Square Foot Gardening

What is Square Foot Gardening?

A simple, unique and versatile system that adapts to all levels of experience, physical ability, and geographical location. Grow all you want and need in only 20% of the space of a conventional row garden. Save time, water, work and money.

 
What are the Benefits of Square Foot Gardening?
  • Easy to Understand
  • User Friendly
  • Great for Beginners
  • Locate Anywhere
  • Close to Your House
  • Economical
  • Reduce Everything 5-to-1
  • Efficient Twice as Much
  • Half the Space
  • Easy to Protect From Pests and Weather
  • "Earth Friendly"
  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
  • Highly Productive
  • Fivefold Harvest
 
The Ten Basics Of Square Foot Gardening

1. LAYOUT
-Arrange your garden in squares, not rows. Lay it out in 4’ by 4’ areas.
 
2. BOXES
-Build boxes to hold a new soil mix above ground.
 
3. AISLES
-Space boxes 3’ apart to form walking aisles.
 
4. SOIL
-Fill boxes with Mel’s special soil mix:
1/3 compost. 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite.
 
5. GRID
-Make a square foot grid for the top of each box. A MUST!
 
6. CARE
-NEVER WALK ON YOUR GROWING SOIL.
-Tend your garden from the aisles.
 
 7. SELECT
-Plant a different flower, vegetable, or herb crop in each square foot
Use 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square foot.
  
8. PLANT
-Conserve seeds.
Plant only a pinch (2 or 3 seeds) per hole.
Place transplants in a slight saucer-shaped depression.
 
9.WATER
-Water by hand from a bucket of sun-warmed water.
 
10. HARVEST
-When you finish harvesting a square foot,
Add compost
Replant it with a new and different crop.
 
 
To get more details and specific instructions, check out Mel Bartholomew's great book: