How to use square-foot gardening to boost crop production

What is square-foot gardening?

According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, "square-foot gardening planning is based on the idea that compact, raised beds or “boxes” can be set in your garden and densely planted in a way that yields multiple harvests out a small space, even if you have poor soil."

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Basically, instead of planting in rows where you have to leave a significant amount of space in between each, you plant in square-foot plots where you can group plants closer together.

Square-foot gardening is highly recommended for raised beds or planters and other areas where space is limited. In fact, one of the biggest benefits to this type of garden plan is that it enables anyone to grow their own food, even if the only outdoor space they have access to is an apartment balcony!

Even though my own growing space is far from limited, I've fallen in love with square-foot gardening and would recommend this type of garden layout to any new grower or experienced green thumb.

How to plant a square-foot garden

Planning

I like to map out my garden on paper, long before I buy my seeds or begin preparing the soil for planting. This gives me plenty of time to research which varieties I want to plant in the coming season, and decide how to best use companion planting to promote healthy plant growth and limit garden pests.

Creating a map also enables me to visualize the space I have to work with, keep track of the number and type of plant in each plot, and make notes on what worked and what didn't that I can refer back to when its planting season rolls around again next year.

Plotting

Once I have a plan in place and I've completed the prep work (purchased and started seeds, tilled the soil, etc.), I use a measuring tape and garden stakes to mark out my plots. Since I have a large space to work with, I create rows of three foot by three foot plots, leaving two feet of free space between each plot row. I can easily reach the centre of a three-foot plot to plant, weed and harvest, and the two feet space between the rows is enough room to comfortably crouch while I work or to zip through with my mini-tiller to keep weeds under control.

Planting

When planting a square-foot garden, refer to the recommended seed or plant distance on the back of your seed package. This will dictate the number of plants you can place in each square-foot plot -- not the distance between rows. For example, the recommended plant spacing for corn is 10 inches, which means you can plant four corn seeds in a one-foot plot.

There are still times when row planting may work best. In my case, I planted both peas and beans in double rows (four rows in a three by six foot plot) because I wanted to build a chicken wire fence for the plants to climb and it was easier to do that working with a straight line. But my experience with square-foot gardening was a huge success last year -- I found that the compact layout made it easier to plant, weed and harvest, and I was able to grow significantly more produce than I had through row gardening in the past.

If my second attempt at square-foot gardening is as bountiful as the first, then I will be a committed fan of this layout. It's still early in the season, but so far, I think we're off to a great start.

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