Sometimes, you just don’t have the space you need for a large, lavish garden. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy fresh plants from your yard come spring.
Square foot gardens are perfect for smaller yards — you can plant herbs, fruits and vegetables side by side, getting the absolute most out of your space. While there are some rules you should follow when building a square foot garden, they’re relatively simple to manage. “Once established, square foot gardens tend to require less weeding and watering. By planting everything close together, plants will help retain more moisture and crowd out weeds,” says Teri Valenzuela, natural science manager at Sunday.
Whether you’ve never heard of square foot gardening or are already in the process of building one, we’ve created an expert guide that’s easy to follow.
What Is a Square Foot Garden?
Square foot gardening was invented by backyard gardener, retired engineer and efficiency expert Mel Bartholomew. Typically set up in a small garden bed divided into 1-foot squares, they make for a neat and efficient backyard kitchen garden. The amount of seeds per square depends on the size of the plant, and you can plant different veggies or herbs in each one.
The Pros and Cons of Square Foot Gardening
If you’ve always wanted to grow your own veggies but could never imagine how that would look in your current space, square foot gardening might just be the perfect solution.
“The benefit to square foot gardening is really the organization of it all. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by a garden when plants are starting to fill in and really take over a space, but having a proper map laid out before planting will help you know that you’ve allocated a good amount of room so each plant gets the room it needs to thrive,” says gardening pro Brian Brigantti of Red Leaf Ranch.
Other benefits include:
- High yields: More seeds in a smaller space = more veggies to enjoy! It’s that simple.
- A quick start: Setting up one raised bed is a lot simpler than planning a whole garden. There’s only one grid to focus on, and you can place it anywhere.
- Less maintenance: Once you’ve arranged your square foot garden, you’ll only have to complete a few tasks per day to keep your plants alive and thriving.
However, you’ll want to consider:
- Expensive set up: Raised beds can be expensive to set up, especially considering the soil you might have to buy. However, if you’re able to stick with the soil you already have on the ground, you could save some money.
- Cramped beds: Lots of seeds in one place could lead to a cramped garden bed. Be sure to experiment with the amount of seeds you plant and be ready to adapt based on your results.
- Depth: Some gardeners find that a 6-inch depth doesn’t cut it. If you’re able to go deeper, try a 12-inch base instead so your roots have room to grow.
How to Set up a Square Foot Garden
Before you plan out which plants to grow in your square foot garden, it’s important to consider your set up. Make sure to choose a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, according to Brigantti.
“Set up a 4×4 foot raised bed, divide it into 1-foot squares and fill it with good-quality raised bed soil. Plan each plant’s grid placement according to its mature size, spacing and sunlight direction. Then, remember to water, feed and weed throughout its establishment period and into the growing season,” says Valenzuela.
When dividing your garden bed into 16 squares, make sure each one is at least six inches deep for the best results. It’s also important to pick the best soil.
“The key to good garden soil is to keep it light, well-draining and rich in nutrients. You want to fill your bed very well — I usually leave 2-3 inches off the top to add a layer of mulch. For veggies, I’d recommend straw or hay. Mulch will help retain moisture within your soil,” says Brigantti.
Then comes the fun part — planting your favorite fruits and veggies! Before you do that, you’ll want to get a better understanding of all the guidelines and best practices.
The Rules of Square Foot Gardening
Your square foot gardening cheat code is 1-4-9-16. Here’s what that means:
- One extra-large plant per 1-foot square
- Four large plants per 1-foot square
- Nine medium plants per 1-foot square
- 16 small plants per 1-foot square
So what types of veggies and herbs are considered extra large and which are considered small? Valenzuela and Brigantti give a few examples of each size.
- XL: Tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, cauliflower, cabbage
- L: Lettuce, Swiss chard, corn, potatoes
- M: Beets, spinach, carrots, beans
- S: Chives, radishes
Tip: It’s worth noting that these are loose suggestions. “Herbs and peppers are usually one plant or two per square. Some prefer one, others prefer two — it’s up to you (and your plant!),” says Valenzuela. Do your research and read over the seed packets before you plant.
The success of your square foot garden will also depend on where you place each of these plants within the raised bed.
“Plant based on the direction of sunlight and mature plant height. Place taller plants, like tomatoes, toward the back or northern side so they don’t cast shade on the rest, medium-height plants in the middle and smaller or flowering plants at the front and along the edges,” says Valenzuela.
What to Plant in a Square Foot Garden
When deciding what to plant in your square foot garden, consider what fruits, veggies and herbs you and your family enjoy most. Whether you make your own tomato sauce, serve broccoli alongside dinner or simply want to try growing something new, your square foot garden is a great place to start. Here are some expert-recommended choices:
- Leafy greens
- Eggplant
- Herbs
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Marigolds
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Onions
“The best types of plants for square foot gardening would be the more compact, non-vining plants, as they’ll stay relatively true to their spacing requirements. Vining plants can get unruly very quickly and make it difficult to manage the proper spacing you had in mind with the grid you put in place,” says Brigantti.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC’s TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
