AboutMike Mascio Expertise I have been an avid gardener since 1985 and an AllExpert volunteer since
1998. I specialize in soil preparation, seed starting and plant
propagation, flowers, vegetables, and general landscaping. I am a strong
advocate of the square foot method of gardening and the use of organic
controls for pests and diseases.
Question 30x30,16x35 area where to put what from A-Z vegetables? Tallest to the west then shortest to east? What about companion planting? How to and where, using the square-foot gardening?
Answer There are two rules of thumb when determining the layout of a garden. They are the size of the plants and their compatibilty.
Always plant your smaller vegetables toward the south side of the garden and your larger ones to the north side. This will prevent the larger plants from shading out the smaller ones.
Next, companion gardening is very important in that certain vegetables tend to deter insects and pests that may infest other vegetables while others tend to actually enhance the growth potential of their companions. An example would be to never plant onions or garlic near beans. For whatever reason, the onions tend to thwart the growth of beans and peas. The same is true for dill near carrots.
For your convenience, I'm including two websites on companion planting. I believe you'll find them interesting.
In regard to square foot gardening, it is simply a method of intensive gardening. The term "square foot gardening" was coined by an American author named Mel Bartholomew who wrote a book under that title.
Quite simply, this method utilizes raised beds which are framed by natural non-rotting wood such as cedar. The beds can be structured anywhere from 2'X4' to 4'X12'.
The advantages to this method are as follows:
1. The soil stays friable since you never walk in the beds.
2. You can harvest many more vegetables since you're planting in blocks instead of rows.
3. The beds are much easier to water since there is no waste between rows. The same holds true for fertilizing.
4. Less weeding since every square foot is dedicated to vegetables.
5. Easier pest control.
6. Rotation of crops is done by bed instead of location.
7. The beds are more aesthetic, and far less work.
8. No tilling each spring.
Here are examples of what can be planted in each square foot:
9 onions, beets beans peas, garlic, or spinach
16 carrots or radishes
4 lettuce, chard, marigolds, or kohlrabi
1 tomato, pepper, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, or corn
1 squash, cucumber, or melon per 2 sq.ft.
This method works well in all parts of the country, and is becoming increasingly popular every year.
I realize this can't begin to explain all that is involved in starting a new garden. That is why I strongly recommend investing in one or two good books on the subject. There are numerous ones on the market, but the two I really recommend are "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew and "The Joy of Gardening". Either can be found on the web or at your local bookstore. Also, feel free to use this forum again should you have any other questions or run into any problems.
Thanks again for writing, and please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
