More Go Green! projects:
What makes this compact garden so productive is that you will be placing plants close together in squares instead of traditional rows. You can continue to plant as you harvest.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Frame
1. Using the 2-by-10′s and 16d nails, hammer together a 4-foot square.
Trellis
2. Nail the 6-foot 2-by-4′s to the back of the frame.
3. Nail the 4-foot 2-by-4 across the back of the uprights.
4. Attach the 7 wires on the back of the trellis by wrapping wires around nails.
Planting
Fill the frame with good garden soil. Divide it into 16 squares. The smaller the mature plant, the more you can plant in each square.
A Helpful Garden
Nail 5/8-inch or heavier exterior plywood to the bottom of the frame and lift the frame to table height by placing it on sturdy saw horses or legs. Once filled with soil, it will be easily accessible to a person in a wheelchair or someone who is more comfortable sitting than kneeling.
What’s the best direction to face this garden. Should the vines face south so they don’t block the sun?
Our local lumber yard suggested using cyprus for this. We did and it turned out great, light weight too. If we decide to move it to another spot in the yard we can before we fill it with dirt and seeds.
Maybe a dumb question, but what are the measurements of this box?
16 cubic feet 16 1 cubic foot sections
4 foot square.
This sounds great. Will have to have my hubby build one of these for me on the saw horses.
If you use pressure treated wood can you use a weed liner around the box so that it doesn’t make direct contact or will that still hurt the veggies?
Yellawood is a pressure treated lumber that will not hurt your plants. You can get Yellawood at Home Depot.
Can this type of planter be used on a deck or cement patio?
This can also be put on sawhorses for wheelchair gardeners. There is a book by Mel Bartholomew called Square Foot Gardening that teaches you this method and it is great. I got all my wood from construction sites garbage piles, and old litte league bleachers.
This is such a great idea. One tip; putting lots of mulch around the plants will help keep the moisture in as well as help keep the weeds at bay.
What would you say the average cost for the building materials is?
I just got all the supplies and it was $50.
Super cheap and can’t wait to build it.
Can lattice be used instead of wire, I’m not very hands on with building.
This is great! We have a built up small garden spot at our new home. It’s built up on the ground with bricks. I was wondering how to best plant the veggies this year and this is just the ticket!
I have 16 veggies in my room. what about fruit?
What time of year do you need to start planting veggies?
You start planting after the last frost. We usually start in about a week or so.
@ Metallica, please give more details. Sounds like a great idea!
Can you plant it in the ground but use the same design for the square?
Yes, you can do it in the ground if you have good dirt. Most types of in-ground dirt is either too wet (clay) or too dry (sand). You have to know your dirt. Using good, loose, fertile, well-drained, near neutral dirt that has a lot of decayed organic matter will yield you a good start to a great harvest.
Pine or spruce construction lumber will last a couple of years before the rot becomes significant. White oak lumber will last a lot longer although it is more expensive. Do not use pressure treated lumber with vetetables.
If you wanted to substitute cantaloupe or watermelon, where would you put them? We would have a larger garden but I like the layout of yours.