How to Start a Square Foot Garden Planner

Ready to grow more food this summer? This guide on how to setup and use a square foot garden planner will help you to plan out your best garden this season. And easy way to grow more in less space that is popular among urban gardeners and empty nesters.

With just a bit of planning you can organize your garden layout start a backyard garden making the most of the space you have available.

When we first start gardening doing things smalls is a good approach to have. But as our skills grow so does our list of veggies. Unfortunately not all backyards have the space for growing huge elaborate gardens and this is where square foot gardening comes in. By organizing different plants you can grow more in a tighter space increasing your summer harvest.

What is Square Foot Gardening?

Square foot gardening is a way of gardening that divides a raised bed into small, one-foot-square gardening sections. Inside of each square, you can plant a different vegetable or variety of plant. This way of gardening , allows you to grow more while also giving higher yields. Another bonus of square foot gardening is there is less maintenance compared to traditional row gardening.

a raised garden bed with a string grid on top

Why We Love Garden Planners

Garden planners are an important part of being a successful grower. By keeping notes of different issues that come up each year, you can reasses how you are doing things and make adjustments if and when needed.

They also are a great tool for harvest numbers so you are growing just what you need without being too short or overflowing in any one area.

How to Use a Garden Planner

There are many different gardening planners on the market allowing you to find the platform that works best for you.

A simple notebook.
A PDF that you can download and assemble in a binder.
A premade hard copy.
A digital setup.

For many years I just used a notebook to record my seasons but I soon wanted things to be more organized and created a planner that I still use today.

Try out a few options until you find one that you can stick with year after year because this will be the deciding factor to finding the best planner for you.

How it Can Help with Square Foot Gardening

Square foot gardening relies on using all the space in the most effective way. A garden planner ensures you are doing just that. With a planner you will know exactly how many plants to place within a square foot, how best to arrange them, and what care each type needs for successful growth.

Planning Your Square Foot Garden

Long before spring hits, is planning season for a gardener. Usually the arrival of seed catalogs are the cue to get out our planners so we can begin laying things out and making our lists.

Selection of Vegetables and Herbs

The best part of square foot gardening is that you can grow almost any vegetable and many herbs in this layout. To start, make a list of plants you know you want to include. Next, review each plant’s growth requirements as some may need more space than others, and that should be accounted for in your grid planning. Finally, know how much produce you hope to end up with and match that to what you can expect to get from each plant you grow.

Layout Design and Grid Setup

Start by mapping out your available growing area and determining how to organize it into square foot grids. Your design might include trellises for climbing plants, pathways for easy access, and any other features that will allow you to maximize the space.

Refer to your plant list and start “assigning” areas where you plan to grow each one. Be sure to take into account companion planting to make the most of your entire garden using it to support each other.

Companion Planting Tips

Companion planting is growing certain plants or herbs together to encourage the vest growth. Some plants will help to deter pests and others will help conserve nutrients and by knowing which plants do what, you can turn your backyard garden into a thriving growing machine.

Companion Planting Resources:

Square Foot Planting and Growing

Now that you have your plan, it’s time to get growing. This section will guide you through the steps to get your square foot garden off to a healthy start.

Pick a spot

If you do not yet have a garden, you will want to decide the spot first. Choose an area that gets 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. You may want to walk your property a few times throughout the day to ensure you have a good growing location. Once you have a spot set, you can mark off the areas and start prepping your locations or any raised beds you are using.

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Soil Prep

If you want a successful garden you need healthy soil and the first step is knowing where you soil is at now. Do a test of the soil pH test to see where it is lacking so you can amend things accordingly. Anything above 7.0 is considered alkaline and anything below 7.0 is acidic. What you plant will help you to determine the best pH of the soil. You can add compost to lower the pH of your soil.

Next, smooth any areas you are planting, removing any rocks or other debris that may get in the way of young seedlings.

pLANTING

Once your soil is ready you can start planting. The spacing of your seeds and/or seedlings is important and you will want to start with the recommended spacing on the seedling tag or the back of your seed packets.

How to figure out spacing in a square foot garden

Find the recommended spacing on the seed packet.
Divide the width of the square you are planting in which is 12 by the inches on the seed packet.
The answer is the number of plants you can grow by width and by height.
Double that number for the total number of plants in a square foot section.

strings on the soil of a raised bed in a grid pattern for square for gardening

So for example, if you have 4 inch spacing on the seed packet, the math will look like this:

12 inches of space divided by 4 inches of spacing per plant = 3 plants for both width and height.
3 plants for width and height = 9 plants total in a square foot area

Once you know your spacing you can add that information to your planner along with the the plants name and other specifics. Be sure to add the location area as well as how your harvest ended up. All this information will be very useful next growing season.

Watering and Maintenance Practices

Watering correctly and consistently is an important part of a healthy vibrant garden. You can water by hand daily, always being sure to water in the mornings rather than the evenings. You can also use drip irrigation or a sprinkler setup for a self-sufficient approach. Get a list of the best watering systems here so you can choose the one that works best for you.

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I prefer to water by hand as this time allows me to watch for any issues with my plants. I have learned over the years that the earlier I discover an issue the more quickly I can give help before things get out of hand.

Read for more tips on how to water your garden here.

Square Foot GArden Tips

Here are additional tips to help you deal with common issues and ensure a successful growing season.

Pest and Disease Management

Keep a close eye on your plants and address any signs of trouble immediately. Introducing beneficial insects, using natural pesticides, and implementing row covers when needed, can be powerful tools in keeping your garden healthy.

Check your plant’s leaves often as they will give you the first signs something is up. You can turn leaves over to check the underside and inspect them for clusters of eggs alerting you to a pest issue.

Support

If you are growing plants that need support be sure to consider that when planning your layout. Put any trellises in an area that will not block out the sun from other plants growing nearby.

Harvesting

Understanding when and how to harvest is an important part of gardening and each plant will have clues to let you know when they are ready to be picked. Be sure to read the plants information so you know the clues and make notes in your planner.

Growing a full garden in a fraction of the space is a great way to fill your kitchen and pantry with amazing farm fresh produce. Get started on your square foot gardening planner today!

Square Foot Garden planner