How to Plan Your Square Foot Garden & Printable Planner
IF ever there was a time to be investing in a vegetable garden, this is probably it. There are some limitations to growing your own food, such as weather, length of season, and enough space. A square-foot garden is a great way to get the most out your garden space. We’ll be trying to maximize our space this year with a square foot gardening template printable.
You don’t need to be the master gardeners in order to get the best results with your vegetable gardens. You do need however seeds for the different vegetables you want to grow. Also, you’ll need a couple of garden tools, soil, and a plan.
How to Plan Your Square Foot Garden
There is a time in winter when nothing is growing ( at least that is true up here in Winter land) . That also happens to be when gardeners do their best work. This is when we are dreaming and planning for the next year, or season. Grab a seed catalog (you can sign up to receive them from most seed companies if none are available locally.
Consider your favourite vegetables, the growing season, sun requirements, preferred soil types and from there make your plant list. Your plant list is what is going to determine what your garden grid will look like. How many square foot sections you need, vs how many sections you have to use is also key. If you have limited space, the square foot garden plans are going to help you maximize that space. Each different type of plant is different and requires a certain spacing. For example, in one square foot, you should only grow one squash / pumpkin plant. But in one square foot, you can grow 16 carrots, or 9 spinach plants, or 4 lettuce plants.
With limited space, you will not be able to fill a pantry with a years worth of canned vegetables. However, with four square feet ( a 2×2 raised garden bed) you could grow enough food to
- make a batch of salsa
- keep yourself flush with micro greens
- grown enough beets, radishes carrots and salad greens to keep eating really well through the growing season. And a little bit beyond.
Keep in mind which different crops grow well together and which don’t. Check out this guide to companion planting – to make the most out of your space. Consider also crop rotation and succession planting to get as much food as you can!
How to Plant Your Square Foot Garden
Grab your planner pages, and guide lines. You can use bamboo stakes, string fastened to nails, whatever you have to mark out the individual ‘squares’. A small hand shovel is such a great tool that gets way more use than what it is designed for. The easy way is to just get started, and make your planting holes. You may want to invest in a seeding square, I got mine from amazon. As for the planting, you’re best to follow the directions that come on the seed packets.
You don’t need need a lot of gardening experience to get started. Water your plants regularly, and make sure your each garden beds have good drainage. Consider a way to keep the critters from destroying your hard work by covering your raised bed . We use a small gauge wire covering to keep out squirrels and rabbits.
You can use the garden planner printables (located at the bottom of this post) to draw your garden map. Print many copies. Use one for every spot you’ve got something planted, or intend to plant something. It IS possible to forget, I can attest. This can also help you plan what is next in a crop rotation. Saving these after the season is finished, will help you when it is planting time next year!
Obviously the popular square foot planting method is what it is because space is not always something that everyone has. Most gardeners( even new ones) are able to at least secure a 12” x 12” planting pot. In that one small pot, it is possible to grow a row of salad greens, and green onions and radishes. These three in particular are good because you can continually harvest your salad greens for quite some time. One green onion can go a long way. Radish has such a short growing season that you can replant many times over in one year. Depending on your climate get at least 2 crops, but probably more.
Square Foot Gardening: Template Printable
If you have a larger garden, the square foot planting method, will help you be super efficient with your gardening. Use the printable garden planner as a starting point. Over time you will see what works for you. Before long you will be coming up with different ways to stake plants, and planting seeds absolutely anywhere you can. Happy Gardening!
