By the Yard.. err Foot

Like most gardeners I am always trying new things. In addition to growing different veggies to see how they grow, and how they are received at the table; I also get creative with my planting scheme. Since I have a city garden and don't really want to sacrifice a large chunk of my yard, it is important to plan carefully to maximize the space.

I've been reading about a concept called square foot gardening. It challenges the traditional row planting, arguing that by planting in a grid formation, space is optimized allowing for a much higher produce yield.

Last year I was busy with other things and so I instead of measuring out the grid I used the highly scientific eyeball method. It kind of worked. I was able to increase the variety of my plantings while still getting extra tomato plants in.

This year I took it to the next level, I made templates! Using a scrap piece of plywood, cut one foot squares. Measure out standard planting grids. 16/9/4/2/1 (I combined 2 and 1 and made a single square with 3.) After drawing grid. I used a hole kit to drill large holes to plant through.

My thumbs didn't turn green, but some of my nails did.

 If you want to try, this website lists how many seeds per sqft for any given vegetable. As well as lots of tips on planning.