Setting Up Your First Square Foot Garden with Plant Companions
Creating a small vegetable garden can be exciting and with the right setup you can turn a small patch of land into a flourishing square foot garden.
In this post, I'll walk you through the steps to set it up and introduce some easy to grow plant companions that will help your garden thrive.
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Square Foot Gardening For Beginners
Square foot gardening is an effective method that maximizes space and yield by dividing your garden into small squares each one foot by one foot.
In this space you can sow a variety of plants in a compact area making it an ideal approach to gardening for beginners or those that have limited space.
Also this method promotes creating a diverse ecosystem, which can increase your garden yields by reducing pest and increasing pollination.
To kick things off, lay out ECOgardener Premium Landscape Fabric under your raised beds as a weed prevention then fill your beds with a quality soil specifically designed for vegetable gardening to promote healthy plants.
To save money you can go to your local garden center and purchase soil by the truck load instead of by the bag, which will reduce the cost of filling your beds.
You can also add a layer of cardboard and compostable materials like straw, grass clipping, and kitchen scraps to have less space to fill with soil.
These items will breakdown over time adding to the health of your raised bed, while saving you money by cutting back on soil costs.
You can even include a space in your raised bed for vermicomposting by using one of the squares as a compost spot where you can release red wrigglers and add weekly kitchen scraps to incorporate a natural fertilizer into your raised bed.
These worms will breakdown the kitchen scraps turning them into worm castings that will naturally support your garden and help it to thrive.
After you have set up your raised beds it's time to form a grid layout to help you plant and space your vegetable garden.
This set up will help you get the most use from a small space and give each plant the right amount of room to grow happily.
Choosing Your Vegetables and Plant Companions
For your first garden, it’s wise to start with vegetables that are easy to grow this will help you build confidence and it will get you motivated to continue learning and developing your green thumb.
Here are a few great options that are easy to grow in a small space:
Lettuce: This fast-growing green can be harvested in as little as 30 days and can be planted multiple times throughout the season.
Radishes: These root vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and can be ready to harvest in about 25 days.
Carrots: Simple to grow, especially when planted in loose sandy soil, carrots usually take around 70-80 days for full growth.
Next, let's explore plant companions.
These plants can benefit each other when grown together, which enhances growth and deters pests.
Some excellent combinations include:
Tomatoes and Basil: Both delicious in cooking, basil repels pests that typically target tomatoes like whiteflies.
Cucumbers and Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums serve as a trap plant for aphids, protecting your cucumbers from damage.
Peppers and Onions: Planting peppers with onions can deter pests because the onion's distinct smell confuses many pests that target peppers.
Creating these arrangements in your square foot garden will make the process smoother and increase your chances of success.
That is one of the great benefits of square foot gardening is the ability to interplant a variety of plants in one space to create a natural permaculture that naturally deters pests and welcomes a variety helpful of pollinators.
Planning Your Vegetable Garden Layout
When setting up your square foot garden several factors should be considered like sunlight, water access, and ease of maintenance.
Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day, so choose a sunny spot.
One of the most important things to do when your starting your first garden is to write a list of foods you already enjoy.
A simple mistake you can make is planting foods you don't really like to eat then you end up with wasted food plus the resources that go into raising that produce.
So begin with a simple list of easy to grow plants and from this list keep in mind the spacing requirements for each plant then begin creating your layout:
Lettuce (4 per square foot)
Spinach (9 per square foot)
Radish (16 per square foot)
Kale (2 per square foot)
Beets (9 per square foot)
Cucumbers (2 per square foot)
Beans (4 per square foot)
Tomatoes (1 per square foot)
Peppers (1 per square foot)
Onions (9 per square foot)
Garlic (4 per square foot)
Carrots (6 per square foot)
Squash (1 per square foot)
Zucchini (1 per square foot)
Watermelon (1 per square foot)
Herbs (varies)
Having a successful garden all starts by purchasing the right seeds, you want to invest in Non-GMO Heirloom varieties like the Garden Basics Seed Vault Kit which includes 35 varieties of plants with over 16,000 seeds giving you a good foundation for experimenting with different plants.
By purchasing heirloom varieties you not only help support the continuation of heirloom seeds, but it gives you the opportunity to be able to save seeds for years to come making it a great investment.
Select a variety of each plant you would like to grow for example there are many varieties of tomatoes you can grow, but for first time growers sticking to a Cherry, Roma, or Beefsteak is a good place to start.
Cherry tomatoes are one of my favorite to plant because they are very easy to grow and you will get a large harvest just from one single plant.
These are best enjoyed raw and make for a delicious salad topping that you can enjoy all season long.
While Roma tomatoes are perfect for creating tasty salsas and comforting marinara sauces making them another top choice in the garden.
Just be sure to avoid adding more than one variety of the same species of plant unless grown in a wide space apart because there will be potential for cross pollination to occur, which can affect the quality of your produce.
Be sure to also alternate tall plants with shorter options to ensure optimal light distribution for all of your plants and to utilize interplanting a variety of crops to get the most use from your space.
With a list of plants to grow and a basic understanding of the spacing requirements for each plant it is time to create a simple layout.
Let's say you have a raised bed that is 4 x 8 feet this would give you 32 square foot spaces to plant your favorite easy to grow crops, which is plenty of space to begin your gardening journey, so don't let a small space deter you from beginning.
How To Take Care Of Your First Garden
Once your garden is planted, consistent care will be critical for keeping your garden thriving.
The main things you want to consider is watering consistently making sure you give your plants a deep watering about twice a week, but it can vary just be sure to check your soil by digging down an inch to notice if the soil is moist or dry and to water at soil level to avoid fungal issues from developing on your plant leaves.
A soaker hose is a great investment for any new gardening and makes watering simple making it easier to grow your favorite produce.
Do weekly inspections for pests and look for signs of diseases to stay ahead of keeping your plants healthy.
If you develop a pest problem look into natural solutions for eliminating the problem, so you can avoid using harmful pesticides on your plants.
Regularly inspect for weeds and remove because they can steal essential nutrients from you main plants and can take over a space if left.
Apply an organic compost every four to six weeks to boost the nutrient levels of your garden and remember you can do this by creating your own compost pile, making a homemade compost tea, or even starting your own vermicomposting system right in you garden bed.
How To Start My Own Backyard Garden In A Small Space
Setting up a small square foot garden space can be enjoyable and fulfilling because being able to cook garden to table is a great way to save money, to ensure your have high quality ingredients, and to be able to reconnect with nature.
Growing your own garden in a small space is easy to do when you use the square foot gardening method to grow your favorite easy vegetables in one small space to create your own little thriving garden patch.
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