Square foot gardening

[willc453]

Always checking out YouTube for prepper/diy videos and came across square foot gardening. Wonder if anyone's doing this and if so, how'd it turn out for you? And anyone already starting to prep their garden/got seeds going in their homes for future planting?

[Rose]

Square foot gardening is a great idea. It takes more of a start up cost up front, and the mix can be expensive if you decide to do it just as it's described, but overall the concept of 4'x8' raised plots densely planted works well. Some crops, like squash, need more sprawling space and do well in the old fashioned mounds.

This past winter we used IBC totes cut in half to plant in our greenhouse. They are available on Craigslist for cheap, and their (almost) 4'x4' size make them really manageable.

The spinach did well. We were planning on putting in an aquaponics system, but the cost became too much for our budget. I have a friend whose 8'x12' greenhouse produces year round in Reno. If you are going to do a square foot or a greenhouse I'd recommend that you start off small and manageable before putting too much money into a large production.

~Good luck!

[willc453]

Never heard of anyone (on YouTube) using the IBC totes.  Are you using the full or half sized totes and how about some photos when things start turning green?

Know one guy who is raising fish/chickens/rabbits. (non prepper that I know of) He's got fish growing in a large, square pond on his front deck and using the fish poop to get an early start on growing veggies via hydroponics.

Was told you can get a truck load of cow poop in Fernley for $10. It's all dried out and apparently chopped up so it's in pellets. And if anyone's looking for wood chips for ground cover, there's a constant ad for it on Craigslist. It's free and they'll deliver in Reno/Sparks. Haven't checked if they'll go far north as Sun Valley.

Nephew works in a casino kitchen and he's going to start getting me a bunch of 5 gallon pickle buckets with lids. Going to try growing potatoes in them. If I get extra buckets, anyone want any?