There is no law that states that square foot gardening has to be in raised beds in your yard. Despite what you see on the internet, the square foot gardening method transfers beautifully to a conventional row garden.
Square foot gardening in your yard without a raised bed is definitely worth it. It helps you grow even more food in the same space, which in turn, gets you closer to food security. It’s simple to follow for beginners too!
I’ve personally been using the square foot gardening method in my traditional space with great results. Here’s what I’ve learned so far!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my Privacy Policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots.
You Can Still Garden in Rows, Just Make them Wider
Instead of gardening one row by one row, you’re going to squish some of the rows together into a condensed, wider row. Then your pathways will become your new rows. Market gardeners use this system, using 30-inch rows, spaced 18 inches apart.
For my raised beds and my in-ground square foot system, I use 3-foot by 5-foot beds in most of my garden. Most gardeners suggest 4-foot by 4-foot beds, but I’m a bit short, so I find that a 3-foot width works better for me.
Use the Seeding Square for Perfect Spacing Every Time
This seeding square is the easiest way to space out your flowers and vegetables perfectly every time. It spaces your seeds apart with the right space requirements that a plant needs in a square foot. Rather than doing the math to make sure you’re taking advantage of your space, the seeding square makes things so much easier!
It also comes with a handy sheet so you know the right spacing for every single vegetable. The colour coding makes it all practically foolproof. You can also read Mel Bartholomew’s book, Square Foot Gardening, for more information. Or just go ahead and buy the seeding square for super easy planting!
Need some more inspiration to try square-foot gardening? Check out my other blog posts on the topic:
- 8 Reasons to Start Square Foot Gardening
- 12 Square Foot Gardening Tips to Make Your Garden Trouble-Free
- How to Build Beautiful Raised Beds for Square Foot Gardening
- How To Start A Square Foot Garden
Arrange Your Garden As If You Were Planting in Raised Beds
In the first photo, you can see how I planted my garden exactly as if I had raised beds. I just didn’t use any wood. This is a great option if you have an area with good soil, there’s really no need to raise your beds, or you want to maximize your space. It’s also a lot cheaper to do it this way without the raised beds.
Soil and wood add up. For our raised beds, we found we were spending $50 per bed for materials, and another $50 for soil (and delivery fees). The price of wood has gone up substantially in the last few years, so I’m sure it’s even more expensive now. By growing your garden as if it was in raised beds, you get all of the benefits and almost none of the expense.
Get 4 Free Square Foot Gardening Templates
Start your square foot garden the easy way!
You'll get 4 4x4 plans for
- Salad Garden
- Beginner's Garden
- Salsa Garden
- Kid's Garden
Plus a mini email course that gives you short, actionable tips for keeping your garden alive.
Powdery Mildew Might Become an Issue
The only downside to square foot gardening in a conventional garden is that there is not as much airflow. Therefore, powdery mildew can become an issue for your squash plants. However, if you stick to the spacing in the seeding square, and try to grow vining plants like cucumbers and pumpkins up and not out, you shouldn’t have too many issues.
Here’s how I stop powdery mildew from taking over my garden.
You Still have to Weed, But it’s Going to Be a Lot Less
Closer spacing between the seeds shades out the weeds, so as long as you do the initial two weedings when the plants are small, you likely will barely have to weed after that.
You can cut your weeding down even more by adding mulch around the plants after those two initial weedings. If you want to learn more about what mulch is and how to use it, check out this blog post.
And finally, if you really want to up your small space gardening game, you’ll want to grab a copy of Small Garden, Big Harvest. It’s everything you need to maximize every inch of growing space you have available. Grow enough produce to have something fresh from the garden every week, and feel more at peace knowing you’re contributing to your food security in some small way. Click here to find out more!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in square foot gardening, I can provide you with valuable insights and information on this topic. I have extensive experience using the square foot gardening method in various settings, including traditional gardens without raised beds. Let me address the concepts mentioned in this article.
Square Foot Gardening in Conventional Row Gardens
Contrary to what you may see on the internet, square foot gardening can be successfully implemented in conventional row gardens without raised beds. This method allows you to maximize your garden space and increase food production. It is especially beneficial for beginners due to its simplicity and ease of implementation.
Wider Rows and Pathways
To adapt square foot gardening to a conventional row garden, you can condense some rows together to create wider rows. The pathways between these rows can then be used as new planting areas. Market gardeners often use 30-inch rows spaced 18 inches apart. In my experience, I have found that 3-foot by 5-foot beds work well for both raised beds and in-ground square foot gardening.
Seeding Square for Perfect Spacing
The Seeding Square is a useful tool that ensures perfect spacing of seeds in a square foot garden. It provides the appropriate spacing requirements for each plant, eliminating the need for complex calculations. The Seeding Square comes with a color-coded guide for different vegetables, making it easy to use. Additionally, Mel Bartholomew's book, "Square Foot Gardening," provides more information on this gardening method.
Gardening as if in Raised Beds
You can arrange your garden as if you were planting in raised beds, even without using wood or constructing actual raised beds. This approach is cost-effective and allows you to enjoy the benefits of raised bed gardening without the expense of materials and soil. By mimicking the layout and organization of raised beds, you can optimize your garden space and achieve successful results.
Powdery Mildew and Weed Control
One potential challenge when practicing square foot gardening in a conventional garden is the reduced airflow, which can lead to powdery mildew on squash plants. However, by following proper spacing guidelines and training vining plants like cucumbers and pumpkins to grow vertically, you can minimize the risk of powdery mildew. Additionally, the closer spacing between plants in square foot gardening shades out weeds, reducing the need for frequent weeding. Mulching around the plants further helps to suppress weed growth.
In summary, square foot gardening can be effectively implemented in conventional row gardens without raised beds. By adapting the spacing and organization of your garden, using tools like the Seeding Square, and mimicking the layout of raised beds, you can maximize your garden space and increase food production. Remember to address challenges such as powdery mildew and implement weed control measures for a successful square foot garden.
I hope this information helps you in your square foot gardening endeavors! Let me know if you have any further questions.
