How to Construct a Square Foot Garden Bed

Build a square foot garden.

Constructing a square foot garden bed is one way to enjoy a vegetable garden in a small space. Square foot gardens require less space and less water to grow healthy vegetable and herb gardens. Square foot gardening allows you to garden anywhere regardless of the condition of the soil underneath the garden bed. Once you build the square foot garden, you fill it with a blend of soil to provide the growing medium.

Things You'll Need

• 4 untreated 2-by-6-inch boards, 4 feet long
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Circular saw
• 12 wood deck screws, 4 inches long
• Drill with bits
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Cardboard, newspaper or landscape fabric to cover an area 4-foot square
• Bag vermiculite
• Bag peat moss
• Bag organic compost
• Shovel
• Garden hoe
• 6 furring strips
• Box of finishing nails
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Place the boards on the 6-inch edge to form a square box on a flat surface. Stagger the corners so that each board has one board butting to the side on one end and another board butting to the end on the opposite end.

2. Drill three pilot holes at each corner to join boards together with a drill bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the deck screws. Secure the boards together with the deck screws and a Phillips-head screwdriver.

3. Place cardboard, newspaper or a landscape fabric on the ground where you want to place the square foot garden bed. This bottom layer prevents grass and weeds from growing up through your square foot garden.

4. Position the square foot garden box on top of the cardboard. Fill the box with one-third vermiculite, one-third peat moss and one-third organic compost. Mix the soils together well with a shovel or garden hoe.

5. Measure the top of each side of the box in 1-foot intervals and mark with a pencil. Cut each furring strip down to four feet with a circular saw. Center the furring strips on each one foot mark on opposing sides. Secure the furring strips to the top of the boards with finishing nails and a hammer.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use treated lumber when constructing square foot garden beds. The toxins from the wood treatment will leech into the soil and into your vegetables or herbs.

References

• How To Garden Advice: Square Foot Gardening
• Gardening Channel: How to Build a Square Foot Garden