Do you want to learn more about gardening methods? Check out our information pages.
At Grey Duck Gardens we believe that everyone should be able to feed themselves and their families. We donate 2% of our garden profits to Heifer International, an organization that helps people in the USA and around the world become self sufficient.
We support the slow food movement. It takes a whole 9 months to hand grow a perfectly flavorful bulb of gourmet culinary cooking garlic or hardneck seed garlic. Supporting practices that encourage the preservation of heirloom varieties is important to us and slow food just tastes better!
We are sure that you will be happy with our high quality organic seed garlic and cooking garlic. If you are not satisfied with your order we will cheerfully replace your garlic order or refund the purchase price.
This popular gardening method was developed by a gardener who didn’t like to weed, Mel Bartholomew. Square foot gardening uses a 4’x4’ raised bed. The bed is divided into 16 equal squares by making a grid out of 4’ long wood laths. Different plants are grown in each square. Normally the raised bed is 6, 9 or 12” deep and filled with Mel’s special soil mix of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 blended compost. Mel recommends blending commercial compost by using 4-5 different types of bagged compost.
1) Take less space.
2) Hardly any weeding since soil used is weed seed free.
3) No cultivating or hoeing.
4) Soil is not compacted.
5) Grow only what you need.
6) Less work!
7) Conserves seeds (less thinning since you plant less seeds)
8) No fertilizer (the blended compost supplies all the needed nutrients).
To calculate how many 4’x4’ gardens you will need Mel recommends using this guide:
1 4’x4’ will make one adult’s salad every day of the growing season
1 4’x4’ will make one adult’s daily supper veggies
1 4’x4’ will provide extra vegetables one adult’s for giving away or preserving
1 3’x3’ will make one adult’s salad every day of the growing season
1 3’x3’ will make one adult’s daily supper veggies
1 3’x3’ will provide extra vegetables one adult’s for giving away or preserving
Using this guide, each adult needs 1-3 4’x4’ square foot gardens and each child needs 1-3 3’x3’ square foot gardens.
Garden Methods
Square Foot Gardens
Vegetables 
Herbs Flowers
All Of Our Gardens Come With a Free Garden Plan
and Planting Dates for Your Area
Square Foot Garden
ADVANTAGES
HOW TO CACULATE SQUARE FOOT NEEDED
HOW TO CALCULATE PLANT SPACING
Plant spacing within each square foot is based on the size of the plant.
•Small (16 plants per square foot): carrots, radish, onions, chives, small beets
•Medium (9 plants per square foot): bush beans, large beets, turnip, spinach, sugar snap pea, pole beans
•Large (4 plants per square foot): leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, parsley, corn, potato, strawberry, basil
•Extra large (1 plant per square foot): cabbage, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber (2 plants/square foot), eggplant, cilantro, mint, oregano, vine tomatoes
•Vine crops are grown by adding a steel frame with nylon netting to the north end of a plot.
Affordable open pollinated vegetable seeds for all your gardening needs