Things You'll Need:
- Materials to make a box 4' x 4' x 6"
- Strips of wood, string, plastic for marking the box into a grid
- A good soil mix, enough to fill the box
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Step 1
Choose a sunny location, one that gets at least 6 hours of sun daily. It can be on a deck, a patio or in an existing garden, but pick a place close to your house for your convenience.
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Step 2
Do not cover roots of trees.
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Step 3
Keep the box out of wet or swampy locations in your yard.
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Step 1
Butt the boards together by rotating the ends to get a square. Start with a small box because it is the easiest. You can make one smaller if you wish, but 4 feet by 4 feet is an easy size to work with.
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Step 2
Use marine screws to screw the ends together.
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Step 3
Place the box in the sunny location you have chosen.
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Step 4
Fill the box with a good soil mix.
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Step 5
Make your grid with string, strips of wood or plastic, making sure each square is 1 square foot. Use screws to fasten the grid. If you wish to make it a permanent bed, do not use string.
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Step 1
Choose vegetables, herbs or flowers for your square foot garden.
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Step 2
Use 1, 4 9 or 16 plants per square foot depending on the eventual size of the plants.
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Step 3
Use seeds sparingly. If you are using transplants, install them by leaning over, not by walking in the garden.
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Step 4
Water by hand, so you don't disturb your seeds or seedlings.
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Step 5
Rotate your crops. When your basil leaves are tiny and tender, pick them off. As the plant gets larger and more woody, remove it and replace it with another herb or vegetable.
