- ISBN13: 9781591862024
- Shape up: NEW
- Notes: Brаnd Nеw frοm Publisher. Nο Remainder Mаrk.
Product Description
Dο уου know whаt thе best feature іѕ іn All Nеw Square Foot Farming? Sure, thеrе аrе ten nеw features іn thіѕ аll-nеw, updated book. Sure, іt’s even simpler thаn іt wаѕ before. Of course, уου don’t hаνе tο worry аbουt compost οr poor soil еνеr again bесаυѕе уου′ll bе growing above thе ground. Bυt, thе best feature іѕ thаt “anyone,” “everyplace” саn delight іn a Square Foot garden. Family, adults wіth limited mobility, even perfect novices саn achieve spectacular … More >>
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve square-foot gardened for a number of years (mostly following the statutes of Mel’s original book), and last season, upon moving to a new house, I made raised beds based on Mel’s all-new method in this book. My thoughts almost exactly match those of reviewer S. L. Hutchison in his May 19, 2006 Amazon user review of this book entitled “Great concept but keep in mind…” It’s a review worth reading.
The two things I would add to Hitchison’s review are:
1. In many ways this “All New” book lacks a lot of the scope and detail of the original book. The old book seemed a bit more balanced and complete in the range of specific plants discussed, for instance. While I now follow the “rules” of this new book, I occasionally refer back to the old book for specific plant info, etc., not included in the new book. If you can buy a cheap used copy of the original book along with this new one, I don’t think you’ll regret it.
2. The editing on this new book was lacking. Some of the information is redundant, and some information in the planting charts is obviously incorrect–information “copied and pasted” into the wrong plant’s section, etc. Nothing that will ruin your garden, but enough to leave me feeling cautious about the info. in the book as I read onward.
All in all, I like Mel’s improvements to square-foot gardening, and I’m very glad he has written this book.
Rating: 4 / 5
I rarely buy books, to be honest–it’s a matter of money + space – great library = few purchases. However, I have bought several copies of this book because this method is superb: it’s neat, it’s clean, it’s extremely–and I mean extremely–easy to manage. This is–by far–the easiest, best-laid out, user-friendly books I have EVER seen, complete with charts, pictures of each step–you name it. And personally, as a frugalholic, I love a book where someone who doesn’t have to worry about cost remembers that other people do–Mel writes this for the frugal at heart complete with LOTS of money-saving tips!!! This book is SO thoughtful it even carries a plan for rooftop gardening and handicap accessibility! It is well worth your money even if you choose another method like lasanga or traditional rows (but why??? My goodness–never again!!!)
It calls for you to–basically–container garden in a four by four foot space and unlike the original square foot method, you do NOT have to til.
Repeat: no tilling. That should cause you to one-click right there. You use a specially made soil called “Mel’s Mix”. Wonderful stuff. It calls for 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 agricultural grade vermiculite in these very easy to construct 4 x 4 boxes, which are easy to cover, protect, and even make into mini-greenhouses if the need arrises.
The one little caution I want to give is please be aware that the vermiculite is not as easy to find as the author seems to think it is and check in your area before making any real plans. I wound up buying a fine grade from a pool supply company, and then after the fact was informed by an older gardener that I should have looked at the co-op. Start there first, and make sure you always ask if it’s agricultural grade. The fine works great for us, but the large pieces will break down over time and work at greater efficiency longer. And remember, you’re looking for 40 pound bags, not the little $3 numbers at the home improvement store–that will break the bank before you get the first plant in and the author–again to his credit–recommends avoiding this costly route.
Be sure and stop by the website, squarefootgardening.com for a great in-depth view of the method–it’s a great site and includes a gardening plan for home-schooled children. Mel is a friendly author and one truly gets the impression that he is doing this because he loves it and the advantages this type of gardening can give the average joe (who usually has planting fever in the spring and burns out by the summer) and not because it sells gardening books. You would be well-advised to purchase this book–it’ll change your view of gardening forever–in a good way.
I have recieved several questions on my blog about purchasing this book, all of which are answered at moness.blogspot.com, all of which were posted in March of 2006, and I include our progress as well. One of which is no–don’t buy the old book at a cheaper price. They are apples and oranges, and after having read both, this is far and away the best way to go.
Did I mention no tilling?
Rating: 5 / 5
While this is a practical and fun way to garden which I am implementing myself this year, I have to say a few things have NOT been as easy as the book made it sound:
1. The author suggests mixing all the bed ingredients on a tarp with another person, then dragging it to the beds. I found that just the ingredients for one 4 x 6 bed were too heavy to lift and drag with my son, and was thankful I hadn’t tried to mix all my beds at once as suggested (wouldn’t have fit on the tarp anyway). You’re going to need real strong help with this part. I next tried just mixing the stuff in the beds but that was difficult too. If you are not a football player or are working alone, getting these beds filled is going to be a bigger challenge than you would guess from your reading. I also found it took more material to fill my beds than the book suggested, but then I noticed the peat moss and vermiculite bags and bales I bought were not quite as big as the book suggests; those sizes simply weren’t available in my area, apparently.
2. Vermiculite is hard to find and expensive, though I agree it’s probably worth it. I’ve only found it at Agway so far and I live in a fairly agricultural area.
3. I could definitely have used a little more specific help with the compost. It usually comes in 30 lb or 40 lb bags — would it have been so hard to suggest how many would probably make up the amount needed for one 4 x 4 bed? I feel I’ve pretty much had to eyeball this one, which has meant extra trips to the store. The instruction to use five different types is a pain too, since most stores around here carry the same three options, including humus that is surely very similar in make-up to the peat mosse. The author appears to live in some sort of retail compost & vermiculite paradise.
4. Raised beds are not necessarily ideal for drought, which we had here in early spring (that has since reversed itself big time). The beds dry out so quickly I’m not sure it would even be safe to leave them for a weekend. I would think people in chronically dry areas might want to modify the mix so it’s not quite so light, or dig their square foot beds DOWN, not up. (Not easy, I know.)
5. This book must have been rushed through editing; two sections on basil that say pretty much the same thing are clearly redundant.
On the plus side, the approach makes a lot of sense as a way to cope with poor soil, and advice about the individual plants is very good too. Just make sure that if this is for your poor old Grandma, she gets a lot of strong help (and some extra $$) to get it going.
Rating: 4 / 5
I LOVE this new, updated version of the classic Square Foot Gardening book. Lots of pictures, charts, and visuals. This version has suggestions for protecting the plants from critters of all kinds as well as ideas for hoop houses to extend the gardening season. The book is full color and much easier to read than the older version. Even if you already have the original book, the new one is worth buying. He’s added some updated information based on 25 years of sqft gardening experience from around the globe. The website is also interesting as it contains photos and such of square foot gardens from all over the world.
Rating: 5 / 5
?I started my first square foot garden last year with the help of Mel’s original book. I made raised bed boxes using information from his website and loved the results. I was so excited about his new book that I pre-ordered and counted the days until it arrived. The new book is amazing! I love the colored photos, diagrams and just the overall readability. The omission of all the information about soil improvement, etc is welcome since those steps are no longer necessary. Our soil is exceptionally rocky, so using Mel’s mix makes gardening possible without hours of backbreaking labor.
My only complaint about the new book is that the information about growing, harvesting, and preparing specific vegetables from the first book was not included. New information was added for some herbs, flowers, and strawberries, but the profiles for zucchini, carrots, beans, etc. were left out this time. This was the part of the book that I had found most helpful. As a rookie gardener, I need all the help I can get. Even though this omission makes this book less than perfect, it is excellent in every other way. Their website is an excellent resource to use in combination with the book and they actually answer your emails! It is nice to know that if you have a question, you can get an answer straight from the author.
Overall, I love this new and improved version of Mel’s book and highly recommend it.
Rating: 5 / 5