Square Foot Gardening

Made Simple

Grow Pounds of Organic Produce with 80% less space, 80% less water and 90% less work!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1–Square Foot Gardening in a Nutshell

Chapter 2–Planning Ahead: The Vision You Want to Realize

Chapter 3–Preparing the Land: How to Prepare Your Square Foot Garden Properly

Chapter 4–Supplies and Tools: Selecting and Installing and Using the Right Equipment

Chapter 5 –Preparing the Square Foot Garden

Chapter 6 –Planting by the Square: Discussion about the Plants and Vegetables

Chapter 7 − Maintaining a Square Foot Garden

Chapter 8 –Harvest Season: Reaping the Fruits (and Vegetables) of Your Labor

Conclusion

Introduction

How would you like a garden that produces many times more than a traditional vegetable garden?

Have you ever dreamed of having a garden that only requires 8 hours of light easy effort per year and also naturally repels pests?

What if you could grow so much fresh organic produce that you could actually sell off the excess?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then this book is for you.

The main obstacle that would-be gardeners have, especially when living in the city, is not having a yard or space needed to grow a sustainable garden. The typical belief is that a large yard with plenty of space and sunlight is required for a garden to grow and flourish. While it is true that your plants would need space and sunlight, the space does not necessarily need to be huge. In fact, you can even have your very own thriving garden with just a square foot of space.

Yes, you’ve read that right. You just need a square foot of space. Have you heard about square foot gardening? Whether you are a gardening enthusiast or a beginner with a green thumb, this book will give you all the information you need to be able to start your square foot garden and satisfy your need to have your own little corner of green in your home.

In Square Foot Gardening Made Simple, you will learn how to maximize the small space you have while exerting minimal effort and needing a limited amount of water. Tending to your plants has never been easier! The best part is that you can have your own produce, ensuring that the ingredients that you use for those hearty family meals are truly fresh and organic!

Have a little extra produce? Share it with friends or neighbors, or even sell it for some profit on the side! This book will teach how to enjoy the joys of gardening and reap all its benefits. Having your own square foot garden truly is a “great thing in a small package”!

Copyright 2014 by Empowered Life Network LLC, All rights reserved.

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Chapter 1 – Square Foot Gardening in a Nutshell

There are numerous ways to start a garden, and these options have their own advantages, as well as disadvantages. While most people who would like to start their own garden are hindered by problems, there is one kind of gardening that has all the advantages, so much that these benefit outshine any disadvantage that you could think of! Welcome to the world of square foot gardening.

Square foot gardening is a type of gardening approach that utilizes a small amount of space but promotes the harvest of the maximum amount of produce for a minimal amount of effort. Imagine the fulfillment that a garden that will need 80% less space, 80% less water, and 90% less effort could give you. Just imagine these benefits while you find yourself starting an adventure of your own, right at your own backyard.

The main factors that discourage potential gardening enthusiasts are the lack of sufficient space, time, or energy to maintain a garden. The wonderful thing is that square foot gardening can shoot all these worries and excuses down. With this approach, space, time, and effort would no longer seem to be insurmountable issues that would hinder you from having that dream garden of yours. Square foot gardening truly provides a better perspective on how you can enjoy a fulfilling hobby without all the stress.

Below are just some of the benefits presented by this gardening approach.

A square foot garden is very easy to set up. This gardening method will not require you to do the technical stuff and does not need you to possess advanced gardening knowledge. Just like any gardening method, you just have to follow certain rules and have the patience required to initiate the project. Every successful project requires careful planning, building, and maintaining. Square foot gardening will still require your careful attention in order to thrive, but the steps needed are undoubtedly easier than when you an embarking on starting a full-sized garden in your backyard.

Square foot gardening requires minimal space. Square foot gardening got its name because you can literally turn spaces that measure only a foot into a productive garden. You can maximize the potential of a small area that you have, Whereas other approaches will give you a hard time setting up and maintaining your garden, square foot gardening is what you can think of as the “nanotechnology” of backyard gardening.

Square foot gardening is simple. Knowledge is power, but square foot gardening is not the rocket science of gardening. A lot of in-depth guides are available in print and online that can give you good recommendations on how to grow a garden successfully. There are literally thousands of these guides available to cater to your gardening needs and explain the needed steps. However, you do not need to do everything that you see.

There are only few important things that need to be done to have your own square foot garden. The problem with hardcore gardeners is that they tend to overcomplicate things, and the fun part simply fades off. You only need to learn and know some steps to be able to plan and realize a square foot garden. It’s twice the fun in an eighth of the space!

Square foot gardening eliminates the need for weeding. There are only a handful of gardening approaches that have this very valuable feature. The square foot gardening approach is so effective that you would only have only to allocate less than 1% of your overall effort to the removal of weeds.

With all these benefits in mind, wouldn’t you want to have your own square foot garden today? Let’s get started!

Chapter 2 – Planning Ahead: The Vision You Want to Realize

After the realization that you want to set up a garden as a worthwhile hobby, you must determine the factors surrounding this decision. Gardening is not a cookie-cutter kind of hobby. It is not something that can be likened to a one-size-fits-all kind of shirt. When selecting a particular gardening method, it is important that you determine your location and the amount of space you can provide for your plants.

Space is an expensive commodity, especially for those who live in an apartment. Space can hinder an aspiring gardener from selecting what kind of approach he or she really wants. If you have only a small backyard where the conventional gardening, which requires a lot of space, cannot be realized, you may consider square foot gardening. If you are lucky enough to have a significantly sized lot, then space will not be a problem for you.

Aside from space, your location is also something that should be taken under consideration. West coast gardeners, particularly those who live in California, can enjoy gardening for the entire year. However, there are states that have extremely hot summers, which make gardening quite a challenge, and there are other states where summer is too short.

Square foot gardening is a method that combines several schemes of concentrated gardening. The gardening beds are built and then filled with soil. This eliminates your need to have a large available piece of land. The raised beds are more accessible, especially for those with inadequate stamina and physical limitations.

In square foot gardening, it is recommended that you use a good mix of peat moss, compost, and vermiculite. This combination will yield a very light soil that drains well without overdrying. This type of soil retains moisture for the plants. The use of custom-made planting media eliminates the concerns and problems associated with very rocky, uneven, acidic, clayey, or other problematic soils. This kind of prepared soil reduces the potential of weeds to grow. Because of this feature, the chances of weeds growing in your garden is significantly reduced, such that the time needed to remove weeds from your garden is decreased to virtually zero.

Square foot gardening follows a particular pattern in which the plants are spaced very close, but not too tight, together. This eliminates the conventional “row” pattern. Square foot gardening also utilizes vertical gardening, or the use of plants that would require trellises and stakes. These features significantly reduce the amount of needed space because the available ground area is maximized, and vining plants grow up instead of around the given area.

At this point, you might have started thinking that this gardening approach is too good to be true. To set expectations, I would let you in on the other considerations that you have to think about before you set out to start your own square foot garden. Gardeners should be aware that this approach has a much higher start-up cost than other more conventional gardening methods. Moreover, the soil must be replenished annually. Fertilizer also plays an important role for the nutrition and supplementation needed by the plants to thrive and bear fruit. While it is true that square foot gardening will yield produce, it will not generate as much as that yielded by traditional gardening methods.

Creating a Square Foot Garden Plan

In setting up your square foot garden, careful and meticulous planning will enable every aspect to run smoothly. A simple outline will be very helpful because during the planning stage, the gardener can identify potential problems in terms of space, location hazards, and the like. Draw your idea on a piece of paper, and you will later have the satisfaction of seeing the idea that you had in mind unfolding and becoming a reality. Here are the simple steps that you can do while planning for your square foot garden.

1. Draw the outline of your garden. By drawing the foundations of your garden, you can see a bird’s eye view of what you perceive as your future project.

2. Indicate features and landmarks. These landmarks provide proper guidance on how you will organize your square foot garden. Landmarks, such as a tree, a shed, or a water faucet, will help you determine how you can properly position your garden beds. You should also include the four directions, the fences, and walkways in your outline.

3. Choose Your Crop. Write the list of plants and vegetables that you want to grow in your square foot garden. Remember that not all plants and vegetables can be grown in this garden type. I will be discussing the recommended kinds of plants and vegetables in the next chapters.

Square Foot Gardening Considerations

Like any gardening method, these gardening considerations should be taken care of before proceeding with the project to ensure that the process and implementation will be as smooth as possible.

Sunlight availability. The taller plants should be planted to the North. This prevents the taller plants from casting their shadow over the shorter plants, which may stunt the growth of these little ones.

Identify the need for physical support. There are some plants, such as vine tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas that will need support from a trellis. Your trellis must be securely placed in a located that would allow you to access both sides and will not block your access to other plants.

Companion Plants. Companion plants are those that can be planted as neighbors. This is extremely important so that the crops that are planted together will not rob each other of sunlight, nutrients, and space. For example, vegetables that spread all over the place, or even underground like potatoes, should not be planted next to carrots or onions.

Chapter 3 – Preparing the Land: How to Prepare Your Square Foot Garden Properly

After completing the initial design and layout, we now move forward to more considerations to keep in mind. Consider this as a more thorough review of your basic garden plan.

Location

Location should cover several factors properly, and these are sunlight, water, space, and proximity. It is essential that sunlight is abundant in the proposed location, because most plants need about eight to twelve hours of sunlight every single day. Therefore, your garden should never be placed somewhere shady. Lack of sunlight will give rise to several problems in the future. These problems include stunted growth and slower moisture and drainage clearance.

Plants need water, and another consideration is the presence of an accessible water supply for the plants. Space, as previously discussed, is important in terms of proper crop spacing. It also plays a role in how you could access your garden beds once the plants start growing. Lastly, the proximity of the garden is another key point. Your square foot garden should be accessible to the water source and some space for fence placement.

Garden Size

For beginners, it is recommended that you start small. This will be your “testing the waters” phase. By starting small, the tendency to waste and lose resources will be significantly minimized as compared to when you decide to start big. It is recommended by advanced square foot gardeners that on the first year, you should establish a garden that is no bigger than forty-eight square feet. This size of space could yield the following:

Three 4×4 Garden Beds

One 4×12 Garden Bed

One 2×24 Garden Bed

Shape

A long rectangle that provides access to all sides is considered as the ideal and easiest to build. If your garden will be built near a fence, you should place the short side of the garden against it. In situations in which you have to build along the fence, you can build either a single narrow bed that should be not more than two feet wide, or several garden beds with spaces.

Soil

Soil is considered as the most important element in a square foot garden. The quality of the soil will determine the success or failure of your garden. Soil preparation can be complicated as it needs to have the right consistency and pH. It also has to be filled with enough nutrients to sustain nourishment. This will require some research, and you have to identify what kind of soil you have available. If the available soil is only of passable quality, you can improve its quality by augmenting nutrition and texture.

You can actually fill your garden beds with the readily available soil from the yard. However, it is highly recommended that you make your own soil from compost, peat moss, and vermiculite. This gives you greater control over the soil quality while ensuring that the soil you are using is high in nutrient content.

Here is a simple diagram to provide you with a better outline on the different available planting media, along with their advantages and disadvantages.

| Advantages | Disadvantages
Backyard Soil | Readily Available No Cost | Soil quality may require further testing Can be filled with weed seeds and harmful microorganisms Labor intensive
Straight Compost | Low Cost | Straight compost has been known to have poor drainage ability May not have enough nutrients to sustain a healthy garden bed
Bartholomew Mix | Drains well Good water retention Well-balanced pH and nutrition | Considerably expensive Must be prepared and mixed yourself
Local Mix | Easy to acquire Low labor requirement | Soil can only be as good as the ingredients prepared by the local nursery or garden supply store. This can work to your advantage or disadvantage.

Soil Testing and Fertilizer Use

A gentle reminder is that every spring season, you should be adding more compost into your soil mix. You can add as many kinds of compost as you want, except for steer manure or any manure that is too “fresh.” A great addition is if you could use some fertilizer to promote chemical and organic nutrient sources. After some time, approximately two years or more, soil may need to be tested to determine whether there has been a depletion of important nutrients. The nutrient content in square foot gardens decreases faster than that in traditional gardens.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral. It appears like a flaky rock, and it becomes light and fluffy when heat is applied to it. Vermiculite is typically used in industrial settings, but it is recommended for use as a soil conditioner for square foot garden beds. Vermiculite helps keep the soil light and not too dense, thereby allowing for good air circulation while effectively absorbing and retaining water.

Where can vermiculite be purchased?

Wal-Mart or home improvement stores such as Home Depot carry vermiculite. However, vermiculite only comes in small bags, and these bags are quite expensive. It would be better to get vermiculite in larger quantities. You can sometimes find large quantities of vermiculite available at your local nurseries or large-scale gardening supply chains.

Is vermiculite considered safe?

Vermiculite was previously labeled as a dangerous substance because it is sometimes acquired from the same mines where asbestos is obtained. However, due to the improvement in acquiring safe vermiculite products over the years, it is now considered safe for gardening use.

Are there any good substitutes for vermiculite?

While there is no better than or comparable alternative to vermiculite, you can try and purchase Perlite. This is the white, powdery material you see in potting mixes. Perlite will not be a match to the boost vermiculite can provide to your garden, but it is still better than conventional additives.

Soil Testing

Soil testing is highly recommended for gardeners who opt to use the readily available backyard dirt. Soil testing can provide an accurate analysis of what the soil lacks or what values need correction. Soil testing can be conveniently performed for you by a professional, although this will be a bit more expensive than using the soil testing kits available at stores.

If you would like to perform soil testing by yourself, the available kits typically contain the following:

Four test tubes with lids

Four capsules

A color chart

An instruction manual

Soil samples can easily be scooped and analyzed based on package instructions. This will provide you with a clearer picture on what kind of nutrient supplementation is needed for your garden beds. Soil testing kits can provide you with the basic information needed to correct the deficiencies in your existing soil. However, the results will not be able to provide you with pinpoint accuracy compared with professional soil testing results. What’s more, almost every soil testing kit focuses on three elements, which are Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus, as well as the pH levels of the soil. It is highly likely that the other trace elements, such as Iron, Zinc, Calcium, and Boron, will not be tested for values. Nonetheless, it should be important to add these elements into your supplementation regimen as well.

Chapter 4 – Supplies and Tools: Selecting and Installing and Using the Right Equipment

In finding the right set of equipment, you must not focus on one particular supplier. It is recommended that you go for different suppliers to have a comparison in price and quality. This will require some time to work on because you will be checking varying prices and packages, but this activity will enable you to save a lot while learning from the experience. There are lots of options, from your local stores to online sellers, from which you can get the best quality tools at the lowest prices.

Remember: Before heading to your local supplier, write down the inventory of what you need. This will cancel out the possibility of bearing additional costs when you buy items that you don’t necessarily need for your square foot garden.

Below you will find a few things you need to take note while using tools to start work on your square foot garden.

1. Dismount any installations that have been used during the winter season. You may or may not have covered your garden space or installed something to help them weather the winter. Remove everything and store it away.

2. Turn the soil. If you live in a particular area that receives a lot of precipitation or snow, it is highly likely that that water has compressed your garden soil. You can use a spading fork to break down the soil, especially compacted clods, and make the soil fluffy and a bit loose. Then, use a rake or your hands to even out the soil. Well-turned soil should is of higher quality than the compacted soil you started with.

Note about the tools:

The tools needed can be purchased for less in bigger stores, such as Home Depot. You can also try online sellers and have these tools delivered right to your doorstep.

Spading Fork

A spading fork is considered as one of the most important tools in square foot gardening. It can be used to manage compost, tender the soil, and transfer dirt. There are several spading fork variants that primarily differ in terms of the handle length. Make sure that you will purchase the variant that fits your size and reach, as a handle that is too short for you will add more strain to your back as a result of frequent bending and reaching for the garden beds, whereas spading forks that are too long can lead to trouble in maneuverability.

Rakes

Rakes are among the optional gardening tools that can help you manage the soil surface and clean surrounding dirt and leaves. For starters, although a rake is primarily used to even the soil, you can use your hands as a combing tool instead if you don’t have a rake available. You can even improvise by using a 2×4 wooden board to even out the tendered soil.

Gloves

Gloves vary in terms of size or fit, material, and price range. There are a lot of gardening gloves available, and it is not a bad investment to purchase a good set of gloves. It is important that the gloves you will buy fit right, which means that they should not be too tight or loose. Gloves with Velcro on the wrist area provide a barrier that inhibits the dirt from getting to your hands.

The most common gloves are made of rubber or are coated with rubber. These are very handy when pulling off the grass that may grow around your garden beds. However, rubber warms up easily and can make your hands sweat, which can lead to irritation. Also, rubber gloves are not recommended for gardeners who have latex allergies.

3. Augment the Soil. This is the time when you would be adding some stuff to beef up your garden bed soil. Peat moss, vermiculite, fertilizer, and other supplements can be added to the soil at this point.

Compost

Compost can be prepared from several different sources. These include yard waste and kitchen scraps, chicken and turkey manure compost, cow or goat manure that has been prepared and composted, and commercially available composed like Harvest Supreme. You may have noticed that we highly discourage the use of steer manure. This is due to the high salt content of the manure which is considered harmful for the garden soil. The garden beds should be filled to the top because the soil will settle and become compact after several months. The recommended ratio of compost is about two to three cubic feet for every 4×4 garden bed that is about a foot high. Always prepare garden beds by half, or one bed at a time if you will be starting with two. In this way, you will have a better estimate on how much compost will be needed for the other garden bed.

Fertilizer

A common situation is that garden soil is undernourished rather than over nourished. It is recommended that you to add complete fertilizer as part of the preparation process before planting. The fertilizer needed will depend on the soil analysis and the supplementation that was previously applied to the garden soil if there, if any.

Vermiculite

If the consistency of your garden soil forms clumps whenever you turn it over, we recommend that you add vermiculite to the formula. Vermiculite lightens the soil as it traps both air and water between the gaps that it forms.

Peat Moss

Peat moss is advised to be included in the mixture if your soil does not retain moisture well and seems to be very dry. Peat moss has the ability to trap water, which makes the soil a bit heavier. Peat moss can be purchased from local garden suppliers and home improvement stores.

Other Improvements

Unless you are having problems with your garden soil, such as the case in which a vegetable is not growing well or nothing grows at all, you don’t have to apply a considerable amount of improvement. However, in cases in which you are struggling to sustain the growth of your plants, you have to test your soil. This can give you an idea about what the problem can be, which will help you think of options to address the problem.

4. Install Plant Support

Some vegetables, like vine tomatoes, can grow better when they can grow “up” instead of grow “out.” Plant supports can be installed to promote the growth of these plants. You just have to make sure that the supports are properly installed and replaced in cases of wear and tear when they could no longer support the weight of the plants. Below are some of the plant support options that you can consider.

Bamboo Stakes

Bamboo stakes are durable and not that expensive. These can be used for several years at least. Bamboo stakes can be installed in areas that are windy, as they can tolerate and adjust to the wind flow without tumbling down. Taller stakes can be used to stake tomato plants or zucchini, which can save you a lot of space.

Trellis netting

Trellises are used to grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and peas. These durable installations can last up to two or three years. The only challenge here is how to unhinge the vines that have secured themselves onto the nets, because you may hurt these plants when you are not careful enough. Trellis netting allows you to have a more presentable garden and an easier harvesting routine.

Velcro Tape

Over the past few years, twist ties have been considered as the best securing material for plant stalks. However, these tires and wires are starting to lose their position as gardeners start to opt for other alternatives, such as Velcro tapes. Velcro tapes can secure delicate vines and stems without cutting or injuring them, and they can be removed and reused easily.

5. Establish Grids and Irrigation

It is a wise move to set up the grids and irrigation about three weeks before the frost date. Setting up the system does not mean you should conduct a test run, because doing so will risk that your pipes would freeze, which may lead to problems later on. The irrigation system should be established before you start planting, because it will become a troublesome task if you will install this system when the plants are already growing.

6. Purchase Seeds

Unless you will be growing a massive garden or planning to grow a lot of vegetables of the same kind, it is not necessary to buy more than two seed packets of each kind. Square foot gardening, because of the smaller space, will require a fewer number of seeds, and the excess seeds that you’ve bought will simply be stored for the next planting cycle.

7. Some Necessities

If this is your first time to establish a garden, then you will need a transplanter or a trowel. Transplanters are narrower versions of the standard trowel, which has been specifically shaped to dig small holes for seedlings. In addition, you may want to have a durable kneeling pad to keep your knees comfortable for long hours of tending the garden beds. These pads would also prevent you from getting bruises.

Chapter 5 – Assembling Your Square Foot Garden

In preparing your square foot garden, it is necessary to stick to the prepared plan as much as possible. Adjustments can be done wherever applicable, and gardeners have the option to start from prefabricated square foot gardening kits, or they can choose to start from scratch. These available options have their own share of advantages and disadvantages, as well as variations in terms of required labor, difficulty of assembly, and the time needed to form the garden beds.

Vinyl Kit

Vinyl kits provide convenience and ease in assembling a square foot garden. These kits are ideal for those who have limited time in their hands but would like to initiate the project at the soonest possible time. There are several online vinyl kit suppliers available depending on your location. These suppliers can arrange a delivery or pickup if their office is around your area to save you from shipping costs. While the kits vary in terms of freebies, there are some inclusions that come with every standard package that you choose to purchase.

When selecting the most compatible package for your square foot garden, make sure that you already have a definite list of what produce are you going to plant. This is very important because you don’t want to have your kits mixed up and geared toward cucumbers and melons when you are actually interested in tomatoes and eggplants.

The standard vinyl kit typically includes the following:

Vinyl Box

Posts

Caps

Grid

Weed Mat

Everything that will be needed after the basic package will be shipped altogether. Some of the add-ons that can make the setup easier are tomato towers, trellis kits, and circular shrub fences. These should generally be bought with the standard vinyl kit if you are completely sure that you have finalized the plants that will be in your garden. Purchasing all of the basic kits in bulk can give you a discount, and of course, the waiting time is not expanded into batches because you will be expecting all the items in just one shipping.

Assembly of Vinyl Kit Garden Beds

Assembling vinyl kits requires shorter time and less effort than working on square foot garden beds from scratch. It is a relatively easy process that even beginners can do, and you can enlist the help of family members who would like to experience square foot gardening for the first time. To assemble a vinyl kit, simply snap the rails into the posts, then secure the caps on top of each post. This will form a firm box that will be the foundation of your square foot garden.

Once the box has been assembled, they can be filled with your preferred potting mix. As discussed in the previous chapter, the potting mix will be the foundation of any square foot gardening project, which is why it is very important to select the most suitable and available potting mix for your garden. Using gardening tools, make sure that the potting mix in the box is not too compact nor too loose. It should be evened out to allow uniform compaction once watering and cultivating commences as the plants start growing. The weed mat can be placed after the box has been properly filled. Lastly, the grids that usually come as a standard can be installed by laying them out and utilizing the snaps that are included in the package to secure and hold it all together.

Aside from the vinyl garden box, other kits that can be assembled easily are tomato towers. Aside from being easy to assemble, they add aesthetic and functionality. To establish a secure tomato tower, it is important to make sure that the corner connectors are firmly placed. The rebar should be halfway into the ground, and must be checked for stability. The nylon netting can be fixed after the stability of the tower assembly is ensured.

Wood Garden Box

For gardeners who prefer to use wood garden boxes, bear in mind that it will require a considerable amount of effort because this choice will basically start from scratch. Of course, the plan should conform with the available space that will be utilized for this project. Before engaging into the construction of the wooden garden boxes, you should have a quick look at the current available space to perform the last-minute tweaking.

Selecting the boards for your wood garden box can be little tricky. Experienced gardeners recommend that you select your own boards and not allow the store employee to pick the boards for you. There is a good chance that he or she might pick up boards that have some unwanted features like being warped or bent. As much as possible, you want your boards to be straight and free from deformities so as not to deviate from the uniformity of the squares. Bring the exact measurements with you, and you can actually request the store employee to cut the boards into your preferred dimensions.

Lay the boards on a flat surface, like the patio or garage. The corner brackets should be screwed on the inner side of the boards. It is highly suggested to use about two brackets per corner for a secured grip.

Staining the boxes can add personality to your square foot garden. While some gardeners prefer the natural look of untouched wood, it really depends on your liking. If you are considering staining your boxes, make sure that all sides have been covered, including the bottom and top portions.

Once the boards have been prepared and stained, now is the time to fill them up with the potting mix that you have selected from your garden supplier. Like the method of even distribution of the mix into the vinyl boxes, place a weed mat on top of the potting mix and then secure it to the grid.

After the completion of the garden boxes, it is now time to facilitate the planting of seeds or transplantation of seedlings bought from the garden supplier or the seedlings grown indoors that will be slowly acclimated into the outside environment.

The preparation of garden boxes may range from a few hours to an entire day depending on the size of your square foot garden, the type of garden box you selected, and the available manpower to prepare the garden boxes. It is recommended to start either early morning or about late afternoon depending on the current weather and the recommended schedule for planting or transplanting of your chosen plant or vegetable.

Chapter 6 – Planting by the Square: Discussion about the Plants and Vegetables

It has been previously discussed that a lot of options are available when it comes to plants and vegetables that can be planted in your square foot garden. For starters, however, here are the most recommended kinds of vegetables that will allow you to learn from the experience and would make your first attempt worthwhile.

Lettuce

Lettuce will always be in the list of highly recommended plants for square foot gardening because it grows quickly, and you can actually harvest the mature outer leaves while it is still growing. It does best with cooler climates, and it thrives in location that has some shade. What’s more, almost everyone knows how to cook and prepare lettuce.

Green Beans

Green beans are hardy vegetables that are quite resilient. The only thing that they cannot tolerate is freezing temperatures, but other than that, this is one of the vegetable choices that require low maintenance.

Basil

This culinary herb grows easily and quickly, and by harvesting its leaves from the tips, you actually help it grow more. Basil is a lot more resilient than other herbs, such as Thyme and Rosemary, and it can be used in a lot of dishes.

Green Onions

Green onions might be one of the more challenging vegetables to place in storage, but it is one of the easiest to grow. Green onions can tolerate cool weather, and they will continue to grow during the warmer months. They can be used in a lot of dishes as well.

Snow Peas

A fresh supply of peas will always be the best choice for gardeners who love salads and soups. Snow and snap peas are not as challenging to take care of as compared with other vegetables, and they will only need a trellis for support.

Zucchini

Zucchinis grow very fast, and they yield a lot of fruit. Gardening experts consider zucchini as the most foolproof vegetable to plant in a square foot garden. The actual challenge here is finding the best recipe for which will you use your produce.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are not necessarily the easiest to grow in this bunch. However, tomatoes gained the status symbol of backyard and square foot gardening favorite. A garden is quite incomplete if there are no tomatoes around. Tomatoes cannot tolerate the cold season, and they need warmer temperatures to yield fruit.

Cucumbers

One of the easier vegetables to grow, cucumbers is unlikely to give you any stress. However, the problem with this prolific vegetable is that it eats a lot of space. Gardeners prefer to trellis them, allowing them to receive full sun.

Companion Planting

Companion planting is important for gardeners that wish to add a particular twist to the garden by alternating two or more varieties per garden bed. Compatibility is extremely important so that the plants will grow without competing for sunlight, nutrients, and space.

Gardening Patterns

There are numerous gardening patterns available depending on your location. This is important to maximize the potential of your square foot garden and to minimize foreseeable inconveniences caused by the changes in season that may hinder your crops from growing.

Three Seasons: Spring to Summer to Fall

This is the most common gardening pattern in the United States. Gardeners who follow this schedule have a spring and fall frost date, and must squeeze in all the gardening between these frost dates. Gardeners start the process by planting hardy vegetables in spring, followed by semi-hardy varieties. After the anticipated frost date, the tender plants can be planted, followed by very tender ones several weeks later. Soon, the temperatures will become too warm for the first two sets of planted crops, and they must be harvested accordingly.

In situations in which the growing season is long enough, gardeners can plant a second set that should be ready for harvesting when fall comes. The schedule generally includes a second set of hardy and semi-hardy plants because most of the sensitive variants take a longer time from seed to harvest, so chances are that they would still be in the growing process when fall season comes, and the fall frost will kill them. In situations in which the growing season is short, you can select the tender varieties for spring and hardy varieties for mid-summer. The sequence can be confusing and a bit overwhelming, but when you get used to it, it can be manageable and enjoyable at the same time.

Fall to Winter to Spring

There are locations where you cannot utilize the summer season because the weather is too hot to have a successful garden outdoors. However, these areas do not have a fall frost date and enjoy a mild period of potential freezing temperatures that makes growing a garden during the winter season possible. Thus, gardening continues until the spring season to when the temperatures rise again in the summer. Gardeners who follow this cycle can successfully plant hardy and semi-hardy varieties during the fall season, followed by tender and very tender varieties in spring. A lot of hardy plants can be grown on a later season and can survive the relatively mild winter.

Two Seasons: Spring and Fall

Some parts of the country are only left with two seasons to enjoy planting because the winter season is too cold, whereas the summer days are too hot. These areas have both spring and fall frost dates, and the temperatures skyrocket between these dates.

This situation allows the formation of two growing seasons, spring and fall. Gardeners can select hardy and semi-hardy plants that grow pretty quickly. This promotes better chances of a bountiful harvest before the temperatures rise to unbearable levels.

The good part about having this cycle is that the only affected region is the South or a bit Southwest, and these areas receive a lot of sunshine and favorable winters. Most gardeners will plant hardy varieties in the fall season and can plant tender varieties as well. They can also utilize the winter season by selecting varieties that thrive in cold weather.

Year-Round Gardening

This is the ideal cycle, although not every gardener can enjoy such advantage. This schedule can be implemented in areas that do not experience frost and where the seasons are mild enough to enable you to maintain a garden for a whole year. Basically, gardeners in these areas can plant any vegetable at any preferred season. However, it is recommended that they plant season-specific vegetables to achieve favorable harvest.

Numerous hardy and semi-hardy choices will grow well when planted during the fall season, and they can be grown all winter and straight to spring. On the other hand, tender and very tender vegetables should be started in the spring and allowed to grow all summer and be harvested when fall comes. Most seed packets include a frost date indication. If your area does not have a frost date, then your planting time will directly be influenced by the intensity of sunlight and the average daily temperatures.

When to Plant

You now have all the basic information needed to time your planting activity properly. You already have a layout, you have prepared the garden beds whenever applicable, and you have purchased the seed packets and seedlings. Now, will you put the seeds in all at once?

Do not let the over eagerness and excitement lead you to do something drastic. Planting is not as simple as digging a hole and placing a seed or two, then covering the hole with soil. That is not how it works. Plants are classified into several categories based on light requirements, sensitivity, and preferred temperature needed to grow properly. Attempting to plant everything at the same time will not yield favorable results, because plants have different growing speeds. If you plant them all at the same time, you might end up in a situation in which some of your vegetables are already overripe while others are just about to bear fruit. This will also lead to stunted growth or wilted leaves and vines.

While seed packets have a map and recommended planting times, these are not as helpful as they seem. The planting time brackets are quite generalized, which means that they may or may not apply to you. There are more accurate instructions online that are based on real-time weather. These instructions can provide you with a more helpful guide and advice on when to initiate the planting schedule. You just have to be vigilant and aggressive enough to know when the right time for planting is.

The time to plant will slightly deviate from previous records, primarily due to the changes in season. There can be a premature winter or spring, which can affect the initiation of planting your seeds.

Utilizing Grow Lights

Grow lights are quite a sound investment, especially if you prefer to grow your seeds indoors initially. Grow lights emit even lighting that emulate the daylight requirement of the plants to initiate growth. It promotes even distribution and enables more control to inhibit the chances of wilting and burning.

New gardeners also consider a cheaper alternative to grow lights, and that is by placing the plants near a sunny window sill. This can actually work. However, it can promote uneven growth because the germinating seeds tend to follow where the light is. Thus, you could expect more elongated and extended stems rather than shorter but healthier and thicker stems from seeds germinated under grow lights.

Growing Seeds Indoors

If you are a beginner gardener, you can ask, “Why should I grow seeds indoors when I can simply grow them directly in the garden?”

The answer to this question is that not everyone enjoys a particular climate schedule that serves as the ideal growing condition for the type of vegetable that he or she wants to grow. The seasonal differences would require you to adapt and create a strategy to make progress despite the seasonal disadvantage, particularly when you are planting outdoors.

One of the classic examples of a particular vegetable that can benefit from indoor growing is the tomato. Tomatoes have an exceptionally long time required to grow from the germination process to harvest. These vegetables do not grow well in cold climates, and a slight stumble with a miscalculated fall frost will kill them easily. Therefore, it is recommended to initiate the planting of tomatoes indoors and then simply facilitate seedling transfer after the frost cycle is over.

Another example is the broccoli. Broccoli is a hardy vegetable that thrives in cool weather. In areas where the cold season is relatively short and the temperature warms up easily, broccoli lose the opportunity to grow well and reach maturity. It is important that broccoli be initiated indoors to give them enough time to mature before the hot season starts.

Why not just buy the seedlings from a nursery?

It is true that there are plants that require a controlled environment and should be transplanted once the weather conditions are more favorable. You can actually purchase seedlings from your home and garden store or a local nursery. This cancels out the woes of growing seeds indoors if you still don’t have the confidence to initiate the indoor growing process.

When should I start growing seeds indoors?

Several situations can be applicable to you should you decide to start growing your own seeds indoors. These situations have already been encountered by gardening enthusiasts, and getting insight into these situations can help you in your journey as a square foot gardener.

1. Seedlings are expensive. This is the most common reason why beginners opt to try growing their own seeds. The seedlings are grown in a climate-controlled facility, and the expenses incurred to make sure that they pass the standards will reflect on the retail price per seedling.

2. Certain situations require seedlings to be grown indoors, even if it may result in an additional expense. Gardeners located in areas where the growing season is very short should really grow their seedlings indoors. A short growing season inhibits slow-growing crops from growing properly in prepared garden beds. Thus, the requirement for a seedling as a starting point instead of seeds will lead to more expense.

3. You have tried both growing seeds indoors and directly in garden beds, and you prefer the former to the latter. Prepared garden beds are actually a controlled environment, but growing seeds indoors gives you more control. There are gardeners who prefer this method simply because they already have the mechanics down pat, and they want to make sure that the seedlings can survive the weather outside after being taken care of indoors.

Despite these pointers, not all crops require the process of being grown indoors and transplanted later. As a matter of fact, there are plants that do not thrive when transplanted and should therefore start from the seed instead. Here is a partial list of plants that prefer to grow from seeds.

Plants that Should Start from Seeds

Carrots

Corn

Peas

Radishes

Turnips

Basil

Cilantro

Lettuce

Mustard

Pumpkin

Zucchini

Kale

Rosemary

Thyme

Watermelon

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Chives

Leeks

Onions

Eggplant

Leeks

Parsley

Tomatoes

Planting Seeds

To start with the planting, you will be needing the following items:

Pencil

Watering Can

Garden Plan and Layout

Seed Packets

Make sure that the garden plan and layout that you have will identify where each variety of plant and vegetable will be planted, especially if you will be planting two or more varieties. It is important to start with a positive gardening outlook. It is okay to take risks and have that slight stress and excitement to start. It is important that you are focused.

Start with a particular square, then use the pencil to poke the appropriate number of holes. Ideally, it should be sixteen plants per square of 4×4, nine plants in a square of 3×3, and four plants in a square of 2×2. Each hole can be planted with about two to three seeds. Cover the hole gently and water it.

In planting the right amount of seeds, you have to remember that there are those that are too small and resemble powder. These minute seeds can be planted per small pinch. Also, be very careful when watering garden beds with small seeds because they can be washed away.

Transplanting Plants

The most common error of some new gardeners is that they expect too much from seedlings grown indoors or a nursery. They forget the fact that seedlings are still delicate pieces of life. When seedlings are grown indoors, they have never experienced the intensity of outdoor sunlight. The stems are quite a bit brittle as well, because they have never experienced a breeze. Seedlings can experience shock from either sunburn or other elements outside, such as heavy rains and strong winds. It is important that they undergo gradual acclimation in order to survive.

To perform gradual acclimation, initiate the process by taking your plants out for a short period of time, such as by placing them outside for about an hour in full shade.

Remember: You must not forget your plants, or they will dry up and die.

Every day, you can extend the time they are outside, thereby gradually increasing the amount of sunshine they received. This process is called hardening. The gradual acclimation allows the plants to adjust properly to the outside environment. After one full week, the best day to plant them is during a shady day, in which sunlight is somewhat filtered and will not dry up the newly transplanted seedlings. Always check the weather forecasts a day or two before you plan to facilitate the transplanting process. If the weather keeps on registering as sunny, you can build something to provide shade to protect the seedlings on the first day.

During the transplantation process, you will need the following:

Acclimated or “hardened” seedlings

Scissors

Spade

Garden plan and layout

Bucket of water and cup

Use a spade to dig a hole for planting. There are plants that will thrive better when the level of soil in the seedling pot is the same as that in a garden bed. There are plants, like tomatoes, that prefer a deeper planting platform. It is important to research each plant that you have for planting so that you have a clear understanding of what these plants need during the transplantation period.

Gently remove the plant from the seedling bag or pot. There is a tendency that the roots would be wound around the base. To make sure that the roots will not be hurt, slowly cut off the bottom part of the bag. Fill the remaining space with soil. Now you may be thinking about why you brought a bucket of water and not a watering can. The bucket of water and cup inhibits overwatering which occurs quite commonly when using watering cans.

Go back to your gardening plan and layout to update the plan with the dates and activities done during the day. This allows you to keep track of your progress and provides good recall on what happened that day. The germination process varies from several days to several weeks. It is normal to have an empty garden bed after a full week. You can also compare your progress to the seed packet instructions and information available online.

If the average germination period is about a week, and it has been more than two weeks without progress, then you should consider replanting. However, there are seeds that really take a long time to germinate, so this is something that will test your patience.

Chapter 7 −Maintaining a Square Foot Garden

The process of maintaining your square foot garden will require a lot of patience and time. Several maintenance-related items will be discussed in this chapter. These items include irrigation, gardening problems, solutions, and proper fencing.

Types of Irrigation Systems

Irrigation is the lifeline of a square foot garden. Each method has advantages and disadvantages which you should consider when selecting which option can work best for you. The chart below will provide you with a preview, and a more detailed explanation follows.

| Advantages | Disadvantages
Bucket | Low Cost Minimal equipment needed Anyone can use it | Labor intensive Not automated

Hose

Minimal equipment needed

Low cost

Labor intensive

Not automated

Can splatter soil

Water that reaches the leaves can transmit diseases to other plants in the garden

Soaker Hose | Not expensive Anyone can use it Applies water to soil only | Not automated High possibility of uneven watering Needs to be turned on and off
PVC and Spray Nozzle | Less work Even watering Low labor requirement | Water that reaches the leaves can transmit diseases to other plants in the garden Requires supplies and know-how Needs to be switched on and off
Automatic Sprinklers | Automatic Easy to use | Water that reaches the leaves can transmit diseases to other plants in the garden Water consumption cannot be controlled

Automatic Drip Irrigation System

Automatic

Easy to use

Applies water to soil

Custom watering

Expensive

Bucket

Buckets are considered as the simplest tool that you can use to water your garden. I recommended that you use water that has been sun-warmed. This kind of water allows better absorption, which can be very helpful during cold days. The plants can benefit from the warmth delivered with the water. The basic approach of hand watering your plants allows you to check your garden often and on a regular basis. This enables you to observe any early signs of disease or damage. It is also a requirement to find someone who can water the plants for you if you will be going on a vacation.

Hose

Like buckets, hoses provide another simple irrigation approach. However, the use of a hose has several drawbacks. First, you also need someone to do the watering for you when you are away. Using the hose will spray moisture to the leaves and can promote cross contamination whenever the splatters of wet dirt reaches the leaves. It will also become a challenge to deliver even watering when using a hose.

Soaker Hose

A soaker hose is a different take on irrigation compared with the first two options. Soaker hoses are porous, thereby allowing water to seep through slowly. This “semi-automation” means less work, but you have to keep remember the correct schedule of when to turn it on and off. Same with the hose, its use can also result uneven delivery of water. If you can work on the slight disadvantages, then this type can work for you.

PVC and Spray Nozzles

PVC and spray nozzles have a mechanism similar to that of soaker hoses, except that they work on the surface. The nozzle can be adjusted to fix the flow of water. However, this needs to be turned on and off as well. Also, the PVC that needs to be buried can become brittle in due time.

Automatic Sprinklers

Automatic sprinklers promote the automation of irrigation. A timer and a hose network can be arranged to ensure that a watering schedule can be followed without fail. These sprinklers can be strategically installed in specific areas in the garden. However, the convenience that this irrigation system can provide can become a disadvantage at some point. Because of the automatic watering system, you lose the need to visit your garden frequently. This can provide opportunity for some of the damage or disease to worsen without you knowing it at the earliest onset.

Automatic Drip Irrigation System

Advanced gardeners consider this as the ideal irrigation system because it can be adjusted based on the needs of your plants. The primary disadvantage of this irrigation system is the cost. Other disadvantages are similar to those presented by the automatic sprinkler, particularly in terms of the frequency of your garden visits and inspection.

Protection with Fences

Fences are considered as one of the defining features of any kind of garden. Fences are used for varying purposes, ranging from aesthetic appeal to space division and defense. Square foot gardens established in suburban areas where residences are particularly fenced will benefit from another layer of fencing to defend the plants from intruders, such as squirrels, rodents, deer, and birds. Domesticated pets, such as dogs and cats, can also be prevented from entering the area so that they won’t be able to dig the garden beds and cause a significant amount of damage.

Fully-Fenced Enclosures

This approach builds a top layer of protective barrier for the garden beds. Primarily made from chicken wire, this method ensures that intruders, such as birds and squirrels, will not attack the plants.

However, a fully-fenced enclosure is not suitable for all types of square foot gardens. Gardens with vines and are supported with cages or trellises will make the utilization of the top layer inconvenient.

Wraparound Garden Bed Fence

This method establishes a fence around each garden bed, with the top portion open. Wraparound fences can be easily installed by securing stakes in the ground and attaching chicken wire to wrap the entire garden bed. The main disadvantage of wraparound fences is that the fence will not protect the plants from birds, but it can provide increased defense against rabbits, dogs, cats, and raccoons.

Wraparound Garden Fence

This is basically the expanded version of the wraparound garden bed fence. This garden fence covers the entire perimeter as a large square or rectangle. The advantages and disadvantages are similar to those of the wraparound garden bed fence, plus this is easier to install compared to the former because you will just secure one particular set.

Netting

Netting is a kind of protective method that is specifically made to protect the garden from birds. There are numerous netting tools available at your local home improvement and garden supply store.

Chapter 8 – Harvest Season: Reaping the Fruits (and Vegetables) of Your Labor

After all the hard work, days will go by and before you know it, you will be surprised that the day of harvest has come. You will now be reaping what you have sown several months ago. For an enthusiastic gardener who really loves what he or she is doing, the time between planting and harvesting seems to be quite short. Harvesting is a very powerful word that could motivate and excite any gardener.

Harvesting is an activity that does not end in cutting the pumpkins and melons from their stalks or pulling the carrots and radishes from the ground. The process of harvesting starts from picking the garden’s produce, preserving the produce, or even selling the produce if you want to earn from the hobby you love or have learned to love. Square foot gardening is something that you can really enjoy if you will set your heart into it and, by allowing your family to harvest with you, you can have a worthwhile harvesting experience that you can associate with memories of doing an enjoyable activity together.

Proper Harvesting Approach

There are different harvesting approaches that you could use depending on what crop you have planted. For example, lettuce and spinach should be pulled by the roots when harvested. The roots should be rinsed properly. Pumpkins and other vine crops that yield heavy fruits should be trained to yield flat and not dangling around. This enables the fruits to grow evenly, which can give you some cash for sale, especially during Halloween when they are used for jack-o-lanterns. Vine crops can be harvested by using sharp tools to minimize vine trauma due to dull knives and shears.

Preservation Practices

There are numerous online guides available that provide detailed instructions on how to pickle produce, such as beets and other vegetables that can be sold or prepared for personal consumption. You should remember that not all types of produce are compatible with freezing. In particular, leafy vegetables may become mushed once thawed after being frozen. Experienced gardeners recommend the blanching of vegetables before freezing them to preserve their consistency. Blanching allows faster freezing time, and thawed vegetables tend to be crispier.

Effective canning and pickling considerably extend the shelf life of your produce, and you can even concoct your signature recipe and have it sold at the local market. On the other hand, freezing is the easiest way to preserve produce. Nevertheless, the key to prolonging the freshness of your produce is to keep them clean and avoid frequent transfers, which may cause blemishes that can accelerate rotting. This is important, especially once you have decided to take this hobby to the next level which is turning your garden into a small-scale commercial farm. This is actually a wonderful idea, but remember that you should not jump into the endeavor in a heartbeat, as it requires further planning for it to become another successful project under your sleeve.

Square foot garden is a gardening method that will require less work because of the reduced space that you should tend and maintain. When harvesting produce from your square foot garden, you enjoy several benefits that not all gardening methods can provide.

You are sure of what you are getting

Square foot gardening gives you the assurance that the produce you are getting is fresh and free from pesticides. This gives you peace of mind because you and your family will be eating something that is healthy and clean.

You are getting it fresh

Square foot gardens turn your backyard into a fresh produce farm. The lettuce that you have just harvested from your garden is definitely a lot fresher than the one that you’ve purchased from the grocery store. Freshness is one of the most expensive features of organic produce, and you have one that is right beside your home.

You reap the fruits of your labor

There is nothing more rewarding than tasting the sweet fruit of a successful planting season. There is joy in having something that came out from your best efforts. From planning to harvesting, square foot gardening is a journey from which you gained precious experience first-hand, and now, you have already reaped the benefits!

Conclusion

After the wonderful harvesting experience, your square foot garden may look like a deserted space with dirt and cuttings all over the place. This is the usual scenario for seasonal crops, but it is not common for annual vegetables. You should remember that this is not the end of your square foot gardening experience. Unbelievably, you can actually make the most out of your square foot garden at this point.

Once you have harvested all the produce, start planning ahead and utilize the remaining compost by mixing it with some fertilizer to prepare the garden bed for the next planting cycle. The used or leftover garden soil can be used in other areas of your yard that may benefit from the nutrients that the planting mix can provide. The nutrients for the plants and shrubs planted in backyard soil can be replenished by the leftover garden soil.

The best possible way to motivate yourself and to continuously engage your focus on square foot gardening is to keep your eyes on the prize, and enjoy your journey toward the final accomplishment. However, final does not mean the end. You can look forward to repeating the planting cycle for many seasons to come.

Please keep in mind that any kind of gardening is not something that you can try one day and then quit the next day. Gardening is not an experiment that can be abandoned just like that. Gardening involves labor – labor of love that is. It can become a legacy that can change you as a person, and it can provide an experience that you can share with your family and friends. There is nothing more rewarding and satisfying than planting the seeds, seeing them grow, harvesting the produce, and later using it to prepare a soup or a refreshing and healthy shake for your loved ones to enjoy. Gardening will require patience. It is not for the faint of heart or those who are easily overwhelmed or frustrated.

Square foot gardening gives you good reason to enjoy your homegrown ingredients, any time of the day. You can eat them and add them to your favorite salad, or even try something new by checking out easy recipes from online guides and cookbooks. A picture perfect garden does not necessarily mean that you have to start perfectly; it is the experience it provides that makes it a perfect adventure. By having a constant desire to improve your knowledge and apply it to your garden, you will have your own piece of green that you can be proud of. Start your square foot garden now; you’ll never know the fulfillment that it can give you unless you try.