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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BsF7moXTICznoZLpupQ8_LojIeaGjUDgQ-CGH4t0_ck/edit?usp=sharing

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Planting advice (companions, etc. with photos)

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Planting advice (companions, etc. with photos)

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https://www.westcoastseeds.com/blogs/garden-wisdom/companion-planting

e.g., Bush & Pole beans – All beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.

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there are a number of vegetables that will tolerate juglone, including lima and snap beans, beets, corn, onions, garlic, leeks, parsnip, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, melons and squash. Avoid planting vegetables that are sensitive to juglone, such as asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, peas, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes.

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Joybilee® Farm | DIY | Herbs | Gardening |

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By Joybilee Farm

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.

You may wonder if there are ANY plants that will grow near black walnut trees? Here are 30 plants that will grow near black walnut trees in zone 3.

Black Walnut trees are a special case in the zone 3 garden. You've probably heard that nothing will grow under walnut trees. Walnut roots exude juglone which is toxic to other plants, stopping their seeds from germinating or preventing them from actually growing well. Plants that are sensitive to juglone toxicity may exhibit symptoms as early as a few months after being planted in the proximity of a black walnut. Juglone sensitive plants show symptoms of yellowing, wilted leaves, stunted growth, and eventually death. You may wonder if there are ANY plants that will grow near black walnut trees?

Black walnuts have incredibly beautiful, close-grained, and strong wood for woodturning, for building, and for musical instruments.

The leaves, hulls, and stems of black walnut are rich in iodine and highly medicinal.

The nut meats are high in edible oil, which is useful for cooking, for wood working, and for cosmetics.

The nut meats are nutritious and considered a super food.

The hulls, leaves, and twigs produce a dark brown natural dye that is colour-fast.

Walnut trees are long lived and provide shade and habitat for wildlife.

The roots of walnut trees draw up nutrients from deep in the subsoil, bringing these to the surface where other plants can benefit.

Black walnut sap can be boiled down into black walnut syrup for a value-added product

Other trees in the walnut family such as Persian or English walnuts, butternuts, pecans, and shagbark hickory also produce juglone but at smaller concentrations than black walnut. It's rare that these trees will harm juglone sensitive plants. Unfortunately most of these nut trees require a lot more heat than we have in zone 3. Those of us in colder climates are pretty much stuck with black walnuts if we choose to grow nuts in the garden at all.

While there are a few trees and shrubs that are sensitive to juglone toxicity there are many that are tolerant. With the short zone 3 growing season you don't want to waste your space on plants that need to be babied. If you accidently plant the wrong plant near a black walnut, simply transplant it in the spring or fall, when you notice that it's stressed. Since black walnuts take a long time to mature, some shorter lived trees might grow well, until the juglone from the black walnut reaches them, giving you a succession of plants in your garden.

Don't plant these plants within 50 feet of a mature black walnut tree, or within the drip line of an immature black walnut tree. As the mature roots die back they will leave juglone in the soil. These plants should also be avoided if there has been a black walnut planted in the area in the recent past. It takes several years for the juglone to be leached from the soil.

For vegetables and small shrubs, planting in a raised bed can mitigate the juglone toxicity, if all leaves, nuts, and hulls from black walnuts are kept out of the surface of the raised bed.

Most maples except silver maple (Acer spp)

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Serviceberry, Saskatoon (Amelanchier)

River Birch (Betula nigra)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Pear (Pyrus spp.)

Oak species (Quercus spp)

Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)

Hawthorne (Crataegus spp)

Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) (nitrogen fixer)

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)

Trees that grow near black walnut

Elder (Sambuca sp.)

Cherry (Prunus sp.)

Rose (Rosa sp.)

Pears (Pyrus sp.)

Plum (Prunus sp.)

Apricots (Prunus, sp)

Currants (Ribes spp.)

Hazelnut (Corylus Americana)

Shrubs that grow near black walnut trees

Herbs that grow under black walnut trees

There are plants that will grow near black walnut trees, however when planting black walnut trees in an existing garden keep in mind the concept of succession planting. The walnut is a slow growing tree that won't produce nuts for 15 years or more. As the tree grows the juglone reach and juglone toxicity will extend. A plan to remove some plants and add others around the planting area of a black walnut as the tree expands its reach will give you the highest productivity, in your permaculture garden. If you are working with a smaller space, this is even more important.

In The Suburban Micro-Farm, Modern Solutions for Busy People, Amy Stross points out that walnuts are nutrient accumulators of potassium and phosphorous, making the walnut a treasure in a permaculture garden.

"The nutrients accumulate in the leaves, which will also have accumulated juglone. As the leaves fall, they will fertilize the ground of the juglone-tolerant plants, saving time and money." (p. 260).

If you are new to permaculture gardening, The Suburban Micro-Farm is a treasured resource to help you find your way, through the permaculture mindset and jargon, and into a productively landscaped yard. Instead of just planting walnut trees, Stross, encourages her readers to plant a "Walnut guild", a symbiotic grouping of plants that enhance the growth of each other through fertilization, pest control, light and water needs, and root development.

The walnut guild includes small trees, shrubs, and low herbs that are juglone tolerant. As the central walnut tree grows and its shade prevails, some of the guild planting will die out. Other plants will thrive from the increase in phosphorous and potassium from the dropped leaves. This is the expected succession.

Stross suggests, "...cherry, pawpaw, persimmon, plum, and quince are all fruit trees that will grow comfortably underneath the walnut. Farther out from the smaller trees try planting shrubs: black raspberry, currant, elderberry, hazelnut, mulberry, or spicebush. Underneath all of the trees and shrubs can be planted an array of juglone-tolerant herbs for attracting pollinators, deterring pests and wildlife, and fertilizing: alliums, bee balm, dandelion, purple coneflower, white clover, and violet.

The black walnut guild will go through succession, meaning, it will change as the young plants mature, grow taller and fuller, and interact with one another at the root level. Some of the plants may die out as the larger plants cast more shade, while others may struggle with increasing amounts of juglone. This is okay and expected. Rather than expending extra energy to save unhealthy plants, observe and support (and perhaps even plant more of!), the remaining plants that thrive. Focusing on what thrives is an important tool in the permaculture toolbox." - The Suburban Micro-Farm, Amy Stross

While the whole book takes the reader on an educational tour of growing a permaculture, edible landscape on a small lot, Stross' own property is just one tenth of an acre, the book is valuable for community gardens, edible landscape designers, and home gardeners. If you have a tough place to plant, like a steep and fragile hillside or a run-down yard, shaded by a mature black walnut, don't give up on the idea of a productive food and fruit garden. Instead apply some of the lessons in The Suburban Micro-Farm, to bring Eden from the ashes.

The book is not a comprehensive guide to permaculture or edible landscape gardening however. The Suburban Micro-Farm is an introduction to what is possible both at the city lot level and at the community level. For specifics in your particular plant hardiness zone, expect to consult other gardening books and permaculture books for plant lists that also give plant hardiness information. The Suburban Micro-Farm is a detailed introduction to permaculture for the suburban gardener who wants a more productive homestead.

The Walnut trees are already here, now what?

Plant vegetables in raised beds with lots of finished compost that is without black walnut nuts and leaves. The vegetables will thrive if they have enough light to grow.

Increase the bio-activity of your soil by adding lots of finished compost, mulch, and other amendments that encourage earthworms. Juglone breaks down rapidly in bioactive soils.

Add a strip of mushroom mycelium between the black walnut and your vegetable garden. Mushroom mycelium breaks down juglone in the soil rapidly.

Increase soil micro-organisms under walnut trees. Soil bacteria like pseudomonas can consume juglone and decrease it's presence in the soil, protecting nearby plants. Avoid sterile soil or chemical fertilizers that may harm soil bacteria. See this article from the University of Colorado for more information on this.

Plant a buffer strip of juglone resistant plants between the black walnut and your juglone sensitive plants.

But what if you inherited a black walnut orchard or a single tree when you bought your property? Before you cut down the black walnut tree, there are several options.

Sensitive plants like apple trees may be able to grow near black walnut if these other aspects are attended to.

Of course, I received a preview copy of this book from the author. I was not paid for my opinion. I learned a few things I didn't know when I read it. I think it's a useful book for gardeners.
20 Drought Tolerant Plants for Zone 3 16 Fruit Trees for Zone 3 With Great Tasting Fruit 42 Bee-Friendly Garden Plants for Zone 3 or Higher 42 Plants for Your Edible Landscape in Zone 3 or Higher 5 Bee-friendly Perennials for Your Zone 3 Garden Planting an Herbal Tea Garden that Thrives in Zone 3 Grow Rosa Rugosa Roses for Fragrance and Rose Hips, Even in Zone 3
For more information about Gardening in Zone 3:

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30 Plants That Will Grow Near Black Walnut Trees, in Zone 3 | Joybilee® Farm | DIY | Herbs | Gardening |

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By Joybilee Farm This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks. Black Walnut trees are a special case in the zone 3 garden. You've probably heard that nothing will grow under walnut trees.

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https://joybileefarm.com/plants-will-grow-near-black-walnut-trees/

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Garden in Minutes with Planting Chart for Sq. Ft. gardening

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Garden in Minutes with Planting Chart for Sq. Ft. gardening

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https://gardeninminutes.com/plant-spacing-chart-raised-bed-gardening/

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Kitchen Garden Planner - Preplanned Gardens - Fun for Kids

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Colorful, crunchy and easy-to-pick, this garden is filled with kid friendly veggies they'll have fun growing -- and eating!

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https://www.gardeners.com/kitchen-garden-planner/preplanned-gardens?id=Fun_for_Kids

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acct. Strawberry and Peachpie

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https://www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/garden-news/a-vegetable-growing-cheat-sheet-infographic/

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When establishing a vegetable garden near a walnut tree the key is to plant vegetables that are tolerant of juglone, these include  lima and snap beans, beets, corn, onions, garlic, leeks, parsnip, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, parsley, Jerusalem artichoke, melons and squash. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, peas, rhubarb,petunias and other members of the nightshade family seem to be the most susceptible to juglone.
https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/black-walnut-toxicity/

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Carrots love tomatoes apparently...although this person says the opposite:
Carrot
friends: lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, rosemary
enemies: dill, parsnips, tomatoes, potatoes

https://www.thecapecoop.com/companion-planting/

Consider grouping the following together:

Beans and carrots and brassica (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)

Beets with bush beans, onions, and brassica

Carrot with garlic, lettuce, pea, and onion

Cucumber with radish, peas

Some combinations to avoid include:

Apples and potatoes

Beans and onions

Carrots and dill

Garlic and onions with peas and beans

Marigold and beans

Tomato, potato, eggplant and or fennel

https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/gardeningguides/companion-planting-a-toronto-master-gardeners-guide/

Keep in mind, however, that not all plants in the garden coexist with garlic as readily as companion planting garlic with tomatoes. Veggies such as peas, beans, cabbage, and strawberries have abhorrence for garlic.

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It's been a buzzword in the gardening world for decades: the square foot garden, a revolution in small space gardening everywhere.

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what this basic concept entails.

It involves carefully measuring gardening plots. Careful planning can have a huge impact on how much food you grow, and how much waste you can avoid.

But for traditional gardeners and acolytes of other styles (like myself), we may need a bit more of a formal intro!

What is square foot gardening, and where did it come from? What's so great about it? Why do people still use the method in gardens today, and why is it so popular?

Sure, it involves the clever use of square foot measurements to get the most out of your growing space. But nowadays, with a burgeoning local food movement and a passion for home growing, knowing all the ins and outs of this ideology means a whole lot more.

Without further ado, let's dig in and take a look!

So, what is square foot gardening anyway, and where did it come from?

In essence, it is an approach to growing food that incorporates companion planting, intensive spacing, and getting the most food possible out of a small space.

It all started in 1981 as a concept developed and coined by civil engineer Mel Bartholomew, author of Square Foot Gardening.

In his experiences as an urban planner, Bartholomew brought attention to less efficient and productive methods of traditional single-row gardening. A hobby gardener himself, he combined his city design and planning skills with his green thumb to come up with the ever-practical square foot garden - and thus, his book was born.
Square Foot Gardening, available on Amazon
The book quickly caught fire as an exciting new way to grow more food in small spaces, not only for the average gardener but to also improve health, ergonomics, space use, and even food security among populations in need around the world.

Its first edition is known as one of America's bestselling gardening books of all time, with over a million copies sold.

Decades later, the book continued to be top-tier among gardening guides - so continuously purchased, used, and enjoyed, that a long-awaited update of the book was released in 2006 as The All New Square Foot Gardening, followed by a second edition in 2013. You'll find it on Amazon.

Even now, Bartholomew sporadically updates his concept with new techniques and information to be more informed with modern gardening methods and fads that befit today's gardeners.
All New Square Foot Gardening II: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space
A book that is so persistent as a horticultural classic must contain some kernel of truth, right? That's exactly the point: this method of gardening is timeless, a classic that's still relevant at a time when food issues are at the forefront of household concerns.

This led him to release yet another wave of square foot gardening books. Bartholomew's second edition of All New Square Foot Gardening was published in 2013. It explores many of today's hot gardening trends including vertical gardening, pest control, and gardening with your kids.

A book that is so persistent as a horticultural classic must contain some kernel of truth, right? That's exactly the point: this method of gardening is timeless, a classic that's still relevant at a time when food issues are at the forefront of household concerns.

Even though it was conceived decades ago, the essence of its greatness still shows in space-saving, DIY food production techniques for the home that aren't at all difficult to adopt.

Can you learn them yourself? Of course! Let's take a look at how you can make these methods yours.

First of all - what exactly are the benefits of square foot gardening? Why is it a worthwhile approach to gardening in the first place?

For the backyard gardener, or even the newbie to urban homesteading, this perennial method is your perfect food-growing option for more than just a few reasons:

Grow as much food within a small space as you would with some traditional row-planted gardens

Compact 4-by-4 foot raised bed garden makes for easy access

No need for a big yard - grow food on patio, balcony, or smaller plot

No weeding at all (with the right setup using weed-free soil mix)

Less work and strain on the body

No negative effects or damage to the yard

Incredibly easy - ideal for new gardeners

Save money with minimal management by sourcing your own food

That's right: with this clever gardening approach, you are essentially sourcing your own food from tiny spaces, saving yourself money and hardly having to put any work into it!

And no - you don't need that huge backyard or tiller you once assumed you might to get started.

Due to the tight, compact, yet healthy spacing implemented using this method, you can competitively produce as much food as you might in a larger space that was planted using less-space efficient row crop methods.
Due to the tight, compact, yet healthy spacing implemented using this method, you can competitively produce as much food as you might in a larger space that was planted using less-space efficient row crop methods.

Sure, traditional row-cropping guarantees healthy plants with ample spacing between rows, but square foot gardening begs the question: couldn't more plants be used in those spaces as well?

Plus, in a 4×4 foot raised bed structure (the method's standard raised bed dimensions), you don't have to do anywhere near the amount of work required for the in-ground planting of a larger plot.

With the purchase or construction of such a bed (whether wood, plastic, fabric, or even DIY from makeshift cinder blocks) and the addition of a bottom lining, you can keep your bed completely weed free - thus eliminating out a good chunk of the gardening work entirely.

This is especially true if you add a seed-free soil mix rather than planting in soil from your own yard, an important aspect of Bartholomew's method.

The method's standard 4-by-4-foot total raised bed growing space is also the perfect size for reaching across to get to just about any spot in the bed, whether for weeding, planting, amending - you name it. This is quite the ergonomic option!

Plus, the techniques for setting up and planting are incredibly easy to learn, and can even provide the perfect medium for a beginner who is just starting out on their first adventures in edible gardening.

Of course, anything truly great tends to draw at least a little heat! Some critics of the method state that, in spite of its space- and work-saving techniques, startup can be expensive - the purchase or construction of a raised bed may be costly, as can getting your hands on completely weed-free, nutrient-rich potting soil or compost.

My comeback to that? Sure, you might ring up startup costs in the $100 range (though the initial cost tends to be much lower if you're a smart bargain-hunter or handyperson), but think about the ultimate impact on your food budget (and self-confidence that will be gained in growing your own food) over time!

That's right: over time, you'll save money on your food budget by growing your own food (while feeling good and healthy about it!)

Sourcing your own food straight from your backyard with this method is also an excellent way to feel proactive about changing your part of the food system for the better.

By growing an edible garden organically and by using this method in your own backyard, you're getting produce straight from your own soil at much smaller environmental and health costs, in comparison to the average grocery store produce.

The Basic Setup

Square foot gardening has a time-honored, well-tested place in the gardening world, with many noticeable benefits to gardening and lifestyle.

But what are the special techniques that bring about such awesome results?

At their foundation, they are very basic and ridiculously simple to learn:

1. Get Your Grow Space

First, build (or buy) a 4-by-4 foot raised bed box (lined with weed barrier landscaping fabric if you want less weeds and you're building on top of other soil).

2. Put In Your Preferred Soil

Fill it with fertile potting soil (part peat moss, , and vermiculite, or another mix of your choice - preferably weed free).

3. Lay Out Your Grid

Overlay a square foot grid atop your box for plant spacing, then plant your seeds.

4. Get Growing!

Water, grow, and presto!

All of these steps seem pretty simple, right? Nothing new to most of you green thumbs out there.

But you might have noticed the obvious thing that makes this method different from other techniques: the square foot grid.

According to Bartholomew's canon, this grid is typically an easy-to-make, homemade measuring tool crafted from long, thin slats of wood (particularly lath) that are then cross-hatched and fashioned into square foot-sized squares.

This grid is then fastened atop one's 4-by-4 foot wooden beds, and used to measure and designate specific 1-by-1-foot planting areas for various herbs, veggies, and more.

If you're not the handyman (or handywoman) type, these grids can be found for purchase on Amazon, primarily made of fiberglass material.

Or, you can build your own with wooden lath, though I have also seen gardeners and farmers use a temporary string-and-post setup to cast their measurements instead of wood.

Growing on the Grid

It's these grids that create the magic of the whole concept, and which in turn help to make the whole endeavor of gardening this way so easy.
Mr. Garden Grid Kit
It's simple: certain vegetables are planted in certain amounts (the number depending on the plant) within each square, at their ideal distances from one another. This then maximizes each plant's space and nutrient use while crowding out weeds as a living mulch, allowing you to grow more veggies in a small space, and even boosting plant health through companion planting (which we'll get to later).

Depending on the type of vegetable, herb, or even fruit that you are planting, one only plants so many seeds or seedlings within each square in a continuous grid-like spacing - while the actual grid itself helps to measure and keeps your rows looking neat!

Simply put, all you really have to do is consider the number of plants you need per square, plant them, and make sure to space them at healthy distances in a grid formation within the larger grid.

It's wonderfully easy - no doubt one of the reasons why it's a technique that's caught on like wildfire!

Below, we share the general number and spacing rules for the most common vegetables you might like to plant in your square foot garden.

1-Per-Square Plantings

Simply form one hole in the center of the 1-by-1-foot square of your choice, and plant your seeds (or transplant your seedling), keeping in mind the seeding techniques and layout guidelines that you'll find later in this article.

2-Per-Square Plantings

Plant these seeds side by side within the square, at the recommended seeding distance with an appropriate support trellis.

(Up to) 4-Per-Square Plantings

Plant these in a square with each seed or plant forming one of the four corners. They should be placed at equal distances from each other and from the border of the grid, with one hole close to each corner of the square space.

As noted, some of these veggies do not necessarily have to be planted 4 per square. If you want to grow a little less food, you may do so.

(Up to) 8- or 9-Per-Square Plantings

Plant these in a grid- or square-like pattern within the square space (i.e. 3 plants long by 3 plants wide, forming either a square or a square-shaped ring border, simply making sure that they are equidistant from one another and the border of the grid.

Like with 4-per-square plantings, don't feel pressured to plant that many of each vegetable if you don't necessarily want that much food!

(Up to) 16-Per-Square Plantings

Plant these in a grid or square pattern within each square space (i.e. a maximum of 4 plants long by 4 plants wide). Make sure they are equidistant from each another and the border of the grid to avoid crowding.

If you don't plan to thin or pick any of these vegetables for quite awhile, plant less if you like - you might prefer to use the 8- or 9-per-square spacing method. This will allow their root size to grow larger without leading to bolting or disease.

(Up to) 2-Per-4 Planting Squares

The veggies in this category need LOTS of space to flourish, and a more complex arrangement of the square grid method is required than for other crops.

Depending on the number you wish to plant, just make sure they have ample space from one another and the sides of the grid.

What About Perennial Vegetables?

Unfortunately, some vegetables simply aren't ideal for the square foot garden, namely perennials that require more space to grow. The foliage of these plants grows too large and creates too much overshadowing to grow in a companion planting style close to other veggies in a garden.

These include:

The ferns of full-grown asparagus would fall over onto other plants, as would the growth of artichokes and rhubarb. You'll have to keep these separate!

Another unique aspect of this gardening technique is found in the way you plan your growing space - or more specifically, where every plant and veggie is going to go within that space, in order to get the maximum benefits out of your small garden.

Techniques like companion planting are a big part of this, too - namely, the mutually beneficial inter-planting of different species with one another for natural perks like insect resistance and disease prevention.

Within your 4-by-4-foot space, carefully selecting the type of plants that you plant together - and even where you plant them within your container, and within each space of the grid - is very important.

You can use the following tips in combination with the grid setup guidelines described above to plan which squares will be best for which plants, especially if you're planting many different things.

Making a mock-up and getting all of your arrangement ideas down on paper is a great idea for this part of the planning process!

Below is a list of the best companion planting layout tips for your square foot garden - so you can produce the most productive, happy, disease-free, and harmonious harvest possible!

The exact placement of these companion plantings in your square foot garden is important.

Companion Planting Tips

Not all plants get along. Some compete with one another for nutrients, or attract harmful pests that can be detrimental to certain plant neighbors.

On the other hand, some special pairings do exactly the opposite: they bring out the very best in each other, attract the right insects or pollinators, and create the perfect healthy balance.

Before planting your seeds (or transplanting your seedlings) into your raised bed, do the necessary research to determine what you should plant together within each square.

Stay tuned for a deep dive into companion planting in the very near future.

Adopt and adhere to these very straightforward guidelines for the best results - especially if you're companion planting in your bed (and you should be)!

No Monoculture

Always plant your square foot garden with a variety of mutually benefitting plants, since one variety planted closely together will attract more pests and disease.

Keep Height in Mind

If planting short sun- and heat-loving plants with taller ones, make sure to plant taller veggies (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) on the north side of your bed to allow shorter ones (like basil, bush beans, celery) to get their share of the sun's rays.

On the other hand: If mixing tall plants with a blend of shade- and heat-loving plants, plant your tall ones right in the middle. Plant shade-lovers on the north side of them, and heat-lovers on the south side.

Border with Veggie Protectors!

Border your growing space with alliums (i.e. onions, garlic, leeks, shallots) since these repel insects and pests (but keep them far from beans).

Add a Flourish of Color (and Pest Control)

Planting certain herbs and flowers - such as sage with brassicas, or marigolds with nightshades - helps to repel certain insects like egg-laying butterflies and nematodes.

Starting Out

So you've decided which veggies you want to grow in your little garden - and now you know exactly how many to put into each square.

Here's the next step: getting them started from seed!

In the same vein as planting using a grid, square foot gardening employs its own unique approach to seed starting. This involves thinning out weak seedlings so you only give nourishment to the strongest, most (potentially) successful ones for the most productive garden.

When planting seeds:

1. Form Holes for Each Seed

First, form holes in each square using your finger or another tool, correlating to the number of plants you will be growing (which depends on the type - reference the list provided above).

Make sure holes are set up in an equidistant, grid-like fashion within each square, so that plants are equally spaced apart in their correct number - this arrangement will differ depending on the total number (either 1, 2, 4, 9, or 16).

2. Place and Plant Your Seeds

Plant 2 to 3 seeds of your chosen vegetable in each hole. Cover lightly with soil, then water.

3. Watch Them Grow

Once sprouted, choose the strongest-looking seedling from each set of 2-3 seeds that you have planted and remove the others to give it clearance. This will become your final, full-grown vegetable or herb!

Some may choose to direct seed straight into their bed, as the instructions above demonstrate. However, lovers of the seed-starting and transplanting tradition don't have to change their ways to make this gardening method work.

Planting appropriate veggies (i.e. those that do well with transplanting) in smaller containers first, then sizing them up before transplanting into their final space, works just as well if you enjoy that method - and especially if you want to get started earlier on your garden indoors during cold seasons!

Setting the Pace

Once your seedlings and sprouts are well on their way in your square foot garden - well, you know the rest!

Water regularly, harvest, and enjoy. You'll be amazed by how much food you can cultivate in such a small space, and with so little work required once your seedlings have sprouted. And once you've harvested everything you can eat, it's shockingly simple to plant another succession and have delicious veggies again in no time.

If some seedlings don't do so well, just plant new seeds in their place. However, it's wise in more crowded squares (such as in 8-, 9-, and 16-plant spacings) to wait for other successful veggies in the same plot to reach maturity and harvest first, so they don't overshadow and crowd out your tiny new plant introductions.

Not only will you have a flourishing, quaint food garden with minimal effort in comparison to what it takes to manage a full-sized one, you'll also see significant savings in terms of your food budget.

Who doesn't want fresh, homegrown produce straight from their own yard (and the fruit of their own labors) and from their very own hands? Nothing beats veggies you grow yourself.

You can also practice this method with practically no change, potential negative consequences, or damage to your space. There's no need to dig up your garden soil - you can set up your square foot garden on your patio, balcony, or lawn without breaking any soil (or even a sweat)!

Of course, keep in mind that not all raised beds may be appropriate for all surfaces. With any bed you build or buy, look into the details on where the best setup should take place without creating drainage problems, rot, or damage to the surface blow, depending on your product or design.

Do you love square foot gardening and tend your own fruitful little patch of earth? Or are you one of the many out there who absolutely needs to try this efficient method - but haven't yet?

Either way, please share your comments and experiences below. We love to hear from you!

And if you've ejoyed this guide, then some of our others might be right up your alley:
© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock.

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Your Ultimate Guide to Square Foot Gardening | Gardener's Path

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It's been a buzzword in the gardening world for decades: the square foot garden, a revolution in small space gardening everywhere. It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what this basic concept entails. It involves carefully measuring gardening plots. Careful planning can have a huge impact on how much food you grow, and how much waste you can avoid.

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https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/design/guide-to-square-foot-gardening/#The-Basic-Setup

Border your growing space with alliums (i.e. onions, garlic, leeks, shallots) since these repel insects and pests (but keep them far from beans). Onions & beans can stunt each other’s growth.

If planting short sun- and heat-loving plants with taller ones, make sure to plant taller veggies (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) on the north side of your bed to allow shorter ones (like basil, bush beans, celery) to get their share of the sun’s rays.

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The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family, and a close relative of the onion.

Sometimes called a long onion, its leaves form a densely packed cylinder at the base, and fan out at the top. The tender cylinder has a succulent, oniony flavor.

In our guide to growing leeks, we discussed cultivation. In this article, we offer 7 tips for an excellent harvest.

How exactly can you determine when your leeks are ready to pull from the ground, and how should you go about this? Read on to learn more.

Top Tips for Harvesting Leeks

There are opportunities for improving your harvest throughout the leek's life cycle, from planting and blanching to monitoring the weather, and carefully pulling them from the ground.

1. Timely Planting Is Essential

Although they are biennials, leeks grow as annuals in most gardens. The number of days to maturity varies from 50 to 150 days.

In cooler regions, start seeds indoors 10 weeks prior to the last frost date of spring. Early varieties mature before summer heats up. Late types are ready before the first hard frost. Frost-tolerant cultivars are available.

In warmer locales, direct sow late-season varieties 10 weeks before the first frost date in fall for an early spring crop, and again in spring for a fall harvest.

Sowing seed as recommended is one way to foster a successful harvest of mature, flavorful vegetables.

Haphazard planting times may result in exposure to extreme heat or cold, the need for a premature harvest of vegetables lacking in size and flavor, or a total loss of your carefully tended crop.

2. Blanching Improves Flavor

Blanching is the process of shielding a developing stalk from the sun to sweeten its flavor. This is achieved either by hilling, often called mounding, or trenching.

Hilling is the process of mounding up soil around the base of the cylinders as they develop.

Trenching is done by sowing seeds or seedlings in a deep furrow between two ridges of soil. As they mature, soil is pushed from the ridge into the furrow to shield the developing cylinders of bundled leaves from the sun.

The greater the length of the white portion of the cylinder is at harvest time, the more flavorful the vegetable will be.

3. Light Frost Can Be a Good Thing

As I mentioned above, frost-tolerant cultivars are especially useful in northern regions. They are easily recognized by their bluish leaves and fat, two-inch-thick cylinders.

If frost is in the forecast, mound the soil up extra thick and add a layer of mulch. A light frost or two will sweeten the oniony flavor of your homegrown crop.

For more tender varieties, install floating row covers for protection.

If you're caught with a crop that's not quite ready and you don't want to risk losing it to a hard freeze, you can pick the leeks and store them in a cool place - leaves, roots, and all - on a bed of damp sand. They should remain fresh for about eight weeks.

4. Bigger Isn't Always Better

The average mature leek is one inch in diameter. Some cultivars are smaller, measuring about one-half inch, and others, as mentioned, can grow to be two inches wide.

If you're like me and seed catalogs are an essential part of your winter reading, you know that they are loaded with glossy color photos of folks sagging under the weight of enormous, prize-winning vegetables.

Don't try this with leeks, unless you don't plan to enjoy eating them. If the cylinders grow to mammoth proportions, they are still edible.

However, they will develop a pithy core and bitter flavor that are no consolation prize if you don't take home a blue ribbon.

Keep the recommended size at maturity for the cultivars you have planted in mind, and pick accordingly.

5. Dig, Don't Pull

There are also loads of photos around of people pulling leeks up out of the ground. But there's a better way:

Use a shovel or pitchfork to push down beneath the roots instead, and gently lift each plant from the ground.

In this way, the roots stay intact, continue to nourish the leek, and help it to stay fresh longer after harvest.

Brush off as much of the loose dirt as you can while you're still outside, before bringing your veggies inside for storage.

Wait to wash them well under running water until just before you're ready to use them, to extend their shelf life.

6. The Value of Leaves

You may have read that some people trim the foliage, called flags, of their plants mid-season. This is unwise.

The dark, leafy tops feed the pale cylinder below. And in addition, once you cut the leaves, the plants become vulnerable to pests and disease.

Leave the flags alone until you lift the plants from the ground. Then, trim them so that you have a manageable four to six inches of dark foliage above the green/white cylinder. The dark foliage is somewhat tough and bitter, but edible.

Another fun fact about leek leaves is that unlike those of onions, they do not wilt when the vegetable is harvest-ready. Size is a better marker of maturity here!

Leeks that are ready to harvest should have lush green foliage, and firm white and light green stalks.

And finally, if you find yourself with a plant you know nothing about, look to the leaves for help. As mentioned, if they look bluish, you probably have a frost-tolerant variety, and can expect it to be quite hardy, with large cylinders and a robust flavor.

7. Avoid Bolting

As a biennial, the leek grows in the first year of its life and goes to seed in the second.

With early varieties, sowing and reaping take place in the same season. However, in suitable climates, cultivars with the longest number of days to maturity may be sown in one growing season, winter over, and be picked in the next.

Leeks that spend the winter in the ground are, in effect, in cold storage. Growing stops and the plants are dormant until spring.

Once maturation resumes, keep one eye on the weather forecast and the other on your plants. Temperature fluctuations may cause bolting, or running to seed. The telltale sign of this is a long, tubular central leaf with a bud on top that opens to reveal a ball of tiny white or lavender flowers.

You can eat leeks that bolt, but they tend to be on the bitter side.

If your plants are close to harvest-ready and an unseasonable spring heatwave is predicted, go ahead and harvest them.

On the other hand, if warm spring days are about to be interrupted by a sudden plunge in temperatures, you can put floating row covers in place, or harvest them prematurely, for smaller, milder vegetables.

An Enviable Crop

It's amazing how knowing a few simple tips can help you bring in a delicious harvest.

Planting in a timely manner, blanching, letting frost add a little sweetness, not getting greedy about size, digging gently, letting the foliage get wild and wooly, and avoiding the bitterness of bolting are now part of your leek regimen.

Don't be surprised when the neighbors admire your crop and want to learn your secrets!

All you need now are some yummy recipes. Find all you need to know to make hearty fare like mushroom, leek, and red pepper chicken soup on our sister site, Foodal.

What's your favorite way to enjoy leeks in your cooking? Have any harvest tips to share? We love hearing from our readers! Please drop us a line in the comments.

And if you found this guide valuable, why not peel back the layers on the wonderful world of alliums even more? Add these to your reading list next:
© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on February 1, 2020. Last updated: March 9, 2020 at 16:59 pm. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family , and a close relative of the onion. Sometimes called a long onion, its leaves form a densely packed cylinder at the base, and fan out at the top. The tender cylinder has a succulent, oniony flavor.