skip to main content

Square Foot Gardening

Soil getting too low in boxes

13 years ago

Hello, I have a problem that I'm betting you all have the answer to. Now that my boxes are settling, they are getting low on my soil mix. I know the obvious answer is to just add more but I have seeds that are just sprouting and some that haven't sprouted at all yet. How do I add more without burying what I've got? Two of the three boxes are 6 inches deep, the other is 12. I'm not as concerned witht the deeper box, but the 6 inchers are already not deep enough IMO when full. I want to add compost. Do I have to wait? I know this is such a rookie question, thanks for any help here.

Dani

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

joellenh
13 years ago
I have the same problem. I just add a sprinkle here and there when I think the seedlings are big enough, and in the late fall or early spring I fill them up.

Jo
greenbean08_gw
13 years ago
What's underneath the boxes? Are they open to the ground below? If they are, I would think the roots can go down into the ground if they need to.
Related Professionals
Deer Park Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Fillmore Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Lakewood Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Seabrook Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Athens Landscape Contractors · Dickinson Landscape Contractors · Kahului Landscape Contractors · Lebanon Landscape Contractors · Matteson Landscape Contractors · Ponte Vedra Beach Landscape Contractors · Vashon Landscape Contractors · White Bear Lake Landscape Contractors · Camp Springs Landscape Contractors · Cartersville Fence Contractors · Delhi Fence Contractors
swarth
13 years ago
I used 2x10's for my boxes and suffered quite a bit of settling after the first year. I'm almost convinced that Cubic Foot gardening might be the way to go, 6 inches is just not enough for some things, and the extra room allows for settling and/or adding compost and mulch.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Get the Dirt on Your Garden’s Soil

By Falon Mihalic

Understand how your soil supports your plants so you can ensure your garden’s success

FARM YOUR YARD How to Get Good Soil for Your Edible Garden

By Abundant City

The nutrients in your soil feed the plants that feed you. Here are tips on getting it right — just in time for planting season

GARDENING GUIDES Grow a Beautiful Garden in Alkaline Soil

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got alkaline soil? Learn how to manage it and the many beautiful plants that will thrive in this ‘sweet’ soil

GARDENING GUIDES Gardening Solutions for Heavy Clay Soils

By Falon Mihalic

What’s a gardener to do with soil that’s easily compacted and has poor drainage? Find out here

GARDENING GUIDES How to Stop Worrying and Start Loving Clay Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Clay has many more benefits than you might imagine

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Solutions for Soggy Soil

By Steve Asbell

If a too-wet garden is raining on your parade, try these water-loving plants and other ideas for handling all of that H2O

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Try Blue Bells for Blooms in Dry Soil

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

This shrub’s violet-blue flowers and silvery foliage brighten low-water gardens all year long

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Prairie Wildflowers That Can Heal Your Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get free, organic soil fertilizer with nitrogen-pumping plants that draw pollinators too

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Flood-Tolerant Native Trees for Soggy Soil

By Steve Asbell

Swampy sites, floodplains, even standing water ... if you've got a soggy landscape, these trees are for you

GARDENING GUIDES Get on a Composting Kick (Hello, Free Fertilizer!)

By Matt Kilburn

Quit shelling out for pricey substitutes that aren’t even as good. Here’s how to give your soil the best while lightening your trash load

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH