to the pest.
Notice that I don't include any seeds. Your first year of gardening, I'd honestly recommend just buying live plants from your local nursery (and sticking to plants bred to survive in your region). Growing from seed can be hard, and your entire crop of seedlings dying is a humbling experience, I can assure you.

The other reason there are no seeds on my list is because I don't recommend buying them on Amazon. I've had bad experiences every time I've tried it. If you need seeds, go with a good seed dealer, like Johnny's Selected Seeds, Burpee, etc, or find a good nursery in your area.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

_____

TL;DR: Pruners, a book to get you started, a durable trowel, fertilizer that is specific to your growing plan, and some gloves. Enjoy!

u/uliarliarpantsonfire · 5 pointsr/gardening

Ah I see. Well here are some things on my list, I think it's different from gardener to gardener.

seed starter with heat

Kevlar sleeves for prickly plants and tomatoes that make me itch

seed stamp for planting

square foot gardening book

knee pads

garden clogs

gloves I go through gloves like crazy!

plant markers

gardening set just some basic tools

bucket organizer

of course there are lots of other things that you might want like seeds, tomato cages, kits for building your own raised beds they are all available from amazon, so it really depends on what you like and want to grow. I don't know if this helps you any? Maybe plan out your garden and what you want to grow then you'll know what you need?

u/shillyshally · 4 pointsr/gardening

Square Foot Gardening.

Whoa! One or the other. One of the biggest reasons people drop out of gardening as a hobby is that they start with too much - too big a plot, too ambitious a plan. Start small.

u/fidelitypdx · 3 pointsr/preppers

"All New Square Foot Gardening" book by Mel Bartholomew.

I own a business doing gardening consulting, training, and installs. The Square Foot Garden technique is simply the best and easiest and the methodology behind it brain-dead-simple. Any time I'm at a prepper fair I'm the guy hanging out with the old ladies in the "grow your own food!" booth, have a gay old time chatting it up about azaleas and squash.

If you want simple and results for cheap there is not another technique out there and this one book covers everything. I have not yet come across a use-case where the SFG was not the best for a gardening beginner. There are advanced techniques to gardening not covered in this book, but this book is the golden ticket.

Note: the old ladies also recommend this book.

u/jfish26101 · 3 pointsr/gardening

My wife bought square foot gardening and has been getting decent results playing around the last couple years. We’ve had tomatoes, kale, spinach, cucumbers, squash, eggplant...bunch of herbs, micro greens, etc. built 2 3X9 beds from materials purchased at Home Depot and pretty much followed that guys advice.

Edit: She says we are like 7A/6B so should be similar. The only thing that failed was corn because we didn’t have enough space to plant enough to make it work.

u/lasttycoon · 3 pointsr/gardening

https://www.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

u/Booby_Hatch · 3 pointsr/gardening

I have to also recommend the Square Foot Gardening book, mostly for all it has to offer someone who is kind of starting with the basics. Once I read that I then branched off to various web sites, including reddit. MIGardener, while in Michigan and not at all your climate or mine, has tons of videos on youtube that are great for the beginner. If you follow him on Facebook you'll get a notification when he puts up a new video on youtube (though he has enough now you could lose a whole weekend watching them). He also just started selling seeds for $0.99, so if you're looking for an online seller, there you go.
My first garden, a 4' x 4' raised bed, was done strictly according to the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method. I learned so much that first season about timing, soil, watering, etc., and even had some very successful veggies! My second season didn't go so well but that had nothing to do with what I had or hadn't learned. This is my third season and I've started several plants inside, ready to put them into my garden in a month or so. I will still be using all that I learned from my SFG book though I have a better idea of what plants I can crowd more than he recommends. Regardless, the book is still vital reference material for me. I even consulted it Saturday night for some seedling information.
For the existing plants, you might want to google them specifically (ie, 'pruning rosemary' or 'caring for my rosemary bush'). I got a ruled notebook and made one page per veggie/fruit that I was interested in and noted the information I found that was specifically important to me. The other stuff just kind of lays dormant in your brain until you get more involved in gardening and then it just pops out when needed! Good luck and enjoy! (I too plant tomatoes though I don't care for them much, unless in pico de gallo. I started 8 different types this season because it's so fun to watch them grow!!)

https://smile.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486443200&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=square+foot+gardening

u/HomeGrownFood · 3 pointsr/preppers

Hi, I ran a garden consulting business for several years and worked with a number of preppers.

The one book you want is called The Square Foot Garden, it allows you to maximize the space you have available. One 4'x4'x6" is capable of pulling out hundreds of pounds of produce if you follow the instructions.

All of this is worthless information unless you start learning gardening in your free time.

There's definitely some community gardens in your area. Either ran by a community college, church group, or gardening group. You need to start volunteering there, or be willing to start your own garden. You can start a high potential Square Foot Garden for about $150.

Everyone's first garden is going to have a lot of failures. It takes a few years of growing to really get the hang of it.

You wouldn't go out and buy an airplane for SHTF without taking some time to learn how to fly it. It would be a disaster if you never started the engine and now you're flipping through a manual trying to learn how to fly. The same is true with gardening. Only practical experience is useful.

u/laurenkk · 3 pointsr/SquareFootGardening

All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0BXJAbCB1CWG0

u/tasty_pathogen · 2 pointsr/Frugal

Since you say that you live in a rural area do you live in a house with a yard? One really good way of saving money on food is to start a garden. Gardening is a skill that is fun and can be learned. It is also a fun hobby. If you use the raised bed method then there is almost no maintenance work needed once you have it all set up. Another popular method is Square Foot Gardening. If you use permaculture methods then there is no need to constantly buy fertilizer.

From September to November we will be spending $0 on buying fruit. The apple and pear trees from the community garden provides all the fruit we need for this period. All you can eat pears and apples does get a bit boring after a while though. We have enough winter squash to last us into next year.

Our community garden patch is 30x30 feet. We don't grow food on all of it. It supplies most of our vegetables during the fall.

We kind of overdid it on the Swiss Chard this year. Been eating way to much of that stuff. The beets were nice this year as well. (Don't forget that you can eat beet greens.) Still eating the potatoes from the fall harvest. Hopefully they will last till Christmas but I'm not sure. The New Zealand spinach was nice as well. The yellow zucchini was really nice. The tomatoes were wonderful.

u/brwalkernc · 2 pointsr/AdvancedRunning

We did raised beds when we lived in town. Check out the book All New Square Foot Gardening. Lots of good info in there.

u/gumbystruck · 2 pointsr/gardening

Baker Creek Herloom seeds has a very useful website. Under all of their plants they have reviews. Also if you go to their Facebook page they have a guy named Matt that teaches a lot about gardening on their live feeds. Also a good starter book that I enjoyed just staring out was [square foot gardening ](All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xoHRybVDJT2Y6)
And The [Vegetable Gardener's Bible ](The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition: Discover Ed's High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions: Wide Rows, Organic Methods, Raised Beds, Deep Soil https://www.amazon.com/dp/160342475X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fpHRybBXSA45A) if you have any gardening questions you can PM if you would like and I would love to help.
Also I'll compile a list of my favorite resources for gardening.

u/terahz · 2 pointsr/gardening

Here is a good starter book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591865484
You can use this method for small containers that you put on your balcony.

And a good reference book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1603424768

Good luck!

u/solid_reign · 2 pointsr/rooftopgardens

Can you be more specific?
Plants depend on the climate, season, soil depth, companion planting, sun and shadow availability. Planting in a rooftop doesn't affect that. I'm in Mexico City, so I can plant most plants during most of the year.

You can use this map to find your hardiness zone (if it's Vienna, which I'm guessing from your history, it's zone 6). And use a hardiness zone planting guide:
http://veggieharvest.com/calendars/zone-6.html
http://www.almanac.com/plants/hardiness-zone/6

As for cultivation techniques, with limited space you should be looking at intensive gardening techniques:
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/intensive.html

I'd go for square foot gardening, it's nice and simple.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear, or if you were looking for something else.

u/bruceOf · 2 pointsr/collapse

Just start small and you will learn a little more each season. I started last year in pretty much the same place, with a square foot garden. Ordered some seeds from a seed library local to my region. I was shocked that anything at all came up from those seeds! I grew a huge crop of the most beautiful and wonderful simple vegetables in two 4x4 boxes. (cucumbers, tomatos, lettuce, carrots). Some sort of beatle attacked all of my green beans. And the lettuce grew quick in the early spring but most of it rotted in the ground because who can eat that much lettuce! Now I try to share the excess.. I ended up giving away bags and bags of cucumbers on craigs list and made my very first batch of homeade tomato sauce at the end of summer! This year we added a compost bin and a third box. We are flush with radishes right now - which come up super quick :) http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1464224162&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=square+foot+garden

u/CodenameWalrus · 2 pointsr/gardening

Well, four that I can think of off the top of my head would have to be:

The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
All New Square Foot Gardening
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible

Also, here's a channel on YouTube that has an ENDLESS amount of organic gardening information. GrowingYourGreens

u/boccelino · 2 pointsr/news

>growing my own food

You say that like it's a bad thing! Growing our own food is one of the most powerful things regular people can do to help break the vile corporate stranglehold we find ourselves locked into. You'd be surprised how much food you can grow in a relatively small space, with relatively little effort. This book and its associated Wikipedia entry outline a good method.

u/Stoicdadman · 1 pointr/daddit

Thanks! Its a great project that can teach alot and just keeps giving. Its an 80/20 thing. How to get 80% of a full size garden in 20% of the space with minimum effort. The guy who wrote the book on it, Mel Barthlolmew was an engineer who specialized in efficiency...So he does a pretty good job, though the book reads goofy AF.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1591865484/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1525897028&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=square+foot+gardening+book+by+mel+bartholomew

u/seedsofchaos · 1 pointr/homestead

We were using reclaimed barn wood for most of them until the wood fell apart. I think it was mostly 2x8s and 2x6s. There were a couple of 2x12s that we were lucky enough to find and grow some carrots in last year. With raised beds, I love to recommend starting with square foot gardening if you've never done it before because it teaches you so much about soil preparation and maximizing space... Plus the book is a fun read: https://smile.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1525783437&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=square+foot+gardening+book+by+mel+bartholomew

u/scififan444 · 1 pointr/gardening

These are some of my favorites:

Crockett's Victory Garden - There are also versions for flowers and lawns as well as the main garden one. It's organized by month and has lots of special chapters on different skills or tools or general information.
Square Foot Gardening - It's written as a persuasive piece, but it's got good information on all different kinds of vegetables and explains the square foot method. Even if you don't use the method itself, the ideas in general can be useful.
Backyard Herb Garden - This is an older book, but it's got a lot of helpful specific information on different herbs and ideas for growing them.
Kitchen Garden for Beginners - It's not a perfect book, but I think it did a great job giving an overview of different gardening methods, plants and issues you might face.
Vertical Gardening - This one is more specific, but all the trellis designs were fun and very helpful.
Storey Country Wisdom Bulletins - These are nice little pamphlets ($4 on Amazon) on different plants (ie. tomatoes, peppers, strawberries) or topics (ie. fixing your soil or building a fence) that are pretty useful for gardening. Also they had some ideas that were new to me.
Garden Primer - This one is also a good overview. And seems to be popular it covers general garden topics and has information about specific vegetables.
The New Self Sufficient Gardener - It's got a lot of good general information, awesome illustrations, background explanation and information on specific vegetables.

In terms of location specific information, as someone who recently moved half way across the country, your best off looking up the Extension website for where your living to find information on suggested varieties, new pests you might encounter, soil types and things like that.

u/ta1901 · 1 pointr/gardening

I will be planting cilantro and lettuce from seed shortly. I'm in Michigan zone 6a.

*****

Get the book "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. Now read it and try to understand some basic concepts, like when to plant certain plants, how much to fertilize, when to water, etc.

Basic concepts.

Some plants/veggies like cooler weather, like lettuce, cilantro, broccoli. That is, highs of 70F max. Some like warmer weather. Melons, cukes, and squash go nuts when it's 85F plus. But they need a lot of water when they get dry. Know which is which. Plant cooler plans in the spring.
Most plants, if they make fruit (beans, squash, zucchini, cukes, peppers, tomatoes, etc) need lots of sun. But if it's sunny AND too hot (say highs in 95F+) then they might suffer damage. Most warm weather plants are fine if the temps hit 90F if just for a few days. But keep them watered.
Read directions on seed packet when planting.
Only buy seeds/plants that you will eat. It's fun to grow your own lettuce but you might get tired of all the grit that just won't wash off.
Water the plant if it's wilting. My rule: all plants get watered every day it hits 80F. Check plants every day. Make this your #1 priority and you will do fine. Many people forget to water and the plants die.
You will have pests. Consult your book for solutions, or come here.

Stuff that's easy to grow.
Cool weather: cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower.
Warm weather: basil, dill, rosemary, other herbs.
Warm weather: cucurbits (squash, melons, cukes, zucchini). WARNING: vines of curcurbits will normally go 15-20ft or more. Make sure you have the space for their vines.

DO NOT GROW THESE. They spread terribly.
Oregano.
Any kind of mint.

u/salziger · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I have a zoology degree too so that's a fantastic major :) Part of getting my degree included taking a Parasitology class. We had to do a lab about tapeworms, which meant extracting tapeworms from the intestines of a critter (don't want to go into too much detail...). The next day during lecture, our professor came in with a thermos and proceeded to scoop out long, white, stringy tapeworms, then EAT THEM! The whole class was freaking out when he started giggling and told us they were Ramen noodles. It was a class I will never forget no matter how much I'd like to!
Most wonderful time
Best of luck to you in your studies!
In the school of life, I'm trying to learn more about gardening. This book would help me in my studies and to be a more efficient gardener. Thank you for the contest :)

u/sunpoprain · 1 pointr/gardening

This is an amazing book for learning what can fit where. Remember that it is more for advanced gardeners so start small. Use it as a guide on long term plans.

This is a great guide to low-cost or free soil creation/amendment It also has a great guide to growing almost every veggie/herb. It works amazingly as a substitution for the very expensive recommended soil in This great guide to planting closer together to avoid weeds

Some ideas for reducing water usage:

Sub-Irrigation (there are a great many ways to do this, this is just one)

Hugelkultur Looks like shit but creates an amazing wood "sponge" under your gardens. After 2 years you pretty much don't need to water again (if done correctly). You also get a constant stream of nutrients from the wood breaking down. It is possible to "contain" hugelkultur beds to create more of a "I mean to do this!" order so people don't think you are just piling shit up everywhere.

u/soccermomjane · 1 pointr/gardening

a good way to get into vegetable gardening is to try square foot gardening. you do not have to use a fancy raised bed, it can be made with cinderblocks but the methods are great for a beginner since it is all outlined in this book. Mel Bartholomew has a proven method that is easy to follow and does not require much in the way of supplies other than soil and seeds.

u/itsrattlesnake · 1 pointr/DIY

It looks great, but I have criticism:

It'll be a bitch cutting grass around it. Even with a weedeater, those interior angles will be hard to get cleanly cut.
I really like the square foot gardening approach to raised beds and this makes that much more complicated.

u/pneradactyll · 1 pointr/gardening

Square foot gardening is a game changer. Your local library will have a copy, and it's a quick read. A very small square foot garden plot (which you have space for) fed 2 of us all season.

u/tripleione · 1 pointr/gardening

If you're looking for a vegetable gardening book, my favorite one is Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. It's got everything you need to know about successfully starting and growing a basic vegetable garden from scratch.

I think the best part about this book is that the methods explained in it are pretty much a fool-proof way of growing great plants the very first time. As you gain more first-hand experience, you can start to add, remove or tweak things that make will improve your garden even more.

u/cjrobe · 1 pointr/gardening

http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Edition/dp/1591865484

u/thomas533 · 1 pointr/urbanfarming

>Really, I want mini donkeys more than anything but fear we don't have quite enough space.

If you were only getting the donkeys, and were willing to devote the whole property to them, I'd say you had enough space, but with everything else you want to do, I think you would end up having to confine the donkey to a smaller area than would be good for them. Goats don't need as much space, but they are going to be hard to contain.

And don't try to do too much at once. I started with bees, and I'm really glad I didn't try to do chickens at the same time. It would have been too much to manage. I've now had the chickens for over a year, and I finally have a good system down, so I think I will be able to add something new next year.

Get a copy of Gaia's Garden and Square Foot Gardening. That will be enough to get you started.

u/invertedjenny · 1 pointr/gardening

Second what u/GrandmaGos says. Companion planting is mostly folklore. I do a little of it myself but I always plant my rosemary with carrots, lavender next to onions, and basil with tomatoes. But it also attracts pollinators which is important.

My mom had a community garden for a large group of kids in a local summer day camp program. Our favorites were strawberries and carrots. Most kids hated veggies and growing their own and seeing how sweet home-grown carrots were made a huge impression on a lot of kids.

For reading, I recommend Raised Bed Revolution, I got some really great plans from that book that look very nice. I also like Square Foot Gardening if you haven't read that already.

Since its a library you're at, is there anyway for the summer you could have little garden craft classes for the kids? That could be fun and keep them interested / invested. Have crafts like painting stones with the names of all the plants for plant markers. Learn about local wildflowers to attract pollinators?

u/KyleG · 0 pointsr/gardening

He's pulling those proportions and ingredients directly from this book: http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Edition/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1374074184&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=square+foot+gardening