Build a Square Foot Garden – Wired How-To Wiki

When you think of growing your own food, you probably think of endless rows of corn, the middle of nowhere, people in overalls and dial-up internet. You’re also probably thinking about hours spent planting seeds, mulching leaves and plowing soil.
But there’s a better way to harvest your own crops that works especially well for those of use living in urban areas (with high-speed internet and no room to drive a tractor). It’s known as square foot gardening.
Square foot gardening is a variation on what’s known as the French Intensive or Biointensive method of farming. Mel Bartholomew helped popularize the “square foot” name and even has a book on the subject.
The concept is pretty simple, and you don’t need a book or a change of national status to get a highly productive garden going. We’ll walk you through the basic steps to getting started on your own tiny plot of land.