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A square foot garden is nothing but a garden
with lesser area where plants are grown
intensively. The concept of square foot
garden spotlights the alternative organic
treatments
that can be practiced in gardens. The purpose
of adopting this type of garden is to suit
the deprived soil conditions that exist,
as a starting stage for the fresh gardeners
to practice gardening and as a recreational
program for the differently gifted people.
For such gardeners special arrangements
in the garden were made to access the plants
for grooming. The benefit of method is seen
when it comes to availability of an area
for gardening, costs, efficient growth of
plants, etc. Square foot gardens were implemented
widely by the people in US and were found
successful.
Every method has its own positives as well
as negatives; according to this method,
the negative will be pests which are usual
in other cultivation techniques. Even though
the plants are cultivated in grids with
wide spaces in between for better air circulation
and prevention of fungal or virus transfers,
there exist threats of pest like bugs that
are difficult to identify and control as
well. The attack of bugs over the plants
directly points out improper monitoring
as the obvious reason, since there is no
chance of pest infection in square foot
gardening if obligatory precautions were
undertaken. In addition, some insects are
considered beneficial in gardens with a
view of balancing the ecosystem. So the
planning of a square foot garden
with necessary plants is very important.
Some plants attract insects and some repels
them. Few examples include the basil plants
in tomato grids for repelling whiteflies,
mosquitoes, thrips, etc., Radish with cucumber
can stop beetles, and garlic with cucumber
can avoid moths, aphids, flies and some
beetles.
As mentioned above that square foot gardens
handles only organic techniques and thus
the use of organic
insecticide like Neem oil is preferred
instead of those synthetic products for
controlling insects. Neem oil not only serves
as an effective insecticide in the garden
but also as a treatment for certain plant
diseases such as powdery
mildew, leaf spots and leaf
curling that occurs either due to seasonal
change or by certain virus or fungal infections.
Moreover, the cost of Neem
oil is also less that makes a square
foot gardener to afford.
Few other tips for efficient square foot
gardening can be.
- Apply mulch, a protective layer of materials
for preserving the moisture and essential
nutrients in plants.
- Try to screen the grids at regular intervals
and remove the unwanted weeds if exist
to avoid the breeding of insects.
Use Neem oil certified products for better
results.
Author: Adam Teaser - neem
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