Last year was my first year gardening and I did it in-ground in a plot roughly 6x35, mainly planting in 6 foot rows.

This year we built 5 raised beds in that location, each 6x4, (with our berries and potatoes still in-ground). Now that I have raised beds, I am considering square foot gardening at least a few of them.

What are the benefits of this method? Right now my layout is, for example: Bed 2- carrots and tomatoes- the back 3x2 section being carrots, the front 3x2 section being tomatoes. Or Bed 5- Peas, lettuce, spinach- with outer rows of peas and the greens planted in between where they will hopefully be shaded.

Here is a blog post with a graph, if that helps:

http://thecococafe.blogspot.com/2011/03/garden-update-2011.html


I assume in a SF garden I would mix that all up, planting each in every bed instead of in the larger sections. How does this work with pea trellis' however? Do I build several small ones? Is SF gardening really more for those planting many different varieties of food? I tend to plant lots of a few kinds- squash, tomato, carrot, beans, corn, peas, lettuce, and spinach in 120 square feet of raised bed.

I appreciate all the help.