Vancouver Food Network

"Square Foot Gardening" is Mel Bartholomew's name for a modified version of "raised-bed intensive," a very old technique that has gone by many names over the years. The idea behind raised-bed intensive is to create a finite, highly-controlled space, where dense plantings produce greater yields. What Mr. Bartholomew has done with his popular books, PBS series and videos, is to simplify this technique and make it easy, even for total beginners. In addition to his book and a foundation to promote its uses worldwide, Bartholomew also hosted a series of the same name on public television. A second edition of his 1981 book was published recently and is available through the Fort Vancouver Regional Library under the call number 635 BARTHOL 2005.

Building a Basic Square-Foot Garden

Although current gardeners may adapt some of the methods, the basic idea behind a standard square-foot-garden is to build an open-bottomed box, four feet on each side, into which one places an enriched soil mixture. A four-foot-square box is small enough that most people can easily reach in, without risk of stepping on (and compacting) the soil. This size can also easily be divided into sixteen separate "square foot" sections, with a different kind of plant in each section.

Materials to Build a Square-Foot Garden from Scratch

Many people already have the materials to build a basic square foot garden, and Bartholomew's method is designed to minimize the need for specialized tools and heavy labor, making it particularly useful for new gardens. If one were to purchase these materials from scratch, the cost is appreciably less than $100, using supplies from Shurway Lumber and Thrifty Feed on St. John's Boulevard. More experienced gardeners will recognize the soil amendments as the standard ingredients for commercial "starter soil," which Bartholomew modestly refers to as "Mel's Mix."

• Two eight-foot lengths of 2x10" or 2x12" lumber, in 4 four-foot sections.
• Approximately four cubic feet of vermiculite
• Approximately four cubic feet of peat moss
• Approximately four cubit feet of mixed manures
• Optional weed barrier (cardboard boxes will work) for bottom
• Optional 2x2" lumber (six, four-foot lengths) for top grid
• Different plant seeds or starts that you or your family would enjoy

Procedure to Build a Square-Foot Garden from Scratch

Basically, the idea behind the square-foot garden is to build an open-bottomed box in a sunny area and fill it with the "Mel's Mix" potting soil mixture. The mixture itself is designed to hold moisture (in the peat moss) while remaining aerated (thanks to vermiculite) and providing basic nutrients (from the manures). Starting with the artificial mix minimizes weed seeds and the immediate need to learn weeding, while the cardboard or weed barrier on the bottom discourages weed seeds already on the site from making their way up to take advantage of the potting mixture.

1. Find a good sunny spot that is pleasant and accessible, so you'll visit
2. Use the large boards to build an open-bottomed 4'x4' box
3. Place the cardboard or weed barrier in the bottom of the box
4. Mix the manure, vermiculite and peat moss together outside the box
5. Fill the box with this freshly-mixed and well-lofted material
6. Use the 2x2" lumber to create a grid of sixteen one-foot squares on top
7. Plant your seeds or starts directly into the squares, one variety per square
8. Stagger plantings and make sure that no square ever sits unused or unproductive

The Logic, Pros and Cons of Square Foot Gardening

The main advantage of square-foot gardening for beginners is its simplicity. The small, human scale and clear instructions remove a lot of variables and anxiety. Intermediate gardeners will recognize a few clear advantages.

• A finite, clearly-defined area is simpler to monitor and control
• Raised beds increase soil depth, warm faster and drain more evenly
• Small, defined spaces make it easier to add amendments and observe
• Lofty, from-scratch "soil" minimizes and simplifies weeding
• Small numbers of a variety of plants decrease chances and severity of pest damage
• Super-lofty soils require no special tools other than human hands

There are also disadvantages to square-foot gardening, which advanced gardeners will immediately see, including (1) a lack of biotic complexity in the soil, (2) the finite fertility of this soil over time, and (3) the way it renders all sorts of existing knowledge and techniques unnecessary. Advanced gardeners will immediately recognize the bio-intensive method as one popularized by John Jeavons, and will quibble over spacings and other errata, which is fine. "Absorb what is useful," as the saying goes, discarding what is useless and adapting what you would make your own.

The Square-Foot Method as an Introduction to Gardening

Key to appreciating the value of Bartholomew's square-foot gardening method is it simplicity. Boxes can be made smaller for children and smaller adults. Because even a full box weighs less than two or three hundred pounds (depending on water load), boxes can even be built on tables with plywood, for "accessible gardening" to people in wheelchairs or others who have difficulty gardening directly on the ground. Boxes can be built in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing new and less expensive options for "container gardening" on decks, patios and even steps. The main thing that Bartholomew's book provides is an introduction to possibility, with key hooks for the imagination.

In Clark County, square-foot-gardening methods are employed by groups such as Clark County Homegrown Gardens (CCHG), which provide boxes and instructions to help low-income folks grow some of their own food, and the method has been adapted in various educational settings, as a simple way to introduce gardens (and its associated science) to school children. The technique provides many simple opportunities for home-scale agricultural research, and landlords who might object to seeing shovels on their properties usually don't have a problem with a box. Boxes can even be built on driveways and patios, creating small gardens in sunny places that would otherwise sit more than fallow. The main advantage of square-foot-gardening is that it is accessible and adaptable for all sorts of situations. Visitors to the CASEE center in Brush Praire may recognize many SGF ideas in beds there which produce fresh produce for food banks and pantries, and some local gardeners plant their "row for the hungry" in a square-foot garden.

For Further Information

• Wikipedia article on square-foot gardening
• Google shows dozens of videos on SQF, as does YouTube.com
• A demonstration SQF in Arnada, as featured in The Columbian
• An April 28, 2008, Columbian editorial, "Home Grown Answer" in support of Home-Grown Clark County's program to help folks start their own square-foot gardens.
• "Introducing Square Foot Gardening" Video recording on DVD. FVRL call number DVD 635 INTRODU.
• All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! by Mel Bartholomew. Cool Springs Press, 2005. FVRL call number 635 BARTHOL 2005, also available from Powells.com.