Square Foot Gardening Plans
I recently stumbled upon an interesting gardening method called square foot gardening, and decided we would give it a try. I’ve always thought the idea of having a vegetable garden would be a lot of fun. Walking out to your square foot garden and picking a fresh tomato for tonight’s dinner appeals to the self-sufficient nature of most frugal individuals.
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. Enter square foot gardening.
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 home improvement 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. If you have some compost to mix, such as soil generated from a Mantis ComposT-Twin composter, it would really help your soil.
(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. I get seeds from Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co. Click here to receive $20 off your first order!
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’ve since improved on this irrigation system as I became more aware of the dangers of heated plastic leeching bad things into the soil
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.
Additional Resources:
- Gardens Alive – $20 FREE off your first order at Gardens Alive!
- Mantis® – We Make Gardening Easier ® Take advantage of our best offer ever. Free shipping and a Free Border Edger Attachment.
- DirectGardening.com – Offers quality plants at great prices, come see what we mean!
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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[...] you’d rather grow your own food, Frugal Dad gives step-by-step instructions on How to Build a Square Foot Garden. He only spent $42 for setup, so it was a fun and cheap project for the [...]
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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This is one of the web’s most interesting stories on Wed 19th Mar 2008…
These are the web’s most talked about URLs on Wed 19th Mar 2008. The current winner is …..
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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!
[...] in the post is $42, but with a good season or two of veggies should help make up for the cost. How to Build a Square Foot Garden [Frugal Dad via Being [...]
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.
[...] Dad’s article, “How to Build a Square Foot Garden” was recently fortunate enough to receive some face-time on both the front page of [...]
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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[...] If you have seen the article on kitchen gardening but did not have enough place for it then this article might be something for you. Here’s a short quote from the original article: [...]
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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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[...] had a quiet Easter at home today so I used the beautiful weather to work on my garden. Inspired by Frugal Dad and Get Rich Slowly, I’m in embracing the new Square Foot Gardening craze and I hope that it [...]
[...] Frugal Dad has a great post on making a square foot garden. [...]
[...] planted. what i thought was a good idea- especially for folks who don’t have much room- square foot gardening. my gardening cohort, jim, tells me not to make raised beds from pressure treated wood- as the [...]
[...] The Good Human shared a quick tip to “Reuse Leftover Water.” It was short and sweet, but generated a couple ideas for watering our Square Foot Garden. [...]
[...] recently had an occasion to create some sawdust building our square foot garden box. All that cutting and drilling left a small pile of sawdust behind, and instead of simply [...]
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[...] but don’t have a yard or other suitable place to plant it? Why not try square foot gardening! As explained by Frugal Dad, square foot gardening is planting fruits, flowers, and/or vegetables in a raised bed above [...]
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[...] you are inspired by Pollan’s great piece, start with these instructions on how to build a square foot garden from Frugal Dad – this is very similar to the vegetable garden my husband and I built in our [...]
[...] Grow Your Own- No, that’s not what I mean
. Grow your own vegetables and herbs (which are quite expensive if you go by weight), and fruit if you live in a place you are able to. Don’t have a big yard? Try building a square foot garden. [...]
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.
[...] time we spend much more time outdoors than we used to. our backyard is our refuge. I tend to my square foot garden while my kids jump on their trampoline. My son has even developed a pretty good fastball from [...]
[...] this concept, but was intrigued. I made a note to do some research when I got home. Weeks later, my How To Build a Square Foot Garden article is still by far the most popular article here at Frugal [...]
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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[...] Frugal Dad’s Square Foot Garden uses water bottles with pinholes as a drip irrigation system. At first, I was planning to strategically place bottles around my garden, but it gets windy here, and I could picture my bottles ending up in the neighbor’s yard, so I decided to plant them in the ground. This way the water will enter the ground at root level. The mouth of the bottle sticks out for refilling. [...]
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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[...] How to Build a Square Foot Garden [...]
I’ve made a squarefoot garden myself, but I’ve never seen that type of irrigation system before. Very nice. Great idea!
[...] Growing Your Own Food- You grow your own vegetables and herbs even if you don’t have the space. [...]
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/
[...] other night I was out watering the square foot garden while my kids were running around the yard, riding power wheels and bicycles. It had been an [...]
[...] Square Foot Gardening! – Frugal Dad did a post a while back on How To Build a Square Foot Garden, and then Lynnae over at Being Frugal wrote about building her own. Over the last several years, [...]
[...] How to Build a Square Foot Garden [...]
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Wow! I LOVE the irrigation idea and can’t wait to try it. This is super!
[...] Frugal Dad – How to build a square foot garden – Step by step guide to frugally building your own vege patch. [...]
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.
[...] a small garden and eat your own [...]
[...] a small garden and eat your own [...]
[...] is a connection between frugal followers and the environment, and not just because we are into square foot gardening. The connection goes deeper, and is centered in the idea that we should be good stewards of our [...]
[...] to be a “home economist.” Cook meals from scratch, clip coupons, make homemade crafts, or even start a garden. In other words, look for ways to save money that you probably wouldn’t have time for if working [...]
Thanks for this! We have a box garden on our porch, but are looking to expand. This looks perfect.
[...] a small garden and eat your own [...]
[...] or hot climate, you might want to set up a simple irrigation system in the early gestation period. Frugal Dad has a great – and of course, economical – way to create an irrigation system. To do, take a [...]
I thought other readers would enjoy an activity I got at the botanical gardens. Have you or your children “Ever Seen a Plant Move When You Tickle It?” If you wanted to share your love for nature with your children, here is an activity I have done with mine. This may change the way you and the kids react to plants for ever. Imagine giving your children some seeds. Having them watch them sprout and grow. Then shortly after the second leaves appear they tickle the plant and it moves its branches down and closes its leaves! Give them more than a gift; give them a learning experience they will never forget. I found information and my growing kits at http://www.ticklemeplant.com
Great idea – anything to get kids interested in growing their own food.
I have done something similar by building my own High Density Garden but on a larger scale at 10ft by 10ft. I did not put a base on it but built it on a lawn so I dug the lawn over and then just put my garden on top of it.
There is more info on this on my website at http://www.highdensitygardening.com/home.html
[...] Growing your own fruits and veggies is one of the most effective strategies to spend less on food. There are a lot of low-maintenance vegetables and herbs you can even grow in pots (useful if you’re renting). They don’t need much attention and can save you a fair bit of money. If you like this idea, have a look how a Frugal Dad built a square foot garden for only $40. [...]
Start a pile of compost now and keep your eyes peeled for vermiculite (hint: try brickyards). If you thought it was fun with commercial dirt wait until next year when you have black gold and the water properties of vermiculite (or perlite).
Love this idea. i think it will benefit many frugallers who have wanted to dip a toe in to the world of growing their own.
I will link this article to my blog
happy Growing
The Square Foot Garden works really well. One way to reduce the cost is to buy the lumber (2×6) in 16 foot lengths and have the store cut it in half twice to get the four (4) 4ft sides. Saves over 30% of the cost on the lumber, as a longer single board is cheaper than two shorter ones.
Second, in order to give credit where credit is due there is a great book called “All New Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew. Mel invented the square foot gardening concept and had a show on PBS about it. His website link is: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
[...] are a number of things you can do to make your small homestead more efficient, like building a square foot garden for vegetables, installing a clothesline to lessen the energy demand from your dryer, and reducing [...]
Mel Bartholomew, the inventor of the square foot gardening method, (although raised-bed gardening has been around for ever and is basically the same concept) was already mentioned, but I wanted to add that he originated this concept as a way to garden efficiently and cost effectively to the extent that he now has a not-for-profit that promotes the square foot gardening method in urban poor areas of underdeveloped countries where they establish square foot gardens on the rooftops of buildings.
[...] How to Build a Square Foot Garden by Frugal Dad [...]
[...] hope to try this next month, but Jason at Frugal Dad already wrote about his experience last spring. Basically, you create a simple raised bed, which can be placed either directly on the ground, or [...]
[...] Frugal Dad has a great post that lays out the details and cost for a small garden plot. If you’ve never gardened before, it is well worth it. The taste of a fresh homegrown tomato, the therapy of putting your hands to work in the soil, the pride you and your children will take in your work, the many lessons of nature are all wrapped up for you in a little garden plot. « Get $10 in Coupons You may Leave a comment or Subscribe to Comments RSS or Trackback this entry. [...]
[...] How to build a square foot garden by frugal dad [...]
Great article! I don’t think many people realize that they already have all it takes to grow their own food garden. These days it not only makes sense from an economic point of view but it’s also great to get back to the basics. There are many sites on the net that can help. I like http://www.zipharvest.com – one can design and layout a custom garden with minimum effort. They even have a replica of the new Obama victory garden at the White House. Everyone can grow what the president is growing…
[...] year we are planning to expand our square foot garden, but the soil under the raised beds is so compacted I’m concerned no roots will grow beyond [...]
I love this idea. Want to start a little veggie garden in the backyard myself. I went to a nursey yesterday to consult and they said exactly what you wrote. Great info but OMG so much to kow and to do.
Great article and idea. I have to try it.
I recommend that you do try this method. I use it in High Density Gardening and find that I can grow crops at high density in a small mini plot. I will put 36 radishes in a 12 inch square plot and find that most of them grow. I have also grown carrots at this density, great for mini veg, but grow with 20 in a mini plot for larger carrots. Great fun so just do it.
There is more info on my website http://www.highdensitygardening.com/home.html
This is great! I love gardening for veggies and I’ve always used small window boxes but I’ve wanted to step it up a notch! Thanks. Plus what betterway to be thrifty than to grow your own veggies!
Gardening is so relaxing and a wonderful way to spend time outdoors. It is one of my favorite hobbies that I love to share with others online! Thanks for taking the time to write this post, I always learn so much about gardening from many different sources online!
I built 2 4×4 sq ft gardens several years ago as a test. Not only was it very productive, but maintenance was VERY manageable.
I’m sure you’ll be delighted with the results!
[...] after a quick search I found that fellow personal finance bloggers Lynnae at BeingFrugal.net and Frugal Dad built their own square foot gardens already! I won’t include a detailed step-by-step [...]
I thought this was a fascinating idea and then I stumbled on this one, too: Straw Bale Garden. How innovated!
BTW, thank you for writing about the successess and lesson learned building your square foot garden.
How’s this for cheating? I go to my local wine shop and ask for the wooden wine boxes (usually French and Italian, sometimes California) and fill them with compost or bagged potting soil and voilà, square foot gardening in chic wine boxes without lifting a hammer! I think they look great and are very functional. They last a couple of seasons and then I go get some more boxes