Square Foot Gardening
Mel Bartholomew invented the square foot gardening method and this is one of his raised beds.
Square Foot Gardening: how to place plants in your garden.
Square foot gardening is easy to learn, efficient way to space plants in a garden. It is a method of growing vegetables in a bed that's divided into a grid of 1 square-foot sections. Instead of planting in long rows, you treat each square as its own mini garden. Each square gets planted with a certain number of plants based on how much space they need to grow. While square foot gardening is traditionally done in raised beds, the principles can be applied to other types of garden beds as well.
Benefits of Square Foot Gardening
Maximizes space – Great for small gardens or raised beds.
Reduces weeds – Dense planting shades the soil, keeping weeds down.
Conserves water – You only water the squares that need it.
Simple to manage – Easy to plan, plant, and rotate crops.
Accessible – Works well for gardeners of all ages and abilities.
How to Get Started
1. Use a raised bed or a garden bed between 2 and 4 feet wide
A 4x8-foot bed is ideal for beginners.
Beds can be bigger, but make sure you can reach the middle from all sides.
2. Add a Grid
Use string, twine, wooden slats, or anything sturdy to divide the bed into 1x1-foot squares.
Drawing lines in the soil can also divide the squares.
3. Plant by the Square
Each square gets planted based on the size of the vegetable.
Plants per square foot:
1 per square: Broccoli, cabbage, pepper, kale
2 per square: Cucumber, eggplant, squash
4 per square: Lettuce, Swiss chard, marigolds
9 per square: Beets, spinach, bush beans
16 per square: Carrots, radishes, green onions
(Check your seed packet for specifics. The best information about a specific variety will be on the seed packet)
Tips to maximise space
Use vertical space: Grow vining crops like peas and beans up a trellis to free up squares for other plants.
Rotate crops: Next season, plant something different in each square to help prevent pests and diseases.
Keep it tidy: Each square is its own zone, making it easy to spot and fix problems.