Steven Hicks

I used the method described by Mel Bartholomew,
in his famous book and the PBS Television Series.

Recently, I've given up Square Foot Gardening because my back yard has become more and more shady over the years.  Square Foot Gardens just do not do well in even partial shade.  They need full sun, for most of the day.  Still, I leave this page just to share my experiences with you.  Enjoy and I hope you find some of the information helpful.

I purchased 8 untreated* 2x12s, 8 feet long and cut each one in four foot pieces.  I was fortunate to find a salvage yard selling #3 grade 2x12s for $7.95 each. Then I fastened them together with long "sheet rock screws".  I pre-drilled pilot holes for the screws to make it easier to drive the screws with an electric drill. I overlapped one end on each corner which made the inside dimensions 46½" square.  I completed the four, 4x4 Square Foot Garden boxes in one evening.   Next, using the imprint on the grass from the boxes, I removed the grass from each square with a flat blade shovel and leveled the boxes as best I could.  At this point, I began to mix soil according to Mel's recipe from his book.  I added some rich loamy soil from a nearby wooded area after sifting it through a 1/4" wire mesh.  I chose not to "dig down" because I have very rocky soil and hard clay one-inch below the grass.  Also, I found the raised beds to be easier to tend than those level with the ground.

*NOTE:  Ordinary lumber will rot quickly unless treated with an organic preservative such as linseed oil.  You can also wrap the lumber in plastic.

"Goal-Post Trellises"  Here are two photos taken on (a very cloudy) Memorial Day in 1998.  They show my newly completed trellises for my beans, peas, cucumbers and cantaloupes.  I call them "goal-post trellises" because they resemble the old style goal posts used on football fields years ago.  I used treated 2x2 inch stock, obtained by ripping 2x4s and fastening them together with the extra long sheet rock screws.  The trellises are also fastened to the 4x4 foot boxes with three screws on each side.  

There is a row of screw hooks on the edge of the 2x12 at the bottom and a corresponding row of screw hooks on the underside of the cross-brace at the top.  I also drilled holes in the (center) cross-brace for the strings to pass through.  I used a knot called a "taught-line hitch" which is the common knot used on tent ropes.  The taught-line hitch makes it easy to re-tighten the strings from time to time.

The strings are made of  large, cotton cord and can be easily composted in the Fall along with the dead vines.   In the Winter, I remove the trellises with my electric drill and hang them on the side of the tool house until Spring.

As you can see, my "goal-post trellises" worked out great!  I can heartily recommend them.  They were easy to build and the all-wood construction blended in well to make the SFGs even more attractive.  My bean, pea and cucumber vines began to rapidly climb the trellises as soon as I attached the strings.  Soon, they were thoroughly covered.  The pea vines climbed across, one to another, to form an "archway" between the two trellises.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions, Iwould like to hear from you!  If you are a Square Foot Gardener, re-visit often for more photos.  Also, we would like to see your SFG photos.  Please e-mail us at:

shicks[no spam]@aristotle.net

Steven Hicks

North Little Rock, Arkansas

Zone 7

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