How to Build a Square Foot Garden
Square foot gardening is a gardening method that takes away many of the challenges associated with large gardens. In small spaces, square foot gardens can produce an appropriate amount of crops for family use without water and harvest waste. Square foot gardens are also raised gardens, so soil conditions and weeds are controlled by the gardener. A square foot garden is a simple way for beginning gardeners to explore the vegetable gardening hobby, and harvest the bounty.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- 4 cedar boards, 4 feet by 12 inches by 2 inches
- Drill
- 12 wood screws
- Newspaper
- Shovel
- Compost
- Steer manure
- Garden soil
- Hammer
- 12 small nails
- Twine
- Scissors
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1
Screw the boards together to build a 4-foot square frame. Use three screws at the end of the outside boards to connect the sides of the boards together. The corners, top and bottom of the frame should be even with each other.
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2
Choose a level area for the square foot garden. Pick a location that receives full sun and is easy to access for watering and tending.
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3
Place the garden frame on your desired location. Walk inside the frame to flatten grass. Cover the grass inside the frame with layers of newspaper.
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4
Add soil, compost and manure inside the frame. Add these components in layers and mix thoroughly with the shovel so the growing mediums are completely integrated. The garden will require about 16 cubic feet of soil to fill it within an inch or two of the top of the frame.
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5
Measure and mark 1-foot increments on the top edge of the frame. Hammer in a nail at each of the marks.
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6
Wrap twine around nails that are straight across from each other to create 16 square-foot sections of the garden. Each section can hold a different crop. Plant seeds and water to begin gardening.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Ask the hardware store to cut boards if you do not have access to a saw.
Square foot gardens can be built in any size, but keep it at 4 feet wide for easy reach. Try a smaller or larger square frame depending on your needs.
Nail a plywood base to the bottom of the frame to create a movable garden.
Use wood strips instead of twine for permanent square foot designation. Use of twine allows for easy removal and future variation on crop box size.
Garden soil alone will work, but compost and manure add more nutrients to the soil.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit herb garden image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
Comments
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admiller
Apr 16, 2009
Building a square foot garden now sounds like something I can do. Thanks for the information and resources. -
alohagems
Apr 14, 2009
I like gardening. Great tips
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Cinda Roth
Apr 12, 2009
Very easy to follow well written article on building a square garden.
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reniarad
Apr 07, 2009
This is way better thn the Garden I did last year. Looks like a Square Foot Garden is the way to go. 5*
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evgnspaces
Apr 07, 2009
Looks like an easy way to start a garden. I will recommend this to people in Las Vegas. The square foot method is a very efficient way to grow vegetables.
