Hey everyone! I'm a total newbie to square foot gardening and I'm super excited to dive in now that I've got a nice backyard! I've been reading Mel's book and using a planter app, but I have a bunch of questions before I get things rolling:
1. Do most people stick to Mel's mix, or are there other effective alternatives?
2. The book says vining tomatoes only need one square, but my app suggests four. This is crucial since more squares mean a larger garden for me! Also, do I need a traditional tomato cage, or is a trellis sufficient?
3. Is it a bad idea to plant two different tomato varieties next to each other? What about mixing tomatoes with peppers?
4. I'm really worried about rabbits; they're everywhere around here! I plan to plant marigolds but am also considering making my bed two feet high. Has anyone tried the wire cage method from the book, and how does that work with trellised plants?
5. How tricky is it to trellis watermelon and cantaloupe?
6. If I want to trellis on two sides due to limited space, should I put one side on the north, east, or west? My backyard faces mostly north with a bit of east.
Sorry for all the questions! I just really want to do this right. Thanks!
2 Answers
Tomatoes can definitely take up a lot of space. They tend to get bushy, so having some space in between helps avoid disease and makes harvesting easier. Honestly, if you want to stick with just one tomato per square, it means staying on top of its growth for a single vine. Some folks, like me, go for less hassle and just use containers instead!
I've mixed my garden soil a bit and had great success without strictly following Mel’s recipe. I used a local landscape mix for the bottom and topped it off with compost and peat moss. As for tomatoes and peppers, just keep them apart; mixing different tomato varieties might lead to hybrid tomatoes, which can be tricky. And for trellising melons, I've tied mine up with panty hose for support—works like a charm!
Thanks for sharing! So, is there really a concern with different tomato types crossing? I’d prefer to keep them in the same garden but apart.
That panty hose trick sounds creative! I'll definitely give that a try for my watermelons.
Good to know! I didn’t realize they could spread that much. I guess I'll plan for a bigger garden then!