Good Friday was planting day at the Not So Seekrit Lair! This year I am being really intentional on my planting and tracking data. I have a Google Sheet set up and if you’re interested in seeing that, drop me a comment and I’ll share it with you.
A little about the square foot gardening method!
Square Foot Gardening replaces traditional rows with a grid of 1×1 foot squares. It focuses on intensive planting in a small footprint. With the oval shape of my beds, I have 14 grids per bed. Each square holds a specific number of plants based on their size:
It offers quite a few advantages, but here are my favorites:
- Natural Weed Control: Dense planting shades out weeds.
- Succession Planting: When a square is harvested, immediately replant it with a different crop to refresh the soil and deter pests.
- Climate Protection: Because the beds are smaller, they’re easier to protect from wind, frost, or intense sun.
Wave 1 Planting Day and the Bed Breakdown!
The three raised 8x2x1 metal beds I installed recently are called Beds C, D, and E.
Beds C, D, & E (The New 8×2 Metal Beds)
- Bed C: I’m holding four squares for the broccoli and cabbage starts in the greenhouse. I also planted two squares of bunching onions, and alternated squares of Wasabi radishes and Royal Purple radishes.
- Bed D: I held four squares for Brussels sprouts that will be transplanted from the greenhouse and put in Oxheart carrots, Golden Detroit beets, and Avalanche white beets.
- Bed E: I planted just one row in this one, alternating squares of Chioggia beets and New Kuroda carrots.
Taking a tip from the BSE, I bought this netting that has drawstrings to pull tight around the bottom. It looks a little DIY now, but once plants begin growing that extra netting will be helpful. It’s very fine mesh, and today’s torrential rains will get through, no problem.
You know what WON’T get through? Deer, birds, rabbits, and squirrels.
The standing planter is right behind Bed C. I planted Dwarf Siberian kale, Tennis Ball lettuce, Little Gem lettuce (MY FAVORITE!), and Giant Noble spinach.
Beds A & B (The OG 8×4 Planters)
Bed B: Bed B is the asparagus and strawberry permanent bed. I put in 40 bare root strawberries a couple weeks ago. ***Bargain Alert*** The strawberry bare root plants at Sam’s Club are legit at $14 for 40 of them. I soaked them the night before I planted in the house and they are THROWING up leaves!
Bed A: Trellises are up! I trench-planted Golden Snow and Royal Snow peas. Trench planting is just making a groove and playing the peas about halfway up the groove. It gives good root support to these climbing wonders. I’ll put another trench in on April 25. This mix of peas makes a Mardi Gras effect with the purple and yellow pods and the green leaves. There will be photos when those are popping!
Starting Seeds in the Costco Greenhouse
With the outdoor work done, I went into the greenhouse to start seeds for eventual transplant, rotating into the raised beds.
Tomatoes:
- Ace 55 – this heirloom is one of my favorites.
- San Marzano – the CLASSIC paste tomato.
- Spoon Mini cherry – I was shopping at Schuring Greenhouse (opening end of April!) a few years back and struck up a conversation with an employee. She talked about these tiny little tomatoes she grew up with, and wished she could find them. I did, and mailed her a pack! These are going in hanging baskets in the greenhouse.
- Midnight Snack cherry – a good pal from the PNW gave me these and they are beautiful and very, very tasty
- Gardener’s Delight – I don’t know how I ended up with so many cherry tomatoes. These will go in a pot on the porch.
Eggplant and peppers:
- Black Beauty eggplant – baba ghanoush. Enough said.
- Santa Fe Grande peppers – colorful and just a tiny bit sparky!
- Purple Beauty bell peppers – because why not pick a peck of purple peppers?
I had pots of carrots, spinach, and kale on the shelves, and I moved those onto the paver porch in front of the greenhouse to take advantage of today’s deluge.
Second wave planting is set for April 25! Subscribe and get that post first!
