Lay out a square-foot garden

An hour · Easy · 8 steps

Divide a bed into 1-foot squares and plant each one by a simple count: 1, 4, 9, or 16. Neat, easy to plant, and no wasted space.

A 4 by 4 foot square-foot bed, seen from above
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Fig. A 4 by 4 foot square-foot bed, seen from above.

  1. Twine tied to nails marks out 1-foot squares
  2. Big plants get a 2 × 2 block of squares: one pepper
  3. 1 per square: Swiss chard and basil
  4. 4 per square: lettuce
  5. 9 per square: beets and spinach
  6. 16 per square: carrots and radishes
  7. Tall crops on the north side: a staked tomato, also in a 2 × 2 block
  8. No wider than 4 feet: reach the middle from either side

What you'll need

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You'll also need

  • A raised bed no wider than 4 feet
  • Small nails and garden twine (or thin wood strips) to mark the grid
  • A tape measure
  • Loose soil with plenty of compost

Steps

  1. Start with a bed no wider than 4 feet, so you can reach the middle from either side. A 4 by 4 foot bed holds 16 squares; a 4 by 8 holds 32.
  2. Fill it with loose soil rich in compost, at least 6 inches deep. Square-foot beds are planted closely, so the soil has to feed a lot of plants.
  3. Mark a grid of 1-foot squares: tap in a small nail every 12 inches along the top of each side, and stretch twine tight between opposite nails. Thin wood strips laid across the bed work too.
  4. Put tall crops (tomatoes, pole beans, corn, trellised cucumbers) along the north side, so they don't shade the rest.
  5. Plant each square by its count: 16 for carrots and radishes, 9 for beets and spinach, 4 for lettuce, 1 for Swiss chard, basil, and kale. Bigger plants like tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli take a block of 2 × 2 squares, and squash and melons even more. The chart below lists every crop.
  6. To space them, split the square: in half each way for 4 plants, in thirds for 9, in quarters for 16. Poke a hole with a finger at each spot.
  7. Give each crop its own block of squares instead of scattering it around the bed. A tidy bed is easier to plant, water, weed, and harvest.
  8. When a square is harvested, add a trowel of compost and plant it again with something else, so the bed keeps producing all season.

How many per square

16per square

4 rows of 4, 3 inches apart

Carrot, Mâche, Radish, Scallions

9per square

3 rows of 3, 4 inches apart

Arugula, Beet, Dry beans, Green beans, Onion, Parsnip, Spinach, Tulip, Turnip

8per square

2 rows of 4 (peas and beans along a trellis)

Peas, Snap peas

4per square

2 rows of 2, 6 inches apart

Amaranth, Bok choy, Broccoli raab, Chervil, Cilantro, Daffodil, Daikon radish, Edamame, Fava beans, Garlic, Gladiolus, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Lima beans, Mizuna, Mustard greens, Pansy / viola, Peanuts, Phacelia, Pole beans, Rutabaga, Shallots, Southern peas, Sweet alyssum, Sweet pea, Tatsoi

1per square

in the middle

Asparagus, Bachelor's button, Basil, Begonia, Calendula, Celeriac, Celery, Chamomile, Chives, Coleus, Cosmos, Cucamelon, Cucumber, Dill, Endive / escarole, Fennel, Garlic chives, Geranium, Impatiens, Kale, Malabar spinach, Marigold, Marjoram, Napa cabbage, Nasturtium, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Petunia, Popcorn, Potato, Radicchio, Salvia, Snapdragon, Sorrel, Strawberry, Strawflower, Summer savory, Sunchoke, Sunflower, Sweet corn, Swiss chard, Thai basil, Thyme, Vinca, Zinnia

2×2squares each

one plant in a block of 4 squares

Black-eyed Susan, Borage, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cannabis auto, Cantaloupe, Catnip, Cauliflower, Cherry tomato, Collard greens, Coneflower, Dahlia, Daylily, Eggplant, Ground cherry, Honeydew, Horseradish, Hosta, Hot pepper, Lavender, Lemon balm, Lemongrass, Lovage, Milkweed, Mint, Pepper, Raspberry, Rosemary, Sage, Stevia, Sweet potato, Tarragon, Tomato

3×3squares each

one plant in a block of 9 squares

Artichoke, Cannabis regular, Peony, Rhubarb, Rose, Tomatillo, Zucchini / Summer squash

4×4squares each

one plant per 16 squares

Blackberry, Blueberry, Currant, Gooseberry, Honeyberry, Winter squash

5×5squares each

Watermelon

6×6squares each

one plant per 36 squares

Pumpkin

Sowthickly

scatter seed across the square

Austrian winter peas, Buckwheat, Cereal rye, Crimson clover, Hairy vetch, Oats, White clover

Tips

  • Plan it first in Planting Year: a square-foot grid plot uses the same 1-foot squares, shows how many fit in each, and Plan it for me lays out the whole bed.
  • Beds wider than 4 feet need a path of stepping stones so you can reach every square without stepping on the soil.
  • Some square-foot books squeeze plants tighter, like 1 pepper or tomato per square. Planting Year keeps every plant at least as far from its neighbors as its seed packet says, so it gets the light and air it needs. For even more room, set the plot's Spacing to Roomy.
  • A border of marigolds, alyssum, or nasturtiums around the edge brings in pollinators and helpful insects.
  • Small squares dry out at different rates. Water by hand at the base of the plants, or lay a soaker hose along each row of squares.

Use it in Planting Year