- What is Square Foot Gardening?<\/a><\/li>
- Why Grow a Square Foot Garden?<\/a><\/li>
- How to Build a Square Foot Garden<\/a><\/li>
- Square Foot Gardening Basics<\/a><\/li>
- What Crops to Grow<\/a><\/li>
- Gardening Tips<\/a><\/li>
- FAQ About Square Foot Gardening<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
What is Square Foot Gardening?<\/h2>
![\"square](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squarefootgarden.jpg\")
Photo Credit: Michelle Selzer<\/figcaption><\/figure> Mel Bartholomew is the father of the square foot gardening method. He invented it in the 1970s and founded the Square Foot Gardening Foundation<\/a> in 1996. Today, it’s the most popular backyard vegetable gardening technique. Raised garden beds are filled with a special soil mix and sectioned into 1-square-foot segments.<\/p>
Square foot gardens take up 20% less space than traditional rows and use about 10% less water. They are low maintenance and excellent for new gardeners<\/a>. <\/p>
Why Grow a Square Foot Garden?<\/h2>
There are many advantages to square foot gardening, including:<\/p>
- Great for small spaces<\/li>
- Conserves water<\/li>
- Organic<\/li>
- Great for beginners<\/li>
- Fewer weeds<\/li>
- Facilitates crop rotation<\/li>
- Low maintenance <\/li>
- Beds can be raised to an accessible height<\/li>
- Comes with explicit instructions<\/li>
- Don\u2019t have to test the soil<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
For all these reasons, square foot gardens are the best way for new gardeners to dip their toes into growing vegetables, and they’re also the best way to grow your own food in a small urban space<\/a>. <\/p>
How to Build a Square Foot Garden<\/h2>
Next, we tell you everything you need to know to build your first square foot garden, including: <\/p>
- Where to put it<\/a><\/li>
- Square foot garden layout<\/a><\/li>
- How to build a raised garden bed<\/a><\/li>
- How to make the soil mixture<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
Where to Put It<\/h3>
Square foot gardens are great for small spaces because a small garden produces a lot of food. However, pay close attention to sunlight. The best place to put your garden is in full sun. <\/p>
Square Foot Garden Layout<\/h3>
Here is the layout of a square foot garden:<\/p>
- Size:<\/strong> A typical square foot garden is at least 4 by 4 feet, but you can make the bed as long as you want. Most homeowners stick to four feet wide, so reaching each square is easy. You can also make beds as small as one square foot. <\/li> <\/ul>
- Garden Grid:<\/strong> Each raised bed garden is divided into one-foot squares using lattice strips or twine wrapped around nails.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Depth:<\/strong> Each bed is 6 to 12 inches deep.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Plant Spacing:<\/strong> Depending on plant size, 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants typically grow in each square.<\/li> <\/ul>
![\"Square](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Square-foot-garden-grid-800-1.jpg\")
Graphic by Michelle Selzer<\/figcaption><\/figure> How to Build a Raised Garden Bed<\/h3>
You will need the following tools to build a square foot garden, as outlined in Mel’s book, All New Square Foot Gardening<\/a>:<\/p>
- Power drill<\/li>
- Staple gun<\/li>
- Screws\/nails<\/li>
- Malate (soil amendment)<\/li> <\/ul>
For the garden box, you\u2019ll need the materials shown in the table below.<\/p>
Material<\/strong><\/td> Quantity <\/strong><\/td><\/tr> 2 x 6 Untreated Wood<\/td> 4<\/td><\/tr> 4\u201d Wood Screws<\/td> 12<\/td><\/tr> 4 Foot Lattice Strips<\/td> 6<\/td><\/tr> Machine bolts<\/td> 9<\/td><\/tr> Weed barrier<\/td> 1<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure> And to build the lattice, you\u2019ll need the materials listed in the following table.<\/p>
Material<\/strong><\/td> Quantity <\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Rebars<\/td> 2<\/td><\/tr> 5 ft. conduit pipes<\/td> 2<\/td><\/tr> 4 ft. conduit pipe<\/td> 1<\/td><\/tr> Corner joints<\/td> 2<\/td><\/tr> Garden trellis string<\/td> 1<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure> The video below shows step-by-step instructions to build the garden bed. Or, if you learn better by reading instructions, check out our step-by-step guide to building a raised garden bed<\/a>. <\/p>
- Plant Spacing:<\/strong> Depending on plant size, 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants typically grow in each square.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Depth:<\/strong> Each bed is 6 to 12 inches deep.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Garden Grid:<\/strong> Each raised bed garden is divided into one-foot squares using lattice strips or twine wrapped around nails.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Square foot garden layout<\/a><\/li>
- Where to put it<\/a><\/li>
- Why Grow a Square Foot Garden?<\/a><\/li>