Something for Gardeners to Get Excited About-Square Foot Gardening

Author's Rating:

Pros: Clear, easy to understand text, helpful illustrations, very thorough.

Cons: none worth mentioning

The Bottom Line: 
This may be the only gardening book you need. Great for all size gardens and all types of gardeners.

Author's Review
When I first saw this book I was so excited. My husband thought I was nuts and insisted there was no way you could raise food in those little-bitty squares. I was convinced and I poured over the book, highlighting and marking pages for quick reference.

Basic Summary
For gardening in small spaces and neat, economical gardens, Square Foot Gardening lays out the plan and how to be successful at the method. From basic layouts to tools to planning what and when to plant to going vertical and building structures to transplanting, watering and controlling weeds, pests and diseases, even enjoying the harvest and how to extend the growing seasons... it's all here. There's even a chapter on special gardens for children, patios, rooftops, gourmets, weekend or vacation gardens, wheel chair gardens, waist-high gardens, even indoor and winter gardens and more.

In Depth Summary chapter by chapter

Introduction A new method that's simple and easy. Having been involved in community gardens, the author notes how discouraged many gardeners get after the initial thrill of the begin. So he re-thought the way things were done to come up with a system that people could stick with.
What Is the Square Foot Method? Limiting the size of the garden, based on squares instead of rows, sowing single seeds reducing waste by thinning, this chapter contains the basics of maintenance, and goes through the special techniques of the square foot garden: companion planting, crop rotation, succession planting, and inter-planting.
Garden Sizes and Basic Layouts The author discusses the size of the garden in terms of how long it will take to work and maintain and also in terms of how much harvest you're looking for. He lists what you can get out of one block. It's too much to go through here! But there are 16 items on the list! A sample garden for canning or freezing is mapped out on one page. Six pages of sample gardens follow.
Tools for the Square Foot Garden You'll save money on tools using the square foot method for they are minimal. The chapter is short and this sentence sums it up, "Since everything except the harvest is five to ten times smaller in the square foot garden you can appreciate that few if any tools will be required." I don't want to spoil it for you, but, alright, here's the list: shovel, bucket, and small hand trowel.
Getting Started—Sun, Soil, Drainage, and Location The author discusses location in terms of sun and shade, pointing out how much sun is optimal and what plants will tolerate shade. Then he talks soil, talking about soil structure and compost and how to make it, how to improve your soil with vermiculite and peat moss, understanding pH. There's a handy pH tolerance chart for popular vegetables here. Then he talks fertilizers and how to make your own. He even gives a recipe to make the perfect soil. Finally he talks drainage and location.
Garden Planning—What and When to Plant The author follows the "life" of a simple one-block garden through its calendar of events from setting up a vertical frame to planting (including tips for deciding what to plant) to assigning the garden spaces and a spring indoor seed-starting schedule. Average first and last frost maps are included so you can plan when to plant in your area. A word or two about working with seeds and transplants and labeling methods. The last part is a section for more advanced gardeners. At the end there are six pages of charts for planting spring and summer crops and planting for a continuous harvest. These charts are very well laid out and easy to read with seeds for the plant date, plants for the transplant dates and a little basket for harvest time.
Basic Spacing and Planting Methods Lots of diagrams and pictures illustrate clear instructions on spacing for various plants with special attention to large varieties, extra-large crops, and vertical crops, ending with some basic planting tips.
Vertical Growing What do you do with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and pole beans? Vertical frames! Keeping the fruits off the ground is better for them anyway. Can you use this method for cantaloupes or other heavy fruits? The author says yes. He gives information on pruning and training plants to grow vertically, with individual attention to many specific plants.
Structures to Build The author gives detailed instructions on building a variety of plant protection cages, plant supports, protection from burrowing animals, a sun box, support frames for vertical crops (several designs using different materials to suit many budgets), and a portable planter box.
Starting Plants from Seed What to grow from seed, how to properly store the seed, understanding germination and methods for germination, how and when to plant seeds outdoors, step by step instructions with lots of helpful diagrams and photos.
Transplanting The hows of transplanting with a chart for which way is best for starting which crops: Direct-seed only, direct seed or transplant, or transplant only. Soils and containers are discussed. Hardening-off is explained.
Watering How much and how often and other guides to proper watering. The author explains the watering method for the square foot garden, stressing that you will be conserving water with this garden because of the size and method. He explains mulching and how it helps in conserving water as well.
Controlling Weeds, Pests, and Diseases Setting a goal of weeding just one square often results in weeding more without tiring of the job! The author gives natural methods for the control of cabbage worms, cut-worms, slugs and snails, four-legged invaders (rabbits, woodchucks, and deer) and other pest strategies. He ends this chapter with strategies for getting the most out of your harvest like small harvests daily and how to harvest some crops so that they keep on producing crops. Special attention is given to summer crop harvesting and he even includes tips and a couple recipes for using the harvest. Also some helpful tips on putting up smaller harvests.
Extending the Growing Season The author gives lots of good information on protecting plants from frost, using a sun box to get an early start, storing the fall harvest to last longer fresh and even have a winter garden.
End of Season Activities What to do after the frost has killed all your plants from mulching to planting a cover crop, caring for your tools before storing and record keeping (your personal gardening journal).
Special Gardens A number of specialty gardens are discussed: Children's gardens, a patio garden, a roof-top garden, a gourmet garden, a weekend or vacation garden, a wheel chair garden, a waist-high garden, an indoor garden, a winter garden, an herb garden, an all-lettuce garden, an all-vertical garden, desert gardening, southern gardening, western gardening, short-season gardening in the north. Did he miss anything!?
A Guide to Growing Crops by the Square Foot Method This will be your most used section if you choose to take the plunge into square foot gardening. Each crop is dealt with having an at-a-glance section with botanical information, spacing, growing season with yes or no to each of the four seasons, seed to harvest time, how long you can store the seeds. Next is a diagram of what the crop will look like in a 12 inch by 12 inch square or on a trellis (planting spacings). Then a diagram of when to plant and harvest by weeks before or after spring and fall frosts. A description of the plant and detailed instructions on starting, growing, harvesting, preparing and using, problems, and questions and answers. From beans to tomatoes (zucchini would be under Squash) there are 21 crops in this section.
An index finishes off the book.

What I Liked.
I loved the book the first year I got it and found it to contain a successful method. I didn't follow the author's advice the first year in planning how many blocks. I planted more than he recommended and found it too much to keep up with, so my yield suffered. The next year I cup back and realized the man knew what he was talking about. That year, following his instructions, I was able to eat a complete salad from my own garden on Mother's Day (unheard of in my area).

A case could be made that this is the only gardening book you'll ever need. And that could very well be true! (Though I do have a few others that make good companions, like Carrots Love Tomatoes. The author covers everything very well and it's set forth in a clear, understandable way. The many diagrams and photos are helpful in getting the full picture.

My heart beats fast every time I look through it at the start of a new gardening season. This is a book that will get used year after year if you are a gardening enthusiast.

What I Didn't Like.
In my copy, the captions of the diagrams and photos aren't different enough from the text, causing confusion when reading. Perhaps in newer editions this problem is remedied. Even if not, it is a minor distraction.

Final Thoughts.
If you love gardening or if you're just a beginner who thinks gardening could be rewarding, I highly recommend this book. With prices of everything going higher and higher this is a really good find for anyone trying to find a way to spend less at the grocery store. Square Foot Gardening makes this possible for almost anyone, young or old, able-bodied or wheel-chair bound.

Intended audience adult, young adult gardeners can use
348 pages
Published by Rodale Press
Written by Mel Bartholomew