What is Square Foot Gardening?
I’ve listed for you some amazing benefits that can come from planting plants in your own house. For those of you who have limited space or have no access to a garden, don’t worry. This article is for you. I’ve put together information regarding square foot gardening that you will hopefully benefit from.
Below I will discuss with you the requirements for having a square foot garden in your house. Covering the domains will be from spacing to layout to soil mix.
Square foot gardening spacing chart
I discussed above briefly the concept of spacing in square foot gardening. Here I’ll elaborate the concept a little further.
If you plan on planting carrots, green onions, parsnips, or radishes in your square foot garden, then you would require a spacing of three inches with the adjacent vegetable. This means that each plant is placed three inches apart from the adjacent plant such that you can plant up to 16 vegetables in your raised bed garden.
If you plan on planting cabbage, pepper, rosemary, wasabi, tomatoes, mint, eggplant, kale, oregano, or broccoli, then a spacing of 12 inches is required. This will enable you to plant only one vegetable in your raised bed garden.
In case you want to plant spinach, beans, garlic, peas, beet, or turnips then a spacing of four inches is required. This will give space to nine plants to be grown in your raised bed garden.
Furthermore, plants such as parsley, fennel, endive, Swiss Chard, yams, potatoes, or Leaf Lettuce, or flowers like Marigold will require a spacing of six inches. Each Swiss Chard or lettuce or marigold will be planted six inches apart. This will give space to four plants to grow and thrive.
In addition to this, melons, cantaloupes, and watermelons demand special treatment when it comes to raised bed gardens. If you want to plant these watery and delicious plants, then an area of 2 square feet is required per one plant.
36 of Spring onions or scallions can be grown on a raised bed garden whereas 1-9 cilantro or coriander can be cultivated.
Below is a table showing the plants in relation to the spacing required for them to be grown to their adequate needs and requirements.
Square foot gardening planting chart
The planting chart is a diagrammatic representation of how you will plant your plants depending on the kind of plant.
Below is the table that shows the vegetables against the number of the same vegetable that can be grown per square foot.
Celery, peanuts, broccoli, cabbage, tarragon, rosemary, eggplant, garden rhubarb, pumpkins, cauliflower, oregano, large onions, kale, tomatoes, zucchini, wasabi, watercress, sage, squash, hot pepper, bell pepper, and collards all take a square foot to grow, meaning that only one seed can be planted from any of the above-mentioned plants per square foot.
Some of the plants can be planted in such a way that two plants can be planted per square foot and these include cucumbers, lettuce, sorrel, basil, and radicchio.
Some plants require two square feet of area for their proper growth and these include watermelons, melons, and canteloupe.
Some plants can be planted in a way that in a square foot, four of these plants can be grown. These include parsley, celery, chives, mints, corn, yams, fennel, shallots, arugula, endive, Swiss Chard, and potatoes.
Garlic, leeks, peas, beans, beet, bunching onions, turnips, parsnips, and spinach take 9 plants per square foot.
Carrots, radishes, and green onions take 16 plants per square foot.
It is important to note that the number of plants per square foot is determined by the kind of plant and the spacing between the adjacent plants. So form a grid or lattice framework that suits the vegetables you plan to plant.
Each plant has its own set of requirements such as the temperature it requires to grow, the number of days from sowing the seed to the time of harvest, in which season should the seed be sown, the amount of water required by the plant, the correct way od planting a seed, the number of nutrients required by a plant, the pH of the soil that is best for the optimal growth of the plant, the environment surrounding the plant, the right amount of exposure to the sunlight and heat and so on. These parameters are important to assess. After doing a bit of research about the vegetable you plan on cultivating, ensure the requirements of that particular vegetable and you’re on your way.
Conclusion:
Over the years, square foot gardening has become popular due to small living spaces and the joy that comes from planting your food. Plantation has several benefits for the human mind and body. Not only does it keep one active and healthy, but also provides calmness and helps the brain stay attentive, and encourages us to stay creative.
In today’s time, small living spaces demand a reasonable area for plantation, especially when the area where you’re living is above the ground and the space you have is limited. With climate change and economic collapse, square foot gardening is ideal for fresh and healthy produce that nourishes your body. It has been known that looking at plants can uplift a person’s mood and bring about feelings of vitality.
Square foot gardening is cost-effective and uses less water and nutrients as compared to conventional gardening. There is no chance of weeding in square foot gardening. These raised bed gardens offer wonderful produce in a limited space. Time and money, both are saved. The overall activity of square foot gardening keeps a person active and happy.
There are books written and articles present on the internet at your disposal that explore the idea of having a square foot garden at your home. Most famously, the author Mel Bartholomew has written books to his credit on the art of square foot gardening. He encourages everyone to get a square foot garden at their homes and enjoy the delightful fruits and vegetables that can be cultivated at home.
Square foot gardening is a beneficial technique to have in your house when it comes to gardening. Apart from giving vegetables, fruits, and flowers, square foot gardening can make your house look good and attractive. All you have to do is to get yourselves a raised bed garden of 4×4 feet, add soil to it and form divisions keeping in my the plant you’re going to plant, and you’re all set. It will take days, but the wait is worth it. The whole journey from planting the seed to the time of harvesting is amazing and exciting.
Hey am Joe, My interest in gardening began at a young age, when i would help my grandmother with her vegetable garden. I quickly fell in love with the process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting fresh produce. As I grew older, my passion for gardening only continued to grow. Hope to share my knowledge and experience with others.