To calculate how many 4’x4’ gardens you will need Mel recommends using this guide:ġ 4’x4’ will make one adult’s salad every day of the growing seasonġ 4’x4’ will make one adult’s daily supper veggiesġ 4’x4’ will provide extra vegetables for one adult for giving away or preservingġ 3’x3’ will make one child’s salad every day of the growing seasonġ 3’x3’ will make one child’s daily supper veggiesġ 3’x3’ will provide extra vegetables for one child for giving away or preserving How Many Gardens Do You Need For Your Family? Mel recommends blending commercial compost by using 4-5 different types of bagged compost (or you can use your own compost).Ģ) Hardly any weeding since soil used is weed seed free.ħ) Conserves seeds (less thinning since you plant less seeds)Ĩ) No fertilizer (the blended compost supplies all the needed nutrients). Normally the raised bed is 6, 9 or 12” deep and filled with Mel’s special soil mix of 1/3 sphagnum peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 blended compost. Different plants are grown in each square. When one square is harvested it can easily be replanted. The bed is divided into 16 equal squares by making a grid out of 4’ long wood laths. Square foot gardening uses a 4’x4’ raised bed. Picture: Chesnok Red garlic bulbs nestle with tomatoes and peppers. This popular gardening method was developed by a gardener who didn’t like to weed, Mel Bartholomew.

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