How to Garden by the Square Yard

Plants grow well in a square-yard garden.

Gardening by the square yard is an offshoot of the square-foot gardening method. Square-yard gardens are raised beds created with 2x6-inch boards cut to 3 feet long. This gives the gardener 9 square feet of garden space. With square-yard gardening, you have less weeding to do and it eliminates the need to till the garden space.

Things You'll Need

• 4 2x6 boards 3-feet long
• Drill with screwdriver bit
• 8 corner brackets
• 16 wood screws 2 1/2 inches long
• 15 cubic feet of potting soil
• 15 cubic feed of manure
• 15 cubic feet of top soil
• Vegetable transplants
• Seeds

Instructions

1. Assemble the square-yard garden by creating a square and connecting the boards using two corner brackets on each corner, attached with wood screws.

2. Place the square-yard garden frame in a level area of your yard or garden space.

3. Fill the lower two inches of the garden with potting soil. Add two inches of manure and fill the remainder with a good-quality top soil. The total amount of bedding material you will need is 45 cubic feet of fill, with 15 cubic feet of fill of each type.

4. Plant vegetable transplants no more than 8 inches apart in the new growing bed.

5. Plant seeds in a diamond pattern in the bed. Thin seedlings after they emerge to 6 to 8 inches apart.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make the raised beds as large or as small as you desire. Choose a size that you are comfortable working in. The 3-foot size is easy to reach across for harvesting.

• The square-yard garden can be built on legs or other type of platform to make it accessible for those in wheelchairs or other types of disabilities.

References

• "All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!", Mel Bartholomew; 2006
• University of Wisconsin Extension: Square Foot Gardening (PDF)
• University of Illinois ACES: Gardening Measured by the Square Foot