Square Foot Gardening Vs Row Gardening

Square Foot Gardening Vs. Row Gardening

As winter's icy fingers begin to relinquish their grasp, it is time to start preparing your garden! Whether you have years of experience doing gardening, or are just testing out your green thumb, your garden can be a great success.

According to a study done by the Scarborough Corporation, nearly half of the 164 million homeowners within the United States, spent time working on a garden during the 2011 planting and harvesting season. In addition to people who cultivate their own private garden, many others volunteer at community gardens. You can participate in gardening whether you live in the country or in the city, in a large home, or in a small apartment.

Of course, there are many different gardening methods out there. As you plan your garden, finding out the pros and cons of square foot gardening versus row gardening can help you choose the method that best fits your location, lifestyle, and budget.

Square Foot Gardening

PROS:

If you don't have a lot of available space, square foot gardening is a great choice. You can build your own raised plantar box so that you can cultivate your own veggies on your back porch or balcony. Typically, plantar boxes for square foot gardening are about four feet wide and can be up to about six feet long.

The raised gardening boxes that are used for this gardening method are also great for anyone who has knee or back problems, or who simply doesn't want to spend too much time crawling around on their hands and knees. You can build your gardening boxes right on the ground, or place them on tables or stands for increased convenience.

Raised gardening beds are known for draining much more efficiently than ground gardens, they also help to avoid water and soil run-off. Also, these beds protect your plants from insects, which is also much more conducive to organic gardening because it eliminates the need to use pesticides.

Additionally, square foot gardening does not require nearly the amount of time, the large tools, or intense effort that it does to loosen and prepare soil for a traditional row garden.

Row Gardening

PROS:

As the most traditional form of planting, row gardening has been tried and proven for hundreds of years. There is a great deal of literature available, if you want to learn tips and tricks for this type of gardening.

If you have the available space, row gardening allows you to grow larger quantities of food. This is especially advantageous if you will be sharing food among a number of people, as is the case with community gardening, or if you plan to can, freeze, and otherwise preserve food so that it can be enjoyed throughout the year. Also, all types of plants are able to thrive in this type of setup – including root plants, tomatoes, sprawling vine plants like cucumbers and melons.

The neat, organized rows are also quite visually appealing in this type of gardening. Because there is space between each row, and plants can be spaced evenly, weeding is a lot easier.

For those who have the ability to flood irrigate, row gardening is also a great option. This type of irrigation cuts down on the amount of time that it takes to water, and ensures that the entire garden receives enough water. Drip irrigation is also an option, allowing for water conservation.

CONS:

One of the major detriments to square foot gardening is the initial cost. Not only will you need to buy soil and seeds, but you will also need to invest in the wood to build your plantar boxes and the tools to put them together. When it comes to choosing the right soil, most experts recommend a combination of peat moss, vermiculite and compost. Once everything is said and done, filling a 4×4 foot plantar box with soil can run upwards of $40 – and that's before you even build your boxes or buy your seeds!

Another difficulty that you may run in to is that your boxes may need to be repaired or replaced every few years. Also, the soil should be replenished yearly, again adding to the overall cost of this type of gardening.

These plantar boxes don't work well for all types of vegetables; larger plants such as corn, watermelon, and potatoes may be too cramped to grow well in such a limited area. If you are looking to plant large quantities of food, the initial cost of plantar boxes and soil may not make it a worthwhile endeavor.

CONS:

Not everyone can have a row garden. In fact, space can be a serious issue with this type of gardening, limiting its use in homes with small backyards and completely taking it out of the realm of possibility for many people who live in the city.

Time can also be an issue with row gardening. Because you use the same soil year after year, this type of garden requires that you analyze the soil and add nutrients as needed. As you prepare the soil, you will need to till it and may even need to add nutrients. Once you have finished planting, the work continues. The entire growing season may become a battle against weeds and critters, requiring careful vigilance and many hours of your time and energy.

Because row gardens are much more susceptible to infestations from insects and the spread of disease, they may need to be sprayed with insecticides, herbicides, or other chemicals that limit the presence of unwanted plant or animal life.

And Finally…

Clearly, there is no perfect gardening technique. While square foot gardening seems to be all the rage right now, there are still some incredibly good arguments for row gardening. It really all comes down to the amount of time and space that you have. If you have a lot of land, time and energy to do the work, row gardening may be perfect. On the other hand, if you are looking for a smaller project that requires less work throughout the season, a square foot garden may be right for you.

Which method do you prefer? Vote on your favorite, or share your input by leaving a comment!

Sources:

• http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com/2011/03/row-row-rowyour-garden.html
• http://www.mygardenguide.net/square-foot-gardening.html
• http://www.greenhousemanagementonline.com/greenhouse-management-new-study-home-gardening-statistics.aspx

Square Foot Gardening Vs Row Gardening

Source: https://versusbattle.com/better-for-planting-square-foot-gardening-vs-row-gardening/

Posted by: kellygeression1998.blogspot.com

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