Square Foot Gardening, a How To
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I’ve always thought the idea of having a vegetable garden would be a lot of fun. Walking out to your garden and picking a fresh tomato for tonight’s dinner appeals to the self-sufficient nature of most frugal individuals. However, I know just enough about gardening to know that I am not very good at it, and that it is a lot of work. My kids have always been fascinated with the idea of growing things, but our soil and our dog make planting anything in the yard impossible. I recently stumbled upon an interesting gardening method called square foot gardening and decided we would give it a try.
What is Square Foot Gardening?
The idea behind square foot gardening is that you can plant fruits, vegetables and flowers in raised beds, above infertile soil and even out of the reach of pets. Seeds are planted in 1X1 square foot plots, and when harvested a new plant is installed in the square. Raised beds can sit directly on the ground, or include a bottom layer and be placed on patios, decks or porches. Because of a bad back, and a dog with a propensity to dig up our new plants, we decided to build a 4×2 foot table-top design.
Materials Needed to Set Up a Square Foot Garden
Material costs are variable, depending on the size of garden you plan to build. I personally opted for a 4′ by 2′ configuration because it fit the table we were planning to use. Most people typically start with a 4′ by 4′ design for their first square foot garden. I’ll share with you what materials I used, but keep in mind the pricing could be higher or lower depending on your local costs of lumber, soil, etc.
(1) Sheet untreated plywood - $0.00 (leftover scrap from a previous project)
(2) 2×6x8 pieces of untreated lumber - $7.38
Don’t get treated lumber because treatments can seep into the soil and contaminate your planting area.
(8) #8 x 3″ Wood Screws (or deck screws) - $2.94
Use these longer screws to connect the corners of the 2×6’s after cutting to the desired length.
(8) #6 x 1″ Wood Screws - $0.98
These were used to anchor the nylon line to create a grid system for the 1×1 planting plots. I also used a few to fasten the sheet of plywood to the 2×6’s to create a bottom to my container.
(1) Pack of Twisted Nylon Line - $4.43
I used this and the smaller screws to create a grid system on top of the container, in 1×1 square foot patterns.
(2) 2cu ft. bags of Miracle Grow Garden Soil (for flowers and vegetables) - $13.54
There were more frugal recipes here for soil, such as 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 vermiculite. However, I could not find the ingredients packaged locally and the individual ingredients bought separately at the larger home improvement stores were more expensive the bags of Miracle Grow.
(10-pack) Strawberry plants - $3.98
(1) Burpee Seed Pack Super Sugar Snap Peas - $1.57
(1) Burpee Seed Pack Tomato, Early & Often Hybrid - $2.47
(1) Burpee Seed Pack Cucumber, Burpless Beauty - $1.88
(1) Burpee Ambrosia Cantaloupe - $1.57*
(1) Burpee Danvers Half-Long Carrots - $1.28*
*These last two were just for fun - I don’t expect much yield on these, but I thought it would be fun to try
Total Start-up Cost: $42.02
Building a Square Foot Gardening Box
It was my daughter’s idea to use popsicle sticks to mark the type of fruit or veggie planted. We will fill in the remaining squares after we eat another round of popsicles!
Since we decided to go with raised beds on a table top I checked the dimensions of the table and came up with a suitable size for our square foot gardening container. Four feet by two feet would allow for eight square foot plots for planting. First, cut the 8ft. long 2×6s down to size. Next, position the 2×6s on the table in a rectangular pattern, alternating corners to make the “inside box” dimensions four feet by two feet (I chose not to alternate corners because the table I was working with was only 45 inches wide, so I needed it to be a little narrower). Fasten the sides using the #8×3″ wood screws. If you have trouble with the wood trying to split you may want to first drill pilot holes.
With the sides now fastened it is time to attach a bottom to the container, unless you are planning to put the raised bed directly on the ground. If this is the case, use some cardboard or weed blocking fabric to discourage grass and weeds from coming up through the soil. In my case, the container will be placed on a table top so I needed to attach a bottom to hold the soil in place. Fortunately, I had some untreated plywood I ripped to size. The bottom doesn’t have to be thick, so 1/4″, 3/8″ or 1/2″ plywood would do just fine. Fasten the bottom to the container using the #6×1″ wood screws (assuming you didn’t use 1″ plywood).
Plan for drainage by raising the box up a couple inches. I ripped a couple scraps from the remaining 2×6s and used them to attach four 2″ feet for each corner of the box. I also drilled a few 1/8″ thick drainage holes in the bottom of the box to allow standing water to flow out the bottom.
Create a grid system on top of the square foot gardening container using nylon line and #6×1″ screws, spaced a foot apart across the width and length of the container. Drill the screws about half way into the top of the 2×6s, leaving enough room to tie a knot of nylon line around the screw. If the end of the nylon line frays after cutting (as mine did), use a lighter to gently melt the ends to prevent further fraying.
Irrigating a Square Foot Garden
Unless you already have a drip line and timer prepared for your garden, you’ll have to water manually early on to improve seed germination. If the air is particularly dry, or hot, you will need to constantly keep the soil moist until seeds have sprouted and taken root. One economical way to do this is to fill used water bottles and poke a small hole or two in one side of the bottle using a safety pin. Use your finger to dig a 1/2″ deep trench the length of the bottle and lay the bottle on its side, pin-prick side down, over the trench. The water will slowly drip into the trench, keeping the soil moist for several hours. Obviously when sprouts begin to appear above the surface you want to be sure not to position a bottle directly on top of the struggling plant. Perform this routine first thing in the morning so soil gradually soaks and then dries throughout the day, and is driest overnight. This reduces the chance of fungus or diseases developing. This is even more important when the plants begin to develop leaves - avoid wetting leaves at all costs as it encourages disease.
I’m not sure what to expect from this effort in terms of food yields, but just the process of building the box, filling it with dirt and planting seeds with my kids was worth the $40. If the small garden yields a few fruits and veggies during the spring and summer then all the better. Who knows, if we can cultivate a good crop we may build more boxes next summer and section off an area of the yard so the dog does not eat our produce. I think over time it will help my kids understand the true value of things. Those strawberries don’t just wind up in the produce section of our local grocery stores. As I pointed out to my daughter today someone has to plant the seeds, water the plants, harvest the crops, clean the strawberries, package them, and transport them to a distributor.
This is a very interesting idea and a very ingenious design for urban gardening! This is a project that my kids would go nuts over. I might give it a try. Let us know how things go.
Jeff - like I mentioned in the article, even if the garden yields only a few crops, it was worth the time and money just watching the kids get involved! It has generated some other ideas such a building a sand table, a bird feeder, etc.
My neighbors have a square foot garden, and it looks like a lot of fun. Hope to try it out this year!
I definitely want picture updates throughout the summer! -even if it’s of dead plants
We’re planning on getting another garden started soon. I always had one growing up and hated working in it. I used to vow that I would never make my kids work in a garden. As soon as we moved into our first house, I planted a huge garden.
I’ve had one every year up until taking on my current job. It just has me out of town so much that I wouldn’t be able to tend to it properly (been out of town for 7 weeks, home only on weekends).
My kids though, are old enough (14, 13,
to start working in one. I think I’ll break that old vow unless they want to start contributing their babysitting and yard work money toward the groceries!
What a fun project for the kids! Once my boys get a little older we’ll have to try this. Keep us posted on how the crops turn out.
Hey, great post FD. How long until you start to bear the fruits (or vegetables!) of your labor?
This is great! My wife and I have talked about doing one for months.
Keep us posted on this one. It’s a frugal practice short-term and long-term with financial and health benefits too.
Master Your Card: Most of the seed packs indicated a 64-85 day window from germination to harvest. I’m guessing around May we may have some cucumbers, green tomatoes, etc, but it make take a little longer for things to fully ripen. The strawberries we planted were actual plants, cut down to the root bulb and just a faint showing of a plant. I imagine (hope) these will take off faster as they tend to be ripe for picking around here in April/May.
I used to have a square foot garden and it did very well. I’m planning on having one this year as well but I’m … well, I’m dreading the building part. Last time I tried to build a square it ended up rather trapezoidal.
I LOVE this idea. I have a blank slate for a backyard after moving into a brand new house and I really wanted a MANAGEABLE garden project for the summer when I’m off work. This is the perfect thing for my 6 year old son and I to tackle.
I especially love the irrigation system. I’m going to start collecting water bottles from my co-workers tomorrow (since I’m too “frugal” to buy water myself).
I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of your efforts! We did our very first garden last year and I was so suprised at how well I did (black thumb and all) I had low expectations that I would follow through on it so I didn’t pick the best place to plant, just the best spot where no grass was growing. I still managed to have herbs and tons of varieties of tomatos that did well. This year I plan to do things more properly and actually plant in an area that gets full sun. Trial and error, but a great experience for the entire family! Thank you for inspiring me more!
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Great post - I am going to try a garden this year. In the past I threw in a few tomato plants and had some luck. This year I would like to try a few varieties on things. Please post an update for us!
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thank you so much for posting this! i did a google search for “average start-up square foot garden” and your site was the first to come up. we’re very passionate about growing our own food but we’re also a low-income family and i’ve been, well, FREAKING OUT a bit about how much it might cost to set it up. so thank you for easing my mind! i’ve bookmarked you and i would love to see more pictures and reports as your garden progresses.
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I found a website offering free seeds while I was researching gardening this morning .. might be useful to you
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Another method that might be right up you frugal folks alley is the no-dig garden. http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/
For my own yard, I got a bunch of laundry detergent bottles, cut the tops off them (including the tops of the handles to water with) and some bronze spray paint for my peppers. I am also happy with the 10 cent packages of seeds. Left over seeds from last year do me good, too. For fertilizing, I gathered old piles of horse manure out at a friend’s pasture and bought a mess of earthworms last year that are rather happy in my container garden! Companion gardening is good too. (Carrots/radishes planted at the near edges of my pepper pots–they are ready for harvest before the peppers need that space.)
Very cool, cannot wait to try this in New Mexico this fall!
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Wow, I love your blog.
Being a dad in a single income family with a small garden this post couldn’t have been a better fit!
Thanks
Albert (www.thoughtsintime.co.za)
very nice project. and very well executed. i like your water bottle irrigation system!
Nice, but I would steer clear of miraclegro soil - loaded up with fertilizers (NPK). Better to go with an organic soil mix, or better still some compost from last year’s vegetable peelings etc.
Also if you live in a frosty area (as we do in the Northeast), elevating the garden on a table allows cold air to get to the roots from underneath, which can enhance frost damage. It is better to place it on the ground or slightly buried, so there’s only one side (the top) exposed to the cold air. Also cover with a clear plastic sheet until the chance of frost is over (mid May for us).
One more thing - regarding the comment on using last year’s leftover seeds, we have not had much success with this, and storage conditions are critical. Nasturtium in particular don’t do well if the seeds get damp at all. For the extra investment of $5, it is well worth it to get new seeds. It would be a shame to go to all that effort and have it fail because you cheaped-out on a couple of bucks for new seeds.
nice article. very interesting project.
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Very nice tutorial. Thanks alot for sharing this. Very useful.
Thanks for the great article, I’m glad you are enjoying your new square foot garden.
We ended up fencing off part of our yard to keep our dogs from digging in our garden, but I have been looking into square foot gardening to maximize the amount of produce that we’ll get from our garden this year.
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It is great to find this article, which I found through Entrecard, as I have been in the process of starting my own square foot garden. I had planned to do this last year after my mom loaned me a book on the subject, but I didn’t follow through. This year I am going to make it happen.
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You really shouldn’t plant cucumbers within 200 feet of cantaloupes or other melons.
My dad made this mistake years ago in our first garden. We got tough fleshed orangish cucumbers and pale bland melons with weak skins subject to rot. Neither tasted very good, either.
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I know this comment is a little tardy, but I wanted to share that we made one of these too - actually, I sent your link to my hubby and he used that to help him! We’re waiting on adding the dirt/plants (since we’re in Ohio and it could frost tomorrow). It is too cute (of course that matters) and I can’t wait to get my fresh veggies!
BTW - love your site! I’m adding you to my snackable blog listing!
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Really good article - especially like the water bottle idea.
~plantgirl of http://squarefootgardenblog.com
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I built my square foot gardening as well and am having a ball. Don’t know if I’ll harvest the first thing or not, but we’ll see. I was going to post a picture but not sure how to do that.
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I’ve made a squarefoot garden myself, but I’ve never seen that type of irrigation system before. Very nice. Great idea!
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I am trying this this year and I have only raves about it…I am doing just a few things different but it is the least work I have even put into a garden for the most reward…I mulch everything, paths and plants with hay the way Ruth Stout did,,,,very, very little work involved and so far it is producing so much…here is my blog about it..
http://oursguarefootgarden.blogspot.com/
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Wow! I LOVE the irrigation idea and can’t wait to try it. This is super!
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I am a few months into my squarefoot garden experience and have great success with minimal effort once the garden was set up. I will say that the most important aspect of the square foot garden is the soils mixture prescribed in the book, 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, 1/3 vermiculite. If you are going to skimp on any materials don’t skimp on this part, it the key ingredient to success.
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This is so much fun! I want to make one! There is a restaurant here, in Austin, that grows veggies for their kitchen in these. They have a video with the instructions, here:
http://www.mindbites.com/lesson/454-square-foot-gardening
I doth my hat to you Frugal Dad!
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Just a thought…..someone may have addressed this. I wouldn’t use plastic bottles to irrigate. On warm/hot days chemicals in the plastic leach into the water and then into the garden soil.
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Thanks for this! We have a box garden on our porch, but are looking to expand. This looks perfect.
:o) This is a great idea. So simple and much appreciated. I have recently built my first raised garden bed, not too large but had fun doing it. Although I have used as much recycled stuff as possible has still cost me about $80.00 in materials. I have actually have used treated pine to create my sides (oops) hope it won’t have too detrimental an effect. thanks again. Please send updated photos of your gardens growth. :o)