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Natural Awakenings South Central Pennsylvania

Your Garden Solution

Mar 26, 2013 03:20PM ● By Beth Davis

Joe Manotti and Seppi Garrett, co-owners of Your Garden Solution, began square foot gardening almost out of necessity. Manotti had a traditional row garden for about eight years, but was always disappointed with the results. Garrett tried a backyard plot, but says he failed miserably. When they tried square foot gardening, the practice of planning and creating small, but intensively planted gardens, they were amazed at the results. “Not only was the yield successful, but it simplified the whole process,” says Garrett. “Next thing we knew, people were asking us to help with their gardens.”

Realizing that with square foot gardening they were able to help people save time and money by helping them eat healthier—a concept that was becoming increasingly important to both of them as fathers questioning what was safe to feed their children—the two launched Your Garden Solution a year-and-a-half-ago. The company installs the gardens and all of its components.

Using a four-foot-by-four-foot, six-inch-high box filled with a special soil blend, the garden is divided into 16 individual square feet, using a grid. Within each square foot is where the vegetables are planted. The number of vegetables planted in each compartment varies with the size of the plant. The size of the box can vary, but Garrett suggests sticking with the standard size to grasp an understanding of how square foot gardening works. Your Garden Solution builds the ground boxes and offers garden tables built by Pennsylvania Amish craftsmen for those that like gardening but may have trouble bending down. They even provide a helpful planting guide that outlines what to plant and when.

Garrett says that perhaps the most important element when it comes to square foot gardening is the soil. Your Garden Solution uses humus compost consisting of at least nine organic sources, as well as organic inoculants. The compost holds the nutrients in the soil, creating healthier plants. He says it reduces the need for irrigation, increases root mass, helps control weeds and brings soil into balance. The price is higher than a typical potting soil, but Garrett says it’s worth it.

“It goes back to the saying, ‘You are what you eat’, he notes. “Growing your food in healthy, vital soil creates healthier food—and that’s our goal.”


For more information, visit YourGardenSolution.org.