How to Get Results With Square Foot Gardens

Square foot gardens are designed to use all the space available. The design concept of the square foot garden is versatile and elegant in its simplicity. It's easy to get good results with the square foot garden design by efficiently plotting the garden space.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Measure the space available. If you do not have a tape measure use a yardstick or heavy string to determine the actual space available.

2. Create simple dividers for the 16 individual square foot plots. The dividers don't have to be any more elaborate than a stick or twine.

3. Select the best possible plants for the square foot garden. The plant selection more than anything will determine the viability of the garden. Get healthy, hardy plants or fresh seeds.

4. Decide upon the number of plants according to the mature size of each plant. For large plants it is best to plant just one plant per square foot, and for smaller plants you can safely plant 9 or 12 equally spaced plants per square foot.

5. Water the plants and fertilize as needed. A square foot garden is an innovative gardening concept, but it's not magical and plants still need to be properly maintained.

6. Guard against pests and weeds. Because a square foot garden is compact in size and easily accessible from any angle, it lends itself well to organic gardening techniques, such as weeding by hand and using of natural pesticides.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a wary eye on neighborhood cats and dogs. The square foot garden is a tempting target for digging.