First SFG planted!

[reptilegrrl]

Hi, I am a new SFG'r in Houston, TX. Tonight I planted my first SFG. We are working with a 4x4 box. I am very excited. I love gardening and had a veggie garden when I was a kid, which was wonderful. I've wanted to have one again ever since. I am also a vegetarian who wants to eat more healthily, and I think this will really help me to do

Comments

[elabeth]

How long can you grow stuff in Houston? I live in Arkansas, and we're starting to get frosts and the occasional freeze so our growing season is pretty much over now.
We have our boxes built as of today, and I'm filling them up lasagna-garden style through the fall once leaves start to come down, then covering them with black plastic to cook over the winter. I don't get to plant anything outside till mid-April.

[reptilegrrl]

We really have two growing seasons here, the hot and the cool. High Summer is far too hot for things like lettuces, unless you can manage them in deep shade with lots of water

[elabeth]

Wow, I can't wait to see pictures!
I can't decide if I want a grid on my box or not. I know I want those cool pipe trellis dealies from the book though.

[reptilegrrl]

I definitely like the grid. Have you looked at Mel's website? One of his "improvements" to the system is to stress the importance of the grids. I think he's right; the grid keeps things organized AND makes the garden LOOK tidy and appealing.

[elabeth]

Yeah, that's what he says, but I just really don't think it is all that appealing or attractive or an improvment. It probably does help with the organization though. If I do the grid I'll probably use some kind of string or something that doesn't stand out from a distance. I don't think I need a really flashy obvious grid to be able to plant in the squares.

[reptilegrrl]

I just used wire. I do like thw way the grids look, but a grid made of really big pieces of wood takes up too much space.