The most efficient way to plant a small garden — grow more food in less space using a simple grid
Square foot gardening divides a raised bed into 30cm squares. Each square holds a precise number of plants — 1, 4, 9 or 16 — depending on the crop. The result: maximum yield, minimum waste, zero guesswork. Plan yours visually in our free garden planner.
The cheat sheet for UK square foot gardeners
| Crops | Plants / square |
|---|---|
| Lettuce, spinach, beetroot, bush beans | 9 |
| Carrots, radishes, onions, spring onions | 16 |
| Garlic, leeks, basil | 9 |
| Strawberries, garlic, swiss chard | 4 |
| Cabbage, broccoli, peppers, aubergines | 1 |
| Tomatoes (caged), courgettes, climbing beans | 1 |
Use untreated timber or recycled scaffold boards. Aim for at least 15–20cm of depth (30cm for root crops). Fill with the classic "Mel's mix": one-third compost, one-third peat-free coir, one-third coarse vermiculite or grit.
Mark out the 16 squares with garden twine, thin batons, or strips of bamboo. The visible grid is what makes the system work — it stops you from over- or under-planting and makes succession sowing obvious.
Use the chart above. One square of carrots = 16 plants in a 4×4 pattern. One square of lettuce = 9. One square of cabbage = 1. Plant taller crops on the north side so they don't shade smaller ones.
The moment a square is harvested, refresh it with a trowel of compost and replant. A single 4×4 bed easily produces three harvests of fast crops in one season.
Use the planner's grid mode to lay out beds, squares and crops