SFG at Mercy Franciscan, Hamilton, Ohio.
Square Foot Gardening, or SFG, is the practice of planning small but extensively planted gardens. Square Foot Gardening was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book followed by a PBS television series. It is the perfect gardening method for greening urban areas or attaining large crop yields within a limited area.
The Square Foot Gardening method weaves ideas from many other natural gardening techniques like focusing on compost, closely planting raised beds and a biointensive attention to a small, clearly defined area. The square foot method is particularly well-suited for areas urban areas with poor soil, for beginning gardeners or as recreation for individuals with different sensory or motor abilities.
SFG's Amazing Results
In the SFG method, the garden space is divided into beds that are easily maintained and accessed from all sides. A 4′ x 4′ or 16 sq. ft. garden is recommended for the beginner.
A path wide enough to comfortably work from should be made on each side of the bed if possible. If the bed must be accessed by reaching across it, a narrower bed should be used so that no discomfort results from overexertion in the garden. Each of the beds are divided into square foot units and marked to ensure that the square foot units remain seen as the garden grows.
