Seed Planting Quote by Mel Bartholomew

““Did no one ever think, “Let’s just plant a few seeds every 3, 4, or 6 inches?” I guess it took someone outside of the garden industry to think of it. At first, I advocated single seed planting at the proper spacing for that particular plant, but many people found it tedious and even difficult, especially with small, unusually shaped seeds. Besides, as someone once teased me and said, “If a packet of leaf lettuce contains one thousand seeds and I only plant four in each square foot, how old will I be before it is time to buy another packet?” She’ll have to leave her seeds in her will! So back to the drawing board I went. How about just a few seeds in each hole—just a pinch of seeds? After testing this idea with many people and checking their dexterity and ability to pick up just a pinch (two or three seeds), this seemed to be the answer.””

Mel Bartholomew

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Seed Planting

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“After many experiments, I found that three of my favorite ingredients made the perfect mix when combined in equal portions: 1/3 Peat Moss—Available at any garden center or supermarket. 1/3 Vermiculite—Buy the coarse grade in large 4-cubic-foot bags at any garden center or home improvement store. Phone ahead to be sure it’s available in that size. 1/3 Blended Compost—If you…

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“Installing a Vertical Frame MATERIALS To construct a vertical frame, you need: two 5-foot electrical conduit pipes (1/2-inch diameter); one 4-foot conduit pipe (1/2-inch…

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“I recommend, especially at the beginning, that you plant only what you want to eat. Occasionally try something new, of course, but especially at first only grow those vegetables and herbs that you normally eat. Remember, plant each adjoining square foot with a different crop. Why? Here are several reasons: 1. It prevents you from overplanting any one particular item.…

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“Keep in mind that we harvest many of the crops continuously, if possible. For example, a leaf lettuce is not allowed to wait until it forms a large, mature head, but with a pair of scissors and a salad bowl you can continuously trim the leaves from such things as lettuce, chives, beets, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, and even onion…

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“Attaching Vertical Frame Netting To attach the trellis netting to your frame, first hook the netting on the two corners. Next, cut the netting at each connection. This will give you one long strand. (Be careful to cut on the same side of the connecting strand each time.) Loop the long strand over the top of the frame and firmly…

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“The second inexpensive material is wood lath, which is sold in home improvement centers. Believe it or not, they already come 4 feet long with square ends. Sometimes they’re a little crooked, filled with knots, or break easily, so sort through them. But they’re very, very inexpensive—less than a quarter each. Once you lay them out and drill holes at…

Mel Bartholomew

“Through the years I experimented with all different types of materials and frames. Finally, I settled upon one that was so simple, easy, and inexpensive to use that it was almost ridiculous. Then I began growing all different types of plants vertically. I originally thought I would need to design some special way to hold up and accommodate heavier fruits…

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“Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large Think of these plants as if they were shirt sizes. Shirts come in all four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large, and so do our plants. It’s that simple. The extra large, of course, are those that take up the entire square foot—plants like cabbages, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and geraniums. Next are the large…

Mel Bartholomew

“TEN MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ORIGINAL SQUARE FOOT GARDEN METHOD 1. Location—Close to the House 2. Direction—Up, Not Down 3. Soil—Mel’s Mix 4. Box Depth—Only 6 Inches Deep 5. No Fertilizer—You Don’t Need It 6. Easy Access—Above the Ground 7. The Aisles—Comfortable Width 8. The Grids—Prominent and Permanent 9. Novel Idea—Don’t Waste Seeds 10. Expanded Opportunities—Tabletop Gardens”

Mel Bartholomew

“So, let’s review how to figure volume. Volume is merely: area × depth = cubic feet. In other words, square feet (the area) times the depth equals cubic feet. Our 4 × 4-foot box is 16 square feet in area (that’s 4 feet times 4 feet). If it were 1 foot deep, the volume would be: 16 (the area) times…

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“Now that the vertical frame has been constructed, it is time to add something for the plants to grow on. I used to use either special wide-opening fencing or good strong synthetic twine or cord, but then along came this beautiful, soft, indestructible nylon netting with large openings you can reach through. This nylon garden netting is now the only…

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“So, in summary, if plants should be thinned to 12 inches apart, plant one per square foot. If plants should be thinned to 6…

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Seed Planting Quote by Mel Bartholomew

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