Square Foot Gardening Templates
A few of you asked about the template I was using in my photo yesterday, so I decided to explain what they are and how we made them.
I use the Square Foot Gardening method in my raised beds. Which basically means that I break my raised beds down into square foot sections for planting.
I don’t plant each square with something different as other people do, I usually plant large sections of different types of plants. This is how I like my beds organized. On Monday I planted a bed full of beets; 2 different kinds, Bull’s Blood Beets and Crapaudine Beets. I had Mr Chiots make me these squares for quick and easy spacing of seeds.
Basically these are a square foot piece of some scrap plywood we had laying around. We measured and drilled holes for 3 inch and 4 inch spacing of seeds and plants. Mr Chiots even routed the edges to give them a nice finish.
I contemplated having him make ones that had dowels or small squares of wood nailed for spaces so I could “punch” the holes into the soil with them, but we didn’t have any dowels and these were much faster (I think they’re 2 inch holes).
You could drill smaller holes in these, but I decided I wanted larger ones to have room to work and so I wouldn’t risk getting any splinters or anything. This also allows me to plant small plants through the holes as well. I like to plant my seeds in vermiculite so these allow me plenty of room to punch the hole, drop the seed in and cover with vermiculite.
I sanded and painted them yesterday to help protect them while using them in the garden. I had some spray paint sitting around that I needed to use up and I figure it will help protect them if I accidentally leave them outside sometime.
What method do you use for planting? Anyone else using the square foot method?
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How very cool. I’m going to have to show my hubby those! Thanks!
Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary’s last blog post.. Trader Joe’s Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats
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I definitely need those!!
Emily@remodelingthislife’s last blog post.. Another Photo Tiles Project
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Wow! Your planting lettuces and things outdoors already? I’m in Michgan, a zone 5/6…We just built a cold frame and I’m reluctant to put anything out there. It’s not holding in as much heat as I thought it would (at night anyway)& my seedlings are only a couple of inches tall. Our night temps are still in the 30’s. How do you determine we to start planting out there?
lindsay’s last blog post.. Garden progress…
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I covered my cold frame with polycarbonate and I think this helps it retain more heat. I also painted it black on the outside to absorb heat during the day. I’m planing on adding some weather stripping under the lid panels to aid in holding heat even more.
The kind of lettuce I planted in my cold frame is a cold weather loving lettuce. Last fall it grew in my gardens without any kind of cover down to the low 30’s high 20’s. I’ve already hardened them off on my front porch on the cold nights & days we’ve had.
My cold frame has been getting up to the mid 80’s during the day, I prop it open since it’s too warm to lettuce. But that warms the soil nicely for night warmth.
This is my first year with the cold frame, so I’m kind of guessing when to plant, but my lettuces are doing well out there. I figure I can plant things a few weeks ahead of the time I would normally plant them in the garden (it’s all one big experiment).
to Susy's comment
I love your templates. I could use some templates to help me plant the close things in my garden. I plant intensively and have wide rows, but I don’t plant in the SF method. I offset my rows. So instead of planting in a square grid, I plant in a triangular grid. It is a slightly more efficient means of shoving the plants close. I also don’t like the idea of forcing things into one foot squares. Some things need to be on an 8″, 9″, 15″ or 18″ grid which doesn’t fit into 1′ squares, so isn’t used in his method. Also I let some things self sow in my garden. If I used a real grid I’d have to rip them out. If the dill, coriander or parsley comes up in a spot it often gets to grow there. I think the SFG method is just a bit too orderly for me. I like order but just not too much of it ;>
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I know what you mean about the different layout. I give my cabbages more room that listed in the book and a few other things. I like order in some areas and not in others. When I’m planting mass amounts of things I like these squares so I can maximize space, but for other things I don’t plant so rigidly.
to Susy's comment
These have to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen! Totally going to have D make some for me! Thanks for sharing!
Sherri’s last blog post.. Busy Few Days…
to Sherri's comment
Great idea,I’ll be making me a few of these.
to Don's comment
Brilliant…so simple yet brilliant!
I used to square foot garden…then we moved to 10 acres now my garden is sprawling everywhere. I miss the tidieness of the square foot garden…it is such a beautiful way to do it! Kim
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I use a large muffin tin to make a hole for the seeds and then cover them
with soil.
to Palm Beach, Florida's comment
That’s a great idea as well. I’m sure a mini muffin tin would work well for things like carrots.
to Susy's comment
This is such a great idea! i was just about to start laying seeds in for the summer. thanks!
to Jesse's comment
Very nicely done! That puts my idea to SHAME. :)
http://jimmycrackedcorn.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/plant-16-per-square-foot/
Jimmy Cracked Corn’s last blog post.. Back yard veggie garden now has a cold frame
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wow,you are neat and tidy in the garden!great idea!I might try this for spring planting later this year.Thanks for the tip :0)
granny’s last blog post.. Just For You Trish !
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This is the first year I have attempted square foot gardening. I like your idea of the plywood templates. Sure does take the guesswork out of spacing the seeds and seedlings. I think I will have to do some sweet talking to my honey. to make some templates for me. *smile*
Jennifer’s last blog post.. Geraniums and lightbulbs
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I do and I am going to make my husband make me one of the templates. Brilliant!
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Hi, I read the book, Square Foot Gardening, years ago and loved it. I’ve stayed too busy with other projects, including writing, babysitting grandkids, caregiving, etc., to give it a try. But I’ve always kept it in the back of my mind that if/when I really give vegetable gardening a try, that’s the way I want to go. I’ve bookmarked this for that moment in time. (I know me, it will happen, just not sure when :)) Thanks for sharing this info.
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I was going to make a set of the templates, but was searching for more information on SFG and found them available online. I ordered me a set. Will make planting much easier.
They are available at: http://www.herbngardens.com/
I’m lazy sometimes and like the easy way!
to Mike Howell's comment
Thanks for the tip. I’m sure that will be a great option for some people. We wanted to use up scrap wood and we try to make our own before we buy, but if you’re not handy or don’t have the time, buy them. They’re not that badly priced either at $12.50 for the set of 4!
to Susy's comment
Mike,
Did you get the templates you ordered? I saw your blog and tryed to go to the site you provided but the site is down. Is there a new site for this company? I would like to look at their product.
Thanks,
Laura
to Laura's comment
[...] plan and plant. Chiot’s Run has a fascinating blog on organic gardening with a great article on a Square Foot garden [...]
to SandwichINK Twitter Resources 3/21/09 | SandwichINK.com's comment
I square-foot garden. I have onions, carrots, lettuce, garlic, and radish coming up in my beds already. I am making one of those templates for sure! I like the idea of the dowels, especially since with them, I can control the depth of planting precisely.
Thank you for posting this!!!!
David’s last blog post.. Tigers and Lions and Hail, Oh My!
to David's comment
What a cool idea~
I love yout templates. The colors are so exciting.
Soyun’s last blog post.. Texturized / Embossed Linen Hemp Coasters (set of 4)
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Wow! I love that idea! We are doing square foot gardening, too!!! Thanks!
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Your squares for square foot gardening are great. I have seen you on several food and gardening blogs, it’s about time I dropped by!
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I built my first square-foot garden last year (only a 4′ x 4′) and it was somewhat successful except that some critters in my garden enjoyed it a little too much. This year I’m going to build something to keep the squirrels and raccoons away from it. I love your template for evenly spacing the seeds/seedlings. I just got a router so i will be using it soon to make a couple of templates myself. Thanks a lot for the tip!
to soferoo's comment
Don’t forget to fertilize heavily with a sq. ft. garden. Also, consider planting a few marigolds around and in your garden as a natural way to keep the pests away.
I started with a sq. ft. garden years ago (TBS had a special and I got hooked into watching it) and it’s grown into a rather large garden. Oh well…It’s only the two of us now so we share our bounty. The hubby takes a large basket to work on Friday and sets it in the break room with a sign that invites everyone to take something home. It’s become a HUGE hit!
I’ve got the grand-girls doing a little gardenting themselves. They are planting ‘pillow gardens’ this year because of their limited yard space. Simply buy a bag of potting soil and decide where you want your little garden. Now, lay it on its side and punch some holes in it for drainage. Flip it over and cut a few ‘X’s’ down the middle. Plant your plants in the ‘X’s’ and water as needed. In no time you’ll have a cute little garden.
My friend lives in an apartment and grows an herb garden every year this way. She then harvests, dries and/or freezes things and has them to enjoy and cook with all year.
Lynn’s last blog post.. How To Spot a Scam and Avoid It (5 things you MUST do)
to Lynn's comment
That’s true. I do fertilize often (with organic fertilizers and a mix of rock & mineral dust). I also make sure I add plenty of compost between each planting.
to Susy's comment
Thats a great idea. Thanks
to Landscape Designer Sydney's comment
great tips. I enjoyed reading this
to hydroponics's comment
Very nice! I really like the dowel idea…
EG
to engineeredgarden's comment
just plain silly. just plant the seeds. forget the silly superfluos templates.
to a noni's comment
That is really cool! I use the SFG method as well and it is always nice to pick up something new.
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