Are You Maximizing Your Garden Space?

Do you want to grow a variety of plants in one bed, and reap larger harvests while weeding and watering less frequently? Maximizing your garden space with square-foot gardening can help you do just that! If you want to reduce waste and increase efficiency in your garden, this is the article for you.

Square-foot gardening is when you divide up your garden bed into a grid that measures one square foot for each planting section. You can divvy up any garden size also long as you can comfortably reach each section. A 4ft-by-4ft bed is most common and it will give you 16 individual sections in your grid. You also don’t need a raised bed to practice this gardening method. Many have found raised beds aesthetically pleasing, more practical for mobility issues, and more efficient in draining the soil or overcoming rocky soil issues. A variety of materials can be used to divide the garden like metal, wood, or twine which is helpful when sowing seeds and establishing your plants. Using plastic pipes will add a dual function as an irrigation system and save you even more time. Make sure you gear up before your next gardening season.

Digging or tilling the soil isn’t necessary, but because square-foot gardening is an intensive gardening technique, nutrients will need to be added back into the soil. This can be done by adding more compost throughout the growing season. It’s not uncommon to add a handful of compost to a section that’s just been harvested to plant something else.

The number of plants you can fit in a square foot depends on what you choose to grow. Carrots, radishes, and scallions only need about three inches of space between them, meaning you can grow about 16 plants per square foot. Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, leeks, small turnips, and some varieties of corn only need a little bit more space. Spaced out at four inches in a grid of three plants by three plants you could fit a total of nine plants. Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, collards, celery, eggplant, and peppers need quite a bit of spacing, and you’ll most likely only be able to fit one plant per square foot. Read more about designing your own garden as the new year draws closer.

While there are many benefits of square-foot gardening, it’s important to carefully consider how plants grow to avoid shading out smaller plants near them. It’s also good to consider proper plant placement to reduce pests and plant diseases and meet necessary nutrient requirements and water needs. If you’re planning on tomatoes, we have a whole article about them, too!

Now, we know measuring and sowing can be time-consuming, especially during a busy planting season, and not everyone has the time to get everything done on time. Homefront Farmers can design and install a beautiful organic vegetable garden for you, tailored to your space and family. Get in touch for your personalized consultation!