Square foot gardening has been a mainstay for many years.  The basic concept of this garden design is to mark off a garden space and divide it into square foot sections.  These individual sections are then planted individually with one plant per square foot.  These plants can then have their individual needs met such as water and fertilizer or precision farming.  While precision farming is typically done with GPS systems, farming combines with programmable sprayers and the like, the urban farmer can take this one on one plant concept to their own garden.

Urban gardeners, apartment homesteaders, backyard homesteaders, community gardeners and/or hobby gardeners can all take advantage of precision farming concepts and square foot gardening in the urban landscape.  As land becomes scarcer the need to garden in containers, such as those sold through Outdora, becomes more important.  Square or rectangular containers work best for square foot gardens but circular containers can be used.  Also just like any other type of container/planter gardening, good soil and appropriate environment are crucial to the success of the garden, so plan accordingly.

To create a square foot garden (using as an example) Outdora’s Western Cedar 3 foot wide rectangular planter is simple as 1,2,3.  Before starting a square foot container garden one will need to add a good soil mixture to the container of choice. Then follow the simple steps needed to create a square foot container garden.  The first step is to divide off the planter by square feet.  Divide this off in a grid with a string secured to the planter.  Next, design your planting arrangement with one plant filling one square.  While this may seem simple please take into consideration the microclimates that each square contains.  Once the design has been laid out, simply plant in the square foot divisions and label plant material.  The last thing that needs to be done is watering and fertilizing according to the individual needs of each plant.

Plants that do well in this type of planter design are annuals such as vegetables and herbs.  Flowers can be done this way but precision farming is a concept devoted to increasing yield in a small space so plants that will be consumed are the best choices.  Also consider if plants will need to be staked.  If this is the case a trellis may be a consideration or planting these types of plants in the back of the planter so they can be externally staked.  Another advantage of this type of planting is that as one plant ends it’s growth cycle, another can be planted in its place without disturbing any other plant in the container.

This type of urban farming saves water, fertilizer, and time while increasing yield with reduced work.  It creates a garden that anyone regardless of skill can be successful at while enjoying the fruits of one’s labor for many years to come.  But keep in mind, just like any project, analyzing and planning the project is the first step to any successful garden regardless of what it is planted in or how it is planted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mindy McIntosh-Shetter has been an Agricultural Science educator, and is a horticulture and/or environmental blogger who earned a degree from Purdue University in Agriculture Education with a minor in biology, and natural resources.  Presently she is finishing up her Masters in Environmental Education and Urban Planning for the University of Louisville while working on her own agriculture/environmental blog.

Other Articles:

• Urban Homesteading with Plants Part IV – Gardening at Work
• Square Foot Gardening – How To Start Sooner and Grow Later Into the Season
• Square Foot Gardening – Caring For Your Square Foot Garden
• Square Foot Gardening – How to Plant Your Square Foot Garden Bed
• Square Foot Gardening – Creating Accessories for Your Garden Bed
• Square Foot Gardening – How to Create Your Garden Space
• Square Foot Gardening-Planning Your Garden

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