I use the ‘square foot’ gardening method – it grows much more and repels pests
AN experienced gardener has shared a method that allows her to grow more crops with less space.
A handy app helped her figure out which plants grew well together and which didn’t.
Sabrina (@sabrina.duurzaam.leven) shared the gardening advice in a TikTok video.
She passed on her wisdom so that beginners did not have to waste their time and energy.
“Something I wish I knew before I started gardening that would have made the process so much easier, and that is the square foot gardening method,” she said.
Her hack required rope, a staple gun, a tape measure and scissors.
She divided her raised garden bed into one-foot squares with twine.
“[It will help me grow so much more food in less space,” she said.
“How it works is for each square of the garden bed you will plant a certain number of seeds or plants depending on the space required for each plant.”
To help her plan her garden and make sure different plants worked well next to each other, she used the Planter app.
With the app, she created a visual of her garden, including its size and the plants she’s growing.
Best of all, the app will help the gardener maximize their space and make sure the plants have enough room.
“It will tell you how much space is required for them,” she said.
“For example, it will show you that a tomato plant will actually take up four squares whereas you can plant four lettuces or 16 carrots in each square.”
For trickier plants, the app also came with a built-in companion and combative feature.
“This app also tells you which plants are companion plants and which are combative which is super helpful,” she said.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.
Sabrina shared an additional tip that allowed her to harvest crops all season.
“I like to plant half in the square now and the other half later so everything doesn’t mature at once and you can have a continual harvest,” she said.
“With this method, you are able to grow more than traditional row gardens because you are planting crops closer together which maximizes spaces and yield.”
The method also required less maintenance overall, with less weeding and watering.
Gardeners thanked her for her sage advice.
“This is EVERYTHING! You just saved my sanity! I’m about to plan out where to plant this afternoon and now I’m so much less overwhelmed,” said one commenter.
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