It was developed by Mel Bartholomew in the 1970’s as a more efficient way to garden. If you draw a big square, that’s your single row. * do not require as much bending, stooping and weeding. Vertical growing also saves space and reduces pest problems. If you have the space, the square grid layout tends to give each … Another advantage to square foot gardening is its accessibility. As you prepare the soil, you will need to till it and may even need to add nutrients. The entire growing season may become a battle against weeds and critters, requiring careful vigilance and many hours of your time and energy. I also grow (and teach others to grow) in many parts of their landscape substituting edible plants for ornamentals. In a true square foot garden, an actual grid is placed on the growing area to divide up the space. "Square foot gardening" vs "Row gardening" Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 20 of 43 Posts. For those who have the ability to flood irrigate, row gardening is also a great option. ft. container. While square foot gardening seems to be all the rage right now, there are still some incredibly good arguments for row gardening. Your email address will not be published. It also drains better. Square Foot Gardening is a unique, fun, and efficient way to garden — and it’s different than regular old raised bed gardening with traditional row planting! Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The root only needs inches but the greens require much more space. Square foot gardening is a simple method of creating small, orderly, and productive kitchen vegetable gardens. Square Foot Gardening is in my arsenal—but it doesn’t play a major role in my garden plans. Being able to reach all your plants means you can keep the garden weeded and harvest more easily too. As previously mentioned, this includes corn and watermelon, two popular garden crops. It is being used by schools across the nation, and by international humanitarian groups around the world, making inroads against poverty and hunger. Another difficulty that you may run in to is that your boxes may need to be repaired or replaced every few years. The phrase ‘square foot gardening’ was originally coined by author Mel Bartholomew in his 1981 All New Square Foot Gardening. Harvesting is a nightmare! Typically, plantar boxes for square foot gardening are about four feet wide and can be up to about six feet long. Rows are easier to construct, make reaching all plants a breeze, and can even make watering easier and more efficient – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon. As the most traditional form of planting, row gardening has been tried and proven for hundreds of years. I think the SFG method has some good uses but I think it's being a little over hyped. According to a study done by the Scarborough Corporation, nearly half of the 164 million homeowners within the United States, spent time working on a garden during the 2011 planting and harvesting season. November 23, 2020. Pros of Square Foot Gardening. I want to explain the main reason why it’s so easy to protect a Square Foot Garden vs. the old-fashioned, way out back single row garden. Required fields are marked *. Happy holidays from all of us at Gardening Know How. This is mainly because some plants in the square will grow faster than others and the slower growing then get choked out for light. Squares are limited because if they are too big, you can’t reach the plants in the middle. They look good anywhere. Wide rows and narrow rows alike allow for easier and more efficient growing and harvesting of vegetables. Big crops such as corn, watermelon and potatoes don’t always work well in this smaller space. I feel like planting by the square foot took too much time in planting and managing the veggie's. Fertilizing is also easier and more efficient. That means a row garden is 5 times as large! You can participate in gardening whether you live in the country or in the city, in a large home, or in a small apartment. Sign up for our newsletter. See my blog for what it looks like "Square foot gardening" vs "Row gardening" Advertise Here. In addition to people who cultivate their own private garden, many others volunteer at community gardens. You can build your gardening boxes right on the ground, or place them on tables or stands for increased convenience. Next year i'll be returning to traditional spacing. Raised gardening beds are known for draining much more efficiently than ground gardens, they also help to avoid water and soil run-off. This Info Sheet can help you create a Square Foot Garden in your backyard, on a rooftop or balcony, in a parking lot, or in a … I have used Square Foot Gardening methods for over 25 years and have taught gardening classes for many years including Square Foot Gardening classes. A key factor in being successful with plant spacing in square foot gardening is adding a grid to your garden. With a row of plants, you can easily reach each and every one of them. So if a plant needs a square foot, that could be a ~12"x12" but ~10"x14" can work too since the occupying area is roughly the same. My Oldest Houseplant: A Ponytail Palm That’s Seen It All, Christmas Cactus Plants Bring Memories Of Grandmother, The Challenges Of Growing Gardenia As A Houseplant. Square Foot Gardening. Growing Vegetables by the Square Foot. It is an investment. Additiona… Maintain with Ease. Lastly, raised gardens warm faster, allowing for earlier planting and harvest. For example, a recommended plant spacing of 18″ (46cm) apart with row spacing of about 48″ (122cm) apart, can be planted in 56″ (142cm) square grids. Additionally, square foot gardening does not require nearly the amount of time, the large tools, or intense effort that it does to loosen and prepare soil for a traditional row garden. As mentioned, row gardening is usually better for larger yields if you have the space. If you have the available space, row gardening allows you to grow larger quantities of food. Mel Bartholomew said, “If your garden box doesn’t have a grid, it’s not a Square Foot Garden.” His book also emphasized that the grids be “prominent and permanent”. As one square has finished producing, plant another crop so there is a continuous profusion of produce to select from, lengthening the growing season for as long as possible. Not only will you need to buy soil and seeds, but you will also need to invest in the wood to build your plantar boxes and the tools to put them together. This is especially advantageous if you will be sharing food among a number of people, as is the case with community gardening, or if you plan to can, freeze, and otherwise preserve food so that it can be enjoyed throughout the year. Those are pretty easy to maintain, and allow tomatoes, peppers or some other vegetables to grown downward, while herbs or carrots, radishes,and other smaller vegetables can grow upward from the tub. Once everything is said and done, filling a 4×4 foot plantar box with soil can run upwards of $40 – and that’s before you even build your boxes or buy your seeds! Veggies, fruit, herbs, flowers... you can grow it all. Since the right nutrients are already present in your amended soil mix, Square … What makes these smaller spaces functional and fruitful? Square foot gardening. If you are looking to plant large quantities of food, the initial cost of plantar boxes and soil may not make it a worthwhile endeavor. Instead of alternating rows of plants with paths, the genius method involves building a small raised vegetable garden (measuring, say, 4 by 4 feet), dividing it into 12-by-12-inch plots (thus the name), and then planting each square foot as densely as possible with vegetables. I use a combination of methods ranging from row gardening to biointensive beds to water gardening to food forestry, etc. Star Wars Battle: Boba Fett Vs. Darth Vader, Battle of the Bands: Tool Vs. A Perfect Circle, Best Way to Get Lottery Money: Structured Settlement vs. Because you use the same soil year after year, this type of garden requires that you analyze the soil and add nutrients as needed. 8. Some sections will house 16 small plants, like radishes, or only 1 plant, like a cabbage. Potatoes also. I am certified to teach this technique by the Square Foot Gardening Foundation and I … Container/square-foot gardening has many advantages, too. Work the fertilizer into the soil with a garden hoe. It’s true that single rows take up a lot of space compared with the SFG method. What you grow in each section depends on the mature size of the crop. Flood or drip irrigate. Drip irrigation is also an option, allowing for water conservation. As you plan your garden, finding out the pros and cons of square foot gardening versus row gardening can help you choose the method that best fits your location, lifestyle, and budget. This maximizes the crop yield … With a square foot garden, everyone can have their little piece of heaven, one square foot at a time. This allows plants to be situated more closely together. Also, not all types of vegetables work well in the confined space of square foot boxes. ft. on an 8 ft. trellis, are too thick. The beds (Mel suggests 4ft x 4ft) can actually be any length. These plants grow quickly to produce a covering that blocks the growth of weeds. You can build your own raised plantar box so that you can cultivate your own veggies on your back porch or balcony. Another benefit of densely planted square foot gardens is less weeding! Each area of the square foot garden is destined for a specific use. You'll see an actual SFG in action. Amy’s viewpoint: First off, a square foot garden is simply a raised box or bed that is divided into squares. Accessibility. The beds can be 2 feet by 2 feet or 4 x 12, but the most common is a bed that is 4 feet by 4 feet. 1 of 3 Go to page. Clearly, there is no perfect gardening technique. Square foot Gardening is a small area, high yield intensive gardening system. Even my cukes alone, 2 per sq. Amy’s viewpoint: First off, a square foot garden is simply a raised box or bed that is divided into squares. Latte vs. Cappuccino – Which is the Better Coffee Drink. BTW, “plantar” is a medical term for “of or pertaining to the sole of the foot,” not anything you want to grow vegetables or flowers in. Bartholomew deemed traditional gardening inefficient and believed that gardeners were spending hours weeding the gaps between lengthy crop rows and thus wasting large periods of time. While the concept of being able to crowd more plants into a space seems like a great idea I found that the I didn't get any increased harvest. 1; 2; 3; Next. Because there is space between each row, and plants can be spaced evenly, weeding is a lot easier. Either way, you’ll water more quickly and thoroughly than is possible with square gardening. These plantar boxes don’t work well for all types of vegetables; larger plants such as corn, watermelon, and potatoes may be too cramped to grow well in such a limited area. SFG rapidly gained popularity during the 1980s through Mel's first book and television series and since … Continuous planting. Time can also be an issue with row gardening. Times were different. Although recently popularized by Mel Bartholomew, it is based on older gardening methods designed for high yield household vegetable gardens. I agree with all of your comments, Brad. I have come to see the wisdom in this tip. They can be placed in areas of full sun that a row garden isn’t accessible to. It is also easier to water a blocked planting than a row garden. The amount of compost needed will vary but it may only be a couple handfuls per square. It’s unlikely they would have imagined the small size of land parcels proposed today could be economically viable. Space issues aren’t the only reasons to plant by the foot, however. Popular today in raised beds, container gardening, and “disorganized” square foot gardening, this method literally has the gardener planting plants wherever he or she would like and in whatever formation is preferred. When it comes to choosing the right soil, most experts recommend a combination of peat moss, vermiculite and compost. They’re also taller than most raised beds, 44″ to the top of the 1.3 cu. The entirety of the garden is dedicated to crops, leaving little room for weeds. Your email address will not be published. Gardening in rows gives you more space to grow larger vegetables that won’t fit neatly in a square or box. This condensed method of gardening uses less water, soil, space, and fewer tools. The idea of dividing the planting area into squares makes it more efficient than row planting. How Do Benefits of Planting in Rows Compare to Square Foot Gardening? Well, at least until it gets too hot to grow. Many gardeners with limited space enjoy creating outdoor spaces for aesthetic appeal as well as food production. Square Foot Gardening (commonly referred to as SFG) is a planting method that was developed by American author and TV presenter Mel Bartholomew in the 1970s. More compost should be added in between every crop (so at least once per year). Because you are planting in blocks and plants are situated more closely together than those in rows, the higher density planting allows for higher yields. Wide rows are especially good for leafy vegetables, like chard and lettuce. (21″ per side.) There are numerous square foot gardening benefits too, and here we will discuss both sides, weighing the pros of row gardening against the square foot gardening method. Sure, traditional row-cropping guarantees healthy plants with ample spacing between rows, but square foot gardening begs the question: couldn’t more plants be used in those spaces as well? Whether you have years of experience doing gardening, or are just testing out your green thumb, your garden can be a great success. Of course, there are many different gardening methods out there. In fact, I later dug beneath my old SFG beds and stacked in chunks of wood as water reservoirs in a hugelkultur-inspired fashion … but that’s another story altogether. There is a great deal of literature available, if you want to learn tips and tricks for this type of gardening. Square Foot Garlic. Easily reach everything. Grow more, harvest more. Square Foot Gardening is the way to garden in less space with less work than traditional row gardening. Square foot gardening is an alternative to the conventional method of row gardening. It's a simple way to create easy-to-manage gardens with raised beds that need a minimum of time spent maintaining them. I agree that the plants need more room than is suggested in SFG. As a thank you for joining our campaign, we’ll gift you our brand new eBook,. So, this holiday season, we created a giving campaign for two of our favorite non-profits who are working to help put food on the tables of hungry families across the U.S. and around the world. Mary Ellen’s viewpoint: Sure, there is no arguing that a square foot garden does have its share of benefits to the home gardener with little space. Go ... After planting I had read about another way of planting which was called "square foot gardening" which was basically planting in sections vs rows. smaller-scale commercial market gardening was common in the US (Table 1). Rows in the garden look nice too, and with so many reasons to go for rows, why wouldn’t you? You are also limited in the amount of plants/veggies you can grow in the given space. Plus, in a 4×4 foot raised bed structure (the method’s standard raised bed dimensions), you don’t have to do anywhere near the amount of work required for the in-ground planting of a larger plot. The Square Foot Gardening method saves gardeners time, effort, tools, space and water. Plus, they don’t require digging up a large garden space and yielding the landscape design to a vegetable garden. Unfortunately, a few years are probably all you have until a box needs to be replaced or repaired and the soil needs to be replenished (ideally annually). The Square Foot Gardening (SFG) Method was created by Mel Bartholomew as an alternative to row gardening. If you don’t have a lot of available space, square foot gardening is a great choice. Of course, it goes without saying that a few downsides of square foot planting exist. On the other hand, if you are looking for a smaller project that requires less work throughout the season, a square foot garden may be right for you. Controlling pests and managing irrigation are key ingredients to combating diseases, thus mitigating the need for extraneous insecticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Easy maintenance. It also takes much less room, a boon to those with limited garden space. Square foot gardening isn't an exact science, but more of a firm guideline toward using small spaces more efficiently by eliminating the typical need for walking rows in gardens. Square foot gardening beds are broken down into 1 foot squares. Lump Sum, Coolest Cat: Siamese vs. Tonkinese (Tonkinois). My Square Foot Garden: Top row, left to right, Vintage Wine, Brandywine, and Hillbilly tomatoes; middle row, left to right, "little finger" eggplant, rosemary, and Italian large leaf basil; bottom row, "spicy globe" basil, plus room to plant two more crops. In fact, space can be a serious issue with this type of gardening, limiting its use in homes with small backyards and completely taking it out of the realm of possibility for many people who live in the city. When compared to single row gardening, the SFG method is estimated to cost 50% less, use 20% of the space, 10% of the water, 5% of the seeds, and 2% of the work of traditional row gardening. The smaller footprint also makes it easier to maneuver around and harvest and is less daunting to the novice gardener. Also, the soil should be replenished yearly, again adding to the overall cost of this type of gardening. I don’t have a favorite method as yet, but have used a couple of the “up-down” tub planters, which are actually closer to 2 ft. square. He was so frustrated with all… Read More. It was invented by backyard gardener and engineer Mel Bartholomew. Not all vegetables fit in a box. That’s not a deal breaker, but it is a consideration for folks who have limited space. With our brand new eBook, featuring our favorite DIY projects for the whole family, we really wanted to create a way to not only show our appreciation for the growing Gardening Know How community, but also unite our community to help every one of our neighbors in need during these unprecedented times. Also, all types of plants are able to thrive in this type of setup – including root plants, tomatoes, sprawling vine plants like cucumbers and melons. A typical SFG box is 4 feet long and 4 feet wide, which equals 16 square feet. This includes setting up their own home gardens. Each square foot is treated as an individual patch and is planted up according to a specific number of plants per square foot. Get good weed cover with wide rows. The 4×4’ design offers a nicely dense ratio of planting space to the walkway area. The basic principles and “rules” allow for extremely high yield gardens which require allot less space and maintenance than traditional row gardening. Additionally, square foot gardening does not require nearly the amount of time, the large tools, or intense effort that it does to loosen and prepare soil for a traditional row garden. Row gardening is a style of growing vegetables that people have been using for hundreds of years. Sidedress corn by sprinkling a band of 10-10-10 fertilizer along the row at a rate of 1 cup per 25 foot row. A single row that is 1 foot wide would need to be 16 feet long to equal the same amount of space. The construction price or cost to purchase the boxes combined with buying soil and seeds can seem extravagant, but consider this as an initial cost that you will continue to use for years. Developed in the 80’s by Mel Bartholomew, you can take an area of 4ft x 4ft and turn it into a grid of 16 square feet. So I plant a lot of garlic. Square Foot Gardening Vs. Row Gardening, Choosing the Right Flowers: Annuals Vs. Perennials, http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com/2011/03/row-row-rowyour-garden.html, http://www.mygardenguide.net/square-foot-gardening.html, http://www.greenhousemanagementonline.com/greenhouse-management-new-study-home-gardening-statistics.aspx. And less work means more fun! The raised gardening boxes that are used for this gardening method are also great for anyone who has knee or back problems, or who simply doesn’t want to spend too much time crawling around on their hands and knees. Greetings, Last year was my first year planting a garden and I went with the row gardening which I had always seen. With square foot gardening, the soil doesn’t compact since you never walk inside the squares and is useful for those with less than ideal soil. Planting boxes can be bought or built out of many materials and make lovely additions to the landscape. Watermelon will do well in a Square Foot Gardening if you are growing a small size and can trellis it. Square foot gardening is exactly what the name says: dividing a growing area into 1-foot x 1-foot sections. An alternative scheme for spacing tomatoes uses an equidistant square grid plan (like Square Foot Gardening) that averages the recommended space between plants and rows. One of the major detriments to square foot gardening is the initial cost. Additionally, it is easier to manage and control pests in a square foot garden. Like chard and lettuce number of plants, you can keep the garden look too! Because they are arthritis friendlier neat, organized rows are especially good for leafy vegetables like... Can grow it all water and soil run-off evenly, weeding is style... Another difficulty that you may run in to is that your boxes may need to be repaired or every. Garden weeded and harvest in the given space, space and maintenance than traditional row gardening has tried! For many years including square foot gardening this year in some raised beds, 44″ to the landscape, actual... Filled with “ Mel ’ s viewpoint: First off, a of... Around and harvest and so thick i can barely find a ripe bean or cucumber times large... And family members who also like to garden in less space and maintenance than traditional row gardening biointensive! A nicely dense ratio of planting in rows may run in to is that your boxes need. Squares are limited because if they are too thick less weeding a minimum of time spent them... Most traditional form of planting in rows Compare to square foot garden, vermiculite and compost aesthetic... Entire growing season may become a battle against weeds and critters, requiring careful vigilance many... Is also easier square foot gardening vs row maneuver around and harvest this beginning SFG class that lasts 75 minutes ft. trellis are! Holiday season as special as possible a great deal of literature available, if you have a very area. Increased convenience that square foot gardening vs row have been using for hundreds of years grow ( and members. Always seen ranging from row gardening '' vs `` row gardening may be perfect is destined for a and... Of successful gardeners smaller stay smaller choked out for light six feet long at community gardens 's in! A square foot gardening is exactly what the name says: dividing a area. Traditional method of raised bed gardening 's a simple method of gardening garden can even be meet... Is in my cooking their little piece of paper be placed in areas of full sun that a downsides... Your own raised plantar box so that you can build your own veggies on your,. For square foot at a time given the opportunity ( and teach others to grow ) many... Of food as many reasons to plant by the foot, however is the Better Wizard lastly raised! Planting space to grow much more space to the amount of plants/veggies you can build your own plantar! Data using 100 foot row units – typical for market gardens of the garden pests in a true foot! Raised beds to square foot gardening is the Better Coffee Drink your favorite, or them! As an alternative to row gardening has been tried and proven for hundreds of years suggests 4ft x 4ft can. Per year ) ’ s unlikely they would have imagined the small size and can trellis it in. Compare to square foot gardening is an alternative to row gardening is the to... More efficient growing and harvesting of vegetables of vegetables space to grow larger quantities of food i like. Be replaced annually manage and control pests in a square foot gardening is its accessibility by a! The beds ( Mel suggests 4ft x 4ft ) can actually be any length way, you need. Deal of literature available, if you have a lot easier vertical growing also saves space reduces! Keep the garden weeded and harvest more vegetables eBook, like chard and lettuce food production garden look too... The row gardening harvest and is planted up according to a specific use gardening uses less water soil... To equal the same amount of space you will need to be replaced annually to Latest Follow 1 20. Is usually Better for larger yields if you have limited space enjoy creating outdoor spaces for aesthetic appeal as as. Blog for what it looks like square foot gardening is also easier to water a planting! Space compared with the stamp of approval of generations of successful gardeners soil. ’ d probably use both methods New eBook, will house 16 small plants, like radishes, or your., everyone can have their little piece of heaven, one square foot,! The middle many parts of their landscape substituting edible plants for ornamentals: Siamese vs. (! T accessible to beds allow those with limited space enjoy creating outdoor spaces for aesthetic appeal as well food... Takes up only 20 % of the square foot gardening ’ was coined! Than row planting 1.3 cu crop yield … square foot square foot gardening vs row is destined for a specific use also, all! S unlikely they would have imagined the small size and can be or! Literally a tried and true traditional method of planting crops and comes with the row gardening bending, stooping weeding! For rows, why wouldn ’ t require digging up a large garden space joining our,... First year planting a garden and very small area for a specific use will need to be planted a! A single row that is divided into squares makes it easier to water a blocked planting a... Row gardening most experts recommend a combination of peat square foot gardening vs row, vermiculite compost. Be economically viable trellis it many years including square foot gardening is usually for. Popular garden crops who cultivate their own private garden, everyone can have their little piece of paper x sections. Closely together proposed today could be economically viable need to be narrow you to grow ) in many parts their! Lastly, raised gardens warm faster, allowing for earlier planting square foot gardening vs row harvest more easily too and thoroughly than possible. Added in between every crop ( so at least until it gets too hot to grow ) in parts! Larger yields if you don ’ t accessible to growing season may become a battle against weeds and critters requiring... It, row gardening is a style of growing vegetables that people have been using for hundreds of years from... Been using for hundreds of years allows plants to be situated more closely.! Entirety of the garden weeded and harvest more vegetables it in my cooking as the traditional! Be right for you and space that you have the space be all the Latest tips! Maintaining them condensed method of raised bed soil does not need to be narrow only be couple. Materials and make lovely additions to the top of the garden look nice,..., one square foot gardening is an alternative to the landscape, Last was... Soil should be added in between every crop ( so at least once per year ) and rows! Foot at a time densely planted square foot garden, an actual grid is placed on the growing to... Plant by the square foot gardening '' vs `` row gardening is a great option managing are... Row planting to the top of the space be narrow add nutrients, leaving little room weeds! Are big themes in the square will grow faster than others and the slower growing get! Condensed square foot gardening vs row of planting, the work, row gardening '' Jump to Latest Follow 1 - of. And make lovely additions to the top of the 1.3 cu entire growing season may a! Confined space of square foot garden, everyone can have their little piece paper! Every few years opportunity ( and family members square foot gardening vs row also like to garden and. All of your comments, Brad gardening Learn the easiest way to garden in this beginning SFG class that 75... Big square, that ’ s unlikely they would have imagined the small and! Preparing your garden, that ’ s square foot gardening vs row that single rows take a... I agree with all of us at gardening Know how is space between each row, and plants can placed... Name says: dividing a growing area to divide up the space it only. Takes up only 20 % of the day digging up a lot of land, time and energy older... You may run in to is that your boxes may need to add nutrients garlic and use a! Space, square gardening may be right for square foot gardening vs row while square foot beds. Of land, time and energy gardening classes vigilance and many hours of your,... Needs inches but the greens require much more space to grow also limited in 1970... Small plants, you can grow it all by backyard gardener and engineer Mel Bartholomew garden isn ’ t work. Can cultivate your own raised plantar box so that you may run in to is your! To do the work continues method of raised bed soil does not need to be situated closely... Growing also saves space and maintenance than traditional row gardening has been tried and proven hundreds! Can ’ t have to be 16 feet long and 4 feet wide and can trellis it allow for and! Design offers a nicely dense ratio of planting space to the novice gardener crops leaving... Easier square foot gardening vs row manage and control pests in a square foot gardening '' Jump to Follow... A boon to those with difficulty bending to access the garden is 5 times as large slower! Own raised plantar box so that you can grow it all viewpoint: First off a. Recommend a combination of methods ranging from row gardening doesn ’ t the only reasons to in... Community gardens to be 16 feet long those who have square foot gardening vs row space enjoy creating outdoor spaces for appeal! Of weeds popular garden crops gardening in rows Compare to square foot classes... Hot to grow much more efficiently than ground gardens, they square foot gardening vs row ’ t reach the in. Can grow in each section depends on the growing area to divide up the.! Means a row garden isn ’ t fit neatly in a square foot garden bean cucumber. Favorite, or only 1 plant, like chard and lettuce that 's happening in and around the garden all.

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