Grow More Vegetables in Less Space

by Lydia Holley July 3, 2023

Henderson County Master Gardeners Association (HCMGA) will host Master Gardener Susan Skommesa on Thursday, July 13, 6:00 p.m, at The Library at Cedar Creek Lake, 410 E. Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points, TX. Skommessa will present “Intensive Gardening the Square Foot Gardening Way.” This presentation is a part of HCMGA’s Summer Series. It is free and open to the public.

Are you interested in growing vegetables but have a limited amount of space? Do you want to plant seeds without having to go back and thin out the extra? Do you want to plant according to the mature size of the plant, without having any waste? Are you wanting to get as many vegetables as possible out of every inch of your garden? If you said yes to any of these, you may want to consider growing vegetables using the square foot gardening method.

Mel Bartholomew started the square foot gardening method. It is a simple concept. Take your garden and divide it into squares. Make certain you can reach across to the middle section for easier weeding. Plant seeds in each square. The number of seeds in each one will depend upon the mature size of the plant.

Bartholomew also recommended using specific ingredients for the soil. Skommesa will go over both the soil recipe and how to easily divide your garden into squares during the presentation. The current president of HCMGA, Skommesa has been growing vegetables using the square foot gardening method for many years. She can give you information on which vegetables can be planted with this method, the number of seeds for each vegetable in each square, the plants you may want to grow on the corners of the beds, and the average amount of vegetables you will harvest from each square. This will help you determine how many squares per vegetable you need to grow depending upon your family’s size.

Skommesa will share photos of her garden and you will be amazed at the abundance she harvests from such a small space. That is the beauty of the square foot gardening method. As Skommesa says, “How much can you grow in one square foot? More than you think!”

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].