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	Creating a square foot garden

No space to grow vegetables? Don't worry, you can try a square foot garden, a method of growing vegetables in a very small space.

How do we start our square foot garden?

Measure out an area 122cm x 122cm and mark the corners with pegs.

Use untreated timber 3cm wide and 10cm deep. Cut 2 planks of wood 122cm long and 2 planks that are 116cm long.

Take one of the 116cm lengths. To each end of the plank screw one of the 122cm lengths. When you have attached both, attach the final 116cm length to make a square.

Place your square on the area that you have marked out, and fill with soil.

Divide the square into sixteen x 15cm squares.
Nail long (at least 125cm) shoelaces or cord across the box to mark these squares clearly.

A new square foot garden

An established square foot garden

Now you will need to decide which plants you are going to grow. You will need to research (find out about) this carefully as some types of vegetables and plants will do better than others in this small space. Each square will be planted with a different crop (type of plant).

Work out the compass directions. The side of the square foot that faces south is the front. Tall plants should not shade smaller ones. The tallest plants should be at the back of the bed.

What can we find out?

While you are creating and maintaining a square foot garden there are many investigations that you can try.

• Building your own square foot garden.

•
Research the plants that will grow best in such a small space.

•

Sow and raise your own plants from seed.

•

Work out how much it cost you to grow the plants. Then find out how much it would cost to buy the same amount of vegetables from a shop.

•

Use plants to attract predators that will eat pests.

•

Work out a crop rotation plan.

Click here if you need help with any of the investigations.
or telephone us on (024) 7630 8238

Example of a square foot garden (spring)

1
9 x garlic 2
4 x land cress 3
16 x turnip 'Market Cross' 4
6 x small summer cabbage 'Primo'

5
leaf lettuce 6
16 x carrots 'Nantes' 7
6 x small summer cabbage 'Greyhound' 8
spring onion

9
4 x hamburg parsley
12 x radish
'French Breakfast' 10
4 x spinach 'Avante' 11
12 x radish 'Sparkler' 12
2 rows peas 'Daybreak'

13
2 x Pot marigold
2 x alpine strawberry 14
4 x lettuce 'Little Gem' 15
16 x carrot 'Nantes' 16
2 rows peas 'Daybreak'

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Garden Organic \| Schools project \| Contact \| Join	All content © HDRA Page last updated 19 June, 2006

1 9 x garlic	2 4 x land cress	3 16 x turnip 'Market Cross'	4 6 x small summer cabbage 'Primo'
5 leaf lettuce	6 16 x carrots 'Nantes'	7 6 x small summer cabbage 'Greyhound'	8 spring onion
9 4 x hamburg parsley 12 x radish 'French Breakfast'	10 4 x spinach 'Avante'	11 12 x radish 'Sparkler'	12 2 rows peas 'Daybreak'
13 2 x Pot marigold 2 x alpine strawberry	14 4 x lettuce 'Little Gem'	15 16 x carrot 'Nantes'	16 2 rows peas 'Daybreak'

Measure out an area 122cm x 122cm and mark the corners with pegs.
	Use untreated timber 3cm wide and 10cm deep. Cut 2 planks of wood 122cm long and 2 planks that are 116cm long.
Take one of the 116cm lengths. To each end of the plank screw one of the 122cm lengths. When you have attached both, attach the final 116cm length to make a square.
	Place your square on the area that you have marked out, and fill with soil.
Divide the square into sixteen x 15cm squares. Nail long (at least 125cm) shoelaces or cord across the box to mark these squares clearly.
A new square foot garden		An established square foot garden
	Now you will need to decide which plants you are going to grow. You will need to research (find out about) this carefully as some types of vegetables and plants will do better than others in this small space. Each square will be planted with a different crop (type of plant).
Work out the compass directions. The side of the square foot that faces south is the front. Tall plants should not shade smaller ones. The tallest plants should be at the back of the bed.

•	Building your own square foot garden.
•	Research the plants that will grow best in such a small space.
•	Sow and raise your own plants from seed.
•	Work out how much it cost you to grow the plants. Then find out how much it would cost to buy the same amount of vegetables from a shop.
•	Use plants to attract predators that will eat pests.
•	Work out a crop rotation plan.