AboutMike Mascio Expertise I have been an avid gardener since 1985 and an AllExpert volunteer since
1998. I specialize in soil preparation, seed starting and plant
propagation, flowers, vegetables, and general landscaping. I am a strong
advocate of the square foot method of gardening and the use of organic
controls for pests and diseases.
Question I'm considering putting in a square foot garden this year, mainly because I'm too darn lazy and old to weed much. I will be purchasing ready made (if you know a low cost supplier of the boxes, let me know), and I would like to know if I can place the boxes directly over grass, and if so, the best underlayment - landscape cloth? Something else? Nothing at all? Thanks for your help.
Answer Yes you can place the box over the grass. If you do proceed in this manner, you will need to cover the existing grass to prevent it from growing through the garden soil.
My recommendation is to lay 3" of wet newspaper over the area. This will kill the grass and slowly decompose over several months. The carbon will actually act as an organic amendment for the soil.
Although you didn't ask, I am attaching my guide to starting a square foot garden. I hope this proves beneficial.
Good luck.......Mike.
Square foot gardening is a method of intensive gardening. The term "square foot gardening" was coined by an American author named Mel Bartholomew who wrote a book under that title.
Quite simply, this method utilizes vegetables and flowers planted very close in proximity, and grown in raised beds which are framed by natural non-rotting wood such as cedar. The beds can be structured anywhere from 2'X4' to 4'X12', with the most common configuration being 4'X4'.
The advantages to this method are as follows:
1. The soil stays friable since you never walk in the beds.
2. You can harvest many more vegetables since you're planting in blocks instead of rows.
3. The beds are much easier to water since there is no waste between rows. The same hold true for fertilizing.
4. Less weeding since there are no rows between plants and every square foot is dedicated to vegetables.
5. Easier pest control.
6. Rotation of crops is done by bed instead of location.
7. The beds are more aesthetic, and far less work.
8. No tilling each spring.
9. Trellises are structured at the north ends of the beds as a means to save even more space by growing vining plants such as peas, beans, and squash vertically.
Here are examples of what can be planted in each square foot:
9 onions, beets, bush beans, bush peas, garlic, or spinach.
16 carrots or radishes.
4 lettuce, chard, marigolds, or kohlrabi.
1 tomato, pepper, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, or corn.
1 squash, cucumber, or melon per 2 sq.ft.
6 vining plants such as beans or peas on trellises.
This method works well in all parts of the country, and is becoming increasingly popular every year.
I realize this can't begin to explain all that is involved in starting a new garden. That is why I strongly recommend investing in one or two good books on the subject. There are numerous ones on the market, but the one I really recommend is "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew. It can be found on the web or at your local bookstore. Also, feel free to use this forum again should you have any other questions or run into any problems.
Attached is a website that will give you additional information on the subject.
