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Face it, when you think of growing your own food you think of endless rows of corn, the middle of nowhere, men in overalls and dial up internet. You're also probably thinking about hours spend tilling soil, raking leaves and plowing.
Surely there's a better way for those of use living in urban areas with fast internet connections and no room to drive a tractor?
Of course there is and it's known as square foot gardening. Square-foot gardening is a takeoff on what's known as the French Intensive or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biointensive Biointensive] method of farming. Mel Bartholomew helped popularize the square-foot name and even has [http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ a book] on the subject.
But don't worry, the concept is pretty simple and you don't need a book or a change of national status to get a highly productive garden going. We'll walk you through the basic steps to getting started on your own tiny plot of land.
==Square Foot Gardening in a Nutshell==
The square-foot concept is simple. First we'll build a raised bed. That way there's no need to worry about poor soil (or total lack of soil, you can even build a raised bed atop a concrete patio) since we'll use our own mixture.
Then you divide your bed into sections -- one square-foot each, hence the name -- and then plant vegetables in just the amount of space they need. For instance, while you might only be able to fit one tomato plant in a square, it isn't hard to stuff in a whole bunch of carrots, onions or other smaller vegetables.
The main advantages of the square foot system are less watering (great for drought areas), easier weeding (no long rows to wander down), and a greatly reduced workload.
On the downside you won't be able to create a corn maze come October, but with a little work you should have fresh veggies on the table well through the end of summer.
==Getting Started==
The first step is a pick a decent section of your yard for gardening. Look for an area that gets enough sunlight for all the plants you'd like to grow.
Once you've selected an area you can dig down for an added bit of depth if you like (you can even [http://www.communitycrops.org/doubledig double dig the soil] if you're looking for a workout). However I've never bothered with the digging and have achieved perfectly healthy gardens.
The next thing to do is construct your beds. You can make the beds whatever size you'd like, but for beginner we recommend a 4' x 4' plot. It's small enough that you won't feel overwhelmed and big enough to yield a decent crop. It also just so happens that most lumber comes in 8' lengths so you only need to buy two boards and have your local hardware shop saw them in half for you.
===A word on wood===
Since our garden will be out in the elements all summer you might think about getting pressure treated wood which is better at repelling water -- *don't*. Not only is pressure treated wood much more expensive, it has a number of chemicals in it that can leech into your soil, end up in your food and make you sick. Stick to regular, untreated pine.
Make sure you get something think enough a couple of 10'' x 2'' x 8' boards should do the trick.
==Putting it together==
The next step is screw your boards together and build the box. You'll just need a drill and some good size screws. Sink at least three screws at each end, when soil gets wet it's quite heavy and you don't want your garden to burst at the seams.
The next step is to fill your new box with soil. Mel Bartholomew sells a special mix of soil tailored to square foot gardening. his mixture is 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite. With the exception of vermiculite it's pretty easy get the other ingredients on your own. In fact, even regular old potting soil will work though you may need to fertilize a bit more. Tip: many organic markets like Earth Fare compost their leftover and unsold vegetables, try asking your local market if they have some compost you could buy on the cheap. Or [link to other tut start your own compost].
The next step is to mark off your grid. You might be able to find a wooden grid at the lumbar yard, or you can make your own. Being lazy we tend to use string, which works just as well. Just make some marks at one foot intervals along each side of the garden. Then use either some small screws or nails to hold your string in place and stretch them across your garden, creating one foot squares.
==Planting==
Now the fun part, putting in the plants. If you're starting from seed make sure you start early enough -- just after the last frost. Check with your local nursery if you're unsure when to plant in your area.
Planting a square-foot garden depends on what you're planting. Consult the directions on your seed packets to see how far apart the plants need to be in order to thrive. Generally you should plant in a grid of either 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square foot. If you feel like you've packed the plants too close you can always thin them as the grow.
As for what you should grow, that's up to you. Plant things you like and don't limit yourself just the vegetables -- herbs and flowers will work as well.
Then just sit back and wait for nature to take it's course. Water your garden by hand with a watering can, but you probably won't need to fertilize, since we used nice rich soil to begin with.
When you harvest a particular crop, go ahead and dig out that square foot and replenish the soil and plant again if there's still time left in your growing season
==Tips and Tricks==
So you're stuck living in an upstairs apartment which no space at all? Well, all is not lost. It won't offer as much space but you can check out container options, which work something like a square foot garden.
You can get good results from plants grown in large self-watering pots on a patio or balcony. Check out this [http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/containerindoor/container.asp Guide to Container Gardening] for more info.
If you want to get really fancy with your garden (or if you happen to travel a lot) you can hook up an automated drip watering system. It isn't too hard to do and some hardware stores even sell complete kits that contain everything you need. Check out [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/10756512/in/set-265456/ this photo series on Flickr], which covers the essentials to setting up a small drip irrigation system.
==Conclusion==
And there you have it, sit back and enjoy a summer full of fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers without the back breaking work. Once you've done it for a while you may want to expand your garden. Perhaps next year do two plots or even three. Just remember to leave some room between then so you can get to your plants easily for watering and harvesting.
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