Very nice looking plant beds. Posting the picture here for everyone ...

I cannot tell from the picture - are the beds right next to the fence, or is there some space between the beds and the fence ? If you put up a trellis, would you be able to walk behind it to tend to your plants from the back as well as the front ? It doesn't take much room at all behind the trellis, but my bed is similar dimensions to yours (actually mine is skinnier, but the same total length) and I found it was easier when I tended the trellis from behind.

It is perfectly fine for your squares to be slightly larger, maybe even advantageous.

It is very possible to have 1sf per tomato IF you trellis your tomatoes AND if you keep the suckers pruned so there is only 1 main vine per tomato plant. Last year was my first year gardening and this is how I did it. I have read that you will have less tomatoes per plant this way, but more production per sf of space used. I use the nylon trellis netting and just weave the tomato in and out of the netting as it grows. If you will not have time to tend your garden, this may not be the best method for you, although it literally only takes a couple minutes once or twice a week.

Since I am a new gardener, I am really not qualified to answer your other questions about rotation and how important is Mel's Mix except to say that it worked great for me last year. The FAQ's on this forum and the FAQ's on the other Gardenweb forums have tons of good info.

Thanks! My husband built those boxes. We have a long standing battle between lawn and garden....I would turn the whole yard into a garden if I could, but he's a grass man himself. :) There is about 2 feet of walking space between the beds and the chain link fence.

I was wondering, since I've got 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 feet to work with, if I could make the squares 10.5 inches x 13.5 inches; the rectangles would still be about about 1 sf.. Still wondering if it's wishful thinking to cram a zuke, acorn squash and butternut squash in the back row of the middle bed?

If your Butternut is a vining type and you trellised, then I would think you would have no problem with that arrangement.

How important is Mels Mix? - Not too important, since Mel himself tells you to use straight compost if you are in a country where you can't get the humus and vermiculite. A different questions is, how important is the quality of my soil. VERY IMPORTANT. But there is more than one way to get there. I would suggest that you post the alternative that you're thinking of and get comments about it.

Many agree that crop rotation is more important to large commercial growers than to the small gardener. Especially with raised bed/sfg methods, your compost will deplete/settle each year and you'll have to add more new compost to keep the beds full. This new soil eliminates the problem of one crop using up all of a specific nutrient in the soil.

As for your not square, square foot plan, I think that the rectangles will be fine as long as you don't break any plant spacing rules. If a plant requires 4 inches on all sides, then make sure that there are 4 inches between it and the next plant in the next square over etc. If a plant is spaced one per square foot, then use your judgement. If it's something that pushes those limits, like broccoli or cabbage, you may want to stagger plant them or plant 2 per 3 square feet to give them the extra space. The idea is to meet the plants needs. The Square Foot Garden police will not come if you don't follow every rule to a T.

Best of Luck, your beds look great!
Susan

First, back before I stopped planting roses, every girlfriend got a peace rose planted in their yard or in a pot. Lovely variety.

Now. You should rotate your toms and put them in a different box every year; don't crowd them and I don't care for the 1/sf hooey due to the extra work you get when crowding - 6 per box is plenty. I trellis mine, , train up twine and tie twine to top so you can untie in Sept and cover if an early frost comes. HD around here has 1/2 EMT conduit for less than 2.00 for a 10' piece.

Your punkins won't be able to take the shade of the structure come September, leading to increased chance of powdery mildew.

We don't do climbing peas any more as the heat comes too early, nonetheless you can throw down some blood meal, turn it under next week and plant in May. Use anything for trellis as long as they can grab.

We trellis the butternut. Saves a ton of space. While at HD, they have remesh in lumber at 4x7' for ~7.50. Butternuts climb all over that.

Dan

Thanks Dan!
Those are great pictures - very helpful! How close do you plant your tomatoes when you trellis them?

The holes are 18" O.C. then I drop dolomite lime in the hole, put some soil in, then water, then plant ( I have a friend who saves old antacid tablet for the same purpose), as this place is brutal for BER. I get jute twine in the Targét dollar bins for the garden & the toms. One trellis for that width can be done for under 10.00, 20.00 with remesh, all my trellisi have interchangeable mesh save for one.

Dan