Terrace Square Foot Garden: Summer Planting Diary Week1
My Story (Before We Begin)
Ever since I was a kid, I've loved plants, animals, and nature. I always dreamed of living a green, sustainable life. But, let's be honest, my laziness and hectic job got in the way. Then, I changed jobs and had a wake-up call. Now that I'm over 40, I thought, why wait? If I want a green and sustainable life, it's time to make it happen. It's my life, after all, and I should be in charge of it. So, after talking it over with my super supportive wife, I decided to make a change. Sure, leaving my career means a dip in income for a while, but I'm betting on a big happiness boost.
Square Foot Gardening became my first project for a few reasons:
About ten years ago, I read "Square Foot Gardening with Kids" by Uncle Mel (Mel Bartholomew). It was so fun and vivid, even though I didn't start gardening back then. I thought I'd share this joy with my daughter when she got older. Now, ten years later, I told my daughter Dora about it. She was thrilled and asked, "When do we start? This sounds so fun!"
Living in a city, I have a 100-square-foot terrace and a 20-foot-long south-facing balcony. Square Foot Gardening is perfect for small spaces like mine.
Thanks to Uncle Mel's research, Square Foot Gardening isn't too hard to start. I can manage it alongside my social media work and hopefully blend both smoothly.
These are the reasons we're diving into Square Foot Gardening. If you want to join us, here are a few notes:
Even though I've read tons of gardening books, I'm a newbie when it comes to actually gardening. Some parts of this project are a bit trial-and-error, so if you're following along, wait for updates in my gardening calendar. Got advice? Leave a comment on my blog or Pins—I'd really appreciate it. Feel free to guess outcomes too and see if you're right!
My gardening setup isn't the standard one from the books. My garden boxes will be on the 11th-floor terrace tiles, not soil, and they're not standard 40-inch squares. Plus, a tall wall to the south affects sunlight. I'll tweak things and share my thoughts to help others with similar setups.
Each week, I'll start a new blog post. Throughout the week, I'll update it daily with my Square Foot Garden's progress, thoughts, and experiences. Bookmark my blog or follow my Pinterest for updates via new pins every week.
Many of you may have tried Square Foot Gardening and succeeded. I hope for your blessings and guidance. Sharing this journey will double the fun.
Lastly, summer might not be the ideal season to start Square Foot Gardening, but taking the first step is crucial. Together, let's embark on this journey and see what we harvest.
This book inspired me to start this gardening project. If you'd like to experience this joy too, click the image to purchase your own copy.
W1: June 30, 2024 - July 6, 2024
Day 1: Monday, July 1, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
Dora and I measured the terrace space and assessed the best areas for our garden boxes. We decided on two spots: one on the west side near the wall and the other on the east side. Tomorrow, we'll observe the sunlight to finalize the positions.
We determined the size of our garden boxes. Even though I wanted 40-inch square boxes, to keep the terrace walkable, I opted for a width under 32 inches and a length of around 3 feet 11 inches, keeping the overall size similar to a 40-inch square.
We ordered garden box frames of 3 feet 11 inches long, 31.5 inches wide, and 8 inches high. We also ordered drainage boards and geotextiles for the box bottoms, and wood wax to coat the wooden boxes to prevent mold and decay, extending their life.
Tips and Insights:
For terraces or balconies with tiled floors, a garden box base needs drainage boards and geotextiles. The drainage boards provide ventilation and prevent root rot, while geotextiles on top prevent soil loss.
Tomorrow's Plan:
We'll observe sunlight to decide the final box positions and order suitable soil and tools (since making Mel's Mix isn't feasible in our small space).
Day 2: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
The Location For The Planter Box
I observed the terrace sunlight. Of the two chosen spots, the west side near the wall gets direct sunlight from 6:30 AM to 1:00 PM, totaling 6.5 hours. The east side only gets 4.5 hours from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. We chose the west side.
Dora used her math skills to calculate the soil needed:
47*31.5*8/1728 = 6.86ft³ ≈ 205qt ≈ 194L.
We listed and ordered the needed materials and tools:
200qt of soil
Trellis (over 6 feet)
Small gardening tools: trowel, hoe, and rake
Watering can and liquid fertilizer sprayer
Gardening gloves
Clay pellets for soil ventilation and drainage
Tips and Insights:
Choose spots with ample sunlight for terrace or balcony gardening. Also consider ventilation, walkability, maintenance ease, and drainage. Shade-tolerant plants can thrive in less sunny areas.
During sunlight observation, we found the east wall gets about 7 hours of light, though the ground doesn’t. We might build a vertical garden there for herbs or flowers.
Tomorrow's Plan:
We'll start the exciting step of planning which vegetables to plant and purchase seeds and storage containers.
Day 3: Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
Before deciding on vegetables, we divided the garden boxes into 12 squares. Despite being slightly smaller than the book's size, the deeper soil in our boxes makes up for it.
Based on the box layout, we chose plant types. The longer side against the wall is perfect for up to 4 climbing plants. The middle 4 squares will host taller, non-climbing plants. The farthest 4 squares will have shorter plants.
Considering the season, climbing needs, sunlight, and family preferences, we agreed on a planting plan and made a layout.
Based on this, we ordered seeds and tools:
Seeds: communicate with the seller for heat-tolerant summer varieties
Seed storage boxes: airtight tubes are ideal
Graduated containers: for soaking seeds pre-planting
Seedling containers: optional, for winter use to prepare for spring planting
Tips and Insights:
When choosing plants, consider the season. Since it’s summer, select heat-tolerant varieties.
Also, ensure the growing period fits before winter arrives.
Family preferences often outweigh logic in planning.
Tomorrow's Plan:
We need to apply wood wax to the garden boxes, depending on delivery.
Day 4: Thursday, July 4, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
The garden boxes and wood wax finally arrived in the afternoon. Dora was so excited that she grabbed the brush from me to start right away.
Unpainted Garden Box
To let the wax dry fully, we decided to wait over 48 hours and build the boxes on Sunday evening.
Dora is Brushing
Tips and Insights:
Today, I made a big mistake. I let Dora research successful vegetable gardening. She did great at first, explaining soil management is key. But then it went downhill. She said worms are great for soil, so I ordered a worm tower and live worms. Then, she suggested composting for sustainability, so I got a compost bin. Finally, she convinced me to buy a bug hotel to observe insects' interactions with vegetables. Heaven help me, I won’t let her research again.
Tomorrow's Plan:
We'll wait for the wood wax to dry. I definitely won’t let Dora research gardening again.
Day 5: Friday, July 5, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
While other materials arrived, I learned about composting and started saving kitchen waste.
Some tools that have arrived.
Tips and Insights:
Composting requires a nitrogen-to-carbon ratio, balancing high-nitrogen (green) and high-carbon (brown) materials. Here are simple ratios for weight and volume:
By weight: green (1) to brown (1-2)
By volume: green (1) to brown (2-3), closer to 1:1 if using sawdust
Green materials: vegetable scraps, grass clippings, tea leaves, coffee grounds
Brown materials: dry leaves, wood shavings, shredded newspaper, crushed nutshells
Day 6: Saturday, July 6, 2024 - Sunny
Today's Tasks:
I checked our deliveries. Everything is ready for tomorrow’s garden box assembly:
Garden boxes and tools
Soil and accessories
Seeds and related items
compost bin
My first composting experience.
Tomorrow's Plan:
We'll build the garden boxes. Our terrace garden adventure is about to officially begin.
Weekly Summary
This week has been busy but incredibly exciting. Most of the essential materials and tools have arrived. Next week, we plan to finish assembling the garden boxes and start planting. If we move quickly, we might even see the first sprouts soon.
I owe an apology to my readers. I've been so enthusiastic about this Square Foot Gardening project that I often jumped right into action the moment materials arrived, completely forgetting to take pictures. Next week, I'll make sure to snap more photos to give you a more vivid record of our journey.